By tita13

July 9, 2009 12:22 AM | Link to this

I feel where you coming from Purple especially towards the end of your comment. The changing of this rule was done b/c someones kid who the schools didn’t think would be effected was effected and now they want to admend it. Who knows how many kids before the change were effected and lives changed b/c of it.

By Ron

July 7, 2009 6:07 PM | Link to this

Agree with “Funny”.

If you are on PB County School District property-grounds, classroom…DON’T call School Police…call the PBC Sheriff’s Office.

School Police are controlled by the school district…and information, not flattering to the school or district, can be “resolved” by wording reports and making sure nothing gets published or in the hands of another agency.

The report just kind of “fades away”.

If you want results…call the sheriff’s department.

By margo hart

July 6, 2009 8:42 AM | Link to this

I substituted in Broward County and I had a class 3 days in a row. It was 8TH GRADE and one of the children stole all my money and through the remainder of the contents of my wallet in the toilet. I would never have pressed charges. The administrators and police left this decision up to me. I just ignored it and went back to class and the next two consecutive days, I broke through to one boy and I carry his note every where I go. He was only throwing stuff at me. Teachers are wonderful people if they can connect. I will never substitute again because I want to be given a position teaching. I am not giving up. I believe that Florida is going to be replacing teachers and paying them lower salaries in exchange for laying off teachers with higher pay. This is a good idea to hire veteran teachers who are not burned out who are willing to do their best. Teaching is also being able to reach the students who act out and to change their behavior. I am looking forward to my class in Educational Leadership tonight and I am on my way back from NY. I am in Florida for a reason: To keep learning and to be hired as a teacher. Ms. Hart

By null

July 6, 2009 8:24 AM | Link to this

Purple you dumb doush….the african american males who go to gunclub deserve it. You can only not be a school teacher. Anyone other than a teacher will not understand what its like to be in a classroom with a sketchy student…of all colors. To be scared because the student is nuts or not be able to do anything because of parents or admin who wont take responsibilty. Nothing to do with race…if a black kid commits a crime(which they do plenty) then he deserves to go to jail…same for white or anything in between. So stop showing your ignorance….just because you are ignorant doesnt mean you have to show it here.

By Biill Neubauer

July 6, 2009 8:09 AM | Link to this

As all too often happens, state legislators act on somebody’s emotion without reagard to reality. There is simply no excuse for the legislature intruding into school discipline. School officials are much better trained and have a better perspective on specific student behavior and the best reaction to negative behavior than those legislators mostly moved to respond to the screams of as few as one constituent. I suppose it will never happen, but too often the best thing that politicians could do is learn to BUTT OUT. This is most definitely true about the FCAT test, which sops up too much of teacher time which could be devoted to real, creative, exciting teaching instead of this robot-like crud.

By Mimi

July 6, 2009 7:51 AM | Link to this

Some years ago, my son and his garage band, played in a school talent show. Foolishly, they decided to put some “bang” into their segment and set off some smoke devices as part of the finale. Needless to say, the school administrators reacted with vigor.

We were called into the principal’s office with him to face the music, as it were. The verdict? A two week suspension. In rebuttal, we pointed out that our son had never been in trouble before, that we all agreed what he’d done was stupid and inappropriate, but that he was struggling with grades and feared that losing out on that much school would threaten his ability to graduate later that year.

We proposed that a shorter suspension, along with our placing our son on “house arrest”… ie, restricting him to home when not in school or at his weekend job would serve everyone’s purpose best. The Principal agreed that in this case, it was a wise compromise.

Our son’s grades improved, his classmates and he learned a valuable lesson about personal responsibility and he kept his nose clean. In fact, at graduation, he announced he thought he’d like to take some classes at the community college.

Fast forward to today. Our son not only went on to higher education, he has both a BA and a JD, ie, Juris doctor… and is a practicing attorney, father and model citizen. This would not have been possible if his school had been required to enforce a zero tolerance policy instead of allowing a more appropriate resolution.

School administrators should be allowed to handle discipline on a case by case basis. They know the students, their home situations and how seriously to take transgressions.

By Funny

July 6, 2009 7:47 AM | Link to this

Funny!! I have been teaching 32 years and fail to see where anything changed and arrests went up. I still see CRIMES being committed and noothing done. I plead with anyone in the school system…teacher or student, IF you feel a crime has been committed against you, DO NOT tell the school police, call 911 FIRST. The principal might hate you for doing so, but you have the right. DO IT!!

By mike

July 6, 2009 7:43 AM | Link to this

Zero tolerence laws, regulations are terrible. They are designed to eliminate decision. It is a form of ultimate control that is designed to place all control at a level above those who are close to whatever situation or event that has occurred. The creators of zero tolerance laws sought an easy one size fits all answer to the complexities of human existance. What the failure of these laws reveals is the legislators and other elected leaders who crafted these rules and laws failed to think their actions through. Perhaps our tolerance for them should head toward that number zero at election time.

By johnjuan

July 6, 2009 7:39 AM | Link to this

It is nice too see some common sense being brought into this issue and that reasonable adults can see the difference between a student drawing a gun in class and bringing one to school in their backpack. And then I read the post by “Purple” here and just shake my head and realize how many dumb people there are who try to blame the “system” for everything and not take personal responsibility for themselves and their children. I have a neighbor who is a nice elderly retired school teacher and in regard to education she said to me …. “It’s not so important what a student does from 8am to 3pm. What really matters is what that student does from 3pm to 8pm.” Meaning that parents have to be there for their kids. It’s the teachers’ responsibility to teach but it is the parents’ responsibility to make sure their children learn. Every student has the same opportunity in the public school system to succeed or fail and their parents have the responsibility to make them succeed.

By Retired Police Officer

July 6, 2009 6:07 AM | Link to this

It clarifies that administrators do not need to report certain misdemeanors, such as small thefts and fights without injuries, to school police,

Clearing up a misconception about this law:If one student steals anothers money, ipod, etc, or punches him/her in the hallway, etc, it is not the school that decides to press charges or not. It is the victim who decides to prefer charges, and the administration cannot stop the reporting. If they did, the victim would simply go home and call the local PD or the Sheriff’s Office, who would then forward the complaint to the School Police. Also, the officers that are on campus are not oblivious to what is going on. The crime victim can report the incident directly to the officer, and/or the officer hears the call on the school radio regarding the incident.

By Pjay

July 6, 2009 5:11 AM | Link to this

Purple, it’s so refreshing and different to see someone like you making this into a RACE issue.

I tell you what, if the schools that receive “free or reduced” lunches weren’t full of “AA” males who are MAKING TROUBLE, and SPITTING ON THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET AN EDUCATION, there wouldn’t be so many “AA” males getting arrested and ruining their futures.

You don’t blame the people who make arrests of criminals for the ruining of the criminals’ lives. You blame the criminals for making the bad choices.

I am glad to read the story that says that a bit of rationality has returned to the school system. Now maybe a kid can wear an NRA shirt without fearing that his exercise of his 1st Amendment rights will not get him expelled from school, and when a kid draws a picture of his dad who’s in the army, holding his rifle and wearing a vest with grenades on it, he won’t get expelled either. Oh, and a kid who points a CHICKEN FINGER at someone and says, “POW!” won’t get expelled while the morons in the school system parade around as though they stopped a bloodbath from taking place.

By Seaweed

July 6, 2009 3:40 AM | Link to this

**By mom

Jul 5, 2009 9:18 PM | Link to this

I am so glad that someone has finally realized that not every little thing needs to result in an arrest. What adult here does not remember someone they know who drew a gun while at school. For a child to be punished because they drew or wrote about a gun is ridiculous. **

if you draw a gun at school, you should be punished…

By Troubles

July 5, 2009 10:08 PM | Link to this

The PB Sheriff’s office should take over the school police.

Too much that is going on in schools goes unreported.

Principals are called on the carpet if they have too many suspensions, expulsions.

Unfortuantely, too many middle and high schools are out of control. Fights, drugs and interruption of instruction.

Put your children in private or charter schools.

By Purple

July 5, 2009 9:55 PM | Link to this

What happened to the many children that has felony records thanks to the school police and their felony charging of African American Males or other children that attend the schools that have a high rate of free or reduced lunch. It’s awful how many AA males have gone to the Detention Center and before the 21 day period is up they go to gunclub. What’s shameful the same crimes or lack of crimes that are done at schools out west of town, boca, and any of the schools that don’t have a high percentage of free or reduced lunch, they get the slap on the wrist. How many children didn’t have the opportunity to graduate or they are living in the prison system now. It’s shameful the way the young people are treated in palm beach county. When I say young people I mean all of them, color doesn’t matter, when you protect some and others get punished to the max those that are not punished end up doing some terrible things. What happened to the principles, and the deans, in the schools who would run the school with the iron fist. Police on school campus, that wasn’t heard of. What happened when you saw the Principle and the Dean the respect was there, now they have school police.The schools with the free and reduced lunch visit the prison system more than the other school that has a small amount of free or reduced lunch. They get help or an alternative is found so they don’t go to the detention center and they are not charged with felonies. I think as people we all need to wake up, the young people are dying daily, they are overdosing on drugs (prescription meds) they are committing suicide, they are walking around without a clue. Everyone needs to explain to their children that prison is a business, once you get caught up in that system you’re done. Money is hard to come by now, the economy is awful so the children who could or was given the opportunity to go under the system will find themselves in the system because the family don’t have the money to pay the high price lawyer. Let’s talk with our children, the neighbors children, our relatives, stop making the prison system rich. Also rules change when the economy is out of sort, when people where asking about this zero tolerance to change, it was met with closed ears, now everyone is feeling the money crunch so once again a way is being made to protect those who some folks feel are worthy because they can purchase school lunches. We need all our young people, let’s fight for our young people if another child isn’t arrested in the next 30 days we still have far to many young people in prison.

By mm

July 5, 2009 9:30 PM | Link to this

Palm Beach County’s Kelly said he recruits school police officers who realize “there are many more avenues to get a young person’s attention than their arrest.”

In other words, I try to hire lazy officers who do anything not to do a report, which is why they come to school board police and not a real police agency..

By mom

July 5, 2009 9:18 PM | Link to this

I am so glad that someone has finally realized that not every little thing needs to result in an arrest. What adult here does not remember someone they know who drew a gun while at school. For a child to be punished because they drew or wrote about a gun is ridiculous.