ISS & School Funding
 

I need help from anyone who may have information in this area.

I need to know if the schools funding increases in relation to the number of kids in ISS (In School Suspension) or other such programs. Schools are geared toward ISS in a major way these days and I am beginning to feel that this is related to funding.

I ran into this with my youngest daughter this year. She has a kind spirit... to a fault sometimes... and this year her locker is on the bottom of a 3 locker stack. She waits for the other kids to get their stuff first before she gets to her locker and this makes her late sometimes.

Here is the school policy.

In the 360 classes that she has in any given semester... if she is late for any 3... She gets detention (which is 25 minutes before school) or... if you are a child whose parents work and cannot get you there early then you get THREE days ISS. Wow... a total of 75 minutes... or... if your parents can't get you there.... 24 hours.

Now this isn't her being late for one class three out of the 45 times she has that class in the semester. This is 3 full school days (nearly 7% of all classes in the semester) for being late for any of her 360 classes a total of three times. (a little over 0.8%)

If a child is tardy ONE MORE TIME... for the rest of the semester then she gets FIVE additional days. Now we are at 8 full school days (almost 18% of the entire semester) for... not missing... but being 20 seconds late to 1.1% of their classes.

If a child is tardy ONE MORE TIME (now a total of 5 times which is 1.5% of their entire semester she gets 10 days ISS for a total of 18 days ISS.

So your child has not missed one class... they were 20 seconds late to a total of five classes which is 1.5% of their entire semester. Their punishment is to completely miss a full 40% of the entirety of every single class (the majority of which you were never late for) of the entire semester sitting in ISS having to work their assignments with no instructional help from actually being in the class.

And... yes... if a child is late again their punishment gets worse.

Friends... this HAS to be tied to funding somewhere and I think it is high time I become the guy that causes their hearts to skip a beat when they see me walk in on a school board meeting.

Re: ISS & School Funding
 

They lose money if she's absent, so they're probably trying to keep her at school. This seems excessive, though. Can't answer your other question, though. I think you should go for it, though...this is ridiculous.

Re: ISS & School Funding
 

The only way to fight any of this nonsense is to attend school board meetings, city council meetings and so on. Godly people need to run for these positions. We need to support and help elect Godly people to these positions. It is our moral duty as citizens of a free country to put Godly people in office. The reason we are free is because of our belief in God which causes us to restrain ourselves instead of needing government to restrain us. If we have ungodly people in office there is no moral restraint and evil reigns.

Do some open records request and take a look at the finances. In our school district only 46% of the money goes to the children. We have two administrative staff for every school teacher, which are paid more than the teachers. Look at the check registers and see where the money is going. In a neighboring school district $390,000.00 was spent on cruises this past summer for staff to learn a new curriculum to teach chess to the elementary students. That only scrapes the surface. They can get away with this because godly people don't want to be involved in politics. We don't have a choice. Our founding fathers gave up earthly pleasure and finances to give us this freedom that we are letting go of because we do not know our history.

Re: ISS & School Funding
 

Great ideas all... Will do.

I also plan on getting my hands on the CAFR to take a look at off budget surpluses etc.

Re: ISS & School Funding
 

When I was in high school about 5 years ago I don't remember having any problems being late when I went straight to class. We only had a 2 locker stack though, a small school, and 5 minutes between classes. So while the locker situation makes things take longer, I can't imagine it consistently makes a kid 10-20 secs late. Everytime I ended up being late it was all my fault. I had plenty of time to get to class.

Being late for ANY 3 classes always gave us a day in ISS. Every tardy after that also gave us a day of ISS (I think, I can't remember for sure). Also, my school didn't do detention. I think detention before and after school is a bad idea, because some parents cannot get their kids their early and the punishment on the kid shouldn't be based on what their parents can do.

The solution for this situation is for your daughter to be extra careful not to be late for any classes. I think her excuse for being late to classes in the first place (the locker situation) is just that, an excuse. I mean she was just late by 10-20 secs right? Surely she can find a way to get to class 10-20 secs earlier.

So, after 3 tardys, the punishment is 25 minute detention. Then after those 3 if she is tardy one more time she gets 5 days ISS and after those 4 she gets 10 days ISS? Something doesn't add up with this information, it goes from 25 mins detention to 5 days in ISS for the next tardy, that's hard to believe...

If the policy is exactly as you described, then you might be onto something. But, it's hard to make the leap from 25 mins detention to 5 days ISS for 1 more tardy...

And the whole problem isn't really the punishment system. Get your daughter to find a way to speed up 20 secs in getting to class and no worries if it a tardy would give ISS for the whole year. I almost guarantee you that there is plenty of time for every student to get to class on time.

Re: ISS & School Funding
 

I am not aware of any extra funding for detention/ suspension. In fact, in our parish, schools are held accountable for how many dentions/ suspension they have in an effort to keep them from abusive use. I think this is just an attempt to keep the kids moving and reduce loitering in the hall. I do think it is accessive- though.

Re: ISS & School Funding
 

Have you talked to the principal personally about this situation? I would think they would be willing to work with you. I'm assuming your daughter is a good student and doesn't get into trouble. It is ridiculous to punish her to that extreme for being late for class.

And I'm sympathetic because I had barely had enough time to get to class on time in junior high and senior high school.

Re: ISS & School Funding
 

Indeed. On the fact that she has been late three times and this is only the second week of the nine week period I have spoken to her and have told her that she has to do what it takes to get to class.

I understand her spirit and I can see her waiting patiently rather than pushing her way thought but this is not going to be acceptable. She has to do what it takes to get to her class on time.

There is no excuse for her tardies. I just don't the punishment fits the crime here.

The punishment is 25 minute detention if your parents can get you up there at 7:20am for all three days. If your parents are all at work by 7am and cannot get you up there for three days then you get ISS for three days which is 3 full 8 hour days of in school suspension.

I can see that there would be an option of 20 minutes before school or 20 minutes after school... or 20 minutes before school and even one day of ISS. But to cause a child to miss 24 hours of instruction over 3 20 second tardies is quite a push.

Also... do note that this appears much more "normal" to you as you were in high school 5 years ago. I don't know how long these types of guidelines have been in place but, do please understand that, to be accepted as normal does not make them a punishment befitting the crime.

As I have included in my reply... the tardies are hers to deal with. This cannot continue and she has to deal with this and bring the tardiness to an end. This is readily and completely accepted as a problem on her end that she needs to overcome no matter what.

But... having said that... the punishment system IS, indeed, the entirety of the problem. I am not asking that she not have to serve the time. But, once this is over, I intend on seeing what power I have to change these ridiculously steep penalties.

Re: ISS & School Funding
 

The principal need not show up for any discussion on a subject like this. All he need to is leave a running loop on his desk that continually says "Well... that's what the rule book says".

I am aware that this is what the rule book says. But I have full intentions of being the most memorable face in their mind until I change what the rule book says.