Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Protect Yourself

Should self-defense classes be mandatory for all IPS teachers and staff members or would the school district just be asking for trouble?

63 comments:

  1. All we really need is a superintendent and administration willing to enforce the rules and get the out of control schools back into order.

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  2. Absolutely not! First, teachers who feel they need self-defense classes are already free to take them. Why force them on those of us who don't want or need them? Second, one of the biggest problems in this district is the overall hostile culture and the pervasive message that these kids are not the same as other kids and are therefore not entitled to the same respect, dignity, and high expectations that we would give students in another district. This kind of policy would only exacerbate that problem.

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  3. I would suspect that the above poster's suggestions would not be accepted well by a teacher who just been punched or knocked down by a student or just had a student threaten to harm or kill them.

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  4. Why? I highly encourage teachers to take self-defense classes if they want them. But making sweeping policies to handle problem students/teachers/situations it the biggest problem with this district.

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  5. The problem is that the district has no policy to deal with disruptive students that is actually enforced and implemented.

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  6. No, I don't believe self-defense classes are necessary; however, training/written guidelines about 'how to handle' a physically aggressive student might be in order. I've had training in this from two separate school districts, in two separate states. One district was a suburban district and the other was a rural district. Students from all geographic areas can and do become aggressive on occasion.

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  7. IPS offers training in non-violent crisis intervention with a physical safety component. It stresses ways to verbally de-escalate a situation and then ways to protect oneself without harming the student - which could lead to lawsuits, etc.

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  8. To above poster...Where and when is this training offered? Why isn't it widely advertised on IPS Online or through Groupwise email to our employees? I've been with IPS for 7 years as an EH teacher, and this is the first I've heard of such training.

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  9. Was self-defense class IPS Teacher's idea or was it somewhere an actual possibility?

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  10. "IPS offers training in non-violent crisis intervention with a physical safety component."

    Which department offers this? Who is the contact person? This would be great PD for interested teachers.

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  11. contact the special education office at 4575 and ask how to contact the behavior team ...Cindy Jackson would be a good contact person - there is a whole team to do the training.

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  12. You need self-defense @ school 15!!. But you dont need it from the kids. You need it to protect yourself from Miriam House!!!

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  13. All we really need is a superintendent and administration willing to enforce. Right On!

    Suspend, expel, eject that small percentage of students/gangsters who cause 90%+ of the problems. When the school makes policy, enforce it rigorously. Then the teachers can teach.

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  14. You are right, no teacher needs to be in fear of their personal safety, not even with EH students. Suspend, eject, and expel (homebound) the few students that create the problem. Dr. White knows how many teachers are attacked each day, more than you think.

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  15. Well we did have one girl in our school try to fight a teacher. Thanks to the quick thinking of some of her classmates they were able to hang on to her so the teacher didn't get hurt. The same student hit a teacher earlier in the year. This student was not an EH student or a special ed student. Guess what? She was NOT expelled.

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  16. What will it take for the public or the school board to realize that no discipline policy is being enforced and disruptive students are not being dealt with in any manner? Will it take a serious injury or death of a student or teacher before they wake up? I am sure then they will pretend that they were unaware of any problems and blame the teachers.

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  17. Someone needs to send HOUSE to the principal for corrective action.

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  18. Someone at the Ed. Center must has gotten word how out of control Northwest High School is and that nothing was being done about it. Our principal called a faculty meeting Friday after school (a violation of the IPS-IEA agreement) and proceeded to rant and rave and threatened to fire teachers effective December. He was out of control. He would not even permit teachers to ask questions. If that energy could be used to shape up the school, Northwest might not have the lowest scores in the district.

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  19. Mr. Yarrell is very quick to critique teachers, but does not have the instructional know-how to offer suggestions for improvement.

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  20. He can't really just fire teachers, can he?

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  21. The principal at Northwest is insane. If he thinks treating us all like crap will make us want to work harder, than he has no idea what he is doing.

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  22. "Someone needs to send HOUSE to the principal for corrective action."


    Why?

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  23. We've stated repeatedly on this blog-site that our elementary school is out of control, and absolutely NOTHING has been done about it. The only thing that's been done is that the principal is now lamely attempting to enforce the dress code after the compliance spy reported over one HUNDRED violations! LOL

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  24. "Someone needs to send HOUSE to the principal for corrective action."

    Who is HOUSE? Maybe this is an inside joke, but I'm clueless about its meaning. Fill us in, please.

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  25. Check with those who work at School #15 to find out why House needs to be sent to the principal for corrective action.

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  26. The Principals that they have at most IPS Schools have no balls or back bone, they are weak! The Principals set the tone for their school buildings. When you have Principals who allow students to disrespect their teachers,students to run the school building like they own it and get away with it then that Principal needs to be fired and put on the sub list. IPS Schools are out of control due to the lack of disciplinary action by the administrators, stop blaming the teachers. The teachers only have so much power! Dr. White needs to get off of his tuffet and start getting rid of these so called Principals who are not doing their jobs! That would free up a lot of money for this broke district!

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  27. Somewhere there needs to be a list started of marginal Principals...........I know several Principals who should be on that list!!!!! Their schools are listed on this blog and downtown seems to be doing nothing about these out of control school buildings or the fact that the Principals at these buildings are incapable of doing their jobs!

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  28. So, let's begin our own List of Marginal Principals and Assistant Principals...

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  29. I agree completely with the above post. A list of marginal principals is needed. This is such an important topic of discussion that it needs to be the "question of the day." Blogmaster, are you listening?

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  30. A list of principals who need to go,
    Whom the powers that be, already know,
    I can think of one who needs to roll,
    'Cause her crazy building is STILL out of control,
    Do return again soon, ye old dim-witted spy,
    And this time around, open up your other eye.

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  31. Now we have a clueless principal
    at a new Community School, never was in
    a classroom, but he hates to hear bells ring. Doesn't like white teachers, only black teachers know how to teach, Oh, my God, what will happen to the white students, when you only have black teachers? Talk about about a phony, racism, and fumbling fat fool. Only at Shortridge will find the fool, playing Tonk with his students who are failing school.

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  32. There is the old fat fool running a major high school who only cares about her plants and furniture while the school is out of control and the teachers are struggling to try and get some education done amid all of the chaos!!!!

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  33. I worked at a high school in IPS for thirteen years. Not only did I never work for an effective principal-I never even met one! I think some of these people must have pictures of Dr. White playing golf with Satan. They only way they could possibly stay on the job is blackmail. Dr. White simply doesn't want to know

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  34. Why would anyone want to be a principal in IPS? Regional Director tell them who they can expel and the dicipline six-steps are not to be followed or replied too.

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  35. "Tech is out of control" chants the "bobble-heads" Board, then votes a bonus to Dr. White. "North West is out of control" chants the "bobble-heads" Board, then votes a bonus for Dr. White. "Manual is out of control" chants the "bobble-heads" Board, its all the teachers fault, then votes a bonus to Dr. White.

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  36. Where's the list of marginal Regional Directors? Getting rid of all of the marginal Regional Directors would save the district money! They know what is going on in these out of control school buildings and still nothing is being done!

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  37. Johnson, Bridgewaters, Towne, Kendricks are all horrible Regional Directors, name one thing positive that they have done to help IPS? Nope, neither could I, just a waste of taxpayers money.
    Where is all of the money that Dr. White was working on for IPS, was this not the main reason that the Board reduced his duties? None! But the "Bobble-Heads" still bob at every word from Dr. White. I just wish for once they would look at hard data.

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  38. All they care about is making money and establishing personal relationships......they do not care about staff, students or parents...and the board just bobs their heads up and down and says "yes, boss"

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  39. Marginal Regional Directors; add fat Sally to the list. MOO!!!

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  40. Excuse me, but none of the aforementioned are IPS "regional directors." Li-Yen Johnson and Jane Kendrick are assistant superintendents. Sandra Towne is a division head and Prudence Bridgewaters supervises no one.

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  41. The big wigs who are running IPS are so busy jumping in and out of bed with each other............it is a regular soap opera!!!! Or a breeding ground for sexually transmitted diseases. No wonder they can't do their jobs!!!! They all need counseling for sexual deviant behavior at the work place. No wonder nothing ever gets resolved at IPS!

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  42. How do any of them keep them marriages intact? It is like bedroom bingo.

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  43. The comment about Sally is not appropriate. Blogmaster please take it off.

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  44. And the comments on here about Dr. White, Jeff White, Dr. Giles, Dr. Johnson, Prudence Bridgewaters, Dr. Kendrick, ML Bewley, Sandra Towne and countless others who are besmirched here daily are appropriate?

    I think you need to get a grip (or light back up that crack pipe). This blog exists for the sole purpose of allowing anonymous COWARDS to put those on blast that they don't personally like or agree with.

    -signed Anonymous Cowherd

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  45. Prduence and Jane, neither of your are Anonymous. We recognize your writing styles and your attitues. For instance, when Prudence writes, she always spells lots of words incorrectly.

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  46. The comment about Sally wasn't bad..............she is fat. At least whoever commented didn't call her the "b" word or say that she looks like a bloated frog!(Oops!) Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me!!!! Words to live by.........

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  47. Thank-you, Sally, for wanting the "cow" comment removed, but I hate you & I'll tell you to your face if the opportunity ever presents itself. Find a dictionary and have someone read you the definition of "slander." Gosh...does that narrow down the list?

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  48. Want me to write a poem about her? The one about my principal was pretty good, if I do say so myself.

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  49. I suppose that lying is a prerequisite to being a Director. All of Li-Yen's "girls" are slanderous, lying, back-stabbing malignancies. They seem to like causing pain and relish in the power they wield. Hopefully their reign will be over soon, and they will get some of their own medicine back.

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  50. Who are Li-Yen's girls? I'm not an Ed Center worker, but I'd sure like to know.

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  51. For those that commented about Sally . . . And you are perfect? You really need to look at yourself. Shall we air the personal negatives about your body? Let's keep this blog at a professional level - Performance. Not personal attacks.

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  52. In regards to school # 15
    All Miriam House does is get "corrective" action from "Dr". Justin Hunter. She is quite bold about it as well- in facts she thrives off the fact that he is her "man." We all know why she is a skirt wearer as well. Easy Access!!!!
    What else is wrong with school # 15???!!!

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  53. I think you have a few principals on here, huffing, puffing and crying their ittie bittie little eyes out. I guess Sally must have put the whip to one or two and ask them to do some work.

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  54. What principals has Sally upset?

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  55. Principals, teachers, administrators and all the rest. These folks, no matter how well intentioned or competent have only a minor effect on the students. It is the darn parents that need to get their act together, to get involved. Mind, there are some bogus practices at IPS along with bogus emloyees but the system as archaic and cumbersome as it is would have a much better chance of improvement if the parents were uniformly involved. This is an old song and dance but I am a parent and the teachers and administrators are for the most part competent. Unfortunately many in this society has come to expect the schools to raise the children and that is not the mission of a school. Thanks for the opportunity to vent and thanks to IPS employees who are largely doing their best in deifficult circumstances.

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  56. I find it interesting that a teacher at a community school teaching Etymology has to use such vicious words about others. She couldn't keep a job and had to settle for a job somewhere. She is just a bitter person that does no good for students and when she was suppose to work with teachers, destroyed them as well! Get a grip SA and retire!!!!!!!!

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  57. Whoever posted the above about Northwest is either not on staff there or is an administrative lapdog. Everyone of us who really work there are used to the ranting and raving of the principal. We are used to the threats from the principal directed toward staff and students. We are used to the mean and vicious threatening emails from the principal. I wish people like him/her would not comment unless that person actually WORKS there.

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  58. Northwest is a mess.
    The principal lacks the knowledge necessary to be an administrator.
    He thinks that ridicule, harrassment, and verbal abuse work with his staff.

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  59. Dr. Hunter is nothing but a puppet. He dresses flashy and talks the talk, so we know what he is been prepped for...
    Ed Center!
    His assistant principal runs the building, because he is incapable.

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  60. You forgot to mention that Hunter changes his mind every 5 minutes, hides in his girlfriends room and then shoots off 105 emails when he gets caught so it looks like he is working!
    What about the craziness that Hunter is a "preacher"?

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  61. It is certainly nice to know that you are not alone, the problems with unenforced discipline; the belief that the cultural imperatives are a joke; bullying, harassing, and torturing teachers and students will be effective in raising the general level of effort in classrooms; is systemic.

    Here for your reading enjoyment are the imperatives, Think of them in terms of what you have read here. Then you can weep.
    Culture Imperatives
    1. Children come first!

    2. All employees are accountable for student achievement that meets or exceeds state standards.

    3. All employees will demonstrate professionalism and integrity.

    4. Student success is the only option.

    5. Potential is discovered and nurtured.

    6. Academic rigor is the norm.

    7. Communication is clear, open and timely.

    8. Students, parents, families and community members are essential partners.

    9. Diversity is valued as demonstrated by culturally competent practices.

    10. Facilities are safe, clean, secure and inviting.

    I am sure there are still schools where these are the norms, I actually know a few people who teach in decent schools within IPS, and they don't ever post here. For the rest of us it is a form of venting.

    If the true level of immoral behavior (and this term covers a lot of ground, not just sex) that is tolerated in upper level administration in IPS were ever really made public there would be six or seven people left in the JMFESC.

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  62. i really like dr hunter. he is a good principal with a hard job to do. leave him alone!!!

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  63. I work for Justin Hunter right now. Even though we have had our fair share of disagreements, at the end of the day, he is a gentleman and a man of GOD. Be mad all you want about the "rules" of both school 15 and IPS, but please do not slander an innocent man with a perceived affair due to jealousy and pettiness...

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