I do not hesitate for a moment to say that FCPS has played a direct role in the death of one of our students.

Last week, a junior at South Lakes High School hanged himself. He was a fine young man who played football at Langley High School but he did something that many FCPS students do. He smoked pot. FCPS caught him and threatened to expel him from school. They kept him out of school for weeks while the ZT police did all they could to destroy this young man. Then they pulled him from his friends and sent him to another school. And told him if he ever screwed up again they would throw him out of school forever.

FCPS never acknowledges that the majority of our students experiment with drugs and alcohol. There is no drug testing of FCPS employees so we do not know how many employees use drugs. When a kid does it, makes a mistake, FCPS makes sure that they destroy the student emotionally.

I am sickened by this school district. Every parent out there needs to know that this could be your kid. We must make sure that this does not happen again.

Zero Tolerance is destructive. It lacks compassion and humanity and it kills our youth.

Let's all say a prayer for this family and hold FCPS accountable.

Actions have consequences.

I'm very skeptical that a one-time offense would result in this kind of treatment. Also, the kid must have had a bunch of other issues in addition to this if he would hang himself. God forbid friends or family could have played a role. Right?

It's always sad when a youth is well hung in the wrong way.

I think it is interesting that FCPS is unquestionably one of the best school districts in the country, but someone on here, probably the kid's friend or a family member, is saying something like "FCPS destroys another life."

Sorry, but I believe in personal responsibility. This kid obviously had major issues in his life. The pot thing may have been the final straw, but if it hadn't been this, it most likely would have been something else eventually. Instead of blaming the school district, maybe the OP could do something more constructive with his or her time to help the family.

Based on FCPS student surveys:

21% of 10th graders admitted using pot.

38% of 12th graders admitted using pot.

The poster above is correct: "actions have consequences".

Let's expel all of them to show them we don't tolerate this type of behavior!!

The source of the problem is an indefensable drug policy. The kid should have been held no more accountbale then if he was caught with beer. I think age also has to be considered when holding people accountable...kids today are held to a much higher degree of "accountability" then when I was growing up. I can personally think of at least 3 instances in my life that if held to today's standards of accountability could have altered my life drastically. It's just not right...I agrree the zero tolerence in combination with ridiculous laws and regulations is a death sentence for young people.

Does the zero tolerance policy apply to those caught holding/smoking/stoned w/pot anywhere at anytime or just if caught at school or on school grounds?

School administrators are terrified of lawsuits from parents, especially rich ones. I have an incredibly hard time believing that FCPS moved a kid from Langley to South Lakes over one instance of smoking pot, Zero Tolerance or not.

I have the solution for overcrowding!! We don't have any money for renovations or new construction, so here goes:

Based on the survey, students reporting alcohol consumption in the past 30 days:

4% of 6th graders
14% of 8th graders
27% of 10th graders
43% of 12th graders

Boot them all out. How about it, Zero Tolerance Nazis of FCPS? Let's hire more witches like Dana Scanlan, and kick out 30,000 students.

Think of all the money we will save? Then FCPS can be a national model for Zero Tolerance.

ZT question Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Does the zero tolerance policy apply to those
> caught holding/smoking/stoned w/pot anywhere at
> anytime or just if caught at school or on school
> grounds?


If you read the students Rights and Responsibilities CRAP (not very many rights, by the way), you will see that FCPS can discipline kids for actions off school property as well.

WashingTone Locian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> School administrators are terrified of lawsuits
> from parents, especially rich ones. I have an
> incredibly hard time believing that FCPS moved a
> kid from Langley to South Lakes over one instance
> of smoking pot, Zero Tolerance or not.


This has actually happened more than once. There are several who have been moved for the same reason.

Here's from the FCPS Students Rights and Responsibilities for a first time offense. It does not jive with what the OP wrote...


The first violation for being under the influence of marijuana or any
controlled substance including anabolic steroids, or for the illegal use of
prescription drugs, or for possession of drug paraphernalia shall result in
suspension from school for a minimum of five days and a maximum
of ten days and suspension for 30 calendar days from all student
activities, including teams, clubs, and all other school-sponsored
activities. All illegal drug violations shall be reported to the police.
The days of absence from school shall be excused, and makeup work
shall be provided by the school during the period of suspension if the
student and the parent or guardian agree to, and in a timely fashion
subsequently participate satisfactorily in, appropriate substance abuse
prevention-intervention activities designated by the school principal.

FCPS would be in legal jeopardy if it went beyond this policy for a first-time offender. The OP is obviously leaving out information.

Good thing he killed himself before he could kill other kids. (He is a South Lakes student after all, and is therefore a member of a violent street gang. Really. I heard it from my friend marge at the parlor.)

I like how the punishment was being sent to South Lakes.

To where does FCPS banish students who fuck up at South Lakes?

Vince(1) Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The source of the problem is an indefensable drug
> policy.
> I can personally think of at least 3
> instances in my life that if held to today's
> standards of accountability could have altered my
> life drastically.
> It's just not right...I agrree
> the zero tolerence in combination with ridiculous
> laws and regulations is a death sentence for young
> people.


For once we totally agree and jointly condemn the policies of Gerry Connelly and his demokrat successor Sharon Bulova that encourages and enforces these deadly rules. How many people have died in our county due to use of MJ? So far the application of the consequences of rules have killed more people than the thing they are trying to stop. How stupid is that?

PresaCanario Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Actions have consequences.

'Nuff said.

--------------------------------------------------------------
13 4826 0948 82695 25847. Yes.

The kid killed himself because he got sent to a different school and didn't have any friends?
Are you shitting me?

The all-powerful FCPS was able to cut off all contact from his friends? Have you even seen how teenagers communicate? They don't talk to each other directly, they don't look each other in the eyes, they text and send IM's to each other, and leave messages on facebook. FCPS could have sent him to Alaska, and he wouldn't have noticed the difference.

He'd have found another reason to off himself if he was that unstable.

FCPS didn't kill him. They probably saved dozens of lives by keeping him out of school before he showed up at Langley with a trench coat and an AK-47, or graduated, went to college, couldn't make any friends there and went on a shooting spree.

WashingTone Locian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> School administrators are terrified of lawsuits
> from parents, especially rich ones. I have an
> incredibly hard time believing that FCPS moved a
> kid from Langley to South Lakes over one instance
> of smoking pot, Zero Tolerance or not.


FCPS has this little problem called-discriminatory practices within their ZT machine. You see, they suspend/expel minority kids at a rate of 2-3 times their populations. When a White kid happens to fall into the discipline grinder, they have to throw the book at them so the stats don't look even worse.

There is a lot of arbitrary acts going on-the principals are given broad discretion on punishments. What a kid does at one school can result in a totally different punishment than if he did the same thing at another school.

WashingTone Locian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Here's from the FCPS Students Rights and
> Responsibilities for a first time offense. It does
> not jive with what the OP wrote...
>
>
> The first violation for being under the influence
> of marijuana or any
> controlled substance including anabolic steroids,
> or for the illegal use of
> prescription drugs, or for possession of drug
> paraphernalia shall result in
> suspension from school for a minimum of five days
> and a maximum
> of ten days and suspension for 30 calendar days
> from all student
> activities, including teams, clubs, and all other
> school-sponsored
> activities. All illegal drug violations shall be
> reported to the police.
> The days of absence from school shall be excused,
> and makeup work
> shall be provided by the school during the period
> of suspension if the
> student and the parent or guardian agree to, and
> in a timely fashion
> subsequently participate satisfactorily in,
> appropriate substance abuse
> prevention-intervention activities designated by
> the school principal.
>
> FCPS would be in legal jeopardy if it went beyond
> this policy for a first-time offender. The OP is
> obviously leaving out information.

If not mistaken, this child most recently was expelled from South Lakes for the same cause.

conVince Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Vince(1) Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The source of the problem is an indefensable
> drug
> > policy.
> > I can personally think of at least 3
> > instances in my life that if held to today's
> > standards of accountability could have altered
> my
> > life drastically.
> > It's just not right...I agrree
> > the zero tolerence in combination with
> ridiculous
> > laws and regulations is a death sentence for
> young
> > people.
>
>
> For once we totally agree and jointly condemn the
> policies of Gerry Connelly and his demokrat
> successor Sharon Bulova that encourages and
> enforces these deadly rules. How many people have
> died in our county due to use of MJ? So far the
> application of the consequences of rules have
> killed more people than the thing they are trying
> to stop. How stupid is that?


How do you figure this?

Zero Tolerance does not kill.

ZTK said: "FCPS makes sure that they destroy the student emotionally."
The marijuana had nothing to do with it.

He certainly wasn't self-medicating some other undiagnosed mental health problem, like, oh I don't know, Depression? And I'm also not saying that the drugs killed him, either. Every person is responsible for their own actions, whether its smoking pot or hanging themselves.

The board expels just about any student that is recommended for expulsion. For example, In a meeting earlier this month they expelled 11 students, for various reasons. None of the cases presented received anything other than unanimous votes for expulsion. Whereas in the 1985/1986 school year there were a total of 14 explusions. Times are definitely different and there is no second chance.

But it doesn't take much, in 2001 five students were expelled for a senior prank involving baby oil on the floor evidently. Nothing to do with drugs, but they're gone anyway.

This throw away mentality towards kids who screw up is really barbaric.

Kids make mistakes. That is part of growing up. They make bad choices.

As a society, we need to counsel them, display some compassion, and steer them on the right path.

Putting them out of school and not educating them for 6 weeks while a case is appealed is just plain stupid. It should not take that long.

The fact that 100% of all principal recommendations for expulsions are upheld by the hearings office is undemocratic. There is no fair and unbaised arbitrator hearing these cases.

The fact that parents can't even record the hearings is a violation of basic rights to have an official record of a proceeding.

The whole ZT office run by Eileen Graatan needs a serious overhaul. Either by us or by the courts.

Kids in FCPS are not given basic rights.

Shadow Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The board expels just about any student that is
> recommended for expulsion. For example, In a
> meeting earlier this month they expelled 11
> students, for various reasons. None of the cases
> presented received anything other than unanimous
> votes for expulsion. Whereas in the 1985/1986
> school year there were a total of 14 explusions.
> Times are definitely different and there is no
> second chance.
>
> But it doesn't take much, in 2001 five students
> were expelled for a senior prank involving baby
> oil on the floor evidently. Nothing to do with
> drugs, but they're gone anyway.

How come hazing is taken place at SOCO HS and nothing is being done? What happend to zero tolerence? Is SOCO HS the favorites of Storck and Bradsher, therefore nothing happens to baseball players who perform hazing.

Are they like AIG, to big to fail? Or is it all about the money that is being given to Storck and Bradsher so that they look the other way.

I agree that every person is responsible for their own actions, but we are talking about children, correct?

I think it's the responsibility of every parent, teacher, school administrator, etc. to have a strong committment to, and be invested in, expanding the knowledge of every school age child.

Tell me, what does a child learn from zero tolerance?

I think they learn that mistakes are not acceptable, adults (their caregivers) are not tolerant, and that getting caught (not the behavior) is the problem.

How does that process allow them to grow into loving, caring, productive adults, who contribute something positive to society? It doesnt, obviously.

I do not think FCPS is responsible for the suicide. I don't think they did anything to help prevent it either.

Oh, you missed the fact that sports are the end all and be all of existence in high schools today. They interrupt classes for the idolization of the athletes, particularly the football players, and if oyu don't show up at the 'rallies' you get detention. Of course, they're going to let them do their hazing thing. They let them do ANYTHING!

kids need compassion Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This throw away mentality towards kids who screw
> up is really barbaric.

Barbaric: Adj: possessing or characteristic of a cultural level more complex than primitive savagery but less sophisticated than advanced civilization

He was transferred to another school. How is that barbaric?


> Kids make mistakes. That is part of growing up.
> They make bad choices.

And then you punish them, to make them remember that they made a bad choice, and not to do it again. It's how we learn.

> As a society, we need to counsel them, display
> some compassion, and steer them on the right
> path.

What's the recidivism rate amongst juvenile offenders who have been treated this way?

> Putting them out of school and not educating them
> for 6 weeks while a case is appealed is just plain
> stupid. It should not take that long.

The system is backed up. Perhaps you could ask your fellow citizens to increase taxes to fund the appeals process?

> The fact that 100% of all principal
> recommendations for expulsions are upheld by the
> hearings office is undemocratic. There is no fair
> and unbaised arbitrator hearing these cases.

A. Where are you getting your numbers from?
B. We live in a REPUBLIC. We are not a democracy.
C. He had the right to appeal his case, which he did, as you mentioned above, which would involve "an unbiased arbitrator", so you are contradicting yourself

> The fact that parents can't even record the
> hearings is a violation of basic rights to have an
> official record of a proceeding.

You can't record any official county judicial hearing. It is recorded for you by the courts.

> The whole ZT office run by Eileen Graatan needs a
> serious overhaul. Either by us or by the courts.

Feel free to start the revolution, and step up to the plate.

> Kids in FCPS are not given basic rights.
Kids in public schools do not have basic rights as adults. In Loco parentis provides for the school to make decisions for a student.
They do not have unlimited rights to Free Speech, free press and fre expression, nor are they protected from unreasonable searches.

Teach Tolerance Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> I think it's the responsibility of every parent,
> teacher, school administrator, etc. to have a
> strong committment to, and be invested in,
> expanding the knowledge of every school age
> child.

You obviously haven't worked as a teacher, or know anyone who is one. Parents show little, if any involvement in their kid's lives, but when one of them screws up in school, it's obviously the teacher's fault, and not their own.

kids need compassion Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This throw away mentality towards kids who screw
> up is really barbaric.
>
> Kids make mistakes. That is part of growing up.
> They make bad choices.
>
> As a society, we need to counsel them, display
> some compassion, and steer them on the right
> path.
>
> Putting them out of school and not educating them
> for 6 weeks while a case is appealed is just plain
> stupid. It should not take that long.
>
> The fact that 100% of all principal
> recommendations for expulsions are upheld by the
> hearings office is undemocratic. There is no fair
> and unbaised arbitrator hearing these cases.
>
> The fact that parents can't even record the
> hearings is a violation of basic rights to have an
> official record of a proceeding.
>
> The whole ZT office run by Eileen Graatan needs a
> serious overhaul. Either by us or by the courts.
>
> Kids in FCPS are not given basic rights.

+1

AIG Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Shadow Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The board expels just about any student that is
> > recommended for expulsion. For example, In a
> > meeting earlier this month they expelled 11
> > students, for various reasons. None of the
> cases
> > presented received anything other than
> unanimous
> > votes for expulsion. Whereas in the 1985/1986
> > school year there were a total of 14
> explusions.
> > Times are definitely different and there is no
> > second chance.
> >
> > But it doesn't take much, in 2001 five students
> > were expelled for a senior prank involving baby
> > oil on the floor evidently. Nothing to do with
> > drugs, but they're gone anyway.
>
> How come hazing is taken place at SOCO HS and
> nothing is being done? What happend to zero
> tolerence? Is SOCO HS the favorites of Storck and
> Bradsher, therefore nothing happens to baseball
> players who perform hazing.
>
> Are they like AIG, to big to fail? Or is it all
> about the money that is being given to Storck and
> Bradsher so that they look the other way.


FCPS takes hazing quite seriously.

They even reported ONE hazing incident to the VA DOE for the school year 2007-08.

That is correct.

165,000 students, 199 schools, who knows how many sports teams, and ONE hazing incident.

So you see, it clearly does not exist in FCPS. Nope, not at all.

There was a case in an elementary school a few years back. A rather minor incident involving 5th graders. The boy teased several girls in the school-he would crawl under the desk and pinch them and kick them, etc...stupid, immature acts from a boy who probably used these ploys as a way to "flirt"-nothing out of the ordinary behavior of kids this age.

The girls decided to get back at this boy. At recess they all grabbed him and tickled him and held him.

I swear to God, the girls were charged with mob assault and were suspended. the principal did nothing to the boy (his mom was active in the PTA).

The next year the same boy was at it again teasing two other girls. Same story, he kicked at them (again, nothing serious)-the girls retaliated.

The girls were suspended from school and were recommended for expulsion for "assault". They missed 12 weeks of school. Again, the boy walked away unscathed. Numerous students came forward with statements that the boy was actually the aggressor-nothing.

The principal actually tore up one of the girls' written statement. She demanded that the girl write only what the girl did to the boy.

True story. the principal is still at the school. Betsey Fenske, the cluster person did nothing, Dan Storck, School Board member did nothing.

It was an abuse of power. There was no finding of fact, no common sense-punishment should fit the crime, etc.

This is how it is in FCPS folks-believe it.

kids need compassion Wrote:
> Kids make mistakes. That is part of growing up. They make bad choices.

HebrewHammer Wrote:
> And then you punish them, to make them remember that they made a bad choice, and not to do it again. It's how we learn.


Actually we learn when people show us love and compassion and dont abandon us or kick us out because we've made a mistake. Punishment for a first time offender of the type of things mentioned in this descussion does nothing but teach kids that they shoulndt get caught. It teaches them fear. It does nothing to teach them how to correct the behavior.

HebrewHammer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> kids need compassion Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > This throw away mentality towards kids who
> screw
> > up is really barbaric.
>
> Barbaric: Adj: possessing or characteristic of a
> cultural level more complex than primitive
> savagery but less sophisticated than advanced
> civilization
>
> He was transferred to another school. How is that
> barbaric?
>

What is the point in tearing a child away from his "comfort zone" and support structure? I think most child psychologists would testify how damaging this is to a kid. Why do you think we pay millions of dollars transporting homeless kids to their base school? because study after study, says that kids staying in a school do better emotionally and academically.
>
> > Kids make mistakes. That is part of growing up.
>
> > They make bad choices.
>
> And then you punish them, to make them remember
> that they made a bad choice, and not to do it
> again. It's how we learn.

Punishment is fine as long as it is appropriate for the offense and it should be done with a sense of compassion. A system that teaches a kid that they are horrible for making a mistake is missing the "teachable moment" opportunity.
>
> > As a society, we need to counsel them, display
> > some compassion, and steer them on the right
> > path.
>
> What's the recidivism rate amongst juvenile
> offenders who have been treated this way?

Read the paper, pal. Read about that judge in PA who sent all those kids to juvenile work camps for minor offenses because he was getting kickbacks. Read about some of the facilities in FLA that were shut down because they were dangerous and led to the death of one of the kids.

Any youth advocate will tell you how awful our juvenile system is. It should come as no shock that these kids are repeat offenders.
>
> > Putting them out of school and not educating
> them
> > for 6 weeks while a case is appealed is just
> plain
> > stupid. It should not take that long.
>
> The system is backed up. Perhaps you could ask
> your fellow citizens to increase taxes to fund the
> appeals process?

FCPS is filled with petty offenses that the incompetent administrators at the school level should be handling.
>
> > The fact that 100% of all principal
> > recommendations for expulsions are upheld by
> the
> > hearings office is undemocratic. There is no
> fair
> > and unbaised arbitrator hearing these cases.
>
> A. Where are you getting your numbers from?


Call Eileen Graatan for verification. The hearing office just rubber stamps the principals. It would be rude for them to contradict their recommendation.


> B. We live in a REPUBLIC. We are not a
> democracy.
> C. He had the right to appeal his case, which he
> did, as you mentioned above, which would involve
> "an unbiased arbitrator", so you are contradicting
> yourself

With a 100% rate of upholding expulsion recommendations, how can you claim they have an unbiased arbitrator. Out of 1000 cases, wouldn't you think even one might be overturned? Just one? No prosecutor in the country has a 100% conviction rate.
>
> > The fact that parents can't even record the
> > hearings is a violation of basic rights to have
> an
> > official record of a proceeding.
>
> You can't record any official county judicial
> hearing. It is recorded for you by the courts.

Exactly and you would have a right to that recording by law. FCPS does not allow you to record it and they don't either. Gee, I wonder why???? Maybe they don't want the courts to know what goes on at these hearings.
>
> > The whole ZT office run by Eileen Graatan needs
> a
> > serious overhaul. Either by us or by the
> courts.
>
> Feel free to start the revolution, and step up to
> the plate.

I intend to.

>
> > Kids in FCPS are not given basic rights.
> Kids in public schools do not have basic rights as
> adults.


In Loco parentis provides for the school
> to make decisions for a student.
> They do not have unlimited rights to Free Speech,
> free press and fre expression, nor are they
> protected from unreasonable searches.

There is case law that clearly states that students do not abandon their rights at the schoolhouse door. FCPS Students Rights BS book does not usurp the US Constitution.

Former Teacher Wrote:
> You obviously haven't worked as a teacher, or know anyone who is one. Parents show little, if any involvement in their kid's lives, but when one of them screws up in school, it's obviously the teacher's fault, and not their own.

It's interesting to me that you think I havent worked as a teacher or have friends who are teachers simply because I say that teachers should be committed to expanding the knowledge of their students. Isnt that a teachers job? PS - I said the same thing about parents.

When a child makes a mistake in school, the ADULTS involved in that child's life need to stop placing blame, and stop defending themselves from blame, and focus on helping that child learn what they need to learn in order to change the behavior. The way we react to a childs mistake is something they learn from as well.

The point is, zero tolerance teaches nothing.

The problem here is that weed is illegal. If weed were legalized, then this woul dnot have occurred.

California is realizing this, and capitalizing on it, since they are 50 billion in teh hole, they are legalizing weed so they can tax it and make some money. After all, the mexican drug cartel guy made enough money from drugs to get on the Forbes richest peopel list.

This is a heartbreaking tragedy and the FCPS discplinary process is to blame; it is a farce. The discplinary administrators resemble modern day Gestapo agents; cruel, brutal, ruthless, and murderous. The proceedings themselves are similar to a Soviet show trial. I pity those who are caught in it.

I reviewed the data on the VA DOE on reported incidents. There were 833 offenses involving alcohol, tobacco, otc and illegal drugs (ATOD) for the 2007-08 school year. The schools with the highest incident rates are as follows:

Mclean High School 65
Fairfax High School 48
West Springfield HS 39
Mount Vernon Hs 33
Marshall HS 30
Woodson HS 26
Annandale HS 25
Lake Braddock SS 25
Robinson SS 24
Westfield 24

It would be interesting to see if all these kids were punished like the kid who hanged himself?

Did FCPS expel 65 kids from McLean HS for illegal substance possession?

Somehow I doubt it.

I guess we have a 30% usage rate for students so the ones we do catch we need to make examples out of them. Let's see how many other students FCPS can destroy. Waste no time School Board.

witness to the abuse Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The girls decided to get back at this boy. At
> recess they all grabbed him and tickled him and
> held him.
>
> I swear to God, the girls were charged with mob
> assault and were suspended.
>
> The next year the same boy was at it again teasing
> two other girls. Same story, he kicked at them
> (again, nothing serious)-the girls retaliated.
>
> The girls were suspended from school and were
> recommended for expulsion for "assault".


I guess the silver lining (hardly shiny, but there) is that if that kid keeps it up when he's older, the playground rules that FCPD kills off will still apply in high school and in adult life. He'll be in a hospital or have his car mysteriously torched and the participants at that age will know how to take care of his attitude without penalty to themselves. He'll get his, they all do.

I too was a direct witness to the abuses of these unconscionable miscreants who administer the FCPS discipline procedures. The details of the case involved a student falsely accused of theft, who, though fully exonerated when the guilty party was discovered, was deprived of his fundamental right to due process. I agree that the process more closely resembles a Soviet Show Trial than an exercise in American Justice. Do you know that in FIVE FULL YEARS, these clowns NEVER, EVER have reversed A Principal's reccomendation of suspension. DISGUSTING.

Several years ago there was a case of a Fairfax County Elemantary School Teacher smacking a kid and then having the system circle the wagonsin his defense. The filthy low-life scumbag Principal did nothing, and the parent was reduced to walking in fron of the school with a sign in protest.

FCPS data Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I reviewed the data on the VA DOE on reported
> incidents. There were 833 offenses involving
> alcohol, tobacco, otc and illegal drugs (ATOD) for
> the 2007-08 school year. The schools with the
> highest incident rates are as follows:
>
> Mclean High School 65
> Fairfax High School 48
> West Springfield HS 39
> Mount Vernon Hs 33
> Marshall HS 30
> Woodson HS 26
> Annandale HS 25
> Lake Braddock SS 25
> Robinson SS 24
> Westfield 24
>
> It would be interesting to see if all these kids
> were punished like the kid who hanged himself?
>
> Did FCPS expel 65 kids from McLean HS for illegal
> substance possession?
>
> Somehow I doubt it.
>
> I guess we have a 30% usage rate for students so
> the ones we do catch we need to make examples out
> of them. Let's see how many other students FCPS
> can destroy. Waste no time School Board.



Since none of the six figure nitwits at FCPS/Gatehouse bother to look at the data, I will do their job for them:

Mclean HS had 65 incidents involving ATOD possession in 2007-08-the highest of the 25 high schools. Also keep in mind there are only 1800 students at this school.Let's see how many of these kids were expelled from school, shall we?

In 2007-08 there was ONE (1) expulsion from McLean High School and it was unrelated to the ATOD cases. 57 of the violations for ATOD resulted in NO PUNISHMENT. the rich White kids got off free and clear.

Now let's take a looksy at Mount Vernon High School. One of our high poverty schools with a much higher minority population:

Mt. Vernon reported just 33 ATOD violations. Funny thing is, 20 of these resulted in significantly harsher penalties. These kids were given modified expulsion and long-term suspensions (more than 10 days of school missed). Just 7 of these resulted in no punishment.

Now I am not a civil rights attorney or anything, but this sort of selective punishments that appear to inflict significantly harsher penalties on minorities would be enough to raise some eyebrows.

Maybe the Justice Department should look into these disriminatory practices.

A few questions...

does anyone know-

1. Where was he smoking the weed?
2.What is the name of the youth/family?
3.What does the family have to say?
4.Where is the story in the press?
5.What are the names of the FCPS employees involved in this case...both at the school based level and the central administration hearing office?

Let's look at what happens to kids at Annandale HS and West Springfield HS if they get in a fight (assault against student):

Annandale HS reported 86 violations in this catagory for 2007-08. Of the 86 violations, 75 resulted in short-term suspensions (about 87%) and just 9 cases (10%) resulted in no punishment.

At West Springfield HS they reported 57 incidents in this catagory. 39 resulted in NO PUNISHMENT -which is nearly 70%!!!. Just 16 resulted in short term suspensions.

Basically, if you want to beat the hell out of one of your fellow students do it at West Springfield HS because you have a 70% chance of getting off scott free, while 90% of cases at Annandale will get you thrown out of school.

It is so comforting to see that Dr Dale is running a fair and just disciplinary system for the students.

Too bad we can't see the data broken down by race, because I bet we will see some interesting patterns in FCPS.

Zero Tolerance Kills Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> .....There is no drug testing of FCPS employees so we do not
> know how many employees use drugs. When a kid
> does it, makes a mistake, FCPS makes sure that
> they destroy the student emotionally.


I work for FCPS and I must submit to random drug and alcohol tests. I've taken up to three in a single school year. Just had one this week, including Breathalyzer.

The penalty for failing the test, or refusing to take it, is immediate dismissal.
Sort of like ZT, eh?

bus driver Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Zero Tolerance Kills Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > .....There is no drug testing of FCPS employees
> so we do not
> > know how many employees use drugs. When a kid
> > does it, makes a mistake, FCPS makes sure that
> > they destroy the student emotionally.
>
>
> I work for FCPS and I must submit to random drug
> and alcohol tests. I've taken up to three in a
> single school year. Just had one this week,
> including Breathalyzer.
>
> The penalty for failing the test, or refusing to
> take it, is immediate dismissal.
> Sort of like ZT, eh?


What about the teachers, administrators, School Board members?

Are they tested? Those are the ones who pass judgement on the students if they get into trouble.

I guess since FCPS had the pot growing asst principal in Centreville Elem School arrested last year we know that they are not tested.

I think it is reasonable to drug test someone who drives a school bus.

The thing I find interesting in the data that FCPS Data provided is that Westfield only recorded 24 incidents in 2007-2008. Wasn't this about the same time they had that heroin ring operating out there? Didn't they have a bunch of former and current students buying, using and selling heroin? If you want to have some real fun, go check out some of the threads about Westfield in the FU.

What is also interesting is that no one mentioned gang activity in these high schools, particularly West Springfield. Of the 57 assaults at WSHS, I wonder how many were gang-related. Remember what happened over at Hayfield (which wasn't even on the list)? Back in 2007, there were several students who were caught in a gang initiation ceremony where they were "beating in" a new recruit. The identity of the gang was never revealed in any of the stories I read in the Post or the Connection.

Basic fact - discipline in the FCPS is uneven, unequal and arbitrary. Some kids get away with literal murder while other kids get the book thrown at them for the most trivial offenses. This is true now and it was true back when I went through the system in the early 80's.

People looked the other way at Westfield (24) and jumped all over everybodies shit at McLean (65). The kids at McLean may have not been expelled, but at least it was reported AND I bet their parents really jumped all over their shit when they got home.

Which school had 20 current and former students arrested in a heroin ring? Which school had two of it's former students OD on heroin?

It's too bad about the kid, but as it had been said here several times - Actions have consequences.

how about everyone? Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What about the teachers, administrators, School
> Board members?
>
> Are they tested? Those are the ones who pass
> judgement on the students if they get into
> trouble.
>
> I guess since FCPS had the pot growing asst
> principal in Centreville Elem School arrested last
> year we know that they are not tested.
>
> I think it is reasonable to drug test someone who
> drives a school bus.

I don't know which employees are drug tested. The OP said, "There is no drug testing of FCPS employees..."

I was merely pointing out that that's bullshit.

If we are going to have a disciplinary system than it needs to be fair across all the schools. We need independent and objective folks giving out the punishment-not some biased principal whose decision might very well be based on whether they like the kid (or his/her parents) or not.

If a kid steals an Ipod at Langley than they get the same punishment as a kid from Falls Church.

It is no wonder that kids don't respect authority-they see what a joke the system is.

No kid should ever feel so bad about his actions that he takes his own life. This school district needs to take ownership of this tragedy and make damn sure it never happens again.

Let's compare 3 middle schools within FCPs and see if there is consistency in the punishment vs. the crime:

Irving Middle School had 38 assaults/fights against students. 10 or 26% resulted in NO punishment.

Key Middle School had 51 assaults/fights against students. 3 or just 6% resulted in no punishment.

Longfellow Middle School had 42 assaults/fights against students. 21 or 50% resulted in no punishment.

In summary, a kid at Key has a 94% chance of being punished while a kid at Longfellow has just a 50/50 shot.

This is just stupid. I can't believe noone in Dale's office bothers to look at these gross injustices.

Key probably has a higher percentage also because of the high number special education students. Historically, the special ed students have more problems than the general pop. I believe there was even an article in the post about it a while ago.

January 29th i got caught with a baggie of Mary Jane residue in my car at Westfield. while being detained i was yelled at, and questioned by police and security guards.
during the whole time i kept asking to speak to my mom, wanting to call her and the assistant principal and police officer Munoz denied my right to speak to my MOTHER.

I received a 10 day suspension and recommended for expulsion. I went to my school hearing February 11th, 13 days after the initial incident, Dana Scanlan was the lead person. after not telling who i was with her whole personality changed like a light switch and turned into the biggest Bitch in the world. She didn't want to ask any more questions so i read a statement expressing my sorrow and bad judgement i used that day, truly heartfelt. I asked to be placed in another FCPS high school like Centreville or Chantilly

I then waited and waited, and waited some more until February 26th for the decision. They decided to send me to Mountain View Alternative High School until the 2nd semester of my senior year. For anyone who does not know... Mountain View is for delinquents, because of my age i would be attending school with 17-26 year olds. My family and I appealed the decision and had to wait until March 24th for their final decision.

Thanks to my Loving parents we found a school that would accept me with my new blemish on my record. I since have moved to Delaware and now attend a real high school. My first day in my new school was March 12th, a whooping 42 days - 6 weeks out of school. I had to take an SAT fresh off no school and had to give up my reffing job because i can not go onto FCPS property until im 22! I will give props to FCPS teaching wise. I am by FAR the smartest 11th grader in alllll my classes. So too-shay for that

Dana Scanlon stated that i am a GRAVE DANGER to students at school. She is a Bitch who deserves to be portrayed and viewed precisely as one. I would like to add this was my very first time being in trouble with FCPS and was active in school activities, whether sports, SGA, ect, you name it.



This is my story with some biased opinions, im curious to hear anyone, and everyones reaction because my actions do not seem to warrant such extreme actions. I mean seriously an empty bag of Marijuana Residue!!!! hold the phones i am a danger to everyone around me i might bring an axe to school and chop off everyones heads.

ITS MARIJUANA. ok im getting worked up over the past.
side note: im not suicidal and i miss all my friends and even my family cuz im living with an aunt but God Bless Fairfax County maybe the good people can run these bastards out of town. FUck FAirfax County Public SChools suck my left nut.

peace

So, the kid is doing something wrong, is punished by suspension and/or expulsion from the school and for his own reasons commit suicide and you feel the school district is responsible?? HAHA.. that's ridiculous.

Just because the MAJORITY may break the law doesn't make it ok, or reason to lighten a punishment. If kids start understanding there are consequences for their actions, maybe the fad will actually fade away.

im not saying its the school systems fault. its a dumb thing to be illegal. therefore the Federal Government is to blame dumb laws will result in enlightened people to disobey. weed should not result in expulsion, and being taken away from your surrounding, friends, family,ect,

if someone is depressed or seems likely to commit suicide don't you think barring him from friends is the complete wrong thing to do?

its kids were talking about cut them some slack

I thought you moved to Germany

"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

They're sent to Westfield for Advanced Criminology.

VAViking Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The thing I find interesting in the data that FCPS
> Data provided is that Westfield only recorded 24
> incidents in 2007-2008. Wasn't this about the
> same time they had that heroin ring operating out
> there? Didn't they have a bunch of former and
> current students buying, using and selling heroin?
> If you want to have some real fun, go check out
> some of the threads about Westfield in the FU.
>
> What is also interesting is that no one mentioned
> gang activity in these high schools, particularly
> West Springfield. Of the 57 assaults at WSHS, I
> wonder how many were gang-related. Remember what
> happened over at Hayfield (which wasn't even on
> the list)? Back in 2007, there were several
> students who were caught in a gang initiation
> ceremony where they were "beating in" a new
> recruit. The identity of the gang was never
> revealed in any of the stories I read in the Post
> or the Connection.
>
> Basic fact - discipline in the FCPS is uneven,
> unequal and arbitrary. Some kids get away with
> literal murder while other kids get the book
> thrown at them for the most trivial offenses.
> This is true now and it was true back when I went
> through the system in the early 80's.
>
> People looked the other way at Westfield (24) and
> jumped all over everybodies shit at McLean (65).
> The kids at McLean may have not been expelled, but
> at least it was reported AND I bet their parents
> really jumped all over their shit when they got
> home.
>
> Which school had 20 current and former students
> arrested in a heroin ring? Which school had two
> of it's former students OD on heroin?
>
> It's too bad about the kid, but as it had been
> said here several times - Actions have
> consequences.


This has more assumptions and false info than the the bail out plan, what happens off school property ie: heroin ring arrests and usage is not controlled or subject to discipline by the school anymore than a student getting a traffic ticket in their neighborhood. You need to look beyond the stats and numbers, they dont even begin to paint a real picture of what is going on in schools . And there is a problem with schools reporting bad behavior so that they get "their shit jumped in at home"? Too bad it doesnt happen more often, But then again this is Fairfax County where counselors, teachers and the police are expected to raise the children correctly while Mom and Dad are "living their lives"

That's bullshit. The school's shove school work down the poarents throats these days, it is NOT anything like when I went to school in the eighties. If anything, the teachers have so much less to do with actual teaching of the kids than anyone else they interact with. And if your kid gets a long term sub, it's day care and that's it, no teaching, no real lessons, day care, and crappy daycare at that. All courtesy of your tax dollars at work.

This student was expelled from Langley and was offered South Lakes as an alternative. He probably was offered or received counseling as well. If not, then shame on mom, dad, family. The staff at South Lakes made his new school a welcoming environment despite his mistake. He was a starter on the football team where his coaches took interest and cared about him. He made many new friends. The teachers never viewed him in poor light and treated him kindly. It really was his to screw up and low and behold because he did not learn his lesson or he had other issues, he messed up again. It should have been no surpirse to the family how the system would have reacted the second time around.

First of all, the kid is a pussy.
Second, we're all better off because he's gone. It's one less useless citizen we won't have to pay for when he grows up and does more fucked up thing.

In the original post you described that the "majority of students experiment with drugs and alcohol." Where did you get these facts?
He fucked up, he got what he deserved, and he was a pansy who took the easy way out, Good riddance.

you Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I thought you moved to Germany

nahhhhhhh your thinking of Calab... almost the same shit happend to him, but not quite.

Who is Dana Scanlon?
Did your parents contact Dale or the school board about this?
Had/have your parents contacted a lawyer?

Has the Washington Post run a story on this topic?

question? Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Who is Dana Scanlon?
> Did your parents contact Dale or the school board
> about this?
> Had/have your parents contacted a lawyer?


Dana Scanlon is the FCPS administrative appeal officer. A few people have stated that she has never ever reversed an appeal which is true.

During my appeal of their decision i got another chance to re-tell my story and it goes to the school board. In addition to my letter sent to the S.B Dana Scanlon also sends a letter with her recommendation. She was attacking and very nasty. The things i admitted to would be stretched and fabracated to make me look like a no good druggie who may well be using heroine, coke, ect. She was trying to paint a completely wrong picture of me, and i had almost no control because the school board will most definitely take her word over mine i would think?

My parents did contact a lawyer. He recommended during the School Hearing not to incriminate myself by telling who i was with, ect ,ect. i took that advice, not snitching on anyone and that honestly hurt more then helped. I dont think a lawyer would help with any other matters with this whole ordeal though would i?

Not really. This is what I could find...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/longterm/drugs/educate.htm (from 96)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/07/28/ST2008072800963.html (from July 08)

conVince Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Vince(1) Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The source of the problem is an indefensable
> drug
> > policy.
> > I can personally think of at least 3
> > instances in my life that if held to today's
> > standards of accountability could have altered
> my
> > life drastically.
> > It's just not right...I agrree
> > the zero tolerence in combination with
> ridiculous
> > laws and regulations is a death sentence for
> young
> > people.
>
>
> For once we totally agree and jointly condemn the
> policies of Gerry Connelly and his demokrat
> successor Sharon Bulova that encourages and
> enforces these deadly rules. How many people have
> died in our county due to use of MJ? So far the
> application of the consequences of rules have
> killed more people than the thing they are trying
> to stop. How stupid is that?


Im afraid the origins of zero tolerance originate a little closer to conservative thinkers then liberal...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero_tolerance

Hold FCPS accountable? For what? Enforcing the rules?

Maybe I'm painting with too broad a paintbrush, but if this kid wasn't sparking up in the first place then he wouldn't have been bounced into another school, correct?

I'm going to sound like my 82-year-old grandmother for a quick second and say this: If "many FCPS students" jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge, would you? It's cheesy, but it makes the point. The "everybody's doing it" arguement is asinine. Don't want to get tossed from school for smoking pot? Then don't smoke pot. Don't break the rules if you're not prepared to deal with the consequences of your actions.

My heart goes out to the family, because I know what it's like to lose someone close. Zero Tolerance Kills . . . stop your whining.


Zero Tolerance Kills Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I do not hesitate for a moment to say that FCPS
> has played a direct role in the death of one of
> our students.
>
> Last week, a junior at South Lakes High School
> hanged himself. He was a fine young man who
> played football at Langley High School but he did
> something that many FCPS students do. He smoked
> pot. FCPS caught him and threatened to expel him
> from school. They kept him out of school for
> weeks while the ZT police did all they could to
> destroy this young man. Then they pulled him from
> his friends and sent him to another school. And
> told him if he ever screwed up again they would
> throw him out of school forever.
>
> FCPS never acknowledges that the majority of our
> students experiment with drugs and alcohol. There
> is no drug testing of FCPS employees so we do not
> know how many employees use drugs. When a kid
> does it, makes a mistake, FCPS makes sure that
> they destroy the student emotionally.
>
> I am sickened by this school district. Every
> parent out there needs to know that this could be
> your kid. We must make sure that this does not
> happen again.
>
> Zero Tolerance is destructive. It lacks
> compassion and humanity and it kills our youth.
>
> Let's all say a prayer for this family and hold
> FCPS accountable.

I was suspended for a year for having residue in my car and im not whinning about zero tolerance saying it kills because if u commit suicide u obviously killed yourself...

but with that being said zero tolerance is just ignorant. it can take good kids with loving parents and the want to do good, even if its your very FIRST time offending any SR&R rules you are going to be suspended and expelled. Period. because of corrupt School board appealing officials there is no room for trying to improve ones life, but punishing to the max, and being kicked out of school for 6 weeks. does any of that make sense to you? it sure does not to me.

Expelled on first offense is ridiculous and way over the top. Everyone can make a mistake or screw up... take the guesswork out and do automatic expulsion on the second offense. That will silence the "too harsh, he was just a kid!" critics as well as (hopefully) avoid the no-way-out situations the rules are presenting to teens.

Zero tolerance seems very extreme to me. Half of the kids that went to my high school (FCPS 1980) wouldn't have made it to graduation. Taking kids out of school just leads them down a more destructive path. I wonder if anyone on the school board and specifically Dana Scanlon ever inhaled.

Not a single "american" name. Not only excellent in math, but apparently good artists as well. Funny

http://commweb.fcps.edu/newsreleases/newsrelease.cfm?newsid=1103

no asians doing drugs Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Not a single "american" name. Not only excellent
> in math, but apparently good artists as well.
> Funny
>
> http://commweb.fcps.edu/newsreleases/newsrelease.c
> fm?newsid=1103


Oh yeah, you never hear about those Asian heroine drug rings and crack markets, or what is that other stuff? ummm, hashish hmmmm, isn't this where most drug use began? Uh, good try, though, with the bookmark diversion.

pgens Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Expelled on first offense is ridiculous and way
> over the top. Everyone can make a mistake or
> screw up... take the guesswork out and do
> automatic expulsion on the second offense. That
> will silence the "too harsh, he was just a kid!"
> critics as well as (hopefully) avoid the
> no-way-out situations the rules are presenting to
> teens.

Lets see, all FCPS students, at least mine had to sign a yellow book with the rules explaining the zero tolerance policy and the consequences for having drugs on school property. As I recall I had to sign it and send it back also.So there are no mysterys about what will happen to you when you get caught.So according to some our NASA recruits on here, they are pissed they got caught and think all the adult employeess who are paid to enforce these rules, singled them out with their personal agendas,,,, it cant be allowed to happen, therefore I will place the call for them....

Dispatcher: Hello, 911 center , what is your emergency?

Caller: Yes I cant seem to accept any personal responsibility for my actions and need a Whambulance!

Dispatcher: OK sir, please remain calm, and stop the name calling, what is your address?

Caller: Delaware

I believe the majority of intelligent folks posting here are making the point about the policies of FCPS not being equally enforced...that is what needs to be examined. To keep on complaining about children who clearly made a poor choice is ineffective.

If students are held to a standard, so should the adults employed by FCPS. Perhaps drug testing should begin for all employees. I think the results would be quite interesting.

equal for all Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I believe the majority of intelligent folks
> posting here are making the point about the
> policies of FCPS not being equally enforced...that
> is what needs to be examined. To keep on
> complaining about children who clearly made a poor
> choice is ineffective.
>
> If students are held to a standard, so should the
> adults employed by FCPS. Perhaps drug testing
> should begin for all employees. I think the
> results would be quite interesting.


I agree with the drug testing but what does that have to do with the policy?You go to the Fairfax county court for a ticket on 3 different days, you will probably see 3 different judges and have 3 different outcomes, there are over 100 schools and principals in the county and all make individual decisions based on the facts they are given by their staff and the cops.What you have are several uninformed students who think they received unfair treatment as compared to what they heard " Johhny" got,,,,

watchinyou Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> pgens Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Expelled on first offense is ridiculous and way
> > over the top. Everyone can make a mistake or
> > screw up... take the guesswork out and do
> > automatic expulsion on the second offense.
> That
> > will silence the "too harsh, he was just a
> kid!"
> > critics as well as (hopefully) avoid the
> > no-way-out situations the rules are presenting
> to
> > teens.
>
> Lets see, all FCPS students, at least mine had to
> sign a yellow book with the rules explaining the
> zero tolerance policy and the consequences for
> having drugs on school property. As I recall I had
> to sign it and send it back also.So there are no
> mysterys about what will happen to you when you
> get caught.So according to some our NASA recruits
> on here, they are pissed they got caught and think
> all the adult employeess who are paid to enforce
> these rules, singled them out with their personal
> agendas,,,, it cant be allowed to happen,
> therefore I will place the call for them....



No, no, no, no. you state ALL adult employee's are out to get the trouble makers that simply is not true. I never stated that and no one else has. Dana Scanlon sure is paid to cut off the legs of children so their future can be as difficult to overcome as ever.

Not saying she is singling ME out but every single "problem" child she comes across considering she has NEVER reversed a suspension/expulsion recommendation.

I did not come on here to gain moral support or to whine about my specific situation, i read what happened to the South Lakes student and it simply brings anger to me with what FCPS are doing. Light needs to be spread to the corruption.

Thinking i can't accept my personal responsibility?? Listen up i smoked weed every day it was apart of my life consistently, was i harming anyone or a grave danger any other day i was not caught? defiantly not. I since stopped cheifing(smoking) and am becoming real successful in my new school. big whoop.

Me not accepting personal responsibilities is false. The School Board and appeal officials need to look in the mirror and stop thinking about pleasing every principal and trying to look real strong and tough and actually think what is good for each individual child.
fuck the system and fuck you watchinyou fag

Ill be sure to copy and forward to all the school boards members individually on March 23rd to show your remorse and ability to mature ,.....

Is "watchinyou" really Dana Scanlon?

hahahah!!! please please please do! im in a whole-nother state now at a school where my GPA shot up .3 points just b/cuz of my classes i took in Fairfax County. As i said in a prior post I got nothing but love for all the teachers because I'm the most prepared kid in my new school.

but in all seriousness send it maybe they will understand how dumb they are and gain some common sense.

Be sure to address your fax, copy or w.e to make sure it reaches Dana Scanlon - let he know the anonymous poster on Fairfax Underground told her to Suck my Big Dick then to stick a finger up her butt-hole. that is what she would be great at doing! :) thank you!

alias for Dana S. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Is "watchinyou" really Dana Scanlon?


hahahah come to think of it seems like it

what do you think? youre the person with all the answers,

obviously i think yes.

but in reality i dont have all the answers. i have common sense. its great when you have to deal with ignorant people.

You are like Solja Boy and i am like Lupe Fiasco. just doesn't compare

Maybe you should subcribe to Delaware underground, Doesnt sound like you will be joining us at The View anytime soon...

nah my rents still live in VA. il be back weekends, summer time, and numerous other times. thanks for looking out though.

Stan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> > This student was expelled from Langley and was offered South Lakes as an alternative. He probably was offered or received counseling as well. If not, then shame on mom, dad, family. The staff at South Lakes made his new school a welcoming environment despite his mistake. He was a starter on the football team where his coaches took interest and cared about him. He made many new friends. The teachers never viewed him in poor light and treated him kindly. It really was his to screw up and low and behold because he did not learn his lesson or he had other issues, he messed up again. It should have been no surpirse to the family how the system would have reacted the second time around.< <

What arrogant, condescending crap. Especially since you clearly did not know this kid.

Why was an assistant principal sweeping detritus off the floor of this kid's car, as reported by the kid's friends? That's "kind treatment"!?

Why is FCPS more interested in destroying as many kids' lives as possible instead of helping them make good choices and become well functioning adults?

This tragedy is a failure by every adult involved, including FCPS and SLHS.

It is disturbing how many posters are ready to vilify this minor. One reason society doesn't hold minors to adult standards of conduct is because they don't have requisite mental and emotional abilities to conform to those standards: they make bad choices and mistakes.

One would hope even the most hateful among the posters here would agree that forfeiting a 16 year old's life over grass seeds and leaf fragments on the floor of his car is extreme even for FCPS.

Completely agree with you Thomas More. Watchinyou, did you inhale? Why are you so rigid?

Watchinyou wrote in response to my post:

>This has more assumptions and false info than the the bail out plan, what happens off school property ie: heroin ring arrests and usage is not controlled or subject to >discipline by the school anymore than a student getting a traffic ticket in their neighborhood.
>You need to look beyond the stats and numbers, they dont even begin to paint a real picture of what is going on in schools .
>And there is a problem with schools reporting bad behavior so that they get "their shit jumped in at home"?
>Too bad it doesnt happen more often, But then again this is Fairfax County where counselors, teachers and the police are expected to raise the children correctly while >Mom and Dad are "living their lives"

First - FCPS has unevenly enforced their policies for years. This isn't an assumption or false info, it's a damn fact born out by the numbers and everyone can pull it up. Everyone freaking knows it. An incident that would cause a warning in one school (McLean) is punished with expulsion in another (Mont Vernon) and ignored in a third (Westfield).

Second - "What happens off of school property.." Look nitwit, if someone is snorting or whatever off school property, it is a pretty good assumption they are doing it on school property as well. Back in my day, the "stoner set" used to light up behind the gym as well as get high off school property. That heroin ring was operating for years WHILE they were at Westfield. Read the damn posts about it and other incidents that have occurred there. Better yet, read the newspapers.

The point that most people here have made (which you have completely ignored) is that FCPS doesn't follow it's own polices. We all know that if you're a "golden child," FCPS will let them get away with literal murder while throwing the book at another child for the same crime. If your mommy and daddy has the right political connections or if you are a starting quarterback, you could probably toke up in the principal's office and just get a slap on the wrist. Anyone else gets the book thrown at them. Anyone who's been through the grinder of the FCPS knows this. That's not an assumption or false info, it's a damn fact.

One other thing. We don't expect the FCPS to raise our children, but we do expect you to educate them. We pay a hell of a lot in taxes for you to do so and based on the posts I've seen written by these kids, you've completely failed.

amazing how you could be present in 3 different high schools to watch individual cases all go through the system with completely different results. And as far as "its a pretty good assumption that they are doing it on school property" , that is about as valid as the cop coming to your house and arresting you for something he assumes you are doing. That completely contradictes the very fairness of due process you are ranting about. Come around and look at the real world, as long as they are humans involved, every case will not be a carbon copy of the other.

Zero Tolerance destroys lives. We who would otherwise grow up to be normal, contributing members of our society are shunned and doors are shut in our faces. When you have less opportunities to improve yourself you are put into a position were you have been rejected and pushed towards drug and alcohol abuse. Now you have a teenager with no school to go to during an eight hour day. Great job FCPS, your just creating more and more criminals without addressing any of the real problems in our schools.

Can't wait to move away from this police state.

Skooly D Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Zero Tolerance destroys lives.

And looking the other way while kids get into drugs doesn't?

Skooly D Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Zero Tolerance destroys lives. We who would
> otherwise grow up to be normal, contributing
> members of our society are shunned and doors are
> shut in our faces. When you have less
> opportunities to improve yourself you are put into
> a position were you have been rejected and pushed
> towards drug and alcohol abuse. Now you have a
> teenager with no school to go to during an eight
> hour day. Great job FCPS, your just creating more
> and more criminals without addressing any of the
> real problems in our schools.
>
> Can't wait to move away from this police state.

Jack Dale is HITLER reborn.

WashingTone Locian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Skooly D Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Zero Tolerance destroys lives.
>
> And looking the other way while kids get into
> drugs doesn't?


The solution would not be to look away and turn a blind eye. Case by case first time offenders if somebody has Advil/ibuprofen in school you give him some sort of detention... If somebody has marijuana he/she receives Saturday school 2-4 times... If your dealing with pain pills a suspension might be warranted... If somebody brings coke/heroine onto the school property suspension/expulsion. Or something to that degree. Zero Tolerance ignores facts that lead petty shit to lead to expulsion.

Instead of picking and choosing expel this kid, suspend this kid, lets not do anything to this kid, they should lay down a strict set of laws and what to expect if you do something. There is to much guess work going on today where one kid can have Coke on him and go to another fcps and another will have marijuana and have to go to an alternative high school. The facts just do not add up.

WashingTone Locian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> > And looking the other way while kids get into drugs doesn't?< <

There's the central fallacy of NT. Treating ibuprofen, alcohol and grass the same as meth, cocaine and heroin. Not all drugs pose the same health or societal risk.

thank you Thomas More, thank you.


Now how do we change the polices in place?

ty Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> thank you Thomas More, thank you.
>
> Now how do we change the polices in place?

We have to change the SB. This SB is broken and dysfunctional. We can only change it by changing the way we choose SB candidates.

For the foreseeable future, the school board will be controlled by those endorsed by FCDC. FCDC has got to stop looking at SB as the minor leagues in which to groom people to run for "higher" office.

The SB and FCPS controls 57% of the County budget, the last time I checked. Now that the County is built out it may well be that the BOS is the minor leagues.

FCDC has got to change the endorsement process to be open and transparent for 2011.

FCDC has got to create a committee focused on FCPS, the local issues committee which rarely meets cannot serve this function.

Endorsement of district school board members has to be made by the district committees of FCDC who better know what's going in local schools.

FCDC should only endorse the at large candidates who have been vetted by a FCPS committee of FCDC.

BTW,participation in PTAs and PTOs is not a prerequisite to SB qualification. Personnel and curriculum discussions are generally off limits to PTA/PTOs. Yet these are the very issues that are at the heart of running a school system. Too many PTA/PTO people I have encountered over the last 25 years of dealing with them are sycophants to administrators. The comedic stereotype is based in reality. That's a broad generalization and doesn't apply to every PTO/PTA officer but at the very least it creates a rebutable presumption on any PTO/PTA person who seeks SB position to show their willingness to criticize the current administration and do something different.

Just some initial thoughts on changing a failing system.

Skooly D Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Zero Tolerance destroys lives. We who would
> otherwise grow up to be normal, contributing
> members of our society are shunned and doors are
> shut in our faces. When you have less
> opportunities to improve yourself you are put into
> a position were you have been rejected and pushed
> towards drug and alcohol abuse. Now you have a
> teenager with no school to go to during an eight
> hour day. Great job FCPS, your just creating more
> and more criminals without addressing any of the
> real problems in our schools.
>
> Can't wait to move away from this police state.


Stop the whining and move on, Cant be a productive member of Society because they moved you to another high school??? Please! Believe me if thats the biggest roadblock you encounter in life , you are lucky,,,

watchinyou Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Stop the whining and move on, Cant be a productive member of Society because they moved you to
> another high school??? Please! Believe me if thats
> the biggest roadblock you encounter in life , you
> are lucky,,,

I am so sick of your misanthropic bovine excrement. Go read another blog or thread if you have nothing to contribute except hatred and bile.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/22/2009 05:58PM by Thomas More.

please.. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> hahahah!!! please please please do! im in a
> whole-nother state now at a school where my GPA
> shot up .3 points just b/cuz of my classes i took
> in Fairfax County. As i said in a prior post I got
> nothing but love for all the teachers because I'm
> the most prepared kid in my new school.
>
> but in all seriousness send it maybe they will
> understand how dumb they are and gain some common
> sense.
>
> Be sure to address your fax, copy or w.e to make
> sure it reaches Dana Scanlon - let he know the
> anonymous poster on Fairfax Underground told her
> to Suck my Big Dick then to stick a finger up her
> butt-hole. that is what she would be great at
> doing! :) thank you!

Dont think you are anoymous as you might assume,,,,,,,

Watchinyou your an asshat why don't you eat shit along with your holier than thou attitude you douche.

Thomas More Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ty Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > thank you Thomas More, thank you.
> >
> > Now how do we change the polices in place?
>
> We have to change the SB. This SB is broken and
> dysfunctional. We can only change it by changing
> the way we choose SB candidates.
>
> For the foreseeable future, the school board will
> be controlled by those endorsed by FCDC. FCDC has
> got to stop looking at SB as the minor leagues in
> which to groom people to run for "higher" office.
>
> The SB and FCPS controls 57% of the County budget,
> the last time I checked. Now that the County is
> built out it may well be that the BOS is the minor
> leagues.
>
> FCDC has got to change the endorsement process to
> be open and transparent for 2011.
>
> FCDC has got to create a committee focused on
> FCPS, the local issues committee which rarely
> meets cannot serve this function.
>
> Endorsement of district school board members has
> to be made by the district committees of FCDC who
> better know what's going in local schools.
>
> FCDC should only endorse the at large candidates
> who have been vetted by a FCPS committee of FCDC.
>
>
> BTW,participation in PTAs and PTOs is not a
> prerequisite to SB qualification. Personnel and
> curriculum discussions are generally off limits to
> PTA/PTOs. Yet these are the very issues that are
> at the heart of running a school system. Too many
> PTA/PTO people I have encountered over the last 25
> years of dealing with them are sycophants to
> administrators. The comedic stereotype is based in
> reality. That's a broad generalization and doesn't
> apply to every PTO/PTA officer but at the very
> least it creates a rebutable presumption on any
> PTO/PTA person who seeks SB position to show their
> willingness to criticize the current
> administration and do something different.
>
> Just some initial thoughts on changing a failing
> system.


Yeah Tom, it's those goddamned democrats again....always too dumb to vote for what's good for them...

I say we return to an appointed School Board and let Thomas More make the appointments! Any seconds?

tubby Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yeah Tom, it's those goddamned democrats again....always too dumb to vote for what's good for them...< <

I am a "goddamned democrat."

> > I say we return to an appointed School Board and let Thomas More make the appointments! Any seconds?< <

No, thanks. After 21 years, I'm almost done with FCPS.

watchinyou must be a FCPS administrator

Don't you think? Ever done anything wrong miss watchinyou? hypocritical through and through


Thomas More Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> watchinyou Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Stop the whining and move on, Cant be a
> productive member of Society because they moved
> you to
> > another high school??? Please! Believe me if
> thats
> > the biggest roadblock you encounter in life ,
> you
> > are lucky,,,
>
> I am so sick of your misanthropic bovine
> excrement. Go read another blog or thread if you
> have nothing to contribute except hatred and bile.

Some have referenced apeals administrator Dana Scanlon and it is true, she is the filth of the earth. Scanlon is a grotesque stupid, miserable, petty tyrant. And a gutless coward.

Huter ()
Date: March 22, 2009 09:35PM

Some have referenced apeals administrator Dana Scanlon and it is true, she is the filth of the earth. Scanlon is a grotesque stupid, miserable, petty tyrant. And a gutless coward.


hey thats exactly how i feel.... oh and watchinyou, even if u do enough research to find out who I am i could really care less what any fairfax county official thinks of me. Dana is a peice of shit - i dont know any other fcps officials but if their employing Dana Scanlon they deserve to be fired

Dana Scanlon and Paul Reigner are people I would like to see get hit by a bus.

KeepOnTruckin Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Dana Scanlon and Paul Reigner are people I would
> like to see get hit by a bus.


CHA-CHING + 1 x 1,000,000,000,000 thats one trillion!

Holy cow-how much money are we spending on this Hearings Office?? I thought I read $1 million was the budget for this BS. I am all for kicking out dangerous students but these people define "dangerous" too broadly.

Mt Vernon HS had over 1000 suspensions last year. A letter gets mailed out that someone has to prepare, the administrators must spend half their day on reactive policies. Where are the Positive Behavior Programs? Oh, I forgot, we killed all these programs in the last budget cycle.

These people are positively moronic.

1,000 x .34 = $340 x 25 high schools = $8500. We could save a bit of money not mailing out just suspension letters.

FCPS would love for the parents to think that all this time and money wasted on this Zero Tolerance crap is to protect our kids from a Columbine massacre.

How many expulsions were there last year exactly in the high schools?

The expulsions are SUPPOSED to be the really serious cases-gangs, drug dealing, assault on the teachers, etc.

So, guess how many expulsions we had for the $1 million plus we spend on ZT?

1000? no.
100? no.

There were 9 expulsions in the 25 high schoools last year.

Since we just learned that the kid from South Lakes who took his life was expelled for pot smoking, we have an idea of the dangerous kids we are talking about.

my question is, why are they focusing so much on these "dangerous" pot smokers, and less on the REALLY dangerous high school students who are going to bring a gun to school one day and shoot our children. maybe if dana scanlon focused a little more of her time on these ticking time bombs and less on her self-promoting crusade to persecute every child who steps in front of her, regardless of their "crime," our schools would REALLY be a little safer.

Let's run some numbers.....

We spend about $13,000 per student for 181 school days. So, the taxpayers shell out about $72 per day per student.

FCPS uses the following catagories:

expulsion
modified expulsion to suspension-usually 20 days of no school
long term suspension: 10 days of no school
short term suspension: 3 days of no school

Let's look at Mt Vernon HS and how they are spending the taxpayer money:

2007-08 school year:

22 modified expulsions=440 lost school days= $31,680
29 long term suspensions=290 lost school days= $20,880
845 short term suspensions=2535 lost school days= $182,520

One high school WASTED $235,000 in one school year.

Look at the drop out data for this school, SAT take rates, IB participation rates....I bet they SUCK.

And FCPS wonders why. 3265 LOST SCHOOL DAYS. No instruction-yet all the staff gets paid-for what??????

If I was on the Board of Supervisors, I would be asking for some of this money back.

Watchinyou wrote:

>amazing how you could be present in 3 different high schools to watch individual cases all go through the system with completely different results. And as far as "its a >pretty good assumption that they are doing it on school property" , that is about as valid as the cop coming to your house and arresting you for something he assumes >you are doing. That completely contradictes the very fairness of due process you are ranting about. Come around and look at the real world, as long as they are >humans involved, every case will not be a carbon copy of the other.

Lets look at certain facts. The following was pulled either from the Virginia Department of Education website or the FCPS website. This is not "bad info" as you sneered at in another post, but information reported by FCPS to the State as required by law:

Alcohol, Tobacco and other drug offenses (ATODO) (All), Time Element (All).

The first number is the total number of incidents at the school for ATODO. The second number represents "no disciplinary action" taken by the school for ATODO. The percentage compares the "no action taken" to the total number of incidents for ATODO. I pulled three years for comparison purposes. But first, lets look at the high schools...

Per FCPS website - 2007/2008 enrollment figures.
McLean - 1,561
Mt. Vernon - 1,402
Westfield - 2,728


Alcohol, Tobacco and other drug offenses (ATODO) (percentages are rounded)
07/08: McLean 65, 57, 88% / Mt Vernon 33, 7, 21% / Westfield 24, 9, 38%
06/07: McLean 70, 43, 61% / Mt Vernon 18, 6, 33% / Westfield 32, 17, 53%
05/06: McLean 21, 11, 52% / Mt Vernon 28, 16, 57% / Westfield 41, 17, 41%

Totals:
McLean - out of a total of 156 incidents, no action was taken on 111 cases or 71% of the time.
Mt. Vernon - out of a total of 79 incidents, no action was taken on 29 cases or 37% of the time.
Westfield - out of a total of 97 incidents, no action was taken on 43 cases or 44% of the time.

Interesting, isn't it Watchinyou? Lets add some more facts to the pot.

McLean is one of the richest areas in Fairfax County. Homes there go for $750,000 and up. Families there have MONEY. Lots and lots of money.

Assumption: Families in McLean have the cash to a.) donate to the political campaigns of politicians running for the Board of Supervisors and b.) to hire lawyers to sue the shit out of the FCPS if they dare try to suspend or expel their darling little brats. Fact - 71% of the time they take no action. I ASSUME that the only way you can get busted in McLean is if they catch you red-handed with a blunt in your locker.

Mt. Vernon isn't as wealthy, not by a long shot. I ASSUME that's why FCPS took action 63% of the time on ATODO incidents.

Westfield is also interesting. The school is almost twice as large as McLean or Mt. Vernon and yet they only had two thirds the number of reported incidents. As an accountant and financial analyst, I find that statistically odd. Also, some of the families in Westfield have MONEY, don't they Watchinyou? Home prices in the 20120 zip code are way up there. Home prices in Sully Estates, The Ridings and Braddock Downs can reach one million or more, even in today's market. Plus, they are helicopter parents as well. That must be a bitch, isn't it Watchinyou? Wealthy parents who can hire lawyers and who donate to political campaigns and probably have Bulova and Connely on speed dial must be a real pain. I ASSUME that's why Westfield looks the other way most of the time.

Neither I nor anyone else needs to be in three different high schools to follow these cases through the system. All we have to do is pull the numbers. So you can sneer and blow smoke up everyone's ass, but it doesn't change the numbers or the facts. FCPS does not enforce it's policies evenly or equally. As I said before, you get a slap on the wrist at McLean, busted at Mt. Vernon and ignored at Westfield.

One other thing Watchinyou. I vote. I vote in every election. I voted for Cook and my mom did as well. I then drove a bunch of my neighbors to the polls and they voted for him as well. I know all the old farts around here, the ones who vote in EVERY single freaking election. It wouldn't be all that hard for me to walk around my neighborhood and collect at least 100 signatures of REGISTERED VOTERS WHO VOTE IN EVERY FREAKING ELECTION and deliver them to Cook. Yep, I'd get at least five minutes with the man.

I also helped Pat Herrity as well. He and I went to the same high school a long time ago, back when West Springfield had a student smoking section. We graduated in different years, but we still are Spartans. I helped his campaign as well. I didn't work for him officially, but I did talk him up with all the old farts who live in his district when he first ran for office. I know a lot of them. "Yep," I said, "Pat would do a good job for Springfield. Remember, he lived here." And they listened to me, at least some of them did, the ones that vote IN EVERY SINGLE ELECTION. I drove some of them to the polls as well. Just being neighborly. It wouldn't be that hard for me to give him a list of a hundred or so names of the old fart brigade. Yep, I think I could get at least five minutes with him as well.

I'd probably be able to get five minutes with Bulova as well. She knows the score in Fairfax County. She know all about the old fart's brigade. They're the ones who put her in the Chairman seat. They are the "gold votes" as it is called.

You see Watchinyou, Fairfax may have a million plus residents, but only a small portion vote in all these little by-elections. Politics in Fairfax is local, very local. All it really takes is one man walking around whispering in the right ears, "that school bond issue isn't for the kids. It's for those fat cat administrators to have bigger digs at Gateway II," and all of a sudden the next school bond issue goes down in flames come election time. It's not just those millionaire helicopter parents FCPS has to worry about, they also have to worry about the old fart's brigade as well. And they are pissed Watchinyou. They are really, really pissed. It wouldn't take much to set them off. Just the right word in the right ear at the right time. That's how politics works in Fairfax County.

So you might want to choose your words more carefully in the future. Just a friendly warning. In fact, you might want to get your supervisor over at FCPS to review your posts. Just a suggestion. It's little flame wars like this that just might bite the FCPS right in the ass. It's happened before.

PresaCanario Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Actions have consequences.


suck my balls, you're telling me that you never once as a teenager drank under the age of 21? cause if you did, you broke the law. Now think about doing a drug that is far less destructive to your mind and body.

WashingTone Locian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm very skeptical that a one-time offense would
> result in this kind of treatment. Also, the kid
> must have had a bunch of other issues in addition
> to this if he would hang himself. God forbid
> friends or family could have played a role. Right?

When has FCPS ever not kicked someone out for a first offense on drugs? There were no second offenses needed. And in terms of "having a bunch of other issues if he would hang himself", i dont think any other issue is needed when you think about how, A.) he was made a pariah to his whole social community and his friends, B.) his academic life and hope for going to a good college/having a future was ruined. When you're 16 years old and something like this happens, it would be hard to see the sunny side of things, as far as you know in your short time on this earth, your life is over.
I guess im just tired of the hypocracy that goes on in this nation, getting drugs on the street is immoral and illegal, yet going to your doctor to get those same drugs is very acceptable.

losers are so easy to fire up....use your free time to learn some new put downs, you have plenty of it now

watchinyou Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> losers are so easy to fire up....use your free
> time to learn some new put downs, you have plenty
> of it now


haha umm if this was directed towards me explain how i have plenty of free time

VAViking--

Great post. You got it exactly right.

azzz Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> And in terms of "having a bunch
> of other issues if he would hang himself", i dont
> think any other issue is needed when you think
> about how, A.) he was made a pariah to his whole
> social community and his friends, B.) his academic
> life and hope for going to a good college/having a
> future was ruined. When you're 16 years old and
> something like this happens, it would be hard to
> see the sunny side of things, as far as you know
> in your short time on this earth, your life is
> over.

+1, I can easily see how a person that age would see no hope. There is a lot of pressure in our area of country to succeed, move on to college, etc. It is sad, but the school system is certainly taking this consequence on as a known and acceptable risk when they expel a student for having MJ residue in their car or something.

VAViking Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Watchinyou wrote:
>
> >amazing how you could be present in 3 different
> high schools to watch individual cases all go
> through the system with completely different
> results. And as far as "its a >pretty good
> assumption that they are doing it on school
> property" , that is about as valid as the cop
> coming to your house and arresting you for
> something he assumes >you are doing. That
> completely contradictes the very fairness of due
> process you are ranting about. Come around and
> look at the real world, as long as they are
> >humans involved, every case will not be a carbon
> copy of the other.
>
> Lets look at certain facts. The following was
> pulled either from the Virginia Department of
> Education website or the FCPS website. This is
> not "bad info" as you sneered at in another post,
> but information reported by FCPS to the State as
> required by law:
>
> Alcohol, Tobacco and other drug offenses (ATODO)
> (All), Time Element (All).
>
> The first number is the total number of incidents
> at the school for ATODO. The second number
> represents "no disciplinary action" taken by the
> school for ATODO. The percentage compares the "no
> action taken" to the total number of incidents for
> ATODO. I pulled three years for comparison
> purposes. But first, lets look at the high
> schools...
>
> Per FCPS website - 2007/2008 enrollment figures.
> McLean - 1,561
> Mt. Vernon - 1,402
> Westfield - 2,728
>
>
> Alcohol, Tobacco and other drug offenses (ATODO)
> (percentages are rounded)
> 07/08: McLean 65, 57, 88% / Mt Vernon 33, 7, 21% /
> Westfield 24, 9, 38%
> 06/07: McLean 70, 43, 61% / Mt Vernon 18, 6, 33% /
> Westfield 32, 17, 53%
> 05/06: McLean 21, 11, 52% / Mt Vernon 28, 16, 57%
> / Westfield 41, 17, 41%
>
> Totals:
> McLean - out of a total of 156 incidents, no
> action was taken on 111 cases or 71% of the time.
> Mt. Vernon - out of a total of 79 incidents, no
> action was taken on 29 cases or 37% of the time.
> Westfield - out of a total of 97 incidents, no
> action was taken on 43 cases or 44% of the time.
>
> Interesting, isn't it Watchinyou? Lets add some
> more facts to the pot.
>
> McLean is one of the richest areas in Fairfax
> County. Homes there go for $750,000 and up.
> Families there have MONEY. Lots and lots of
> money.
>
> Assumption: Families in McLean have the cash to
> a.) donate to the political campaigns of
> politicians running for the Board of Supervisors
> and b.) to hire lawyers to sue the shit out of the
> FCPS if they dare try to suspend or expel their
> darling little brats. Fact - 71% of the time they
> take no action. I ASSUME that the only way you
> can get busted in McLean is if they catch you
> red-handed with a blunt in your locker.
>
> Mt. Vernon isn't as wealthy, not by a long shot.
> I ASSUME that's why FCPS took action 63% of the
> time on ATODO incidents.
>
> Westfield is also interesting. The school is
> almost twice as large as McLean or Mt. Vernon and
> yet they only had two thirds the number of
> reported incidents. As an accountant and
> financial analyst, I find that statistically odd.
> Also, some of the families in Westfield have
> MONEY, don't they Watchinyou? Home prices in the
> 20120 zip code are way up there. Home prices in
> Sully Estates, The Ridings and Braddock Downs can
> reach one million or more, even in today's market.
> Plus, they are helicopter parents as well. That
> must be a bitch, isn't it Watchinyou? Wealthy
> parents who can hire lawyers and who donate to
> political campaigns and probably have Bulova and
> Connely on speed dial must be a real pain. I
> ASSUME that's why Westfield looks the other way
> most of the time.
>
> Neither I nor anyone else needs to be in three
> different high schools to follow these cases
> through the system. All we have to do is pull the
> numbers. So you can sneer and blow smoke up
> everyone's ass, but it doesn't change the numbers
> or the facts. FCPS does not enforce it's policies
> evenly or equally. As I said before, you get a
> slap on the wrist at McLean, busted at Mt. Vernon
> and ignored at Westfield.
>
> One other thing Watchinyou. I vote. I vote in
> every election. I voted for Cook and my mom did
> as well. I then drove a bunch of my neighbors to
> the polls and they voted for him as well. I know
> all the old farts around here, the ones who vote
> in EVERY single freaking election. It wouldn't be
> all that hard for me to walk around my
> neighborhood and collect at least 100 signatures
> of REGISTERED VOTERS WHO VOTE IN EVERY FREAKING
> ELECTION and deliver them to Cook. Yep, I'd get
> at least five minutes with the man.
>
> I also helped Pat Herrity as well. He and I went
> to the same high school a long time ago, back when
> West Springfield had a student smoking section.
> We graduated in different years, but we still are
> Spartans. I helped his campaign as well. I
> didn't work for him officially, but I did talk him
> up with all the old farts who live in his district
> when he first ran for office. I know a lot of
> them. "Yep," I said, "Pat would do a good job for
> Springfield. Remember, he lived here." And they
> listened to me, at least some of them did, the
> ones that vote IN EVERY SINGLE ELECTION. I drove
> some of them to the polls as well. Just being
> neighborly. It wouldn't be that hard for me to
> give him a list of a hundred or so names of the
> old fart brigade. Yep, I think I could get at
> least five minutes with him as well.
>
> I'd probably be able to get five minutes with
> Bulova as well. She knows the score in Fairfax
> County. She know all about the old fart's
> brigade. They're the ones who put her in the
> Chairman seat. They are the "gold votes" as it is
> called.
>
> You see Watchinyou, Fairfax may have a million
> plus residents, but only a small portion vote in
> all these little by-elections. Politics in
> Fairfax is local, very local. All it really takes
> is one man walking around whispering in the right
> ears, "that school bond issue isn't for the kids.
> It's for those fat cat administrators to have
> bigger digs at Gateway II," and all of a sudden
> the next school bond issue goes down in flames
> come election time. It's not just those
> millionaire helicopter parents FCPS has to worry
> about, they also have to worry about the old
> fart's brigade as well. And they are pissed
> Watchinyou. They are really, really pissed. It
> wouldn't take much to set them off. Just the
> right word in the right ear at the right time.
> That's how politics works in Fairfax County.
>
> So you might want to choose your words more
> carefully in the future. Just a friendly warning.
> In fact, you might want to get your supervisor
> over at FCPS to review your posts. Just a
> suggestion. It's little flame wars like this that
> just might bite the FCPS right in the ass. It's
> happened before.

, thanks for the lesson, ranting and list of your friends in high places, but as I recall it is still a free country and as a taxpayer am still entitled to my own opinion...unless the old farts, whoever or whatever that really is, get together and decide against it

Biggest money wasters Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Let's run some numbers.....
>
> We spend about $13,000 per student for 181 school
> days. So, the taxpayers shell out about $72 per
> day per student.
>
> FCPS uses the following catagories:
>
> expulsion
> modified expulsion to suspension-usually 20 days
> of no school
> long term suspension: 10 days of no school
> short term suspension: 3 days of no school
>
> Let's look at Mt Vernon HS and how they are
> spending the taxpayer money:
>
> 2007-08 school year:
>
> 22 modified expulsions=440 lost school days=
> $31,680
> 29 long term suspensions=290 lost school days=
> $20,880
> 845 short term suspensions=2535 lost school days=
> $182,520
>
> One high school WASTED $235,000 in one school
> year.
>
> Look at the drop out data for this school, SAT
> take rates, IB participation rates....I bet they
> SUCK.
>
> And FCPS wonders why. 3265 LOST SCHOOL DAYS. No
> instruction-yet all the staff gets paid-for
> what??????
>
> If I was on the Board of Supervisors, I would be
> asking for some of this money back.


Top High Schools in money wasted on ZT:

Mt Vernon $235,080
Hayfield $145,152
Annandale $113,616
South County $94,392
Stuart $82,944
Lake Braddock$83,520

TOTAL: $754,704 in just 6 of 25 high schools. I haven't even touched the middle/elementary school data.

What an unbelievable waste of money for trivial offenses.

Lost School Days:

Mt Vernon 3265
Hayfield 2016
Annandale 1578
SOCO 1311
Stuart 1152
Lake Brad 1160

Why aren't they dealing with these kids in school???

They are home playing video games no learning anything!!!

For what??

Beacause they are "dangerous"?

HebrewHammer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The kid killed himself because he got sent to a
> different school and didn't have any friends?
> Are you shitting me?
>
> The all-powerful FCPS was able to cut off all
> contact from his friends? Have you even seen how
> teenagers communicate? They don't talk to each
> other directly, they don't look each other in the
> eyes, they text and send IM's to each other, and
> leave messages on facebook. FCPS could have sent
> him to Alaska, and he wouldn't have noticed the
> difference.
>
> He'd have found another reason to off himself if
> he was that unstable.
>
> FCPS didn't kill him. They probably saved dozens
> of lives by keeping him out of school before he
> showed up at Langley with a trench coat and an
> AK-47, or graduated, went to college, couldn't
> make any friends there and went on a shooting
> spree.


Hebrew Hammer is oh so wise. What a prepostorous claim that FCPS's actions might have contributed to this kid's decision to take his own life.

So what if a 16 year old is booted out of school and banished from any FCPS school-toughen up a bit.

But wait, I forgot to mention the result of the 2008 Fairfax County Youth Survey.

3.5% of students who responded attempted suicide.

14.7% seriously considered attempting suicide

30.8% felt sad or hopeless almost every day for weeks or more in a row that they stopped doing some usual activities.

I guess I could quote stat over stat about the dangers of teen suicide, but clearly FCPS would be bored by the topic.

It is morally reprehensable for FCPS to ignore the consequences of their actions.

Thomas More Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> watchinyou Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Stop the whining and move on, Cant be a
> productive member of Society because they moved
> you to
> > another high school??? Please! Believe me if
> thats
> > the biggest roadblock you encounter in life ,
> you
> > are lucky,,,
>
> I am so sick of your misanthropic bovine
> excrement. Go read another blog or thread if you
> have nothing to contribute except hatred and bile.


Wow somebody learned something except how to smoke dope!

WatchinYou should eat a bottle of pain pills, drink a fifth of vodka and drive him and his entire brood off a steep cliff in his stupid Prius. You sir are the carbuncle on the asshole of society.

Wow that struck a nerve, why do you keep changing your screen name throughout this thread??, you are not anonymous ..carbuncle,,nice touch

please who are you trying to scare? I wish you would come to my house You stupid internet thug.

Aw... the old schoolyard challenge, very mature

Don't mind me, I'm really just a hateful know-nothing idiot.

does anyone know if any kid who was ever placed at Mountainview ever left and went back to a regular fcps?

i was placed at Mountainview and they SAID in one year i could request/apply if i was good and out of trouble i could possibly come back. i will never know tho cuz i moved far far away.

does not really answer but just some input

watchingyou Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Don't mind me, I'm really just a hateful
> know-nothing idiot.

you really should check the spelling, but then again most rocket scientists on this thread wouldnt notice the difference in the poster's name...

I would agree that the FCPS is very afraid of being sued, since they (pretend to be) are poor. It makes sense that a student could avoid getting in to trouble by threatening a lawsuit.

I'm toopit,,,

eyy all i know is dana scanlon sucks d and takes it up the butt. << Fact.

BobW is correct...

Apparently she shoves it up others butts

Evidently, we're shoving it up her butt

i poop with my shirt off

sseagal Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Evidently, we're shoving it up her butt

ya from a school she put you at

Ya, from the desk in the whoor's office....

FCPS personnel aren't the only one intent on destroying young lives.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/24/us/24savana.html

These authoritarian school officials need to be brought under control.

They do indeed. In our own county, Eileen Grattan and Dana Scanlon are the worst of the stupid, miserable, nazi wretches with whom we have to contend.Both are ugly, nasty, despicable human beings.

Any parent who does not think that the schools are trying to control our kids even OFF of school property should google "bong hits for Jesus" and read about the Supreme Court decision.

The pendulum has swung too far to the point of insanity. The schools have gotten carried away by what they consider "dangerous" and are spending way too much time and money on trivial offenses.

Everyone wants safe schools but this idea of kicking kids out of school for doing what 30% of kids are doing is just plain moronic.

BTW, anyone hear anything about the Lake Braddock girls soccer team? I heard there was a co-ed sleep over with booze. If these nuts at FCPS had their way, I am sure they would kick all these girls out of school.

From the VA Department of Education, "An introduction of Effective Schoolwide Discipline in Virginia":

Evidence exists that imposing negative consequences for unacceptable behavior can increase antisocial acts, school vandalism, terdiness and truancy, and the dropout rate.

Suspension provides little more than a respite from the student's academic or behavior problems.

Students typically do not return to school with a more positive attitude or increased enthusiasm toward learning.

With each suspension, the probability increases that the student will fall further behind academically, which only serves to trigger more misbehavior to escape further classroom frustration or failure.

I guess nobody within FCPS bothered to read this report.

BTW, I graduated from FCPS in the 1980s. One of my classmates came to school a couple of times high as a kite. He is now a principal at one of our high schools throwing kids out of school for what he did as a kid. How ironic.

Thomas More Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> FCPS personnel aren't the only one intent on
> destroying young lives.
>
> http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/24/us/24savana.html
>
>
> These authoritarian school officials need to be
> brought under control.


That is outrageous...
a quote from the article


“They didn’t even look at my records,” she said. “They didn’t even know I was a good kid.”

The school district does not contest that Ms. Redding had no disciplinary record, but says that is irrelevant.

“Her assertion should not be misread to infer that she never broke school rules,” the district said of Ms. Redding in a brief, “only that she was never caught.”


See the problem with the school system in total is that you are GUILTY UNTIL YOU PROVE YOU ARE INNOCENT. That is the exact opposite of the foundation this country was built on.
The school system is abusing all the power they have and taking it too far.

VA DOE Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> BTW, I graduated from FCPS in the 1980s. One of
> my classmates came to school a couple of times
> high as a kite. He is now a principal at one of
> our high schools throwing kids out of school for
> what he did as a kid. How ironic.


Damn.... that is a shame. Sounds pretty hypocritical, just does not make sense

BobW Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> VA DOE Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> >
> > BTW, I graduated from FCPS in the 1980s. One
> of
> > my classmates came to school a couple of times
> > high as a kite. He is now a principal at one
> of
> > our high schools throwing kids out of school
> for
> > what he did as a kid. How ironic.
>
>
> Damn.... that is a shame. Sounds pretty
> hypocritical, just does not make sense

Then its probably bullshit, Deliver a name

Me and my sob story Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> BobW Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > VA DOE Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> >
> > >
> > > BTW, I graduated from FCPS in the 1980s. One
> > of
> > > my classmates came to school a couple of
> times
> > > high as a kite. He is now a principal at one
> > of
> > > our high schools throwing kids out of school
> > for
> > > what he did as a kid. How ironic.
> >
> >
> > Damn.... that is a shame. Sounds pretty
> > hypocritical, just does not make sense
>
> Then its probably bullshit, Deliver a name



...true

I thought as a society now, we treat drug users with treatment programs and compassion. I must have missed the shift in public thinking that states we throw kids out of school so that they can fall even further into a hole of destruction.

Holy cow who in FCPS is making this call because this makes me angryas hell.

Drug use is quite common in high school these days so if we have a policy that says drug users are denied an education-we are going down a dangerous path.

Someone on the School Board better step up to the plate on this one. We cannot have another tragedy like this happen to our kids again.

They arent denied an education, they get sent to another school you dumbass, posting without facts, it nevers ends..

They are denied an education, they get sent to substandard alternative school you ignorant dumbass, posting without facts, it nevers ends..

As sad and tragic this wasted loss of life is, I think there's a lot of barking up the wrong tree in blaming the school system. I wouldn't have favored an expulsion or a transfer in this case, but there had to have been some seriously overlooked mental issues with the deceased that an event like this would trigger a suicide. That nobody saw it coming is the tragedy- teachers,parents friends- I can't lay this at the feet of FCPS.

I went to HS in Arlington in the early 80's, my friends in Fairfax and ALexandria had similar expereinces- drug testing was non-existent. There were "smoking courts" at schools, "open campuses" where we could leave basically at will and of course just before Reagans "Just Say No" there were plenty of people who'd say pot was completely harmless and probably even good for you. We would go to class buzzed out of our minds- no one cared about reaking or using Visine. I remember one kid getting drunk at school and being sent to the nurse, but basically we all got away with murder as far as dope stuff went.


What we seem to have now is the generation that saw and maybe participated in the drug excesses of the 70's and early 80's in charge and doing things completely differenty. It's all a swing of the pendelum and though a big change from what I expereinced as a student, it's hardly draconian.

And btw even though I don't smoke anymore and I think drugs are a stupid choice, I am in favor of decriminalization and all that. THis kid was mental, the story sad and the school system is just being scapegoated.

And the county spends more per pupil on these miscreants than those who are not on their 2nd, 3rd and 4th chances to get it right,,,, fact... Its the same diploma , again uninformed...theres more sour grapes on this thread than a Wegmans

These filthy souless nazi scum FCPS administrators are cowardly, hypocritical bullies; nothing more. There is more empty pass-the-buck excuses coming from these lazy reprobates than there are stars in the sky.

Mr Blue Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> They arent denied an education, they get sent to
> another school you dumbass, posting without facts,
> it nevers ends..


Thanks Mr. Blue, for your intelligent thought provoking comments. We all become better human beings thanks to your insightful comments.

Now, let's examine these "wonderful" alternative schools (janie Strauss likes to refer to them as wonderful).

Bryant Alternative School-300 students-109 dropped out last year (36%)
Pimmit Hills Alternative-250 students-53 dropped out last year (21%)
Mountain View Alt School-250 students-65 dropped out last year (26%)

Yes, siree, that young man would have been blessed to go to these schools. He would have thrived at these schools.

once a loser always a loser, easier just to give up I guess, really helping themselves out there

once a nazi always a nazi, easier just to terrorize I guess, really helping the students out there

I guess the other 75 % of the students just decided to make the best of THEIR mistakes and move on. If you or your chilren couldnt deal with it, then you are like some of the other posters here that really didnt have it in them to finish what they started to begin with.

I guess the other 99 % of the judicialm (including those pursuant to the U.S. Constitution) just decided to trash the stoopid tyrannical idea of "zero tolerance" and move on. If you or your fellow nazis couldnt deal with it, then you are like some of the other posters here that really didnt have it in them to finish what they started to begin with.

I wonder if "THEIR" mistakes is a reference to the adult deviants, pedophiles and dopers within the FCPS system.

Zero Tolerance Kills Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I do not hesitate for a moment to say that FCPS
> has played a direct role in the death of one of
> our students.
>
> Last week, a junior at South Lakes High School
> hanged himself. He was a fine young man who
> played football at Langley High School but he did
> something that many FCPS students do. He smoked
> pot. FCPS caught him and threatened to expel him
> from school. They kept him out of school for
> weeks while the ZT police did all they could to
> destroy this young man. Then they pulled him from
> his friends and sent him to another school. And
> told him if he ever screwed up again they would
> throw him out of school forever.
>
> FCPS never acknowledges that the majority of our
> students experiment with drugs and alcohol. There
> is no drug testing of FCPS employees so we do not
> know how many employees use drugs. When a kid
> does it, makes a mistake, FCPS makes sure that
> they destroy the student emotionally.
>
> I am sickened by this school district. Every
> parent out there needs to know that this could be
> your kid. We must make sure that this does not
> happen again.
>
> Zero Tolerance is destructive. It lacks
> compassion and humanity and it kills our youth.
>
> Let's all say a prayer for this family and hold
> FCPS accountable.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Did FCPS let the above student redeem himselve?

Did FCPS allow the above student to do the work in order for him to earn back their trust?

Every two weeks the SB and Dale expell students with no chance to redeem themselves.

Sounds like we have different rules for different students.



"As quick as we are to punish kids for poor decisions that they make, we also need to provide them with opportunities to redeem themselves," Soos said. "If they choose to do the work to redeem themselves, if they choose to do the work to earn back the trust, then I'm all for it."

not motivated Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I guess the other 99 % of the judicialm (including
> those pursuant to the U.S. Constitution) just
> decided to trash the stoopid tyrannical idea of
> "zero tolerance" and move on. If you or your
> fellow nazis couldnt deal with it, then you are
> like some of the other posters here that really
> didnt have it in them to finish what they started
> to begin with.


Self pitying self serving whiner, not an advocate for anyone but themselves, go ahead and copy and paste since originality wasnt taught at the alternative school/....

Soos comments Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Zero Tolerance Kills Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I do not hesitate for a moment to say that FCPS
> > has played a direct role in the death of one of
> > our students.
> >
> > Last week, a junior at South Lakes High School
> > hanged himself. He was a fine young man who
> > played football at Langley High School but he
> did
> > something that many FCPS students do. He
> smoked
> > pot. FCPS caught him and threatened to expel
> him
> > from school. They kept him out of school for
> > weeks while the ZT police did all they could to
> > destroy this young man. Then they pulled him
> from
> > his friends and sent him to another school.
> And
> > told him if he ever screwed up again they would
> > throw him out of school forever.
> >
> > FCPS never acknowledges that the majority of
> our
> > students experiment with drugs and alcohol.
> There
> > is no drug testing of FCPS employees so we do
> not
> > know how many employees use drugs. When a kid
> > does it, makes a mistake, FCPS makes sure that
> > they destroy the student emotionally.
> >
> > I am sickened by this school district. Every
> > parent out there needs to know that this could
> be
> > your kid. We must make sure that this does not
> > happen again.
> >
> > Zero Tolerance is destructive. It lacks
> > compassion and humanity and it kills our youth.
> >
> > Let's all say a prayer for this family and hold
> > FCPS accountable.
> --------------------------------------------------
> ----------------------------
> Did FCPS let the above student redeem himselve?
>
> Did FCPS allow the above student to do the work in
> order for him to earn back their trust?
>
> Every two weeks the SB and Dale expell students
> with no chance to redeem themselves.
>
> Sounds like we have different rules for different
> students.
>
>
>
> "As quick as we are to punish kids for poor
> decisions that they make, we also need to provide
> them with opportunities to redeem themselves,"
> Soos said. "If they choose to do the work to
> redeem themselves, if they choose to do the work
> to earn back the trust, then I'm all for it."


Again bad info, as is most of the hearsay posted on here ,,,,,, , Students can reapply the next school year after being moved, most who reapply go back and have that chance to "redeem" themselves. What they do with that chance is up to them, if they feel their lives are over its because their dyfunctional parents dont do their job by helping them move forward with the first of many adversities in their lives.

"I guess the other 75 % of the students just decided to make the best of THEIR mistakes and move on. If you or your chilren couldnt deal with it, then you are like some of the other posters here that really didnt have it in them to finish what they started to begin with."



Self pitying self serving jack-booted whining nazi scumbag, not an advocate for anyone but themselves, go ahead and copy and paste since originality wasnt taught at the Gestapo alternative school you flunked out of....

gain bad info, as is most of the hearsay posted on here ,,,,,, , Nazi administrators can destroy more innocdent students the next school year after destryoing many this year, most nazis adminisrtators never "redeem" themselves. Why they don't do with that chance is up to them, if they feel their lives are over its because their dyfunctional nazi compatriots dont do their job by helping them move forward with the first of many adversities in their lives.

I heard somewhwere that Delaware has some nice schools but run by a facist regime...

dover Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I heard somewhwere that Delaware has some nice
> schools but run by a facist regime...


haha they are nice... pretty easy though i have yet to catch onto any fascism, i was texting in the cafeteria and a head teacher caught on but didn't see my phone, so he said " what makes you think you can text in MY cafeteria" scared me a little bit.

delaware Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> dover Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I heard somewhwere that Delaware has some nice
> > schools but run by a facist regime...
>
>
> haha they are nice... pretty easy though i have
> yet to catch onto any fascism, i was texting in
> the cafeteria and a head teacher caught on but
> didn't see my phone, so he said " what makes you
> think you can text in MY cafeteria" scared me a
> little bit.

Well dont be frightened little boy, if you are just have mommy complain loudly

gimme a break Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> delaware Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > dover Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > I heard somewhwere that Delaware has some
> nice
> > > schools but run by a facist regime...
> >
> >
> > haha they are nice... pretty easy though i have
> > yet to catch onto any fascism, i was texting in
> > the cafeteria and a head teacher caught on but
> > didn't see my phone, so he said " what makes
> you
> > think you can text in MY cafeteria" scared me a
> > little bit.
>
> Well dont be frightened little boy, if you are
> just have mommy complain loudly



hahah,,, Young man or teenager would suit me better than little boy. I'm not scared of anything and i don't live with my momma

haha they are nice... pretty easy though i have
> yet to catch onto any fascism, i was texting in
> the cafeteria and a head teacher caught on but
> didn't see my phone, so he said " what makes you
> think you can text in MY cafeteria" scared me a
> little bit.

Don't be scared at all, just kick his useless gutless ass. School administrators are all cowards anyway.

nah nah nah! u guys are getting it wrong. the dude was cool. he said since i was new he would let me off this time. initially he was scary. Delaware school officials are not useless and gutless and cowardly like FCPS offices -- fact

delaware Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> gimme a break Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > delaware Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > dover Wrote:
> > >
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> >
> > > -----
> > > > I heard somewhwere that Delaware has some
> > nice
> > > > schools but run by a facist regime...
> > >
> > >
> > > haha they are nice... pretty easy though i
> have
> > > yet to catch onto any fascism, i was texting
> in
> > > the cafeteria and a head teacher caught on
> but
> > > didn't see my phone, so he said " what makes
> > you
> > > think you can text in MY cafeteria" scared me
> a
> > > little bit.
> >
> > Well dont be frightened little boy, if you are
> > just have mommy complain loudly
>
>
>
> hahah,,, Young man or teenager would suit me
> better than little boy. I'm not scared of anything
> and i don't live with my momma


Oh I must be mistaken, I swore I saw in a previous post the big bad policeman wouldnt let you call your mommy, must have been some other student hmm

that was me... and the po-po and the principal wouldn't let me call my mom.. i had to move away to go to another school instead of mountain view..

WingNut Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> THis kid was mental,

You're worse than Bill Frist, who thought he could diagnose a brain dead women by videotape.

You never met this kid but know he was mental.

You're not just wrong, you're an idiot.

This kid was happy, popular and highly regarded by college coaches.

His fall into hopelessness was sudden, unexpected and entirely avoidable had the vice principal been more interested in helping him make good choices instead of destroying kids.

I've dealt with this assistant principal for 6 years. He has no business around high school kids. The sooner he leaves education the better off our nations youth will be.

let me sum this thread up...



great, now move on.


"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

Should our students "get in trouble" at school, the school administrators do not allow them to call their parents. If you are an adult and arrested, you can make at a phone call. Not so in FCPS. Instead the vice principals and school cops bully, threaten, or promise that call to the parents in order to get the answers you want.

While waiting to speak to another vice-principal at one of our best high school, I saw a staff member leave one of the offices. He announced to the entire lobby (2 secretaries and at least one student present) that the "tough guy" was crying for him mommy and that soon he would "give it all up". Then he could call his mommy.

Needless to say, should my kids get in any type of trouble they have been counseled not to say anything to anyone until they have had the opportunity to speak to a parent. They should just put their head on a desk or table and nap until someone gets there.s

let me sum Gravis and his post up: "baawww boo-hoo boo-hoo, waa waa waaa they're pickin on my nazi friends..stop it, pwiddy pwiddy,pwiddy pwease stop..."


Great, now keep this thread rockin'

Graviis Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> let me sum Gravis and his post up: "baawww boo-hoo
> boo-hoo, waa waa waaa they're pickin on my nazi
> friends..stop it, pwiddy pwiddy,pwiddy pwease
> stop..."

please tell me which one of these tards is my nazi friends.


"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

Remeber, you're anti-infant, not pro-choice

Gravis Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> let me sum this thread up...
>
>
>
> great, now move on.


Gravis-

When you leave this earth, I will be the first to dance on your grave.

We will be richer without mean-spirited jerks like you in the world.

hey Mr. Blue...first they are suspended and sit home for weeks doing nothing, many unattended, that makes no sense....then if they are expelled they do get kicked out of FCPS and ARE denied an education..so where do they end up then...FCPS are hurtung these kids more than helping them.

MSNBC.com


Girl posts nude pics, is charged with kid porn
New Jersey teen may have to register as a sex offender
The Associated Press
updated 9:01 a.m. ET, Fri., March. 27, 2009
TRENTON, N.J. - A 14-year-old New Jersey girl has been accused of child pornography after posting nearly 30 explicit nude pictures of herself on MySpace.com — charges that could force her to register as a sex offender if convicted.

The case comes as prosecutors nationwide pursue child pornography cases resulting from kids sending nude photos to one another over cell phones and e-mail. Legal experts, though, could not recall another case of a child porn charge resulting from a teen's posting to a social networking site.

MySpace would not comment on the New Jersey investigation, but the News Corp.-owned company has a team that reviews its network for inappropriate images. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children tipped off a state task force, which alerted the Passaic County Sheriff's Office.

'Very explicit'
The office investigated and discovered the Clifton resident had posted the "very explicit" photos of herself, sheriff's spokesman Bill Maer said Thursday.

"We consider this case a wake-up call to parents," Maer said. The girl posted the photos because "she wanted her boyfriend to see them," he said.




Why are we holding 14 year olds to adult standards as far as exercising good judgement?

I don't understand this thinking....having a 14 year old regsiter as a sexual offender.

At some point, we need to stop the madness.

KMBC.com
Related To Story

Video: Pink Hair Gets Seventh-Grader Suspended


Pink Hair Gets Seventh-Grader Suspended
Girl Says She Died Hair To Honor Father Who Died Of Cancer

POSTED: 11:51 am CDT August 21, 2008
UPDATED: 9:08 pm CDT August 21, 2008


MOUNTAIN GROVE, Mo. -- A southern Missouri school district has suspended a pink-haired seventh-grader.

Mountain Grove Middle School student Amelia Robbins said she dyed her hair pink to honor her father, who died of cancer when she was 6 years old. She said that to her, pink is the cancer color.

The 12-year-old said that when she finished 6th grade with pink streaks in her hair, school administrators warned her not to continue wearing the color. But with her mother's permission, Amelia dyed all of her hair pink, and her school year ground to a halt just days after it started.

She doesn't think her hair color is a distraction.

The school handbook said administrators have the authority to decide whether a student is causing a distraction. Officials declined to discuss specifics of Amelia's case.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or



This is one of my all-time favorites....

MSNBC.com


School enforces strict no-touching rule
Strict no-contact rule, meant to stem violence, has some pushing for change
The Associated Press
updated 6:40 p.m. ET, Mon., June. 18, 2007
VIENNA, Va. - A rule against physical contact at a Fairfax County middle school is so strict that students can be sent to the principal's office for hugging, holding hands or even high-fiving.

Unlike some schools in the Washington area, which ban fighting or inappropriate touching, Kilmer Middle School in Vienna bans all touching — and that has some parents lobbying for a change.

Hugging was Hal Beaulieu's crime when he sat next to his girlfriend at lunch a few months ago and put his arm around her shoulder. He was given a warning, but told that repeat missteps could lead to detention.

"I think hugging is a good thing," said Hal, a seventh-grader. "I put my arm around her. It was like for 15 seconds. I didn't think it would be a big deal."

But at a school of 1,100 students that was meant to accommodate 850, school officials think some touching can turn into a big deal. They've seen pokes lead to fights, gang signs in the form of handshakes or girls who are uncomfortable being hugged but embarrassed to say anything.

"You get into shades of gray," Kilmer Principal Deborah Hernandez said. "The kids say, 'If he can high-five, then I can do this.' "

Hernandez said the no-touching rule is meant to ensure that all students are comfortable and crowded hallways and lunchrooms stay safe. She said school officials are allowed to use their judgment in enforcing the rule. Typically, only repeat offenders are reprimanded.

'Making out goes too far'
But such a strict policy doesn't seem necessary to 13-year-old Hal and his parents, who have written a letter to the county school board asking for a review of the rule. Hugging is encouraged in their home, and their son has been taught to greet someone with a handshake.

Hal said he feels he knows what's appropriate and what's not.


"I think you should be able to shake hands, high-five and maybe a quick hug," he said. "Making out goes too far."

His parents said they agree that teenagers need to have clear limits but don't want their son to be taught that physical contact is bad.

"How do kids learn what's right and what's wrong?" Henri Beaulieu asked. "They are all smart kids, and they can draw lines. If they cross them, they can get in trouble. But I don't think it would happen too often."


Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19293872/?GT1=10056



MSN Privacy . Legal
© 2009 MSNBC.com



Let's promote this principal to a policy maker.... we need more deep thinkers like this.

At McLean School, Playing Tag Turns Into Hot Potato

By Michael Alison Chandler
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 15, 2008; A01



A playground pastime is getting a timeout this spring at a McLean elementary school.

Robyn Hooker, principal of Kent Gardens Elementary School, has told students they may no longer play tag during recess after determining that the game of chasing, dodging and yelling "You're it!" had gotten out of hand. Hooker explained to parents in a letter this month that tag had become a game "of intense aggression."

The principal said that her goal is to keep students safe and that she hopes to restore tag (as well as touch football, also now on hold) after teachers and administrators review recess policies.

The decision has touched off a debate among parents. Some call the restriction an example of overzealous rulemaking that fails to address root problems and undermines children's development; others say it's best to err on the side of caution.

"We are regulating the fun out of normal childhood activity," said Jan van Tol, father of a Kent Gardens sixth-grader. "In our effort to be so overprotective, we are not letting children be children."

Gerri Swarm, secretary of the school's Parent-Teacher Association, said she was glad the principal was taking seriously student concerns about being pushed or shoved. "In this day and age, you can't dismiss this as something not to worry about," she said.

Many schools nationwide have whittled down playground activities in response to concerns about injuries, bullying or litigation. Dodge ball is a thing of the past in many places, and contact sports are often limited at recess.

The Fairfax County schools' office of risk management maintains a list of activities that are prohibited at any school-sponsored events. In addition to bungee-jumping and scuba diving, students are not permitted to break dance or play dodge ball or tug-of-war.

Restrictions on tag are less common. Officials at several suburban Washington school systems said they were not aware of any schools that had banned the game outright.

In most places, principals have considerable leeway to decide what is appropriate or safe recess behavior as they sometimes manage large numbers of students in small spaces. Kent Gardens, with more than 900 students, is over capacity. Hooker said the playground can get crowded when there are four or five classes there at one time.

Over the past couple of months, she had noticed that tag was taking up too much space and sending too many students to the nurse's office.

"This is not the old-fashioned tag, where you could use two fingers and you would be it and move on to someone else," Hooker said. The game, she said, has become much more aggressive. "I call it the nouveau tag."

This tag involves grabbing people who do not necessarily know they are playing and possibly bumping them to the ground. "Then the kids do 'pyramiding' or 'towering.' They pile on each other. [Sometimes] they call it 'jailhouse' or 'jailbreak,' " because the child has to break out, she said.

Since the prohibition began early this month, physical education teachers have begun a "chasing, fleeing and dodging" unit in first through fifth grades. Students essentially play variations of tag, and the teachers remind them about safety rules and point out the athletic skills they can transfer to other sports, said Sue Straits, a PE teacher.

Stephanie Sullenger, president of the Kent Gardens PTA, said she supports the principal. Sullenger said she suspects that children are acting out because of "spring fever," and that as their behavior improves, tag will be restored.

In the meantime, she said, "children are very resilient and creative, and I'm sure have moved on to find wonderful things to do on the playground."

Other parents said that slips and falls are part of growing up and that restricting games is not the right solution.

Chris Delta, a Kent Gardens mother, said she knows "life's not going to breeze" for her children. She wants them to learn how to cope with difficulty.

Her own daughter has been injured on the playground, she said. Once she was pushed off a jungle gym and had the wind knocked out of her, and another time she got a goose egg when a student threw a rock in the air and it landed on her head.

"I didn't expect because of these two instances that the equipment would be banned or all the rocks or pebbles or stones would be taken away," Delta said.

Michael Haaren, a father, said that if some children are being too aggressive, they should be disciplined. Limiting the activity is a "draconian" measure, he said.

He is concerned that schools are on a bad trajectory. "Where are we headed here? The elimination of recess altogether? It has happened in other schools. Will we eliminate 'duck duck goose' because kids are being touched?" he asked.

Dozens of parents turned out for a PTA meeting to hear the principal explain the decision. Many opposed the plan.

Hooker said the resistance surprised her. "I did not know that tag was so sacred," she said.

But many talk about the game in a tone tinged with nostalgia.



no comment needed-you guys are getting the idea.

Yeah! Kids should be able to use drugs freely, without fear of repercussion! How dare the insensitive school board punish children for breaking the rules, especially when the kid knew it was illegal when he did it!

Don't get caught, or take your punishment like a man.

LIMITED SYMPATHY.

--------------------------------------------------------------
13 4826 0948 82695 25847. Yes.

Thomas More Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> WingNut Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > THis kid was mental,
>
> You're worse than Bill Frist, who thought he could
> diagnose a brain dead women by videotape.
>
> You never met this kid but know he was mental.
>
> You're not just wrong, you're an idiot.
>
> This kid was happy, popular and highly regarded by
> college coaches.
>
> His fall into hopelessness was sudden, unexpected
> and entirely avoidable had the vice principal been
> more interested in helping him make good choices
> instead of destroying kids.
>


I feel ANYONE who committs suicide ( barring some untreatable disease etc) is mental. I think it's a horrible tragedy and I feel baed for the kid,parents and friends , but this kid was not forced into a some corner by the "nazi's at FCPS". A fucking transfer to another school is a big deal enough to check out permanently about? Please tell me you think this was a rational reaction, because obviously that's what you are saying. It's hard to say this while still trying to respect the dead, but this kid must have been awfully fragile to react as such. What do you imagine would have happened had he faced a real tragedy or hardship?
If you're spouting this weak-ass "blame the school" shit, I feel bad this young man didn't have some stronger peers around he could have picked up some good coping skills from.

> I've dealt with this assistant principal for 6
> years. He has no business around high school
> kids. The sooner he leaves education the better
> off our nations youth will be.

I'm sorry you've been in HS for 6 years and haven't learned anything

Zero tolerance gone awry in the Katy Independent School District
Less than zero
As told to Richard Connelly
published: July 05, 2007
By now you may have heard about 12-year-old Shelby Sendelbach, who attends Mayde Creek Junior High in the Katy school district. After all, a Japanese television network is filming her as a case study in how not to discipline students.
This weekÂ’s episode of the Zero Tolerance Unit, ZTU: Katy.
Subject(s):
zero-tolerance enforcement, "better" cable serviceSendelbach took a Sharpie and wrote "I Love Alex" in three-quarter-inch letters on a school bleacher. For this she now faces three months in an alternative school. Anyone who knows what alternative schools are like in Texas knows that getting three months in one for three words of graffiti is like getting ten years for running a red light.
Shelby's been diagnosed with ADD. "This could really damage her," says her father Stu. "We're afraid she'll get so far behind and won't be able to catch up."

Her story's not unique — that's the state of things in Texas schools these days. So we are introducing what is bound to be — with the never-ending cooperation of ham-fisted school officials — a regular feature.


Last year, I remember SB member Liz Bradsher joking about how old the dess were at West Springfield HS. She joked that one of the desks still had the grafitti that her sister had marked on it years ago.....hahahah...

Did Bradsher's sister get 3 months at Mountain View for her actions. I get a lot of FCPS students get the book thrown at them for "vandalism".

>
> So what if a 16 year old is booted out of school
> and banished from any FCPS school-toughen up a
> bit.
>
> But wait, I forgot to mention the result of the
> 2008 Fairfax County Youth Survey.
>
> 3.5% of students who responded attempted suicide.
>
> 14.7% seriously considered attempting suicide
>
> 30.8% felt sad or hopeless almost every day for
> weeks or more in a row that they stopped doing
> some usual activities.
>
> I guess I could quote stat over stat about the
> dangers of teen suicide, but clearly FCPS would be
> bored by the topic.
>
> It is morally reprehensable for FCPS to ignore the
> consequences of their actions.



READ THE DATE ON SUICIDES< idiots.

Kids are fragile and ripping them from their confort zone to satisft the masochistic needs of a shrew like Dana Scanling is criminal.

Judges Accused of Jailing Kids for Cash
With Corrupt Judges, Kids' Lives Hang in the Balance
By FRANK MASTROPOLO
March 27, 2009—


Luzerne County sits in the heart of Pennsylvania's struggling coal country; Wilkes-Barre is the county seat, a hardscrabble, blue-collar city that knew hard times even before this latest recession.

Watch the story on "20/20" tonight at 10 p.m. ET

People there were shocked in January when federal prosecutors announced that respected county judges Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan had pleaded guilty to tax evasion and honest services fraud, the result of a lengthy investigation by the Internal Revenue Service and the FBI. Yesterday the Pa. State Supreme Court overturned hundreds of convictions of low-level offenders, ruling that all juveniles who had appeared in Ciavarella's courtroom without lawyers between 2003 and 2008 had not been adequately informed when they waived their right to counsel.

It's not over, however, for all of the other kids Ciavarella sent to jail. Chief Justice Ronald Castille said in a statement that Thursday's decision wasn't intended to be "a quick fix."

"It's going to take some time, but the Supreme Court is committed to righting whatever wrong was perpetrated on Luzerne's juveniles and their families," he said.

"They sold their oath of offices to the highest bidders and engaged in ongoing schemes to defraud the public of honest services that were expected from them," Deron Roberts, chief of the FBI's Scranton office, said at a late January news conference announcing the charges.

The arrests shed light on a mystery in Luzerne County: Why were so many kids getting sent directly to juvenile detention after seeing Judge Ciavarella in his Wilkes-Barre juvenile court? And why were those kids sent away in such a rush?


'I Had No Clue What to Say'
Eric Stefanski had never been in trouble before he found himself in front of Ciavarella, who took office in 1996.

"I was 12 years old when I got locked up. I had no clue what to say when he asked me how do I plead," Eric told "20/20" correspondent Jim Avila.

"I was 12 years old. I didn't know too much about the court system."

His offense? He went joyriding with his mom's car and ran over a barrier, smashing the undercarriage. No one was hurt, not even Eric, but in order get her insurance to pay for the damage, his mom, Linda Donovan, had to file a police report. Donovan even thought an appearance before a judge would be good for her son, give him a little scare. She wasn't prepared for what happened when Eric came before Ciavarella.

"He read me my charges and said, 'How do you plead?' And I didn't know what to say, so I looked at my mom, and I guess she didn't know I was looking, and I said, 'Guilty,'" Eric said.

"That's when I turned around, I looked at my mom and she started crying."


'The Most Egregious Abuse of Power'
Eric was locked up for two years. He was not represented by an attorney, his mom said, because she didn't think he needed one.

"His first offense, he's so young, I just didn't think that it was necessary," Donovan said.

It's not supposed to be like this in juvenile court, where incarceration is considered the last resort, legal experts said. But Marsha Levick, deputy director of the Juvenile Law Center, a public-interest law firm in Philadelphia, said she noticed a frightening pattern in Ciaravella's courtroom.

"I think what we have here in Luzerne County is probably the most egregious abuse of power in the history of the American legal system," Levick said.

And she had the evidence to back it up.

"The numbers of children going into placement in Luzerne County tended to be two to three times higher than in other counties," she said.

Levick said kids were being locked up for minor infractions. "A child who shoplifted a $4 bottle of nutmeg," she said. "A child who was charged with conspiracy to shoplift because he was present when his friend was shoplifting. A child who put up a MySpace page, taunting her school administrator."

Levick turned her findings over to the FBI, and the outcome rocked the Pennsylvania justice system.

Ciavarella and Conahan, who face up to 7 years in prison, had devised a plot to use their positions as judges to pad their pockets. They shut down the old county-run juvenile detention center by first refusing to send kids there and, then, by cutting off funds, choking it out of existence. They then replaced the facility with a cash cow -- a privately owned lockup built by the judges' cronies -- and forged a deal for the county to pay $58 million for a 10-year period for its use. At the time Conahan was serving as president judge of the Luzerne County Common Pleas Court, a position that allowed him to control the county-court budget. Ciavarella was the Luzerne County juvenile court judge.

The judges entered plea agreements in federal court in Scranton in February admitting that they took more than $2.6 million in payoffs from the private youth detention center between 2003 and 2006.

Prosecutors said the judges attempted to hide their income from the scheme by creating false records and routing payments through intermediaries. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court removed them from their duties after federal prosecutors filed charges Jan. 26. The investigation is ongoing.

"The defendants engaged in fraud by taking millions of dollars in connection with the construction, operation and expansion of juvenile detention facilities here in Luzerne County," U.S. Attorney Martin Carlson said.

And, according to state statistics, Ciavarella's incarceration rates of juveniles jumped after the privately owned juvenile detention center opened.

"The information alleges that the judges ordered juveniles into these detention facilities, the facilities in which they had a financial interest, and on occasion that those orders were done despite the recommendation of juvenile probation officers that the child not be detained, not be imprisoned," Carlson said.

Ciavarella denies having sentenced kids for cash.

"We came to a plea agreement because we would never agree that [the kids' sentencing] was improper. And that's why in the plea agreement you don't see any of the language," Ciavarella said. "I'm not pleading guilty to anything relative to cash for kids, embezzlement, extortion, quid pro quo. Absolutely not."


Losing Faith in the Justice System
Dave Janoski, projects editor of the Citizens Voice newspaper of Wilkes-Barre, said, "You could see that at the very moment, when they could make the most money, that's when the number of kids spiked."

Wilkes-Barre residents exploded with anger when they heard that men they elected, and trusted to judge their children, had profited from their incarceration.

"There's been a lot of outrage," said Terrie Morgan-Besecker, staff writer for the Times Leader newspaper in Wilkes-Barre.

"I think a lot of them have lost faith in the system of justice ... that they went in there blindly thinking that they were going to talk to the judge, he was going to listen to them and hand down an appropriate punishment ... and they're just yanked away from their parents and put in shackles," she said. "It just left them absolutely stunned and not believing that this could happen."

Many people wanted to know who was looking out for the kids as they worked their way through the judicial system.

"I think that we had a conspiracy of silence going on in Luzerne County," Levick of the Juvenile Law Center said. "There were officers of the court, there were members of the district attorney's office, members of probation, private lawyers, public defenders, who were in the courtroom every day. And they had to know what was happening and whether it was by virtue of intimidation or an unwillingness to get involved. The fact remains that nobody stood up."

When Ciavarella was asked about families' complaints of his rapid-fire brand of justice and trials that lasted only minutes with even first-time offenders sent to detention centers, he told "20/20." "You take a look at their file and you look to see if this was the first time they had a run-in with the law. It might have been the first time they're in front of me. You may be surprised that it's not going to be as clear-cut as they would like you to think."

'The Judge is Incorrect'
But Arthur Grim, a Pennsylvania juvenile judge himself, who was assigned to review Ciavarella's cases, said Ciavarella is wrong.

"Kids were in there for relatively minor first-time offenses and ended up being placed," Grim said. "The judge is incorrect.

"I'm seeing cases which seem to take in the neighborhood of a minute and a half to three minutes. ... That simply is not the way to do business."

Chief Justice Ronald Castille of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court asked Grim to examine the juvenile cases, which could mean expunging the records of as many as 2,500 children sent into detention by Ciavarella.

"We have told Judge Grim, take it wherever it goes," Castille said. "And I think my court would be willing to expunge the record of every one of those juveniles if we can't eliminate the specter of taint from what Judge Ciavarella did in treating them."


Copyright © 2009 ABC News Internet Ventures


And we are here talking about all the "bad kids" out there.

maybe it is the adults in the system that we should be worried about.

the juvenile justice system is effective Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Judges Accused of Jailing Kids for Cash
> With Corrupt Judges, Kids' Lives Hang in the
> Balance
> By FRANK MASTROPOLO
> March 27, 2009—
>
>
> Luzerne County sits in the heart of Pennsylvania's
> struggling coal country; Wilkes-Barre is the
> county seat, a hardscrabble, blue-collar city that
> knew hard times even before this latest recession.
>
>
> Watch the story on "20/20" tonight at 10 p.m. ET
>
> People there were shocked in January when federal
> prosecutors announced that respected county judges
> Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan had pleaded
> guilty to tax evasion and honest services fraud,
> the result of a lengthy investigation by the
> Internal Revenue Service and the FBI. Yesterday
> the Pa. State Supreme Court overturned hundreds of
> convictions of low-level offenders, ruling that
> all juveniles who had appeared in Ciavarella's
> courtroom without lawyers between 2003 and 2008
> had not been adequately informed when they waived
> their right to counsel.
>
> It's not over, however, for all of the other kids
> Ciavarella sent to jail. Chief Justice Ronald
> Castille said in a statement that Thursday's
> decision wasn't intended to be "a quick fix."
>
> "It's going to take some time, but the Supreme
> Court is committed to righting whatever wrong was
> perpetrated on Luzerne's juveniles and their
> families," he said.
>
> "They sold their oath of offices to the highest
> bidders and engaged in ongoing schemes to defraud
> the public of honest services that were expected
> from them," Deron Roberts, chief of the FBI's
> Scranton office, said at a late January news
> conference announcing the charges.
>
> The arrests shed light on a mystery in Luzerne
> County: Why were so many kids getting sent
> directly to juvenile detention after seeing Judge
> Ciavarella in his Wilkes-Barre juvenile court? And
> why were those kids sent away in such a rush?
>
>
> 'I Had No Clue What to Say'
> Eric Stefanski had never been in trouble before he
> found himself in front of Ciavarella, who took
> office in 1996.
>
> "I was 12 years old when I got locked up. I had no
> clue what to say when he asked me how do I plead,"
> Eric told "20/20" correspondent Jim Avila.
>
> "I was 12 years old. I didn't know too much about
> the court system."
>
> His offense? He went joyriding with his mom's car
> and ran over a barrier, smashing the
> undercarriage. No one was hurt, not even Eric, but
> in order get her insurance to pay for the damage,
> his mom, Linda Donovan, had to file a police
> report. Donovan even thought an appearance before
> a judge would be good for her son, give him a
> little scare. She wasn't prepared for what
> happened when Eric came before Ciavarella.
>
> "He read me my charges and said, 'How do you
> plead?' And I didn't know what to say, so I looked
> at my mom, and I guess she didn't know I was
> looking, and I said, 'Guilty,'" Eric said.
>
> "That's when I turned around, I looked at my mom
> and she started crying."
>
>
> 'The Most Egregious Abuse of Power'
> Eric was locked up for two years. He was not
> represented by an attorney, his mom said, because
> she didn't think he needed one.
>
> "His first offense, he's so young, I just didn't
> think that it was necessary," Donovan said.
>
> It's not supposed to be like this in juvenile
> court, where incarceration is considered the last
> resort, legal experts said. But Marsha Levick,
> deputy director of the Juvenile Law Center, a
> public-interest law firm in Philadelphia, said she
> noticed a frightening pattern in Ciaravella's
> courtroom.
>
> "I think what we have here in Luzerne County is
> probably the most egregious abuse of power in the
> history of the American legal system," Levick
> said.
>
> And she had the evidence to back it up.
>
> "The numbers of children going into placement in
> Luzerne County tended to be two to three times
> higher than in other counties," she said.
>
> Levick said kids were being locked up for minor
> infractions. "A child who shoplifted a $4 bottle
> of nutmeg," she said. "A child who was charged
> with conspiracy to shoplift because he was present
> when his friend was shoplifting. A child who put
> up a MySpace page, taunting her school
> administrator."
>
> Levick turned her findings over to the FBI, and
> the outcome rocked the Pennsylvania justice
> system.
>
> Ciavarella and Conahan, who face up to 7 years in
> prison, had devised a plot to use their positions
> as judges to pad their pockets. They shut down the
> old county-run juvenile detention center by first
> refusing to send kids there and, then, by cutting
> off funds, choking it out of existence. They then
> replaced the facility with a cash cow -- a
> privately owned lockup built by the judges'
> cronies -- and forged a deal for the county to pay
> $58 million for a 10-year period for its use. At
> the time Conahan was serving as president judge of
> the Luzerne County Common Pleas Court, a position
> that allowed him to control the county-court
> budget. Ciavarella was the Luzerne County juvenile
> court judge.
>
> The judges entered plea agreements in federal
> court in Scranton in February admitting that they
> took more than $2.6 million in payoffs from the
> private youth detention center between 2003 and
> 2006.
>
> Prosecutors said the judges attempted to hide
> their income from the scheme by creating false
> records and routing payments through
> intermediaries. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court
> removed them from their duties after federal
> prosecutors filed charges Jan. 26. The
> investigation is ongoing.
>
> "The defendants engaged in fraud by taking
> millions of dollars in connection with the
> construction, operation and expansion of juvenile
> detention facilities here in Luzerne County," U.S.
> Attorney Martin Carlson said.
>
> And, according to state statistics, Ciavarella's
> incarceration rates of juveniles jumped after the
> privately owned juvenile detention center opened.
>
>
> "The information alleges that the judges ordered
> juveniles into these detention facilities, the
> facilities in which they had a financial interest,
> and on occasion that those orders were done
> despite the recommendation of juvenile probation
> officers that the child not be detained, not be
> imprisoned," Carlson said.
>
> Ciavarella denies having sentenced kids for cash.
>
>
> "We came to a plea agreement because we would
> never agree that was improper. And that's why in
> the plea agreement you don't see any of the
> language," Ciavarella said. "I'm not pleading
> guilty to anything relative to cash for kids,
> embezzlement, extortion, quid pro quo. Absolutely
> not."
>
>
> Losing Faith in the Justice System
> Dave Janoski, projects editor of the Citizens
> Voice newspaper of Wilkes-Barre, said, "You could
> see that at the very moment, when they could make
> the most money, that's when the number of kids
> spiked."
>
> Wilkes-Barre residents exploded with anger when
> they heard that men they elected, and trusted to
> judge their children, had profited from their
> incarceration.
>
> "There's been a lot of outrage," said Terrie
> Morgan-Besecker, staff writer for the Times Leader
> newspaper in Wilkes-Barre.
>
> "I think a lot of them have lost faith in the
> system of justice ... that they went in there
> blindly thinking that they were going to talk to
> the judge, he was going to listen to them and hand
> down an appropriate punishment ... and they're
> just yanked away from their parents and put in
> shackles," she said. "It just left them absolutely
> stunned and not believing that this could happen."
>
>
> Many people wanted to know who was looking out for
> the kids as they worked their way through the
> judicial system.
>
> "I think that we had a conspiracy of silence going
> on in Luzerne County," Levick of the Juvenile Law
> Center said. "There were officers of the court,
> there were members of the district attorney's
> office, members of probation, private lawyers,
> public defenders, who were in the courtroom every
> day. And they had to know what was happening and
> whether it was by virtue of intimidation or an
> unwillingness to get involved. The fact remains
> that nobody stood up."
>
> When Ciavarella was asked about families'
> complaints of his rapid-fire brand of justice and
> trials that lasted only minutes with even
> first-time offenders sent to detention centers, he
> told "20/20." "You take a look at their file and
> you look to see if this was the first time they
> had a run-in with the law. It might have been the
> first time they're in front of me. You may be
> surprised that it's not going to be as clear-cut
> as they would like you to think."
>
> 'The Judge is Incorrect'
> But Arthur Grim, a Pennsylvania juvenile judge
> himself, who was assigned to review Ciavarella's
> cases, said Ciavarella is wrong.
>
> "Kids were in there for relatively minor
> first-time offenses and ended up being placed,"
> Grim said. "The judge is incorrect.
>
> "I'm seeing cases which seem to take in the
> neighborhood of a minute and a half to three
> minutes. ... That simply is not the way to do
> business."
>
> Chief Justice Ronald Castille of the Pennsylvania
> Supreme Court asked Grim to examine the juvenile
> cases, which could mean expunging the records of
> as many as 2,500 children sent into detention by
> Ciavarella.
>
> "We have told Judge Grim, take it wherever it
> goes," Castille said. "And I think my court would
> be willing to expunge the record of every one of
> those juveniles if we can't eliminate the specter
> of taint from what Judge Ciavarella did in
> treating them."
>
>
> Copyright © 2009 ABC News Internet Ventures
>
>
> And we are here talking about all the "bad kids"
> out there.
>
> maybe it is the adults in the system that we

> should be worried about.

absolutely!!!, all 12,000 school employees are vile devils who should be drawn and quartered. and then we move onto the lawyers, congressmen and govt contractors.

Yeah! The school administrators should be able to punish toddlers for taking cough drops! How dare the insensitive little ones sooth their scrathcy throats, especially when the kid knew it was perfectly legal when he did it!

Don't get taking lemon drops caught,and if you do roll over and play dead for the nazi administrators so they can abuse the next tooddler.

If you're spouting this weak-ass "blame the kid" shit, I feel bad this young man did have some nazi FCPS administrators around him

High School Student Suspended For Talking To His Mother in Iraq
A high school student in Georgia was suspended for refusing to end a cell phone call with a soldier in Iraq—a soldier who just happens to be his mother. At Spencer High School in Columbus, Georgia, the students are allowed to have cell phones in school, but they are forbidden from using them during school hours. According to the assistant principal at Spencer, Alfred Parham, "They're not supposed to use them for conversing back and forth during school because if they were allowed to do that, they could be text messaging each other for test questions."

Kevin Francois, a 17-year old junior, was at school with his cell phone when he received a phone call from his mother, who is a soldier in Iraq. He was excited to hear from her, so he went outside the school building to get better reception so he could enjoy the conversation. "This is our first time separated like this," said Francois, whose father was killed when he was 5 years old. Since his mother’s deployment overseas, Francois has been living with a guardian in Columbus. His mother, Sgt. 1st Class Monique Bates, left in January for a one-year tour. She serves with the 203rd Forward Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, doing her duty to support our country in the war on terrorism.

The call came at 12:30 p.m. which Francois said is his usual lunch break, so he went outside to take the call. A teacher happened to see him talking on his cell phone and told him to hang up. He refused, telling the teacher, "This is my mom in Iraq. I’m not about to hang up on my mom." At that point the teacher tried to grab the phone, with Francois desperately trying to hang onto it. and the teacher accidentally hitt a button that caused it to hang up abruptly. The teacher then marched Francois to the school’s office to surrender his phone. His mother called again at 12:37, but by then the phone was turned off and she had to leave a message scolding her son for hanging up on her, and telling him that he is supposed to answer the phone when she calls.

According to the assistant principal, "Kevin got defiant and disorderly" when he was asked to end the call. Parham said the suspension was based on Francois’ reaction to the teacher when he was asked to give up his phone. "When a kid becomes out of control like that they can either be arrested or suspended for 10 days. Now being that his mother is in Iraq, we're not trying to cause her any undue hardship; he was suspended for 10 days." Apparently they didn't mind causing Kevin any hardship, though. He was suspended for the rest of the school year, resulting in him having to make up the entire semester just for talking to his mother, a soldier serving in harm’s way to protect his right to talk to her on a cell phone in the first place. But after the story made national headlines and drew sharp criticism from the public, the school district reduced the suspension to three days instead of ten, which will allow Francois to return to school on Monday, and he will not have to make up the entire semester.

Apparently the fact that Francois was on his lunch break (not in class) and he was talking to his mother in Iraq (not chatting with a friend) wasn’t important enough for the school system to lift the suspension entirely. It took great public outcry for them to even reduce it to three days instead of ten. What kind of school system would allow school policy to take precedence over common sense?
By Buzzle Staff and Agencies
Published: 5/8/2005

Ads by Google

Junior probably could have used some stronger friends. Can you imagine what would have happened if he had suffered a real misfortune ( parent killed, loss of home, health issue)? If you were in his inner circle and you were belly aching about a school transfer like it was some kind of war crime, maybe your wuss attitude was a contributing factor?

The kid was transferred from one school to another, it's not like he was sent to Devils Island or something.

I'm sure the adnin that transferred him was a prick, but he didn't "kill him".
Grow up.

Our nazi FCPS administrator Little Miss Eva Braun, probably could used her nazi friends. Can you imagine what would have happened if she had to confront a real meance to society ( al-quada terrorist, MS-13 or SSL ang member)? If you were dealing with real dangers and watched her belly aching about a lonely teen like he was some kind of war deadly criminal, she might realize that it is her despicable bullying attitude that was the only factor?

The nazi was transferring an inncent loneley teen from one school to another just to be a nasty nazi bully; it's not like she was out there defending the country.

I'm sure the kid was a brat,, but he didn't kill anyone. Grow the phuk up.

Hey Wingnut

What you fail to Obviousy understand is that these are teenagers (can you remember that far back??) and being ripped from your school IS a major ordeal, that is their life. I think you are pretty arrogant to say that this kid had a mental issue. There are a million ways (cheap ways) to discipline these kids that doesn't involve ripping them out of their schools, what does that solve?? Make them do a year of community service on weekends,that would set them straight and it would get the message out to all of their friends that are doing the same thing too, but didn't get caught!

See what 50 years will do.

Scenario: Jack pulls into school parking lot with rifle in gun rack.

1959 - Vice Principal comes over, takes a look at Jack's rifle, goes to his car and gets his to show Jack.

2009 - School goes into lockdown, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.

++++++++++++++++++++++
Scenario: Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school.

1959 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up best friends. Nobody goes to jail, nobody arrested, nobody expelled.

2009 - Police called, SWAT team arrives, arrests Johnny and Mark. Charge them with assault, both expelled even though Johnny started it.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Scenario: Jason won't be still in class, disrupts other students.

1959 - Jason sent to office and given a good paddling by Principal. Sits still in class.

2009 - Jason given huge doses of Ritalin. Becomes a zombie. School gets extra money from state because Jason has a disability.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Scenario: Billy breaks a window in his father's car and his Dad gives him a whipping.

1959 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.

2009 - Billy's Dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy removed to foster care and joins a gang. Billy's sister is told by state psychologist that she remembers being abused herself and their Dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has affair with psychologist.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Scenario: Mark gets a headache and takes some headache medicine to school.

1959 - Mark shares headache medicine with Principal out on the smoking dock.

2009 - Police called, Mark expelled from school for drug violations. Car searched for drugs and weapons.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Scenario: Pedro fails high school English.

1959 : Pedro goes to summer school, passes English, goes to college.

2009 : Pedro's cause is taken up by state democratic party. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English banned from core curriculum. Pedro given diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he can't speak English.

+++++++++++++++++++++
Scenario: Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from the 4th of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle, blows up a red ant bed

1959 - Ants die.

2009 - BATF, Homeland Security, FBI called. Johnny charged with domestic terrorism, FBI investigates parents, siblings removed from home, computers confiscated, Johnny's Dad goes on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.

+++++++++++++++++++++
Scenario: Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary, hugs him to comfort him.

1959 - In a short time Johnny feels better and goes on playing.

2009 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison.

A letter from Josh's mom-the South Lakes student who took his life.



I blame the Fairfax County School Board's policies that dictated their treatment of Josh that led to his death.

These policies must take into consideration the fact:

- that these are immature kids in a harsh world and

- that there is a difference between dealing drugs and stupid teen use and

- that great damage is done when you yank a kid out of the community that loves them and

- that when you expel a kid and take away the opportunity to participate in an activity in which they excel and derive a lot of self-esteem and confidence from (in Josh's case, football), you are taking away a part of their heart, soul and passion which kills them on the inside and

- that it is tough enough for our kids to compete for college admission spots and when you expel a child, you effectively make that goal exponentially more difficult to obtain and in the case of Josh, more than he could bear and

- that the county should do everything they can to make sure that every kid who wants to go to college, despite their mistakes, should be able to do so and

- that those who have never smoked pot in their HS/college years should cast the first stone.

Josh wrote two sentences on the note that we found. I believe the first is directed to FCPS and I would like to know the answer.

"Why does it have to be like this?"
Posted by Josh's mom at 1:33 PM

Our School Board Hearing Experience
This post is from Josh's Dad & Mom:

We have been so moved by the comments from all of you and are blown away by the number of people who are reading this blog. Our intent in this post is one of education - for those who have never gone through the suspension/expulsion process within Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). It is also to share our experience with those who have or are currently going through the process as we'd like to hear what your experience has been.

Langley HS (LHS)
On March 3, 2008, the Assistant Principal (AP) was monitoring the lunch period and noticed that Josh took food from the lunch line without paying for it. Josh was taken to another AP's office at which time a search was conducted of his backpack to see if there was any other food taken. They found an oval-shaped piece of screen and a small baggie containing substance that appeared to be marijuana. The School Resource Officer (SRO) took possession of the baggie and performed a field search and confirmed it was marijuana.

We were called and told that Josh was caught with possession of marijuana on school grounds which was a serious violation of the rules of conduct which meant an immediate ten-day suspension with a recommendation to the School Board for expulsion. (As you can imagine, we were both in complete shock). We went to the school and had a meeting with the AP, Josh and SRO. At first, Josh denied that the pot was his. He then amended his statement which I have posted below. He was allowed to get his belongings from both the school and gym locker, and then we left. I (Sue) took him immediately to an Urgent Care in Herndon for a drug test. The results of this test were negative, which means that he could not have used marijuana for the past 30-40 days as this is how long the drug stays in a person's system.


"I took a sandwich and milk from the cafeteria lunch without paying because at the time I had the idea and didn't tell myself not to. I deeply regret ever doing that; it was the wrong thing to do, and all just for a couple of bucks? When no one's looking I always still need to do the right thing. The bag of pot I bought from a guy after him and I hadn't finished smoking it about two weeks ago. The metal screen I had cut of somebody's glasses case with the intent of using it on a smoking device but I have never used it. Now more than anything I wish I hadn't bought it from that guy or smoked with him at all. I've been taking all the things in my life for granted, and now that it's all taken away: lacrosse, school, my friends, I'll do anything to get it back. It was the worst feeling walking out of my school knowing I might never come back; I wished that it wasn't happening to me, that it wasn't me taking that walk, but it was. All of these series of events are my fault and I have to take responsibility for every last bit of it. That comes with changing who I am; I have to have integrity and make the right choices, and I know I can if I'm given a second chance." Joshua Anderson

We received a letter from the Hearing Officer for the Superintendent that was dated March 11th that informed us that the hearing was to take place on March 24, 2008 at the FCPS administrative building, 21 days after the incident.

In the meantime, we were shuttling homework back and forth from LHS. They allowed quizzes and tests to come home so that he could take them under our supervision. The math teacher also recommended two students who came to our home and helped Josh keep up with the math work. (These two students came to our home after finding out about his death; I was so grateful to see them).

The hearing was attended by two Hearing Officers for the Superintendent, the AP who caught Josh, and the three of us. We were told that the hearing officers really do not like it when the family brings an attorney, so we didn't do this. The "expulsion packet" was what was in front of the officers and used as a basis for their questions. This packet consisted of the following items:

- one page student information form
- letters from the principal with the recommendation for expulsion
- photographs of the baggie with marijuana and screen as well the the contents of his backpack
- detailed incident report
- report from the other AP
- two of Josh's statements (initial and amended)
- attendance record
- grade report
- standardized test results
- Student Progress Report for Teachers Disciplinary Hearings (one for each teacher)
- Signed Student Responsibilities and Rights form (SR&R). Signed at the beginning of the school year.

We would like to share what is asked on the form that is filled out by the teachers.
- Academic strength and weaknesses
- Behavior
- Work habits
- Attitude and motivation
- Peer and adult relationships
- Disciplinary and academic interventions

We would like to the School Board to answer this question: Why aren't teachers asked this additional question: "Is this student a threat to the well-being of the school community?"

For those who have never been to a hearing, it is an experience that I wish you and your child would never have to endure. The AP did not say much except to relay the facts of the incident. We were told that the hearing officers would be asking Josh many questions and if he was slow to respond, or quiet, or non-communicative, it would not go well for him. This concerned us greatly as Josh was not a verbose young man; in fact, in front of any adult, including ourselves, he really mumbles and is quite difficult to understand.

The questioning started out in a reasonable way but as the meeting progressed and Josh was not showing forth the type of responses they wanted, it became more and more confrontational, which caused him to shut down even more. We did not feel good about Josh's chances after this meeting. In fact, Tim called one of the hearing officers the next day and said that he did not think they got the correct impression of Josh since he was so intimidated by the entire situation. The response back was basically that once Josh was caught on school property with marijuana, it was a done deal. So we take this to mean that it didn't matter what Josh said or did in the meeting; he was either going to another HS or he would be expelled.

On April 9th, over one month after the event, we received a letter saying that he would be allowed to attend South Lakes HS as a probationary student. There were several terms he was expected to adhere in this status, but I would like to post the paragraph that explained the extent of his relationship with LHS.

"Unless and until readmitted, Josh shall not be on the property or in the buildings of, or in the attendance of any activity (including, without limitation, social, athletic, or graduation-related), wherever located, involving Langley HS without the specific prior written permission of the Hearings Office. Any violation of this particular provision may lead to the imposition of further sanctions by the school administration or the filing of trespassing charges, or both. The proscriptions contained in this paragraph shall be applicable until such time as Josh reached 22 years of age or graduates from the high school, whichever shall last occur."

South Lakes HS (SLHS)
Josh began as a student at SLHS and was embraced by the administration and students. His football coach was particularly instrumental in ensuring that Josh was introduced to a number of teammates, which we appreciated so much at that time. He began a drug treatment program through the county and for various reasons, we made the move to a privately run program. He graduated from this program in November of 2008. He also successfully completed the SAFE program that was prescribed by the Juvenile Hearing Officer.

Unfortunately, almost a year to the date of the previous incident, Josh left school grounds with another student to have lunch at Taco Bell. They smoked a joint in the car on the way back, and were questioned by the AP while in the parking lot as to why they left school during regular hours. Upon exiting the car, the AP smelled marijuana and the SRO was called to assist. After searching their person, they conducted a search of the car and found a small container of pot, rolling paper and a piece.

Once again, we were called to get Josh as he was immediately suspended. His statement of this incident is below:


"I was found in the parking lot by the AP during lunch and because of the smell he decided to search the car and us and found weed and a piece. And I have been working hard at this, I can't believe I'm putting my parents through this now. They don't deserve this at all. I can't believe how selfish and stupid I've been. I really have been working on this I've been through the private counseling group and I've seen a psychiatrist regularly. I got extremely lazy and stupid. I've fully realized what has happened and what we are going to have to go through and I'm honestly going to try my hardest to fix this, help my parents, they haven't raised me to be like this in any way, I'm so scared for the future, this wasn't worth any of it at all. I've only recently been thinking I could make college football and I've gotten so excited about it and now everything's ruined and it wasn't worth it in any way. I've come to enjoy South Lakes. I was actually liking my teachers and classes and my coach. He helped welcoming me here at the beginning of football and made it more enjoyable. He's there so much for me and I can't believe I'm doing this to him as well. I had gotten it from someone who graduated from here last year I met one night and I'm not distributing marijuana or selling it, I was only sharing it with a friend. " Josh Anderson.
As last year, once Josh was suspended, he was grounded from everything; cell phone, car use, computer, I Pod, video games. He could only watch TV with us. We are parents who strongly believe that kids should have consequences for their behavior. We only allowed his girlfriend to visit each day.

We had decided to visit a lawyer that had experience with the County and the expulsion process. This meeting was on Monday, March 16th as the hearing was scheduled for Thursday morning, March 19th. We brought a copy of the expulsion packet that was sent to the Hearing Office by SLHS. The attorney asked Josh a few questions and basically told us that he would most likely be expelled from the County completely. If not, it would be the alternative school or the computer based learning program. She did not feel that he would be able to go back to SLHS or any other HS in the county. We then discussed other alternative for him; she suggested looking into private schools or a military school, which we just began doing. We also talked about the GED route, but in our minds, this would be only as a last resort. Another option we were pursuing but it probably would've been a dead end, was going to another county and enrolling him in school there. We did not have much hope for this as we heard that VA schools have the option and tend to uphold any suspension/expulsion decision from other VA School Boards. He rode back home with me and it was a quiet ride. He just put his seat back and looked out of the window. In hindsight, I should have told him, "no matter what, we will get through this." Why didn't I do this?

We never got to see what the County's decision would be as he took his life the day before the hearing.

This is our experience and we have many feelings about it. As mentioned in another post, the two people who are conducting the hearing had never met Josh before the first incident. The person in attendance from the school did not speak to Josh's character, overall behavior, or whether he was a threat to other students. Forgive me, but we thought this was the purpose of expulsion - to remove students that pose a real and genuine threat to the school community.

The fact that the hearing officer basically admitted that Josh's fate was sealed once he was found with marijuana in his possession begs this question: if this is the case, why the whole charade of the hearing? Why put parents and kids in this situation?

We have three older children that have successfully gone through FCPS; two are TJ graduates and one graduated from LHS. This situation was completely new to us and we were doing our best to navigate it by asking as many people as we could the same questions: what can we expect, how can we be best prepared for the hearing, what will it be like, etc. There was not one resource given to us by the county to help not only us, but our son with this process. It felt as if we had been placed on this fast moving train and we could not do anything to stop it. We felt completely helpless and at the mercy of, in our opinion, a very large, bureaucratic organization, with little or no compassion or concern for the well-being of our son.

Josh has violated the rules of conduct, we do not dispute this. However, he was treated as if he were a hard-core drug dealer. Why aren't there varying degrees of consequences for those that yes, make very poor decisions but would be clearly open to help, if given, by those in their school community?

Why isn't there an intermediate step before a child goes before the Hearing Officer for the Superintendent? As mentioned in a previous post, we would suggest that there should be a hearing with members of the school community: administrators, teachers, counselors, SRO's, etc. The child should have consequences: suspension, placed on probation, community service within the school, mandatory meetings with the counselor/school psychologist, meetings with the parents, etc. If the student had violated probation, then it would go to the School Board for consideration for transfer to another school or potential expulsion.

If a student exhibits a desire to attend college and is not a threat to the school community, we feel it is the County's responsibility not to expel the child, but to work with them and the parents so that they can succeed and have an opportunity for a future.

Now that he is gone, we write this in hopes that the Fairfax County School Board will look at their policies and consider what role their treatment of Josh may have had on his decision to take his own life.
Posted by Josh's mom at 1:35 PM

wow.... if u take out Josh's name and put mine (i dont wanna give it out really)

it is the same exact story with the exception of he took his life. :(.
I had a brother and sister go to college and that is my #1 goal once im out of high school.
This story saddens me so much, I agree with everything Josh's mom says. Publicly the S.B should get blown up? i think so...


After hearing that story does anyone think FCPS did not play a rather large role in determining this kids fate? geeze..

These ruthless and sadistic FCPS Hearing Officers are truly a despicale lot. Bunch of Goddamn Gestapo thugs.

What an enormously sad story! Sounds like this kid needed some help---maybe not a lot---maybe just some counseling.... Sounds like FCPS felt a really hard line must be taken---and, sometimes that's right. But there has to be some intelligence and judgment! Not all kids are the same! Very sad!

Sad scarcely begins to describe this wholly avoidable tragedy.

Dart Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sad scarcely begins to describe this wholly
> avoidable tragedy.

This is the saddest thing. My heart aches for the pain this kid went through and the pain his parents are feeling now. I hope and pray that someone learns something from this tragedy.

Sorrowful ending that could have been avoided if FCPS did the right thing.

They failed to do their job, therefore a kid dies.

How did FCPS fail to do their job? Smoking dope is illegal...maybe it shouldn't be, but it currently is. I don't think FCPS has the authority to legalize pot even if they wanted to.

If I've learned anything about kids, it's that threats and warnings are meaningless. If you tell them that x will happen if they do y, then x HAS to happen when they do y! Otherwise, they laugh at you and brag to their friends that they "got over".

This kid gets caught with pot at one school and gets another chance at another school and what's he do? He gets caught again! Then he kills himself so he doesn't have to go to Mountain View....too fucking bad.

The old saying, IF YOU CAN'T DO THE TIME, DON'T DO THE CRIME! has never been more true.

Sounds like he made his choices and created his own consequences.

Why did he continue to use marijuana? Why did he steal food from the cafeteria (FCPS lost over $5 million due to food theft last year)? Could he not afford to pay for a meal? Or did he feel rules do not apply to him?

Suicide is a wonderful thing, and I highly recommend it!

Just think if Charles Manson, Ted Bundy, the Tech shooter and millions of others had offed themselves in their teens? A LOT of other lives would have been saved!

Tragedy in FCPS Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Dart Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Sad scarcely begins to describe this wholly
> > avoidable tragedy.
>
> This is the saddest thing. My heart aches for the
> pain this kid went through and the pain his
> parents are feeling now. I hope and pray that
> someone learns something from this tragedy.
>
> Sorrowful ending that could have been avoided if
> FCPS did the right thing.
>
> They failed to do their job, therefore a kid dies.

Very easy to blame the schools, but:
1.student and parents know the rules , no secret clauses or regs.
2. student breaks rules and gets caught.
3. student gets adminstratively placed and staff at new school make sure he gets fresh start and feels welcome
4. student apparently not very impressed by first set of consequences and disappointment he has delivered to his parents decides to resume old habits and gets caught
5.Student unfortunately is unable to take personal responsibility

The interesting part is that even after the second incident the student would have still been able to stay in the school system (no one gets permanently expelled in Fairfax, very popular myth though), particullarly for a minor drug offense.
So how is the school system responsible?

What was the alternate course of action FCPS could have taken?

Suicide is a wonderful thing, and I highly recommend it!

Just think if Al Gore, and Bill Clinton had offed themselves in their teens! They are both admitted pot users just like the teen!!!

Sounds like the Nazi Hearings Officers hounded this kid ruthlessly foor minor offenses.

Why did he continue to use marijuana? (like Al Gore and Bill Clinton did in their youth) Why did he (gasp!) steal food from the cafeteria Gasp (FCPS lost over $5 million due to food theft last year-let's expel them all including the teachers who steal food)? Could they all not afford to pay for a meal? Or did they feel rules do not apply to him?

T FCPS Nazis did their job as Hitler and Himmler would have approved. Smoking dope is illega and Al Gore and Bill Clinton both did it...maybe it shouldn't be, but it currently is. I don't think FCPS has the ability to exercise common decency even if they wanted to.

If I've learned anything about FCPS Nazis, it's that threats and warnings are meaningless. If you tell them that x will happen if they do y, then x HAS to happen when they do y! Otherwise, they laugh at you and brag to their friends that they "got anther one".

These Nazis catch a kid with pot at one school and brutalize him and he gets caught again at another school and what do they do? Ruthlessly brutalize him again! Then he kills himself because these gutless nazi bullies emotinally destroy him again....they are putird scum.

The old saying, FCPS HEARINS OFFICERS ARE FILTHY NAZI BULLYING TERRORIZING SCUM has never been more true!

Very easy to blame the kid, but:
1. Al Gore and Bill Clinton both used pot as teens
2. 35% of Fairfax High School Seniors admitt to using pot.
3. Some Fairfax County Principals used Pot as teens
4. FBI had to drop pot use as an employment screen because soo many applicants ADMITTED too using pot as teens
5.Yet Nazi FCPS Hearin Officers are is unable to take personal responsibility for their brutal Gestapo tactics

If a kid is caught with drugs or alcohol, they should have to spend more time at school, not less. Make them do community service hours. It seems counterintuitive to take them out of school and kick them off a sports team when these are two activities that will keep them off the street and may provide discipline that they don't get at home.

Gore and Clinton used marijuana, so it must be fine. FCPS should never expect students to pay for food. Taxpayers can pay for all the food.

In fact, let's not require FCPS to enforce any rules or laws. Students should do whatever they feel like doing. It helps them become future leaders of our country.

oaktonmom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If a kid is caught with drugs or alcohol, they
> should have to spend more time at school, not
> less. Make them do community service hours. It
> seems counterintuitive to take them out of school
> and kick them off a sports team when these are two
> activities that will keep them off the street and
> may provide discipline that they don't get at
> home.


EXACTLy, instead of pulling them away from everything and everyone they know put them on drug tests and community service.

imitation of life Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Gore and Clinton used marijuana, so it must be
> fine. FCPS should never expect students to pay
> for food. Taxpayers can pay for all the food.
>
> In fact, let's not require FCPS to enforce any
> rules or laws. Students should do whatever they
> feel like doing. It helps them become future
> leaders of our country.


you are an idiot. discipline for stealing food, discipline for smoking marijuana/possession on school grounds. but don't rip them from their surroundings and life as they know it.

Gore and Clinton used marijuana so it must mean using pot demands the death penalty. FCPS should expect students to pay for food and impose the death penalty for swiping a banana. Taxpayers can pay for all the trial and execution costs.


In fact, let's require FCPS to impose the death penalty for any and all infractions. FCPS adminisrators should continue to terrorize and brutalize students like the Gestapo terrorized and brutalized Jews. It helps them become current leaders of our country.

imitatioon of life Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Gore and Clinton used marijuana so it must mean
> using pot demands the death penalty. FCPS should
> expect students to pay for food and impose the
> death penalty for swiping a banana. Taxpayers can
> pay for all the trial and execution costs.
>
>
> In fact, let's require FCPS to impose the death
> penalty for any and all infractions. FCPS
> adminisrators should continue to terrorize and
> brutalize students like the Gestapo terrorized and
> brutalized Jews. It helps them become current
> leaders of our country.


"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."
Attachments:

meloyomamma

Gravis wrote:

Gore and Clinton used marijuana so it must mean
> using pot demands the death penalty. FCPS should
> expect students to pay for food and impose the
> death penalty for swiping a banana. Taxpayers can
> pay for all the trial and execution costs.
>
>
> In fact, let's require FCPS to impose the death
> penalty for any and all infractions. FCPS
> adminisrators should continue to terrorize and
> brutalize students like the Gestapo terrorized and
> brutalized Jews. It helps them become current
> leaders of our country.

Melodramatic

_________________________________


Calling that that melodramatic is melodramatic.

I love it when we bring in the cats.

is this even a true story?

there does not appear to be any news report about this alleged suicide???

The Connection newspaper ran an article, but it doesn't say much:

http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=327011&paper=71&cat=105

prob cuz hes a minor? just a thought

Thomas More Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> WingNut Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> You're not just wrong, you're an idiot.
>
> This kid was happy, popular and highly regarded by
> college coaches.
>
> His fall into hopelessness was sudden, unexpected
> and entirely avoidable had the vice principal been
> more interested in helping him make good choices
> instead of destroying kids.
>
> I've dealt with this assistant principal for 6
> years. He has no business around high school
> kids. The sooner he leaves education the better
> off our nations youth will be.


Arrington or Harrington, something like that. He may be facing some corrective action, up to and including termination.

Tragedy in FCPS Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Dart Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Sad scarcely begins to describe this wholly
> > avoidable tragedy.
>
> This is the saddest thing. My heart aches for the
> pain this kid went through and the pain his
> parents are feeling now. I hope and pray that
> someone learns something from this tragedy.
>
> Sorrowful ending that could have been avoided if
> FCPS did the right thing.
>
> They failed to do their job, therefore a kid dies.

All of the FCPS staff who had anything to do with this kids death need to be dismissed ASAP. This includes Dale and the school board.

How do they sleep at night when they know that they failed to do their job.

First, my heart goes out to those parents.
Second, when my student was busted, they had gone off campus to smoke and was found with just an empty baggie. The policeman that I spoke with said that he would have just given my son a stong lecture and a slap on the hand if it were up to him. It was the FCPS' rules that made the punishment so strong. We didn't push back because we felt it would be worse for my son if we did. In hind sight, I wish that we had fought back with everything we had and even now wish that there were some way, we as parents could join together and find a way to get out kids thru this mess.

Luckily for us, my student got his s...tuff together and graduated from one of the alternative high schools. His buddy was transfered to Herndon. Like I said, we're lucky... I got to go to his high school and college graduation. My prayers are for Josh's family.

I think the guy you mean is Tim Arrington @ 703 715 4514...

Been there Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The policeman that I spoke with
> said that he would have just given my son a stong
> lecture and a slap on the hand if it were up to
> him. It was the FCPS' rules that made the
> punishment so strong. We didn't push back because
> we felt it would be worse for my son if we did.
> In hind sight, I wish that we had fought back with
> everything we had and even now wish that there
> were some way, we as parents could join together
> and find a way to get out kids thru this mess.
>
> Your hesitation and reluctance to "fight" the tyranny of FCPS is what keeps them going. many parents say they fear retaliation toward their kids if they speak up or even criticize this school district.

The sooner that parents realize that FCPS uses these scare tactics and intimidation should make us all angry.

We must stand up for this child-there will be other deaths if we continue to let these people to destroy our children emotionally.

Look for an article in The Washington Post in the next few days talking about Josh's death and the senseless policies of zero tolerance. Let's shine a spotlight on Jack Dale and Eileen Grattan and make them explain their role in this avoidable tragedy.

I betcha a zillion trillion dollars that those bullying hardass Hearings Officers will act like little whipped puppies if indeed, they are interviewed by the Post. Goddamn cowards.

Why blame it on FCPS? Obviously the answer lies at the source, and the source would be White people. Yes, white people who are commissioned and governing the state of virginia and FCPS are in charge of these kinds of proclamations.

White people no longer care, why? Because, there's people out there sharing the same air with them and are supposedly considered to be their equal. Have you guessed it yet? Yes, minorities. How shameful you whites set an establishment up to ensnare minorities, and in doing so, you ensnare your own. So sad, so sad.

tubby Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> How did FCPS fail to do their job? Smoking dope
> is illegal...maybe it shouldn't be, but it
> currently is. I don't think FCPS has the
> authority to legalize pot even if they wanted to.

Please point to the poster that suggested that FCPS legalize pot-or is this your hairbrained idea?

>
> If I've learned anything about kids, it's that
> threats and warnings are meaningless. If you tell
> them that x will happen if they do y, then x HAS
> to happen when they do y! Otherwise, they laugh
> at you and brag to their friends that they "got
> over".

Do you have kids? I doubt it. You sound like a bitter childless teacher or ex-teacher. Most kids do respond to discipline and consequences but they must not be arbitrary and capricious (a practice FCPS uses daily). Most civilized people, including child psychologists will tell you that suspensions and expulsions are meaningless and accomplish NOTHING. They actually do more harm than good.
>
> This kid gets caught with pot at one school and
> gets another chance at another school and what's
> he do? He gets caught again!



30% of FCPS admit to pot use during high school years-lets throw them all out! And don't forget to drug test the staff and teachers while you're on your inquisition!!
Then he kills
> himself so he doesn't have to go to Mountain
> View....

It is unclear whether Mountain View was being offered. Josh might very well have been looking at NO SCHOOL and TOTAL seperation from his life.

too fucking bad.

Tubby-you better pray that you are perfect.

>
> The old saying, IF YOU CAN'T DO THE TIME, DON'T DO
> THE CRIME! has never been more true.

He was 16 for goodness sake. Are you an idiot?

Not all white people are to blame. Except this guy and his friends, of course.
Attachments:

It is hard to believe that one week ago, we buried our son. Although today ended up being a fairly warm and sunny day, it began cloudy, grey and raining. A week ago, we made the trip to the cemetery and it was bright and sunny. God must've known that my heart could not have handled a day like today.

I have posted more pictures of the burial service, as many of my family members who were not able to come have been reading this blog. I also posted two picture that were taken yesterday, when Gillian and my dear friend, Roxanne went to visit Josh. Rox bought this beautiful wind chime - especially for him.

I've had many random thought this week that I thought I would share. One night, there was a steady rain. As I opened the door to let the dogs out, I thought about where Josh's body was resting. We had decided to pay a bit more for a vault rather than a grave liner as it is supposed to be airtight and waterproof. As I looked at the steady rain that night, I just hoped that it was waterproof, just like was promised.

I have also thought about the items that we placed with him. He has his favorite slippers on, his infamous sunglasses, a baby quilt that I had made for him that he never wanted washed, a yellow lacrosse ball, and a football that his uncle has just bought for this very purpose. It is interesting that the kids had items of their own that they felt should be with him. At the viewing, I heard that one of his teammates had brought a football and had all the players sign in. It is this football that ultimately ended up with him. Josh loved sunflower seeds and so someone else had brought a small packet to give to him. He liked wearing hemp-type band around his neck or wrist, so I am told that this was put in the casket. And lastly, his best friend gave me a small picture of his baby girl, Giselle.

This week has also been one of necessary errands. I went to the funeral home on Friday to pick up the death certificates. One of many decisions that needed to be made the day after his death was how many certificates we needed. We were told that each one is an additional $12 so one should be sure to order enough but not too much. We ordered three - I think this will be enough. I had never seen one of these before; it was heartbreaking to read some of the facts.

Education: 10th
Marital Status: Never married (and never will be)
Last Occupation: Student
Kind of Business or Industry: High School
I was by myself and had a good cry.

I'll play with you for a bit..

Shouldn't it be the Chinese president who should be tugging on the White president and not the other way around?

Second of all, what has White people done for me?

you are not alone Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The sooner that parents realize that FCPS uses
> these scare tactics and intimidation should make
> us all angry.
>
> We must stand up for this child-there will be
> other deaths if we continue to let these people to
> destroy our children emotionally.
>
> Look for an article in The Washington Post in the
> next few days talking about Josh's death and the
> senseless policies of zero tolerance. Let's shine
> a spotlight on Jack Dale and Eileen Grattan and
> make them explain their role in this avoidable
> tragedy.

the media has a policy about not publishing suicides of people that arent already in the spotlight. this policy is for the sake of the family.


"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

FCPS: It’s Illegal To Make Websites!
Posted in Internet, Real World

Yeah, yeah. I make websites. Once upon a time, I ran a huge network of over 50 proxy websites. They were cool and all, but eventually they absorbed a ton of server usage and, since there really wasn’t much of a ROI given that I couldn’t find an ad network that could fulfill the “should-be-doing-work-rather-than-browsing-blocked-websites” demographic, I wasn’t making sufficient money. The CTR with Adsense was hopeless, not to mention that each proxy, one by one, started getting blocked by the big guys. By ‘big guys’ I mean Websense and rest of the shit ton of “Network Security” softwares. So there really was no light at the end of the tunnel, and I shut them all down.

Anyways, just a few weeks ago, I made a new proxy. A private proxy, nothing of commercial value, but one that I, along with a small group of friends, would personally use. It was called “Afnani’s Moo Proxy”, and was located at robertafnani.com/moo/ (now offline, but if you really care you can check it out at robertafnani.com/mooold/).

Before long, a lot of people in my school, and even other schools in the area caught wind of it, and basically everyone at Langley HS started using it. How could I tell, you ask? Well, it’s kinda obvious with Awstats shows only a few unique IP addresses accessing the site, yet a shit ton of pageloads and gigabytes upon gigabytes of bandwidth usage. Great. I made a proxy on my domain name and now its the shit everyone’s talking about. I must be a badass now.



This is when everything starts to go raw. Just the other day, I was pulled into an administrator’s office (whose name shall be undisclosed), and slapped in the face with a possible suspension. I am accused of violating my rights as a student, and intentionally attempting to disturb the learning environment of students in my school.

I was accused of breaking the law. Of providing a means for students to do illegal activities in school. And I got all the blame. Supposedly, if students were reading instructions, and I quote, on “how to make a bomb”, I’m the one who should be facing criminal prosecution, as I’m the one who provided all the means for retrieving the information.

Of course, I tried to argue my way out of it. Proxies are perfectly legal to create. I can do whatever the hell I want outside of school, especially if it involves my job, which takes part mostly on the Internet.

Much to my dismay, however, apparently I have no rights at FCPS schools. I asked the administrator and the tech guy (who, if I may add, is a great guy, and not the one at fault here) to point out on the Student Network Access Agreement what policy/rule I violated. They refused to, because there was no law that made what I did ‘illegal’. I wasn’t hacking the network, I wasn’t dickin’ around with the hardware; I made a damn website, and no where on the entire agreement does it say anything about not being able to make websites outside of school.

Being the one with lower hand, I had to submit to their will, so as to not get into any more trouble. In the end, my computer account at school was banned, but the verbal abuse and harassment to me was worse. Hell, I was pulled out of class during my final exam for the first semester of Philosophy, so who knows what grade I’m going to be getting on that test. And I was facing a possible suspension from the school premises for doing this.

I’m the little man in this situation: my school thinks they have all the power in the world, and there’s nothing I can do about it. I am now forced to take all my proxies offline, otherwise I face “repeat network abuse” and will get in a LOT of trouble (recommendation for expulsion, anyone?).

Langley High School has no right to do this. Suppose “robertafnani.com” wasn’t the domain for this proxy. I’m damn sure the IT guys wouldn’t WHOIS the proxy and attempt to arrest/accuse the owner of commiting a crime. I feel as though I am discriminated against, and that my school’s actions against me were unjust. They’re abusing their power and if I can’t get any help from the press, then there’s no stopping this administration.

Worst part is that now I’m tagged as being a ‘computer hacker’ and a ‘potential threat’ to the school system. A mass email was sent out from the administrator who accused me of this to all the teachers, administrators, librarians, etc in the entire school, which basically says I’m a criminal and I need to be watched when getting within a 10-foot radius of a computer.

I find it unfair that Fairfax County Public Schools feels they can impose this kind of totalitarianism on me, I’m now a criminal for making proxies. For making a website. A legal website. On my private server. Outside of school. Great.

God help me.



Somebody help me sort thru all this crap. Are the FCPS administrators the bullies or the students????

it was David Goldberg

FCPS administrators are the bullies. contact all your newspapers (idk local papers around langley) and write editorials, get family members to write, blow up the fcps administrators for who they are. the 2nd letter of the alphabet itches

FCPS prohibits employees from soliciting money from their students for their personal benefit.....hmmmmmmmmm.....




TBP All-Star TEAM Camp and Individual Camp

July 29th to August 2nd, 2009

Longwood University, Farmville, VA.

COST: $415


This will be our 23rd year at Longwood. Teams from Oakton, Marshall, Lake Braddock, Dominion and Broad Run attended last year.

Other school in Northern Virginia may attend this year. We are able to accept a limited number (10) of Individual players - grades 8 through 12 that are not affiliated with the teams in attendance. They will compete in all individual activities including stations, factories, 10n 1, 3on 3 as well as drill work. During games they will be assigned to a team or if we have enough will play together in the three scheduled games each day. This is a very intense camp with over 10 hours on the court each day. It is only for the serious player.


$415 smackers!!!! Teams are attending from Oakton, Marshall, and Lake Braddock. This has been going on for years-and nobody in FCPS has stopped it.

Why?

Employees break the rules and Dale and School Board look the other way.

Students are held to a higher standard.

What I don't understand is why didn't this kid's parents fight the first rap with piles of money and superlawyers? Is there a pocket of poverty within Langley High School's boundaries....I sure didn't think so.

Normally people with mega-bucks don't take any shit from two bit County bureaucrats. You notice that Langley is never in any "boundary studies" or redistrictings....FCPS is afraid of those people and their lawyers!

So why did the kid ever go to SouthLakes in the first place?


Anyhow, I ain't buying this bullshit that FCPS "killed" this kid. You have to be mentally ill to off yourself....it totally defies the most basic human instinct: self preservation. If he didn't kill himself over this, he would have killed himself over something else...a girl or whatever.

This kids was a train wreck waiting to happen. Fortunately FCPS kicked him out before he went postal in a school.

hey, "you are not alone"...you mentioned this story will be coming in the Washington Post soon...

can you post the date when you see it? I would really like to read about it.

Also, who is this Eileen Grattan chick? What is her background? Typically those who work in the hearing office are former assistant principals looking for an easy 9-5.

I have seen salaries for other school systems posted on line. Why isn't this done for FCPS? FCPS likes to put everything else on line (in every language) and on that stupid Red Apple 21 program. Shouldn't we all see where our valuable tax dollars are wasted?

FCPS Regulation 8424 dated 6/19/08 states the following:

Participants Fees:

Booster Clubs and PTAs managing after-school and weekend programs during the school year in FCPS facilities may charge participants a MAXIMUM of $10 per hour.


Westfield High School Off Season Quarterback Training Camps:

Sponsored by Westfield Athletic Boosters and Brian Day

Camp #1: Monday, 3/23 thru Wednesday, 3/25 (3 days)
session A: 6-7pm $70

3 days for one hour a day equals 3 hours for $70. That is $23 an hour even though FCPS Reg says max is $10.


See Westfield principal or athletic director for refunds kids!!!

tubby Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What I don't understand is why didn't this kid's
> parents fight the first rap with piles of money
> and superlawyers? Is there a pocket of poverty
> within Langley High School's boundaries....I sure
> didn't think so.


Really, Tubby, I thought you had more street smarts than this....

Don't you get it? It's fixed. The hearings are a pre-determined outcome, there is no due process in FCPS.

Once a principal makes an expulsion recommendation, the hearing office upholds it-100% of the time. They either expel the kid or they hold it in abeyance which means you are on probation until you graduate. The slightest screw up (attendance, poor grades, etc) and you are booted out for good.

Ask Eileen Grattan how many expulsion recommendations are overturned. I bet you a six-pack it is ZERO.
>
> Normally people with mega-bucks don't take any
> shit from two bit County bureaucrats. You notice
> that Langley is never in any "boundary studies" or
> redistrictings....FCPS is afraid of those people
> and their lawyers!

A lawyer is a waste of money. The outcome is pre-determined.
>
> So why did the kid ever go to SouthLakes in the
> first place?


Underenrolled school.
>
>
> Anyhow, I ain't buying this bullshit that FCPS
> "killed" this kid. You have to be mentally ill to
> off yourself....it totally defies the most basic
> human instinct: self preservation. If he didn't
> kill himself over this, he would have killed
> himself over something else...a girl or whatever.


13% of FCPS students answered the survey that they considered suicide at one point.

This FCPS nazi Hearing Officers are a train wreck which continues to happen. Fortunately they will be kicked out before they bully another helpless teen into suicide.

I do feel sorry for the kid's family. It's sad when someone takes his/her own life.

However, the parent admitted that the kid was moved to another high school because of the marijuana.

Then at the new high school, he was caught with marijuana a second time.

I'm just saying....

Pot use!!!! Gasp!!!! Like Bill Clinton, Barak Obama, Al Gore, George W. Bush, 35% of high school students (expel 'em all!) and countless adult professinals. Little common sense would be appreciated...

This school board has no common sense and neither does Dale. The big question is, what could they have done so that this student would not kill himself.
Have a heart? Treat the student the way they would like to be treated if they had the same problem?

His death was caused by them. Way to go FCPS.

Truth Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This school board has no common sense and neither
> does Dale. The big question is, what could they
> have done so that this student would not kill
> himself.

it's not like the kid sent a letter saying "this punishment is too harsh so now im going to kill myself!" how many times has something like this happened in the past? honestly, i believe the kid had other issues to go along with this because kids dont go around killing themselves over disciplinary actions like this. however, some kids do kill themselves for reasons unrelated to school policy.

in short, you are attacking the wrong issue because there is a good chance that if it wasnt this it would have been something else that upset him like breaking up with a girlfriend that lead to his suicide.

#  Five Stages Of Grief

    * 1. Denial and Isolation.
    * 2. Anger.
    * 3. Bargaining.
    * 4. Depression.
    * 5. Acceptance.

"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."
Attachments:

Gravis Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> > it's not like the kid sent a letter saying "this punishment is too harsh so now im going to kill myself!"< <

Actually he did leave a note pointing at the disciplinary action as being a principal source of his desperation. That information has already been posted on this thread. But don't let that interfere with your diagnosis, Dr. Frist.

> > in short, you are attacking the wrong issue because there is a good chance that if it wasnt this it would have been something else that upset him like breaking up with a girlfriend that lead to his suicide.< <

Every time you post this bovine excrement, you reconfirm for all the world your fundamental cruelty and narcissism. This is heartless, mean and does nothing but inflict pain and suffering on his family and friends. Please stop the baseless speculation.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/01/2009 09:34AM by Thomas More.

Gravis Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Truth Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > This school board has no common sense and
> neither
> > does Dale. The big question is, what could they
> > have done so that this student would not kill
> > himself.
>
> it's not like the kid sent a letter saying "this
> punishment is too harsh so now im going to kill
> myself!" how many times has something like this
> happened in the past? honestly, i believe the kid
> had other issues to go along with this because
> kids dont go around killing themselves over
> disciplinary actions like this. however, some
> kids do kill themselves for reasons unrelated to
> school policy.
>
> in short, you are attacking the wrong issue
> because there is a good chance that if it wasnt
> this it would have been something else that upset
> him like breaking up with a girlfriend that lead
> to his suicide.
>
> # Five Stages Of Grief
>
> * 1. Denial and Isolation.
> * 2. Anger.
> * 3. Bargaining.
> * 4. Depression.
> * 5. Acceptance.


OMG, Gravis is turning into a human being!!!

Expulsion from school is pretty traumatic. No school, friends cut-off, no sports. Your are in total isolation. Add in the guilt he was carrying for hurting his parents, his high achieving siblings, etc. No doubt, this could lead to a suicide.

From what I hear, Josh was popular, well liked, happy, and emotionally well until the expulsion-it definitely was the tipping point. I read a study recently (I will try to find it to cite the source), that attributed 20% of suicides/attempts to expulsions.

These kids in Fairfax County are under a tremendous amount of stress to do well and go to good colleges. I also read that there have been 11 suicides in Fairfax County by kids just this year-I am trying to verify.

FCPS needs to take ownership of their role in this kid's death. It is irresponsible for them not to acknowledge the harm they do to these kids in the disciplinary process. They treat these kids with cruelty and no compassion at all.

I have seen it first hand, unfortunately. It is not something FCPS should be proud of.

Thomas More Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Gravis Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > > it's not like the kid sent a letter saying
> "this punishment is too harsh so now im going to
> kill myself!"< <
>
> Actually he did leave a note pointing at the
> disciplinary action as being a principal source of
> his desperation. That information has already
> been posted on this thread.

no, i meant he didnt send a letter saying he would kill himself, they ignored it and then he killed himself. it doesnt take captain obvious to realize that this played a role in his suicide.


"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

Gravis you are an idiot and to make comments like that just prove it.

The FCPS hearing offices need to stop hurting these kids and use better techniques for discipline. How does removing a child from one school and putting them into another school solve anything? They should be inindated with education and be forced to talk to their peers and classmates about their mistakes. Common sense needs to be used in disciplining theses kids.

Come on. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Gravis you are an idiot and to make comments like
> that just prove it.
>
> The FCPS hearing offices need to stop hurting
> these kids and use better techniques for
> discipline. How does removing a child from one
> school and putting them into another school solve
> anything?

i never said that i approved or disapproved of the actions of anyone or any group involved in this matter. do not try my patience.


"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

Florida Teacher Who Held Vote to Kick Autistic Child Out of Class Loses Reinstatement Bid
Wednesday, April 01, 2009



PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. —

A kindergarten teacher who held a vote to kick a 5-year-old autistic student from the classroom lost her appeal for reinstatement.

An administrative law judge Tuesday upheld the St. Lucie School Board's decision to suspend Wendy Portillo for a year without pay and remove her tenure.


The school district determined that Portillo violated the state's code of ethics for teachers and school board rules in May 2008 when she allegedly asked the class to vote whether the boy should stay in the classroom. The student, who was in the process of being diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, had been referred twice to the principal for discipline problems.

He lost the vote 14-to-2.

Hundreds of parents of autistic children signed an online petition to get Portillo fired for her alleged tactics that mirrored the reality show “Survivor.”

Gravis is right!

Why are people in such shock and outrage over the school transfer? From what I've read there were TWO pot busts and another petty thing for stealing food from the cafeteria.Now while this kid was obviously distraught- how could he be surprised and how could he not have one friend strong minded enough to just say "It sucks but its not the end of the world-you'll get through it"??

You people whoo claim to be friends of the deceased should be asking yourselves why you weren't there to support this young man when he was going through something tough, but obviously survivable.

Is it the bosses fault you get fired and kill yourself? Is it your girlfriends fault she breaks up with you and you kill yourself?

I know there are some durable students at FCPS but you guys are acting like a bunch of little girls in the drama club.

Mourn the dead, help the living and move forward.

AND - I would probably not transfer the kid to another school for what he did, but he clearly had issues and tragically overreacted,


Quit blaming teachers, bosses, government and "Mommy and Daddy" for your problems.
What are you fairies going to do if something really bad happens to you??

Local/StateTeacher suspended for dragging studentMonday, March 30, 2009 | 11:16 PM RALEIGH (WTVD) -- A first grader is recovering from rug burns after she says her teacher dragged her.
It happened last week at Preeminent Charter School in southeast Raleigh.
Eyewitness News has learned that the student, a 6-year-old girl, threw some blocks at another student in class and was told to go out in the hall.
According to school officials, the girl threw a tantrum and was acting violently, kicking and screaming.
Officials say her teacher couldn't get her to calm down and at some point, the teacher "grabbed her foot and did drag her down the hall" into the principal's office.
The hall is carpeted, which left the girl with marks and rug burns on her body.
The charter school is run by National Heritage Academies, which is based in Michigan.
A spokeswoman there says the teacher was suspended Thursday and Friday, given a written warning and she apologized to the girl's family.
"Our discipline policy never condones using physical force to restrain a child," a spokeswoman said. "She did show poor judgment in how she handled it."
The teacher is said to have an excellent reputation and is known as one of the school's stand-out performers, which factored into why she was suspended rather than fired, the official says.
The girl, according to her father, is still in some pain as of Monday, but she has returned to class.
And after spending some time in the classroom observing the teacher, her father says he has decided to leave his daughter in the class for now. But an investigation is ongoing.

(Copyright ©2009 WTVD-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

You people who claim to be friends of the nazi Hearing Officers should be asking yourselves why you weren't there to urge decency and honesty in these heartless ruthless wretches when they were inflicting their unique brand of psychological torture on defenseless children.


Quit blaming the students, victims, and "Mommy and Daddy" for the gross cruelty and injustices perpetrated by the nazi FCPS Hearing Office.

And what are you phony, posturing, blowhard holier-than-thou faggots going to do when you are the victims of their nazi brutality?


Mourn the dead, and hold these nazi bullying scum fully accountable.

How do you suggest we hold them accountable? The school board oversees the hearing office and no one oversees the school board, I think you can figure that out by now. Whats the recourse?

Why not do a better job at including minorities into the school system, or let me guess, education is only for Whites.

*****

I carry a very,very heavy cross with a White Jesus nailed to it.

WingNut Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Gravis is right!

oh no, people agreeing with me has to be a sign of the apocalypse.


"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

LOL, I think its funny, White people know everything I say is true, and its irking the shit out of them. Wow who ever knew self-inflicted guilt could eat a person alive

the kid was a bitch if he killed himself over getting busted for pot.
a grade-A bitch

the nazi administrators were bitches if they drve him to kill himself over getting busted for pot.
grade-A bitches

KoreanThinkTank Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> LOL, I think its funny, White people know
> everything I say is true, and its irking the shit
> out of them. Wow who ever knew self-inflicted
> guilt could eat a person alive


hahaha... this dude korean is the dumbest dude in the world. dawg leave USA if u dis-like white people so much. No one would care if u left, and nothing you say is true.

...go back to the 1850s

Skylar, Reece, and Trey Schnippel are responsible for the deaths of at least 250 people.

heroin isnt even dangerous. cigaretttes are worse

NutWing Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You people who claim to be friends of the nazi
> Hearing Officers should be asking yourselves why
> you weren't there to urge decency and honesty in
> these heartless ruthless wretches when they were
> inflicting their unique brand of psychological
> torture on defenseless children.
>
>
> Quit blaming the students, victims, and "Mommy and
> Daddy" for the gross cruelty and injustices
> perpetrated by the nazi FCPS Hearing Office.
>
> And what are you phony, posturing, blowhard
> holier-than-thou faggots going to do when you are
> the victims of their nazi brutality?
>
>
> Mourn the dead, and hold these nazi bullying scum
> fully accountable.

Dale and this nazi staff must be replaced before another student dies.