Q2 Editorial Project
Period 5
Post your group's editorial as a Comment replying to this post. Be sure you are posting the COMPLETE editorial; each group may only submit one.Include a title and all group members' names.
To be considered on time, you must post by 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 21.
TEST POST
ReplyDeleteThe lateness policy is a necessary feature of the Wilson Charter School’s Code of Conduct. In a perfect world, everyone’s alarm clocks would work and the city buses would never run late, but the fact remains that people need to be responsible for their own success, and part of being successful is being on time. In addition to preparing students for the expectations of the professional world, serving a detention for being late reminds students of their mistake and will hopefully inspire them to come to school on time. It is true that some students travel from far away to reach our school because their neighborhood school is unsafe. While this is unfortunate, these students simply need to set their alarm clocks a bit earlier.
First, society judges people on their ability to meet the standards of professionalism, which include being on time and prepared for their job. Imagine a lawyer being an hour late to defend his client in court or a surgeon two hours late to perform a critical operation. According to Leon Daniels, the owner and manager of a local bank, workers “are fired if they are consistently late to perform their professional duties.” He agrees that “since it is a school’s job to prepare students for the working world, schools must hold students accountable for arriving on time.” Mr. Daniels shows how essential it is for schools to hold students to a high standard.
To that end, students must be punished if they arrive even one minute past the beginning of the school day. Some people argue that other schools provide a “grace period” of five minutes, but late is late. All a grace period does is make people think being minimally late acceptable. It does not matter if a student is five minutes or 45 minutes late. Students who are already late to school would be even later if 8:05 became their goal rather than 8:00.
Next, when a student receives a detention for being tardy, it serves as a warning not to repeat this infraction. Spending an afternoon in the detention room causes students to miss out on opportunities for extra help from teachers and prevents them from participating in extracurricular activities. If the student fails to learn the lesson taught by the detention, they will fall behind in school. Only beginning to come to school on time will allow the student to get good grades and add activities to their resume, which they need to be accepted to college.
This kind of policy has its basis in the American justice system, which punishes citizens for crimes committed. Although the late student is not committing a crime, they are hurting their education and taking resources from the school, because it takes a lot of time for the lobby monitor to write late passes and detention slips. This can be compared to the criminal who drains society’s resources by causing police officers to have to patrol the streets and public defenders to waste tax dollars in court on guilty people.
Finally, it is true that some students live in neighborhoods that are somewhat dangerous in the early morning hours. The student knew the school hours when signing up to attend Wilson Charter, however, and if they thought they would not be safe on their trip to school, they should have applied to a closer school. There is no record that any Wilson student being attacked on their way to school in the morning hours. Given the number of students who get to school on time, it seems it is the students’ laziness, not their neighborhood, to blame for their tardiness.
ReplyDeleteKhylil, JoJo & Jaelynn
Ms Julie
English 3
January21, 2015
The Oppressive Ways of Freire.
Jaelynn- Intro.
A famous vegan author, Kathy Freston once said, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. When you feed yourself what your body needs when it need it, that’s love.” The meaning behind this quote, explains why breakfast is the most important meal of each day of the week. Each person in the world needs to eat breakfast everyday, and if one does not eat breakfast everyday they will not be treating themselves with the proper care that their body needs. Many students in todays society does not have much time in the morning to eat breakfast, before going to school. Without the most important meal the students can not focus during school, and they do not have the energy that they need to proceed throughout the day. Freire Charter School also known as FCS does not allow their students to eat in their classrooms, the only food that one is allowed to eat is chewing gum. FCS food policy should be tweaked in many ways,, why breakfast is important, the school should allow students to eat inside of class, lastly teachers should not be allowed to tell students to throw out their food.
Khylil-Paragraph 1
Breakfast considered by many as the most important meal of the day could actually help the students in freire. Breakfast gives people the energy that they need to focus during the class and due better on test from a scientific study. Students sometimes don’t have enough time to eat at home which causes them to be tired easily in class. If the teachers allowed us to eat in the morning people wouldn’t have these problems and find that students grades will significantly improve. Students of Freire should have the right to have a little bit of time in the morning to eat so that we aren't forced to throw it out. There were times when Ms Rachel told her student s to ... Continued
Continued
ReplyDeletethrow their food in the trash on the first warning which is wrong. This situation is unacceptable because students spend their hard earn money on breakfast in the morning just to be thrown away. Thats why being able to eat breakfast in the morning should be permitted in Freire Charter because students or even teachers might be able to benefit off of the rule change.
Jaelynn- Paragraph 2
To proceed, many students do not typically eat breakfast or any type of snack in the morning time. Without a burst of energy, that breakfast provides an individual in the morning, most students will be tired and would not be ready to participate in any type of activities. When surveying many Freire students majority of the students said that they typically do not eat breakfast in the morning and will be tired throughout the day. When asked how many of these students chew on gum throughout the day just to have some form of food in their mouth, majority of the students once again answered the same way. Freire should allow students to eat something other than chewing gum, when someone eats gum throughout the day they will continue to stay hungry, which will make them hungry and tired once again. According to care2.com, when one eats chewing gum one would typically get hungrier, because the slavia and the gum itself fools the stomach into thinking that it is fool, which is not a good thing for students. Therefore Freire should allow students to eat a snack during class, allowing students to chew up would make them hungrier throughout the day and would eventually cause students to lose focus. When students are allowed to eat during class they will be able to be alert. This is why Freire should allow students to eat during class.
JoJo- Paragraph 3
There are some moments when teachers or any faculty should not be allowed to force students to throw away their food when there are no means necessary for them to do so. After having discussions with students, there was one that stood out to me; Ashley sullivan who was in the 10th grade at the time, was ordered by Sr. Jonathan to throw away her drink before even leaving the cafeteria. This situation is unacceptable because according to the policy there are no rules were says teachers are permitted to violate the students opportunity to ingest their lunch or even have the chance to save it.
Counterarguments-
Most faculties will correctly point out that eating in the classrooms is that students leave their trash, and spill drinks, which will bring rodents and cockroaches. Not only is it a lot to clean up but it is very rude when the teachers are teaching and the students are snacking. However, some students are considering hiring an trash man for every period to alleviate the teachers concerns of trash left on the floor.
Khylil Conclusion-
In conclusion Freire Charter schools staff need to make a change in the schools food policy ASAP because it will enhance the students ability to learn throughout the school year. Breakfast is know as the most important meal of the day but many students miss out on the opportunity to eat because of the policy. There are also benefits for eating, in school so the student who attend Freire are able fully learn to the best of their abilities. And lastly teachers shouldn’t be able to throw students food away because their is no rule in the policy that states that you can’t ingest or save your lunch from being thrown out. Therefore staff of Freire charter should change this rule because it does nothing but hurt the students.
Cell Phones Crack in Freire
ReplyDeleteby Malaysia Allen, Jamal Robinson, Edwin Wilson
In Freire Charter School, there are many policies. They involve academics, safety, and many other topics. Freire doesn't allow cell phones in school and if a staff member sees them, it will be taken. It is a disgrace that students can't earn a little break with their cell phones. A bad situation might come up, something personal might happen, or the school's Internet might not be working.
To begin, one safety flaw created by the school’s outdated electronics policy is that it introduces a dangerous environment during emergency situations. For example, being unable to contact one's guardian or parent during a time of personal crisis, family, or medical emergency. One such case can be told by a student currently attending Freire Charter by the name of Sierra. This student says that she has had this problem in the past in where she has had to go to the office due to a medical emergency. However this took time to get approval when she was needed immediately. This is a clear example why the school should amend their policy on electronics because that in the time it took to get approval the situation could have gotten more serious but this could have all been avoided with the use of her personal phone.
Another flaw found in the electronics policy creates an inconvenience when one wants to use the phone and goes through proper channels in doing so. For instance when trying to contact one's parent or guardian one must ask the teacher to be sent to the office or an administrator this takes time away from said teachers lesson and the students learning. Even after getting permission from the teacher the student may find themselves in the not so rare case that every staff member is currently unavailable. Since most faculty members do jobs that keep them moving it is not uncommon to rarely see them at their desks. This situation is problematic because without a present adult the student is not allowed to use the phone without approval. Without anyone there to approve the use of the school phone the student will have no reason but to stay there and wait for a teacher or administrator to give approval by this time the student would have missed crucial parts of the lesson and still not have resolved their problem. All of this can be settled with the student being able to use their personal phone bypassing the wait and quickly returning to class.
Phone policy should be more flexible because you"ll never know when the computers or phone lines in the school can stop working. After doing a little research I found out that 30% of computer lose important data due to something they couldn't control. This shows that you can't always trust phone lines and computers because you don't know when they can start acting up. Now if a student needed to make a really important phone but the computers and phone lines are down in the school. They should be able to use their phone and handle their business without getting into any trouble.
Some might say that cell phones shouldn't be allowed in school because a student can cheat. They also might say that students can be doing other things (looking at Youtube videos, taking pictures, etc.). That statement would come from a very strict parent that wants their child to get an education with no distractions.
To summarize everything, Freire should have little more flexibility in their phone policy. So many things can happen that can cause problems with phones or computers in the school. Family issues and personal crisis should be excuse and students should be able to use their phones. So therefore we feel like Freire should let their phone policy be more flexible base on problems or situation of students or school. Example being school internet and phone lines going down or faintly crisis for students.
Jade Love and Junius Johnson
ReplyDeleteEnglish 3
Ms. Julie
1/21/15
The Discipline Policy Ought To Be Reckoned With
When you hear the word discipline, many things come to mind, however, discipline means the practice of training people to obey rules or code of behavior. Yet, in Freire, discipline is defined completely different. Punishment or consequences of your actions are determined on what a teacher puts on a piece of paper. No matter how you argue your case, the punishment stands. Most of the time the punishment does not even fit the problem at hand. We argue that the discipline policy is unfair because the suspension procedure is not reliable and lacks due process, which is the right to defend yourself before receiving punishment. Our other argument is consequences are not being equally distributed among students who both break the same rule. It is a disgrace that our school does not provide the legal right to due process and the code of conduct is contradictory.
The discipline policy is unfair because of how suspensions are setup. When a student’s actions are considered “suspendable” they are immediately suspended, and not able to defend themselves until their hearing, which is usually 2-3 days after their suspension. This procedure is completely unfair because it does not give students the right to due process. In fact, a huge case in the U.S., known as the Goss v. Lopez case, talks about students who were suspended before even receiving a hearing. Ultimately, the Supreme Court argued that this goes completely against the Due Process Clause and decided that the decision the school made was unconstitutional. This is significant because our suspension system is setup in the exact way the Supreme Court says is unconstitutional. Moreover, in cases that deal with arguing, the dean usually tries to gather information from students that witnessed the situation, during the person’s suspension term. This is not the most reliable way to get information because students could always lie to get their friend out of trouble, or even lie to get their enemy into trouble. It is therefore obvious that the suspension setup is not fair because it goes against our right to due process and is sometimes incapable of reliability. In conclusion, we do agree that suspensions are necessary, though, it is clear that the setup needs to be redone in a way that secures students’ education and right to defend themselves before any punishment.
The discipline policy is unreasonable because it is not consistent. For example, one main rule our school provides is the nonviolence rule, however this rule is not dealt with properly. There have been cases where students have argued with each other and their consequence was a suspension, whereas other cases, students were just given a second chance and recommended to try peer-mediation to resolve their problem. To be more clear, two male students by the name of JaQuan and Aaron were arguing and they did not receive any consequence but just recommended for peer-mediation. However, in another case, three girls by the name of Dominique, Kierra and Khaliya were immediately suspended for arguing.
This is completely unfair because not all students are being punished for their actions. In addition, the nonviolence rule applies to all students, however it seems as if only a portion of students are actually being held accountable for their actions. According to authority figures, they too believe this policy is not the best and could use some work. Thus, it is clear that the discipline policy is inconsistent.
It is a dishonor that our school does not grant us the right to defend ourselves nor give equal consequences when it is due. It has been clear that the discipline policy is improper because the opportunity to stand up for one’s self before being penalized is denied and the evidence shown that not everyone is equally obtaining a consequence for violating a major rule. In addition to the discipline policy being down right uncertain, it should be reconsidered on how it is applied to every situation. These problems cannot go on any longer. We must confront our administrators or faculty members and express the unfairness some of these rules create. For example, suspensions damage our chances of attending a good college. A perfect scenario would be if a person was suspended for something they could not defend their case on, the suspension still stays on their transcript. This is significant because colleges look at your transcript, and most likely if they see any kind of suspensions, they will deny your application. All in all, Freire should change their discipline policies before it changes our school.
ReplyDeleteWorks Cited
"Goss v. Lopez | Casebriefs." Case Briefs. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2015.
ReplyDeleteAlaya Freeman,
Malik Freeman,
Kyle Hampton,
Dontai Dawson
Ms. Julie
Eng. III
Green Usually Shows Wealth But Not In This Case
Marc Jacobs once said, “I appreciate individuality. Style is much more interesting than fashion, really.” At Freire Charter School, every incoming ninth grader has to wear a green shirt. Advisors see the shirt as a form of support, meanwhile the students see it as a disgrace. Student’s academics and also behavioral actions determine whether a student stays in the green shirt or is allowed to wear their own clothes. The green shirt must be worn at all times and nothing is allowed to cover it. While wearing the green shirt, ninth graders must also attend a homework club twice a week. It is a disgrace that wearing a green shirt is believed to help a student become prepared for college. The green shirt is a waste of money, it isolates ninth graders from the rest of the student body and also may degrade one’s character.
First, the green shirt is seen as a waste of money. Each ninth grader has to buy more than one green shirt for school. Shirts cost $20.50. One will spend $41 on two shirts that can only be worn the freshmen year. Also, students can get out of green shirts, so now there are shirts sitting around that won’t even be worn anymore. This problem needs to end because it is money wasted. Money that couldve been used towards something else more valuable to that family.
Some people might think the 9th grade uniform policy could be helpful some might think it's pointless. I agree with the folks that thinks it's pointless. Why? Because there's already pressure on ninth graders coming in to high school and isolating them from the rest of the upperclassman puts more pressure on them to get out the green shirts. My opinion Is that ninth graders can't handle pressure as well as upperclassman. So why not just let ninth graders where the outside clothes and depending on how good they are in school and how their grades look they could go out for lunch. To bring back another point why I think the ninth-grade policy with uniforms is pointless because it's embarrassing other ninth-grade to gets out there shirts and others are still in there green shirts it makes the ninth graders that's still in the green shirts feel left out and lower than most, and I think that too much for ninth graders to handle. Being as though Freire is a college prep school there's shouldn't be a isolation towards students. Let's the students be free and let them wear what and what they like, I fill as though if the rest of the upperclassman don't have to wear uniform why should ninth.
ReplyDeleteMany have worn a school uniform, and many know the elusive degrading feeling that came with it, but for those who have or currently attending freire charter high school will know the true definition of the word degrading. At freire at one time or another in a students 9th grade year will be spent wearing a green shirt, and no matter what grade a person is in they will hear students will always hear why everyone dislikes the shirts. In an interview by a student by the name of Tayanna Campbell said, “They make me feel like a fool… like less (of a person)... dumb… They make me feel like I can”t dress”. While interviewing another student one Daniel Lewis had a similar opinion said, “(they feel) Pointless… (They are) very degrading after (I had to) pay for (a) middle school (uniform)... (they are) really pointless. (I) don’t understand (Them)”. These interview show that students feels as more of a dunce from medieval times and less a student.If we allow this to go on we may create a group of students who will not get the full experience of 9th grade which will eventually lead depreciate a students spirits.
When a 9th grader is forced to wear a degrading shirt it not only make that student feel less of a person it also hinders one's academic performance which leads someone to not succeed. This failure can be traced back to the green shirt policy in a major way. Even if one looks at the green color of the shirt it does not represent the embodiment of the word success.
While asking the students of freire on the topic the answers were universal. a student by the name of Kashil told me, “No (I don’t feel) green shirts help me succeed because they make me feel like I can’t do anything, and when I fell I can’t do anything I don’t”. When interviewing another student named Aniyah Dennis said that “No because when I work I want to work in confidence, but with this shirt on I feel that I don't have any confidence in myself I won’t have confidence in my work”. From these examples it is clear that wearing these shirts not only hinder a student mood but a students success rate also.
Some people would agree with green shirt policy. Why? Because it motivates them to do better and get out of it. It also reminds them that they're only a freshmen and have to earn their rights. However, it can bring a person down because they might not get out of it for the first half of the year. Now the student feels like they can never get out of the green shirt. If it's intended to motivate 9th graders it's surely not working.
We come to an agreement that 9th graders shouldn't have to wear green shirts. 1 of reasons we said was that it's an waste of money. 2nd reason is because it degrade students characters. In order for this to change a group of freshmen can protest. To get everyone to join 9th graders should promote all around the school. Freshmans should put signs all around the school. If the staff see that they are at least trying to make a change then this could happened.
Freire Dress Code: Is it Worth the Struggle?
ReplyDeleteBy: Qariq Armstrong, Titiana Robichaw, and Kristal Spears
Rapper ASAP Rocky once said, “I dress how I feel. I just go off emotion. I can’t prepare my outfit a day before. Everything I wear is spontaneous.” Based off of the quote one can conclude that our topic has to do with the dress code. The Freire dress code for 10-12 graders and very few 9th graders states that one should dress “like a college scholar”. Meaning that with the freedom of not having to wear a uniform, one must conform with the limitations of what they can and cannot wear. There should never be a dress code at a school where you are told there is no uniform. To hear all the the rules that follow it would be a slap in the face. Everyone should be able to express themselves spontaneously, just as ASAP Rocky does because no one knows their feeling for the next day. Did you know that the way students dress should not concern the staff? If the parents of that student let them leave out of the house dressed how they were, then the way the student is dressed should not concern the staff, because it is not their business. Basically, if the parent is fine with it so should the school.
Not only should the school mind their business about what a student is wearing, but the school should also respect the fact that it is hard to find clothing with their requirement when it is hot outside. Besides the requirements some students may have financial problems whereas they can only buy what they can afford or can only wear what they have already. These circumstances will influence people to really think about the cost of things that can not be found in local shopping stores or malls because it is not the latest trends, then the students will be left wearing jeans in the heat. Meaning one could overheat and fall out and that would be left on someone's conscience. That student that fell out could sue the school for not lowering their dress code policy and causing endangerment to their health.
When asked about if she agreed with dress code policies, Tyra Benson, a Senior at Academy Park High School said “I honestly don’t think that dress codes make sense! Students should be able to express themselves.” When told that Freire students are not required to take an art class, she seemed very upset. She responded saying, “Well how do they expect students to be themselves if they do not require students to take an art class. Students have a lot going on and if art is not their talent and if they are not able to take art they should be able to express themselves through what they wear." This interview shows that not only students that attend Freire Charter School disagree with dress code policies, but students that attend other other schools disagree with dress code policies as well. Whether or not if their school requires them to wear a uniform or not,
Another example of how the dress code is all messed up is that the dress code allows certain student to get away with certain pieces of clothing simply because of body shape. When I say this, I simply mean that because different kids, especially females, are shaped different they can wear certain pieces of clothing that other girls might not be able to wear because they are more shaped than other students or less shaped. In my two full years of attending Freire I came to notice how much females are targeted for dress code. Yes , I believe their should be some sort of dress code but not in the way it's done now. The Freire handbook says dress code is required because, "students are expected to wear clothing that is appropriate for the educational environment and not offensive to anyone." When they say this they are targeting females, they don't want females to wear anything that might distract male teachers or even boys. When they say this they are making girls feel guilty and apologetic for others people lack of self control and hormones. Girls should be able to wear they want with out having to worry about the type of disapproving looks from countless boys and many fellow staff in the building and even worse judgment from other girls. One should be able to wear what's comfortable for them with out being accused of wanting sexual attention. One should not wear clothes to impress anyone but there self. When higher authority interrupt something as important as our education and send you home for something as simple as a shoulder showing, you are letting females know that their body is more important than education. Staff are making you feel as though one should feel bad about having normal human anatomy. One is basically apologizing and I think that is something you shouldn't have to apologize for because you have no control over that and one should not have to feel guilty or ashamed of having breast, legs and shoulders it's normal. When staff interrupt a girls school day and send her home or force her to change clothes because her shorts are too short, or dress to short or her bra strap is visible, you are telling females that hiding her body is more important than her education. You are telling her that making sure the boys or fellow male staff have a distraction free learning and teaching environment is more important than her education. One is telling females that boys are more entitled to an education than females are. Females should not come to school to be told how to dress but to get an education.
ReplyDeleteSome people may disagree with the dress code authorized by Freire Charter but some may also agree with the dress code given by Freire Charter for many reasons, some being: The dress code may emphasize a serious high school and college like environment and to just give students another reason to get good grades and do good in school. Another reason could be instead of having students wearing the same uniforms (outside of the Green Shirts for Freshmen) for every student, the dress code gives students a sense of expression and a good amount of choice when it comes to their wardrobe. But these reasons given are wrong in a sense that, the dress code in Freire is not the best. What these reasons fail to show is that the dress code could potentially take away from the students concentration in school because of their focus on what they want to wear the next school day. A big reason why dress codes are not the best idea for schools is because of the way students in a lower income household may be talked about by the other students which is one of the main forms of bullying.
In conclusion one could see why the dress code in Freire or in any school can be bad, for reasons like: Some students are bigger in size than others. So they need to wear different fits of clothing. Another reason being is that the dress code is very strict and could be interfering with some students love for fashion. What they may want to wear to express that passion could be prohibited in Freire due to the strict dress code. And finally, the main reason is that students could be talked about due to their lack of fashion sense or variety of clothing because of their household income. These are some reasons why the dress code in Freire should be changed a little bit.
ReplyDeleteSome might argue that transportation reasons aren’t valid because it teaches time management. This however isn’t necessarily true. In cases where students are late due to their own incompetence this opinion is true. In most cases however this isn’t the case and students are legitimately late for various reasons. Say if a student gets a ride to school and has to travel through a bad neighborhood everyday when suddenly his driver gets shot. Should the student get out the car and continue to school in order to be on time? Would you tell the student to manage your time better so you can get out of the house earlier so you can avoid getting shot at? That is a situation where one can not control and other situations are not under students’ control. The lateness policy isn’t fair to all students who come from different communities which is why it should be revised and changed to fit all students.
ReplyDeleteIn conclusion, the Freire lateness policy can cause a student to be unsuccessful. There’s never enough ‘time’ to deal with everything. There are problems that range from external to internal There’s health issues, transportation issues, family issues and others that can cause lateness. They say better late than never. Just think about a time that you were late to an interview, or that time that you were late to practice or maybe even that time you were late picking up the kids. Maybe imagine that you, yourself, were a Freire student and you were already having a bad enough day and the project you worked on until three in the in the morning after leaving the hospital from seeing your loved one will not be counted. There’s not enough time and there’s a reason for everything, only a human with a heart could be understand.
ReplyDeleteDevonne M., Khalil G.L., Rahiim F., Ky’mere N.
Albert Einstein. a famous physicist from Germany known for coming up with the idea of the Relativity Theory once said, “The only reason for time is sii that everything doesn’t happen at once.” Here, Einstein is saying time is so that everyone has space to deal and are not overwhelmed. Freire values regular attendance because it contributes to a student’s academic success. Contribute to a student’s academic success. Only excused absence from an official business will be acknowledged. If a lateness is not excused by an official office then it is reported to the Truancy Office of Philadelphia. There are consequences for being late. The students may fail the course due to many assignments being counted as missing or points being taken off because projects and homeworks are counted as late when the student comes in late. There are times when time seems as if there is not any time when everything is happening all at once. Freire’s late policy is unfair and should be changed in order to help its students be more successful. These things may include transportation, family matters, health and others.
The main reason this policy needs to be changed is because of transportation faultiness. Often times students and even workers are tardy due to the regional transportation system. One could be on time but is suddenly faced with an issue that they can do nothing about and must wait. Not only the regional transportation systems but highway accidents, if one has his own vehicle, can cause sudden delays. After asking a few daily commuters of SEPTA, Philadelphia’s transportation system, I’ve came to the conclusion that SEPTA services are seemingly always off-schedule which makes them either late or barely on time. After conducting some research I found that there has been five major SEPTA events that took place in December 2014 which caused latenesses. This doesn’t include the normal ten minute delays. Five times out of thirty-one days doesn’t seem too bad but if you take into consideration how many people who were affected by these events which were hundreds then these incidents are quite detrimental which is why the lateness policy should be changed due to transportation issues.
The second reason this rule needs to change is because not every kid can make it to the hospital when going through a illness. I asked a freire student have she ever got a sick and was not able to go to school, her response was"yes, I had a stomach virus and my parents did have a car to take me to the hospital so I stayed home. This problem can be seen on a day by day bases during school hours because you are in a closed space which cause sicknesses to spread rapidly because kids are afraid of missing school days or being late. In the past kids had a parent write a note but now you need a doctor note and not everyone have the strength or the time to go to the hospital.
Family matters is another reason why this rule should be repealed. Students who have younger siblings tend to have a responsibility to take care of them. Usually they might have to deal with getting them washed and ready. Also students might have to deal a death in the family or an abusive parent, causing them to feel too emotional to go to school.
The last reason this rule should be repealed because it simply isn’t helping students. Because of the other possible reasons a student would be late or miss a day students aren’t passing their classes. More and more students are starting to fail because they can’t turn in their work. Teachers are not willing to be lenient towards students that don’t perform well in their classes, causing a student with serious problems to fail.
Electronics Must Stay
ReplyDeleteBy: Salena Frazier
On a standard morning at Freire Charter High School, for those students who come to school early are free to use their electronic devices until 7:50 a.m. However they must remain in the lunchroom area. At 7:50, all electronics must be turned off put away then placed in lockers before going to their first class of the day. Students must do this because it's part of the school's electronics policy.
Freire has a policy for all electronic devices including cell phones in order to avoid educational distraction and opportunities for cheating. The policy is: After 10:50 a.m., no electronics allowed or visible between the hours of 7:50 a.m. and 3 o'clock p.m. It also says that all students must place all electronic devices in their lockers prior to attending your first class. A child's education is important, but is also important for a child to be able to have enough time to be young before they have to mature into hard-working adults. The electronic policy in this school is so unfair and too strict it must be changed again.
The electronics policy is too strict because the students has nothing to do when they have a lot of downtime. According to the policy itself the student cannot even use their electronics during lunch where there is no actual academic class being taught to them at the time. According to 10th grade student Anisa Martain-Blair, "Its another reason why students come into class late after lunch because they leave school in order to use their phones".
This policy only places a greater burden on the students and their parents because when there is an emergency and the school needs to be cleared out immediately, the students won't have their phones with them. Since the policy states that the cell phones must be kept in lockers how are the students suppose to reach their parents and or guardians? According to 10th grade student Iyannah Williams, "What if the school caught on fire and everyone evacuated the building quickly without going to the lockers." In that situation,the staff won't have enough phones to let the students borrow to call the parents and sometimes parents might screen and ignore the call since the staff members's phone numbers won't be recognized by them. Some students may not know a new phone number. How many of us bother to memorize phone numbers anymore? We humans became lazy and let the computers do the memorizing for us.
Even if the electronics policy was made in order to cancel out distractions and chances of cheating clearly this rule is too strict and unfair therfore it must be changed. It can cause problems for the adults and can take away the very little freedom that high schoolers have before they have to go to college. If you value the welfare of the students I encourage you to go speak with the Deans and the school board about this policy and ask them to change it again.
ReplyDeleteBy: Givonna Darby, Bryanna Maxwell-Greer and Shymia Wallace
Zero tolerance policy is a policy that prevents violence from happening or escalating within the school board. Safety comes first when it comes to the role of a student’s actions in which the problems are being addressed. However, the zero tolerance policies might affect individual students and the entire school because a person is unable to defend themselves in any sort of action. Even though, this policy upholds a individual safety and the school environment, this policy requires expulsion for any event, disciplinary history and academic standing of any student involved. This is where the acts of violence is to be handled in a different point of perspective due to the no second chances and non violence policy of expulsion, for all acts committed in self-defense and retaliation. In fact, zero tolerance policies, also have an abundance effect on African Americans and Hispanic students. For example, the School Superintendents Association discussed that, “African American students without disabilities were more than three times as likely as whites to be expelled or suspended, according to government civil rights data collection from 2011-2012
ReplyDelete(pbs.org/newshour/rundown/obama-administration-recommends-ending-zero-tolerance-policies-in-schools/). While something should be done about a person being able to defend themselves when there is intention to harm someone or if the violence is unavoidable. There should always be a way for an individual to use self defense and should not be expelled depending severity of the situation.
The fact that protecting your self can get you expelled is unacceptable. The law states that people have the right to protect one’s self and property from injury which is self-defense. It could be argued that starting conflicts and then fighting is not apart of self-defense that's true, but if you did not start this fight or cause harm to anyone first then you have the right to defend yourself. Freire wants you to just stand there, not fight back and if you get jumped you should just ball up by not protecting your self. Protecting yourself in Freire will get you kicked out and this will be put on your record for colleges to see. Freire is not obeying the law at all and this is a major problem in our Freire community.
When falling under pressure humans tend to have two natural ways to respond. Those ways are called fight and flight. The fighting and fighting depends on the ways of the person. There should never be penalization when it comes to someone having a natural reaction. This is why schools zero tolerance policy should be changed. The policy should be changed, because when attacked physically people react with their first instinct which a person might regret later. It's like you can't expect someone to hold a lot of their emotion in and then when someone else pops off towards them your first instinct to not let yourself get harmed. The Psychology research says that, “ The reaction largely happens outside your consciousness (psychcentral.com).” This statement means that you're not even in your normal state of mind when put in that situation. With this being said this is why the Zero Tolerance Policy should be looked at again and revised.
ReplyDeleteAnother reason why this policy is challenging, because if you do fight this destroys your record for scouts to see and programs which could put you at risk for losing any scholarships or other life changing opportunities. This also goes on your college application which can prevent you from going to a good college because nobody wants a problem student with that on the record. For example, Devonne’s cousin was attacked from behind and he fought the person off at his school which also have a non-violence policy and later on in his highschool years at graduation the teachers was disappointed that he couldn't get into a college that he really wanted because colleges wants top students with a clean record and he wasn't that student all because of self-defense which is legal but his school doesn't go by that.
Some might say that zero tolerance policies have a positive and negative affect on a person’s actions. The fact is that, this policy helps cut down the violence within the school and keeps the environment safe. People might say that the school’s policy is working at Freire, because it helps maintain order in classrooms, prevents violence from happening and provides structural environment. Although, this policy make people think about their actions before they respond, because they are thinking about their consequences that they are facing and reviewing their choices. According to CDC it says that, “The observed association between suicide attempts and fighting across demographic populations suggests that violence prevention programs directed at reducing both suicide and fighting are likely to be relevant for youths.” This means that all acts of violence towards another person is decreasing due to the zero tolerance policy. Some may defend this by a student’s violent behavior being used among others and shouldn't be happening. In some cases, these situations can be prevented and not be taken this far where a person is committing suicide. This is where defending oneself and being expelled comes in. For example, if it is self defense then you are actually defending yourself and not going on the defense then you should not be expelled. It is acknowledged that, Freire have resources for students, such as therapy, mediation and other support, before incidents can occur at school or the community. Should school’s suspend or expel a student for using self defense?
The zero tolerance policy should be changed because in most cases its self defense. The school is supposed to follow the law. Everyone has a certain reaction when they fall under getting harmed, they fight or flight. Sometimes its just a natural instinct to fight back. You don’t ever let yourself get hurt. Some might say that this rule helps the community. So, therefore there needs to be a second chance policy, because humans react sometimes without thinking which they may regret later. Some may see this second chance to start over and this can show them that violence is not always the way and that there are other ways to go. A second chance policy may show a student the way to mature. No Nonsense, Make Sense for a second chance at Freire.
ReplyDeleteBy: Aireonna Garnett, Tymere Jones, Walid HussainThe 75% rule should stay, because it pushes students to work hard. Students know that it is easy for their grades to go down below a seventy-five, so they work hard to keep their grades above that. Students meet all class components to keep their grades up. The seventy-five percent rule is what make students, students at freire, this rule keep students from not doing their homework and studying for major assessment.
ReplyDeleteA seventy-five or above are grades students need to maintain in high school. Maintaining these grades will lead to a high GPA and this will result in a lot of good chances of being accepted in colleges if students want to further their education. If students want to be successful throughout their four years in highschool, they should keep their grades up because it will be a challenge to maintain them when a quarter is coming to an end. This percent is fair because it's much acceptable to colleges
Colleges often accept students with good grades.When students apply to colleges and have grades that's above a seventy-five colleges would more likely accept them because freire is a academic school. Having grades above a seventy-five would also mean that you are on honors and colleges like to see that of a student
Another very good point is that the 75% turns students into high workers. This is similar to what was stated in the first paragraph but not exactly. The 75% rule makes students work hard. This hardworking trait inherited from the 75% rule is greatly needed in life, and once again, the 75% rule makes students develop this habit. If you’re hardworking now, you’ll be hardworking throughout your life.
Someone might argue that this rule is what tends to make people refrain from attending or staying at the school. Most think that the 75% rule is too much of a burden. However, it is anything but that. It helps better prepare you for life by making you achieve higher and make you a hard worker. As mentioned earlier, if Freire had a 65% rule for example, then students could get straight 70’s and technically pass, but colleges would basically think nothing of them.
We believe this rule should stay because it will lead to increased GPA, colleges will think highly of those applications, and they will develop a hard working trait. All of those three paired together will mold students into a very well-rounded, smart, and hard working individual. Ofcourse, students have to do their part by being diligent in their studies. It cannot be ignored that Freire is one of the top high schools in the large city of Philadelphia. How could that be? Well, the 75% rule is one of those reasons, because it makes students achieve higher and greater than ever before. Going forward, Freire should keep this rule and other high schools should actually inherit this rule and apply it to their school, because it makes students overachieve, which is a great thing.
Next, the green shirts are normally made in order to get freshmen motivated from the beginning of the school year to the end of the first quarter. The goal is getting out of the green shirt and being able to wear normal clothes. When a student does not meet up to the expectations and does not get out of the shirt they feel that it is not important because it does not measure their true capacity to get and complete work. In other cases it may cause them to be less motivated. In the future this could contribute to low self esteem and self worth. Students who fail to get out of their green shirts the first time after doing what they believed to be their best might start questioning themselves. The green shirts are a very attractive shade and are not fit for all environments.
ReplyDeleteWhen a ninth grader has to come to school in a green shirt they are already upset. Having to show up in a green shirt is a sign that they did not live up to their own expectations, but they also have to brave through some of the unpredictable climates in and outside of the school. It is a known fact that Freire tends to be cool at times and hot others, the temperature will change room by room. The green shirt policy doesn't allow for freshman to wear anything over their shirts so students may become too cold or to hot which is a distraction to learning. When the students do take precautions and wear coats or jackets in order to withstand cold weather they are immediately engaged in an unpleasant conversation. When this happens the conversation can either go one of two ways they can either take it of willingly or an automatic problem with the authority figure leading to a write up, detention, and missed opportunities at getting help for work.
Some might say that the green shirt is helping to keep students on track but it is a known fact that many of the problematic freshman are the ones who are and will stay in their green shirts. Although the rule may see harmless being in new to high school is already hard enough, with the added stress of a no so pretty uniform it becomes even harder. Think about it this way, as a highschool freshmen everything is new, the workload, the environment, and the policies and on top of all that you have to deal with being the “fresh meat”. Although Freire is a non-violence school and have a no bullying rule this does not guarantee that the freshman won't be looked down upon, and the green shirts make that even easier to do. Many teachers might say if a student is not granted the privilege of wearing his or her own clothes they will be more likely to try harder, but for many freshman this is not the case.Some people may respond well to having a punishment if they get something wrong but others may take it in the opposite way and completely shut down. If a student is trying their best the disappointment is an even harder hit. They may start to believe they just aren't good enough and the expectations are too high, and well they give up trying. In some circumstances yes, the green shirt may help but in most it is a cruel policy that is not as efficient as some might think.
It cannot be ignored that the green shirt policy is a very strict one that everyone has at least one problem with but it continues to be used. The policy of making the freshman wear green shirts is unfair, harsh as well as inconsistent with students true potential and should be abolished. Green shirts make struggling freshman an easy target and can cause them to feel like outcasts. Although it may seem to be helping keep students motivated the green shirts just aren't in themselves sufficient enough to do so. Self motivation is also key but after not getting out of the green shirt time and time again that motivation will decrease. Green shirts are not weather proof and in a school where the temperature fluctuates on a hourly basis it is hard for students to learn in such environments. The shirts have become a distraction to what is really supposed to be happening at school, learning.
A sea of dark green overflows at Freire
ReplyDeleteBy: Auria Johnson,Elijah Hayes, and Kenya Hall
We all have the natural right to have and voice our opinion as citizens of this great country. This right should be exercised as it is our duty. Therefore, it is not too early as high school students to do so. Specifically as students attending Freire Charter High School where all students have strong opinions on the structure of the school. One enormous example is the green shirt rule that the freshmen attending Freire Charter have to follow. This rule subjects all freshmen to wear a green shirt with the school's logo attached throughout the school day. This allows everyone to know their grade level and who they are. However, it is constantly shown that this is a rule needing to be extinguished. This rule is unfair, harsh, and irrelevant to the learning of the freshmen students, therefore should be removed. Because it singles students out who are subject to ridicule for their low achievements dealing with their studies, does not measure students' capabilities, and prohibits freshmen from protecting their skin from the harsh weather such as the cold, it is evident that this rule should be removed for good.
For starters, the rule of the green shirts singles out students who are behind in their studies, it should no longer be existent. A student's grades and achievements academically are personal issues that should be withheld by the student. The green shirt rule allows staff and other students to however see the progress of students through whether or not they are able to exit their green shirts. When students are contained in their shirts, it is immediately noticed by their peers in which they are easy targets of teasing and bullying. As kids can be cruel, it can tear down students sense of pride and other success rather than build it up. Freshmen should not have to face the negative spotlight the green shirt rule puts them in. Imagine being singled out by peers on a negative topic, innocent freshmen are faced with this everyday. All this rule does is make freshmen resort to negative behavior to distract others from their green shirts. Clearly, it is evident that the green shirt rule should be banished because it wrongly singles out freshmen students on their lack of academic and behavioral accomplishments.