THE WAR IN OUR SCHOOLS BETWEEN STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND ADMINISTRATORS.

THE BATTLES FOR MONEY, CIVIL RIGHTS, AND RUNNING A SCHOOL. THE CAUSE AND MY SUGGESTED SOLUTION

The recent assault of a 16 year old black student by a white resource officer from the Richland County Sheriff's Office in Columbia South Carolina is the end result of pitched battles raging in our schools for some time. Once upon a time an unruly child would sit in the Principal's office until his mother or father would come to take him or her home expelled or suspended. The teacher and school administrator was respected and was the law in the classroom, Neither the Principal nor the Teacher , was ever questioned. Rarely was a police officer involved in an incident or even at a school. Law suits or resistance was unheard of. Discipline was handled in house, usually by the Principal, the Vice Principal, and the Teacher within the Education, not Law Enforcement arena. 

A. THE FACTS AS I SEE THEM

The Spring Valley incident is a reflection of our times. Here are some factors that I see are in place in education in America.

1. The civil rights of a student takes precedent over the right to learn of the rest of the students in the classroom. 

2, Teachers teach in fear of criminal and fiduciary repercussions should they restrain a student even in an attempt to defend themselves 

3. The murder of Children in school in Sandy Hook and other educational institutions has brought the need to better secure our students. 

4. The need for racial equality in education, justice, and economic opportunity has largely been ignored to this day in this country.  

5. The grading of teachers, and administrators based on how many students are suspended or expelled reflecting in performance levels that leads to funding and salaries.    

6. White police officer killings of black men, especially the incident in North Charleston,  South Carolina where an unarmed black man was shot and killed after a traffic stop has polarized the races in this country. 

These factors have led to a situation in schools across the country where police departments have assigned law enforcement personnel to handle discipline. Law Enforcement officers usually have a no tolerance position and are required to take actions from a law enforcement perspective, not an educational perspective. Teachers, and Administrators now rely on law enforcement to handle discipline. 

B. THE SOLUTION:

Education needs to be a Student, Parent, Teacher, School Administrator legally binding partnership.

1. Parents are legally responsible for their children. The actions of minor children could result in legal action against the parent. Law need to be in place where time lost in handling your child's disciplinary problem is charged monetarily to the parent or guardian. 

2. Parents must be required to come to the school and remove their child if a child gets too disruptive.

3. Parents could be criminally charged for their child's actions. 

4. School Resource Officers  should be confined to outside patrolling of perimeter security and should only be called in to handle discipline when bodily harm is imminent. 

5. If a child disrupts a classroom to the level of the Spring Valley classroom incident the teacher should remove her students to another classroom assisted by another grade level teacher nearby. 

6. Racism is still alive in America. There should be resource officers of both races assigned to  schools where appropriate.   

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