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Perhaps there should be the "real graduation"...with pomp and circumstance...and then the carnival party celebration for those who don't want a dignified ceremony to commemerate a milestone and a passage....and really only want to indulge themselves in an orgy of self congratulations and buffonery....if that is what makes them and their family proud...go for it....BUT dont ruin a significant ceremony for others.
It would be like going to mass and blowing kisses and bowing on the way to receive communion...if its your thing...oh well....but dont inflict it on others. Graduation is more than a cake walk, and it is a shame to dilute it and trivialize it. I think the superintendant did the right thing to attempt to uphold standards and hundreds of years of scholastic tradition.
The inability to be serious and respectful....may be part of what is wrong with modern society. I wouldn't be so quick to slam the superintendant and excuse the rude and inappropriate behavior of some of the graduates.
Forest and Mainah - What should a teacher be paid? Cured ham won't pay the bills. $10/hour - you get what you pay for.
just curious.
I remember a local candidate for State Senate referring to teachers in a debate not many years ago as "being servants". This supposed polititian saw that as a badge of honor or something. Those days of accepting room and board and a ham, or what ever are in the history books. Teaching is a stress filled, difficult profession...and yes I say profession. Of course there are bad apples, and that's a problem with the NEA in my eyes...there's not really a way to weed out the bad apples, but at least 90% of teachers work a lot harder than most of us. They get lots of time off, but they need it because of the stress they operate under...those that are doing their job feel the stress instead of ignoring it. They might be walking down the corridor between periods and a fight will break out, or some kid curses out another, or you fill in the blank. At that instant the teacher's day went from normal to upside down. Dealing with parents who can't believe you would try to disipline their child for a few four letter words...this is just an example, and I must say I spent 25 years in a classroom so know a little about the territory. What's gratifying is many years later some one you had in class comes up to you and thanks you for trying to show them some respect and disipline. Yep, they just got out of jail for trying to use the same life lessons they thought were OK...but come to find out their teachers were really onto something trying to show them a little bit about what was right and wrong...and yes I've had that conversation with former students. Bottom line is the teacher doesn't have to be a student's friend, mentor is a better description. Now I'll get off my soapbox, but this thread hits a raw nerve for those who have tried to shape a younger generation. I blame the problem on television...there is no connection between actions and consequences. On TV it always works out OK...also you only have the youngsters attention for about 12 minutes so you better have an interesting lesson. I can still see that look students get when they change the channel...turn out Science class and think about whatever!!...but that's a whole different story.
I just can't leave this thread alone. I have spend 37 years in the school system, and I will be the first to say we have some faults. What this is all about is accountability. Many people, students and parents alike just don't want to bear the consequences of their actions. The students knew what was to be expected. End of story. I will say that the district should have been more proactive like we are. We make sure the students, and audience can't pull off those shenanigans by watching people as they enter. Students have a friendly frisk, and that is that. As for withholding a diploma, I don't think state or federal law would permit that in the end. As for pulling a student out of graduation, if they know that is going to be done in advance and choose to act out, then they should bear the consequences.
A lack of responsibility is what has gotten us into the financial problems we share today. Those bankers knew what they were doing was risky, and not good business, but they went ahead anyway. Now the whole nation faces decades of paying for their failures. The government has a responsibility also, but the lobbyists made sure they short circuited their responsibilities.
I am also a bit miffed at all the people who complain about teacher/administrator salaries. Teachers at minimum have a 4 year degree, and administrators have a masters degree and some even a doctorate. This doesn't always make them good at their job, but they put in the time and effort needed to be eligible for those jobs. I keep hearing complaints about public schools. Public schools made the US what it is today. The success of nations has always been directly linked to their educational systems. Sure there have always been private schools for the wealthy, but the majority of Americans aren't wealthy. It's the lack of responsibility that's the real issue. The schools can only do so much. Parents need to step up like they once did. Teachers and administrators are in some ways held hostage by the parents of the students they provide an education for. We can't take every sow's ear and turn it into a silk purse without some parental help.
Back on topic... The parents should have warned their kids to behave appropriately or face the consequences. Parents who never teacher their children about consequences are more at fault than their children for these kinds of actions. I will admit blowing a kiss is a bit extreme, but launching a beach ball is past the line. Parents and citizens, back your school personnel, instead of always criticizing them. Force your administrators to get rid of bad teachers. Elect good school board members, so that they hire good superintendents.
I remember a local candidate for State Senate referring to teachers in a debate not many years ago as "being servants". This supposed polititian saw that as a badge of honor or something. Those days of accepting room and board and a ham, or what ever are in the history books. Teaching is a stress filled, difficult profession...and yes I say profession. Of course there are bad apples, and that's a problem with the NEA in my eyes...there's not really a way to weed out the bad apples, but at least 90% of teachers work a lot harder than most of us. They get lots of time off, but they need it because of the stress they operate under...those that are doing their job feel the stress instead of ignoring it. They might be walking down the corridor between periods and a fight will break out, or some kid curses out another, or you fill in the blank. At that instant the teacher's day went from normal to upside down. Dealing with parents who can't believe you would try to disipline their child for a few four letter words...this is just an example, and I must say I spent 25 years in a classroom so know a little about the territory. What's gratifying is many years later some one you had in class comes up to you and thanks you for trying to show them some respect and disipline. Yep, they just got out of jail for trying to use the same life lessons they thought were OK...but come to find out their teachers were really onto something trying to show them a little bit about what was right and wrong...and yes I've had that conversation with former students. Bottom line is the teacher doesn't have to be a student's friend, mentor is a better description. Now I'll get off my soapbox, but this thread hits a raw nerve for those who have tried to shape a younger generation. I blame the problem on television...there is no connection between actions and consequences. On TV it always works out OK...also you only have the youngsters attention for about 12 minutes so you better have an interesting lesson. I can still see that look students get when they change the channel...turn out Science class and think about whatever!!...but that's a whole different story.
Our culture has been changing a great deal, and it continues to change. In many different directions at the same time.
Collectively these changes are hard to keep track of.
The effects of these changes in the classroom are huge.
The slow attention spans of folks now, which I do think may have been encouraged by TV. Do not help.
The lack of play recesses in schools today, keeping children indoors and if they can not sit still then drugging them into stupors; combine into yet another problem in 'modern' education.
When there is no discipline in the home, and none is allowed in the schools; I find it hard to imagine that anyone would expect to see well disciplined high school graduates with their heads on straight.
Our school system today is one fraught with many problems.
Location: Hidin' out on the Mexican border;about to move to the Canadian border
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Quote:
Originally Posted by maine4.us
I boat boat airhorns, noisemakers, and confetti are banned from the spectators? In the last 37 graduations that I have attended behavior of everyone at a graduation has degenerated. We do a friendly frisk of all our seniors to make sure 1) they are fully clothed under the gown 2) they don't have silly string to spray on the other seniors 3) they don't have noisemakers 4) they aren't intoxicated. We take these precautions because we have had those issues in the past.
We do allow the students to do their "thing" as they walk off the stage, a bow to their parents, blowing a kiss, or yelling I love you mom and dad. Not exactly 100 straight laced, but after all it is a time of happiness for all involved. It's the first long term goal the students have ever achieved.
Generally speaking, the audience is the group of people we worry about. Because we have a large audience, seating is a real issue. We have had friendly scuffles in the stands because of people "saving seats" for others. Unfortuantely some parents started happy hour before they came to graduation, so we have police stationed in the stands. Because of all our precautions, we generally don't have major problems at graduation.
I would say the super should have been more proactive than reactive.
YES! Thank you for seeing things from the administration's side. Parents and the general public have no idea how disrespectful kids can be to faculty. At graduation, the kids have a mentality that they can do what they want because once they get their diploma, there's nothing the school can do about their behavior. And sometimes that disruptive behavior results in a bad experience for parents and relatives at a time that should be a celebration. Most people have never tried to keep a room full of excited kids under control. It only takes one stepping over the line to set the others off. The kids who blew a kiss may have had good intentions, but the purpose of the ban on such conduct was intended to prevent kids with ill intentions from following his lead. If he had been allowed to get away with breaking the rules, others would have realized they could, too.
Sorry, but he was warned, and he knew why he was asked to sign that contract. Sometimes it seems schools are too hard, yes. But don't judge. There are too much problems with students going on behind the scenes that the public never sees. Schools are hogtied by rules and regs, and they have to use what leverage they can find.
Forest and Mainah - What should a teacher be paid? Cured ham won't pay the bills. $10/hour - you get what you pay for.
just curious.
If they were paid piecework like a shoe stitcher so that no kid passes to a higher grade before he learns what is required that would work for me. Plus no pay in the summer.
There are too much problems with students going on behind the scenes that the public never sees. Schools are hogtied by rules and regs, and they have to use what leverage they can find.
Hence the reason I always encourage parents to take the time to volunteer in the classroom. It's more than educational.
I think there's plenty of blame to go around when it comes to Jr. not being "taken to task" for his or her actions. Forest makes a good point about children having to sit still for too long. The school of today is far, far, removed from the school of yesterday, and what the students are required to learn now is at least 2 grades higher than it was then.
Personally, I don't think that we take into account enough the physical maturation of a child. I've said it a million times and I'll use my analogy again: My 11 year old is as big as I am and could physically drive my car, but it doesn't mean he has developed emotionally (and motor-skills-wise) enough to take it for a spin down I-95.
Okay - exit soapbox and get back on topic.
I guess my take on it is that while it still seems extreme to me given that it's a high school graduation, they were apparently forewarned, so I'm left to shrug my shoulders and say "What did you expect?"
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and I'll use my analogy again: My 11 year old is as big as I am and could physically drive my car, but it doesn't mean he has developed emotionally (and motor-skills-wise) enough to take it for a spin down I-95. 
