Twitter used for impromptu student rally at Gaithersburg High School
After school officials canceled a pep rally, students at Gaithersburg High School today protested by organizing a riot-like rally of their own.
Students used Twitter and other social media tools to organize the protest rally.
The original rally, part of Spirit Week, a week-long homecoming celebration, was called off shortly before it was scheduled to start at 12:30 this afternoon after some students became "overly spirited," according to Gaithersburg Principal Dr. Christine Handy-Collins...
However, MoCo students are not allowed to use their cell phones during class. My kids go to another MoCo school and they tell me that most of the teachers just ignore the kids who are on their phones. Why don't teachers set the rules on day one and enforce them????
ReplyDeleteBecause we'd spend most of our day taking away cell phones. Here is what happens at my school...if we see a student in that hall with a phone we have to ask them for it, they'll ignore us, we have to chase them until we find a security guard, administrator or someone who at least knows the kids name. Then we have to fill out a referral form and submit it to the administration. Meanwhile, none of this is even possible because we have classes waiting and we don't have time to chase down unruly students who have no respect for adults they do not know. And administrators end up giving the kids a slap on the wrist and returning the cell phones. When there is a dysfunctional discipline system in place it becomes nearly impossible to enforce the rules.
ReplyDeleteWhen schools are too large no one knows anyone's name.
ReplyDeleteThe Board of Education decided to give the Superintendent the SOLE power to decide how large schools can be. The sky's the limit thanks to Board members who gave away this decision.
And remember that our Board of Education made the decision to let the Director of Security buy $20+ MILLION (give or take) of security cameras INSTEAD of hiring school staff.
ReplyDeleteIt was a choice. So the "command center" can watch the students in the hall, see a cell phone, identify the student, track the student through their day by following their schedule with the security cameras (yes, they can do that) and find the student for discipline purposes.
That's the system that our Board of Education bought and paid for. That's how we do security in MCPS. It better be working for what taxpayers paid for this.
Oh, I completely agree with you. MCPS spends huge amounts of money to deal with discipline problems, which is a ridiculous waste of money. What is needed most is staff! Smaller class sizes would mean more personal attention for each student and easier management for teachers. We'd know are kids better and be better able to keep track of them. We'd be able to watch for the cell phones and iPods, keep track of the students in the halls, etc. It is unfortunate that the tenor of education reform these days seems to be geared towards LARGER class sizes!
ReplyDelete@Janis - are you talking about a centralized "command center" for the cameras or local in the schools. I know in my school no one is watching the cameras until after something happens and they need go to the security footage for evidence or proof... but no one watches them during the day.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous @12:30pm, It sounds like you are a teacher. So, it was your decision, as a member of MCEA to go with the security cameras rather than the additional teaches and staff. All those of us who pay taxes can do is watch as MCEA makes the decisions; but you as a teacher are part of those decisions; you have MCEA leadership involved in the decisions. Each time, much to the chagrin of taxpayers and parents, we see your decision: buy the tech stuff, don't hire the teachers. Can you shed some light on what goes on at MCEA leadership (which is elected by the teachers) so we know how these decisions are made? Clearly if you follow the BOE you see the pattern when it comes to decisions on how to spend our limited resources. Thanks.
ReplyDeletePaula,
ReplyDeleteLet me explain something to you...MCEA leadership has more in common with the politicians they work with than the teachers they "serve". Any time a teacher comes to the Parents Coalition to express an opinion, we are told "This is what YOU wanted, you are in MCEA". By that logic, bombing Libya is what YOU wanted because you are an American and that is what the leadership YOU elected did. MCEA is a HUGE union with thousands of members. Do you and Janis and the rest of you honestly believe that there isn't disagreement in the union? Do you honestly believe that the leadership fully disclose everything to the membership? Do you believe that our president came to us, the members, and said "Hey guys! So, we've got this $20 million and we have to figure out how to use it...thoughts?" Lordy, sometimes I find out things on the PC blog before I learn about them from the union! I am not a member of the MCEA leadership. I have no idea how they make decisions. We show up at meeting and we sit there and are told that through all the confidential negotiations this is the best deal we are going to get and we better vote yes or they sky might fall. I don't know how much imput you think the average single teacher has in what goes on at MCEA, but the answer is- none.
Hi @Anonymous 8:50am, re: Libya, torture, the whole gamut of things I think the US does that are hideous, yes, I DO take responsibility because I am an American. That is what citizens do in a democracy. "Of the people, by the people..." I don't take that lightly. You say you go to the MCEA meetings and sit there. Don't sit there. Stand up and say something. You are a teacher and while you may not belive this, the community has the greatest respect for teachers and you are a role model for the community and for our children. So, please, please don't sit there. Be a role model for our children on how civics and democracy is supposed to work. Do you have time to run for an MCEA office? Could you do it? Could you take notes at the MCEA meetings and post them here? The blog would be happy to offer you a platform so we can lift the veil on MCEA. I am not sure what else to say to encourage you. You are in a union so the whole point of a union is, as you know, the average single worker does not have much input; but as a union, you have great input.
ReplyDeleteWith respect,
Paula
MCPS Teachers - You are involved. It's your budget. It's your choices. This is a fact known all over the USA.
ReplyDeleteMontgomery County, Maryland: they started doing this system change long before it was cool. They have been incredibly successful. And Jerry Weast, who was the superintendent there for like 20 years, he said, "if I was hired as superintendent in a school district and they didn't have a union, the first thing I would do is form one." Because you can't make change in a system if you don't have the employees and their union involved.
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/teachers-union-president-calls-merit-pay-naive-short-195909041.html