THANK YOU Lancaster ISD!!!!!!!

[The Real Rick Springfield]

Dr. Larry Lewis deserves a medal for this.

john


Lancaster students suspended for not studying

07:03 AM CST on Tuesday, January 10, 2006
By HERB BOOTH / The Dallas Morning News

Lancaster schools Superintendent Larry Lewis said students should have opened more than presents during their holiday break. He wanted them to open their books during the three-week break because he feared that some would forget things they had learned.

Between 750 and 1,000 students had not completed assigned holiday homework upon returning to school Monday, and hundreds of them were suspended. There are about 5,770 students in the Lancaster school district.

Phillip Randall, principal at Lancaster Elsie Robertson High School, said he suspended more than 200 of its approximately 1,700 students and told them not to come back until they had completed the assignment.

"We had few parent complaints," Mr. Randall said Monday afternoon. "We sent those students home with a written copy of the policy."

Suspensions and incomplete project results varied widely among campuses.

At Pleasant Run Elementary, about 36 percent, or about 154 of 428 students, didn't turn in their winter break assignment. "We're giving them until ... [today] to turn it in," said Cindy Lunch, Pleasant Run principal. "It is recorded as a major grade."

All students at two schools – Houston Elementary and Lancaster Intermediate – completed the winter break homework.

In September, about 750 junior high and high school students were suspended for failing to complete a summer reading and writing assignment.

Dr. Lewis said he would continue to order the mandatory homework during breaks until Lancaster students are reading above grade level.

"We will continue to put pressure on our students until they're competitive globally," Dr. Lewis said. "We should have zero tolerance for poor academic performance. ... They'll face the consequences later in life when they can't read or write."

Some parents are questioning whether the district is simply pulling a power play with the students.

"It seems like overkill to me," said Brian Pulver, who has one child each in sixth and seventh grades. "It seems like every chance they get, they load the children with a big assignment during vacation."

Mr. Pulver said his sixth-grader had no problems with the reading assignment during the winter break. However, he said the school district didn't prepare his seventh-grader for the thorough research needed to complete that project.

"The seventh-grader had to look up sources, use the Internet, the library, things like that. I don't know what the district is trying to pull," Mr. Pulver said.

Elementary school students had to read from a list of books and complete a task related to that book. Secondary students had to read, research and perform some activities that were geared toward their science project topic.

Board President Nannette Vick said she supports the policy and doesn't understand why students to refuse to do the work.

Nick Moore, a 17-year-old senior, said he had plenty of time to complete the assignment. He said he believes the district is trying to "weed out" students who don't want to work.

Kenneth Farr, a 17-year-old senior, said he thinks the district is trying to keep students' minds stimulated during the long breaks.

"You can see a lot of kids slip back after a long break," he said.

Dr. Lewis said parents' complaints about the lack of communication surrounding the summer assignment might have been justified. However, the winter break homework was well-publicized and on the district's Web site for the last couple of months.

[PETA]

accountability?


novel concept


you're right - deserves a medal

[GLopez]

the new Joe Clark?

[Ash]

My alma mater. I'm so proud.

[Hey Bubu]

I don't particular care for the approach. I do agree about keeping minds stimulated, but knowledge should not be treated as a chore.

[patpx]

Flunk all the lazy procrastinating bastards....or make them quit school and work on construction. At least we'll get roads built faster.

[PETA]

Originally Posted by TypeH

I don't particular care for the approach. I do agree about keeping minds stimulated, but knowledge should not be treated as a chore.

They are high school students... their "job" is going to school and getting an education so you and I don't have to support their drop-out asses. Call it a chore if you like but it is one of the very few responsibilities that they have.

[Ash]

Key note here.

"Dr. Lewis said he would continue to order the mandatory homework during breaks until Lancaster students are reading above grade level."

[PETA]

Originally Posted by Ash

Key note here.

"Dr. Lewis said he would continue to order the mandatory homework during breaks until Lancaster students are reading above grade level."

elevating the bar and demanding more... sounds like a good idea

[Hey Bubu]

Originally Posted by xian

They are high school students... their "job" is going to school and getting an education so you and I don't have to support their drop-out asses. Call it a chore if you like but it is one of the very few responsibilities that they have.

On a philosophical point, it's their choice. Plain and simple, if they don't want to study then hey, the world still needs garbage men, sewage guys etc..my point is not to be softer on the students, my point is to show them how studying truly is going to benefit them. Instead of just say, STUDY THAT'S YOUR JOB!! well fuck man, have we all forgotten what it was like to be a kids/teens. I believe, for the most part, that you give them a compelling reason and show them the benefits then they will be able to make an educated decision and realize what happens if they keep on being dumbfucks. Truly show them the power of applied knowledge and thirst for information, instead of making them remember shit for the sakes of remembering.
*gets off soap box*

Does that make sense?

[PETA]

Originally Posted by TypeH

On a philosophical point, it's their choice. Plain and simple, if they don't want to study then hey, the world still needs garbage men, sewage guys etc..my point is not to be softer on the students, my point is to show them how studying truly is going to benefit them. Instead of just say, STUDY THAT'S YOUR JOB!! well fuck man, have we all forgotten what it was like to be a kids/teens. I believe, for the most part, that you give them a compelling reason and show them the benefits then they will be able to make an educated decision and realize what happens if they keep on being dumbfucks. Truly show them the power of applied knowledge and thirst for information, instead of making them remember shit for the sakes of remembering.
*gets off soap box*

Does that make sense?

Of course it makes sense - which is why I don't think it would work with a typical teenager....

[Hey Bubu]

Originally Posted by xian

Of course it makes sense - which is why I don't think it would work with a typical teenager....

It comes down to 90% precentation 10% content (I forget who said that)
Presented the right way, I would be willing to bet that the number of students actually doing their holiday homework would increase.

As "adults" we often forget what it was like being a kid/teen.

[The Real Rick Springfield]

If you let them know at the beginning (which they did) that failure to complete the assignment will result in suspension, then you've given them the opportunity to make The Choice themselves.

do this or get suspended.

john

[Hey Bubu]

Originally Posted by john_vella

If you let them know at the beginning (which they did) that failure to complete the assignment will result in suspension, then you've given them the opportunity to make The Choice themselves.

do this or get suspended.

john

Then as a teen they go, whatever it's my vacation why should I be studying during vacation time, these fucking assholes are going to ruin my entier holiday. then they think, fuck I get to stay home and not go to school. Cool!!!! It seems that the parental/adult brain forgot the teen years eh?

[The Real Rick Springfield]

Originally Posted by TypeH

Then as a teen they go, whatever it's my vacation why should I be studying during vacation time, these fucking assholes are going to ruin my entier holiday. then they think, fuck I get to stay home and not go to school. Cool!!!! It seems that the parental/adult brain forgot the teen years eh?

ha haaaa! no sir, i am reminded of the teen brain on a daily basis. i am helping to raise one...remember? feel my pain.

plus i get to hear from beth what the teen brains are up to. trust me. taking the hard approach (granted, "to a degree") works far better on the teen brain than trying to convince them that it's in their best interest to do some things and hope that the lesson takes hold for them.

also, technically saturday-sunday are not a part of "vacation". they're just another weekend, so to assign homework over the weekend is not unreasonable. just because that weekend sits at either end of a vacation is coincidence.

and finally, if the school district were performing above and beyond academic standards, then we could say that this work load is unfair. but they are below standard accademically. this is why the superintendant's quote is so important. he's trying to catch his students up.

john