School Fines

               

                This Article is about a charter school system in Chicago that gives fines out for detentions as well as demerits. The school has a very unique discipline system, in which if you break the smallest of rules, by smallest of rules I mean not buttoning a button or having your shoe untied, and not looking at a teacher by following Her/him with your eyes as they walk around the room. They a sort of conversion system of discipline currency four demerits in two weeks equals detention which will cost $5 to attend? Some things that earn you demerits are one demerit for untied shoes one demerit for unbuttoned button and four demerits for having a phone out. So phone caught out equals four demerits, which equals detention, which equals 5 dollars to attend. People in the article defend this policy as it helps discipline children growing up in very poor and unfortunate neighborhoods. They argue that their SAT and ACT scores are very high and that they have over 90% of their students enroll in college once they finish learning at Noble charter schools (Sorry I didn’t mention that name earlier.). People and troubled parents though argue that it just puts too much pressure on its poor students especially it’s students come from these unfortunate neighborhoods. What I think is the problem with this system is the fact they are charging to high of an amount to these unfortunate students, especially if the infractions which can earn you demerits are so miniscule. The discipline at our high school is fair while no large problem is apparent such as fights though they happen are not entirely frequent, although not a big problem it could help if we had a more strict system though forcing students to pay fines is absolutely absurd. (If you will criticize me for not coming up with my own solution leave a comment I will make one.)

Part 2

                Upon researching discipline policies of schools around the country I’ve found one to be completely identical to my middle school (undisclosed) in which there is no tolerance for violence dangerous weapons or hazards to the student and teacher body the infraction are immediate suspension and immediate recommendation for expulsion. (Meaning you will sort of be put up for trial to see whether or not you will get expelled based on the type of infraction.) The anti bullying policy is nearly universal now that Obama has signed an anti-bullying Bill making it crime to bully and the same consequences go around, though some school systems add to that. Another system I have researched is something called the point system where a student has points tallied up against them and if they tally up points they go through a sort of makeshift due process of law. In which they are even given an impartial hearing and Trial on whether or not they should be punished. Rather not if they should be punished but if the consequences will be limited. I also looked at Chicago University’s disciplinary system. I know it goes off the beaten path in which I have been talking about Middle and High school but their disciplinary system goes beyond the campus to how they act outside of the campus as an individual and a group. As young Adults are the usual audience of these campuses there is a very strict system. Plagiarism and copying is strictly enforced as well as violence planned violence and it is fairly simple infractions can stall your graduation time withhold credits or expel you fro that campus in which all your time there was useless. Now granted you may not be able to do that for kids. I prefer the Point system it gives young students a strikingly similar system of discipline as to life out as an adult and is a learning experience within a consequence for their action, although it may be the hardest to put in place, due to its complexity.