> > about TICKETS FROM THE POLICE. Or arrested. And automatically sent
> > to the "discipline school" without any appeals allowed. And what
> > kind of behavior gets you this kind of police intervention?
>
>Ah yes, the lovely 'alternative schools'. The Houston Press
>has run a series of articles on these disgusting places;
>here is one of them:
>
>--
>no Onan
>
There is a lot wrong with the public school system but lets not lump all alternative schools in the same basket. Some are decent and some suck. I have the pleasure of a close relationship with an alternative school and a great many of the students would go without a high school diploma and have much less chance of getting into a college of their choice without them. Most of the students I have worked with at the alternative school are hard working kids who have shitty home lives and are making the best of a bad situation. They work hard and most of them know this is their last chance at a high school education. Certainly it is far differently structured than the traditional high schools in the area but with almost no exceptions at this alt school the faculty care a great deal about these students and we all work our asses off to try to make just a little difference in these kids lives. It is far from a "disgusting place" but rather a positive supportive environment for kids who have had very little support or much of anything positive. "Regular" public school is more disgusting for more to our students than the alt school is. In a related vein, the cops are never called to the school except as an absolute last resort. These kids generally have problems with authority and inviting cops in is almost a guarantee of a bad outcome for everyone involved whatever the problem. The kids respect many staff members but I don't know any that have respect for cops. It is easier to deal with problems if the students respect you and believe that you have their best interests at heart and a decent understanding of who they are. There is no reason for them to think that is the case with the cops. The cops generally come in full of piss with nothing but negative preconceptions about the students.
John Thornton