How much authority does the school have

[thetragichippy]

Sounds like you might need some help with all the things you kid has done.

Not sure who you are talking to, but read my previous post, my kid is fine.

[smp83]

Google "Texas Education Code Chapter 37".  That chapter deals with discipline and safe schools.  Also look at your district's policy handbook.  Policies followed by (legal) are mirrors of the Tx. Ed. Code.  Policies followed by (local) are local policies.

wanted to bump this post.

I don't think the majority of people reailze what is mandated by the state and federal govt.

Schools are held accountable for so many things most people don't know about. Discipline, whether on or off campus, is one of them.

A student has a 'right' to attend a safe school. Districts are judged/rated by the actions of the students that attend their schools.

Even if a student does something off campus, a district can be held 'accountable' in the sense that the student attends that school. If he isn't 'safe' to be around off campus, is he 'safe' to be around on campus?

Schools have to report these things to the state...and they are rated if they are a safe school or not.

Think about this, if a student is arrested off campus...say for something to do with weapons...and he comes to school while awaiting trial...would you consider him a risk to other students?

What if the arrest was a sexual crime? Would you want the student attending class and setting next to your daughter?

The schools have to do what they have to do to try to keep the other students safe. Something done off campus can affect things on campus.

By law, students are required to attend school. If a student is arrested for a crime, but is not in jail...is awaiting trial, served his time, etc...then the school has to serve the student. But it's not always in the best interest of other students to have them in the general population. Hence the laws that certain things done by students, on OR off campus, mandate that they be placed in alternative education, suspened, and sometimes expelled.

And, if a school DIDN'T take action with some of these kids, and something terrible happened at school...what would we be saying then? That the school knew about the problem student and should've done something?

Obviously I'm not talking about non threatening discipline problems. But, there are students out there who are a threat to other students.

Also, another thing to consider. If these problem students drop out of school, then the district is held accountable for that also. Dropout rate affects TAKS ratings...I don't know that most people realize that TAKS ratings are more than just how well the students perform on the test. So, schools will also do what they can to keep these kids from being considered dropouts...alternative education, GED programs, juvenile dention, etc.

I don't agree with it all. It's not a school's fault if a student is arrested or does something stupid off campus. It's not necessarily their fault if a student drops out of school. But they are held accountable for it.

[sports fan 4ever]

I remember when my kids were in school.  They thought I was so unreasonable because as Seniors in high school, they still had a 12:00 curfew.  And they made it.  I made a believer out of my son at about 16 yrs old. I told him to be home at 11:00, and that meant in the house.  Not in the driveway. He came strolling late a couple of times.  Well, the 3rd time I grounded him for 2 weeks, he was 2 minutes late, and didn't let him off for good behavior.  I never and I mean never had a curfew problem again.  If he was at his girlfriends house his sr year and they were watching a movie and it wouldn't be over by his curfew, he'd call and ask permission to stay and finish the movie.  I knew where my kids were and what they were doing.  But then that's the way I was raised. 

Society is so different these days, sad thing is, alot of parents just don't flippin' care.

[downgoesfrazier]

Hey mods, quit deleting my posts.  And why don't you move this thread somewhere else like you do mine that don't directly deal with setx high school football. 

[mat]

Google "Texas Education Code Chapter 37".  That chapter deals with discipline and safe schools.  Also look at your district's policy handbook.  Policies followed by (legal) are mirrors of the Tx. Ed. Code.  Policies followed by (local) are local policies.

wanted to bump this post.

I don't think the majority of people reailze what is mandated by the state and federal govt.

Schools are held accountable for so many things most people don't know about. Discipline, whether on or off campus, is one of them.

A student has a 'right' to attend a safe school. Districts are judged/rated by the actions of the students that attend their schools.

Even if a student does something off campus, a district can be held 'accountable' in the sense that the student attends that school. If he isn't 'safe' to be around off campus, is he 'safe' to be around on campus?

Schools have to report these things to the state...and they are rated if they are a safe school or not.

Think about this, if a student is arrested off campus...say for something to do with weapons...and he comes to school while awaiting trial...would you consider him a risk to other students?

What if the arrest was a sexual crime? Would you want the student attending class and setting next to your daughter?

The schools have to do what they have to do to try to keep the other students safe. Something done off campus can affect things on campus.

By law, students are required to attend school. If a student is arrested for a crime, but is not in jail...is awaiting trial, served his time, etc...then the school has to serve the student. But it's not always in the best interest of other students to have them in the general population. Hence the laws that certain things done by students, on OR off campus, mandate that they be placed in alternative education, suspened, and sometimes expelled.

And, if a school DIDN'T take action with some of these kids, and something terrible happened at school...what would we be saying then? That the school knew about the problem student and should've done something?

Obviously I'm not talking about non threatening discipline problems. But, there are students out there who are a threat to other students.

Also, another thing to consider. If these problem students drop out of school, then the district is held accountable for that also. Dropout rate affects TAKS ratings...I don't know that most people realize that TAKS ratings are more than just how well the students perform on the test. So, schools will also do what they can to keep these kids from being considered dropouts...alternative education, GED programs, juvenile dention, etc.

I don't agree with it all. It's not a school's fault if a student is arrested or does something stupid off campus. It's not necessarily their fault if a student drops out of school. But they are held accountable for it.

Good info, and your right, there's more to it than most know.

[Hupernikomen]

After reading all the post about the WOS incident I am curious about something.

How much authority does the school board have to discipline kids when they "misbehave" (for like of a better word) and it is done away from school and after school hours?

Example - My son gets arrested for a DWI on Saturday night.  He spends the weekend in jail and goes back to school Monday morning.  Does the school board have the right to step in and say okay you are suspended for the next two weeks because you were charged with drunk driving?

What if the incident does not involve going to jail.  Say he was caught sending naked pictures of himself with his girlfriends mother to his football buddies to brag about the incident.  Ganted he is in trouble with momma but does the school board get to punish him as well.

I honestly wonder where we draw the line in letting a school board be the ones to discipline our children.  I promise you one thing, I don't need any help in the discipline department. 

Your subject asked about school's authority but then your post said school board.  The answers to both of those is vastly different.

Schools have huge responsibilities and rights to discipline a child as they see fit as long as it is spelled out in the code of conduct.  More and more the legislature is treading on local district turf by mandating discipline procedures.  (e.g. mandatory expulsions in certain circumstances, maximum length of punishment in some cases, requirement to consider intent etc.)  Most of these mandates have been in reason to outrageous actions by individual schools.  Some mandates probably because a legislatures family member was affected.

Schools board hope to stay above the fray when it comes to discipline.  The only reason they will get involved is if it is part of a due process hearing. 

[Rebel2dogs]

To much; How many times would someone have to be disciplined before it becomes double jeopardy? Who in their right mind thinks putting young people together with hormones bursting out of every orifice thinks they are going to act like some dried up old fool is obviously out of their collective minds. Sexual activity of any kind between willing participants is none of anyones business except the immediate participants and their immediate family, being their parents. We as a people invent more and more new technology to make communicating with each other faster, clearer, and funner than it has ever been in the history of the world. A phone with thousands of uses at the touch of a button and the sped of light and then tell young people this is just for emergency or you can have it but you can't use it. What school board member did you just crawl off of? At what age did you forget what it was like to be a teen? You need to take note of it as the first sign of alzheimer's fool! Moral judgment is just an excuse to punish good people for what you can't do anymore. From a 91 year old man. (SSBS)

[Rebel2dogs]

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[NorthoftheBorder]

Sounds like you might need some help with all the things you kid has done.

Not sure who you are talking to, but read my previous post, my kid is fine.

My post was, I guess, a week stab at humor directed to the players mom who gave the examples of her son getting a DWI and sending naked pictures.

[Cougtalk]

After reading all the post about the WOS incident I am curious about something.

How much authority does the school board have to discipline kids when they "misbehave" (for like of a better word) and it is done away from school and after school hours?

Example - My son gets arrested for a DWI on Saturday night.  He spends the weekend in jail and goes back to school Monday morning.  Does the school board have the right to step in and say okay you are suspended for the next two weeks because you were charged with drunk driving?

What if the incident does not involve going to jail.  Say he was caught sending naked pictures of himself with his girlfriends mother to his football buddies to brag about the incident.  Ganted he is in trouble with momma but does the school board get to punish him as well.

I honestly wonder where we draw the line in letting a school board be the ones to discipline our children.  I promise you one thing, I don't need any help in the discipline department. 

Legally thiers the idea of spillover laws that are currently taking root in other states... For instance Missouri has Day night clause which functionally says when its class time the school is your parent... whatever that means and thus can punish you for anything you do... I think these are extremely fascist rules and i think the government if far over stepping thier boundraries, but this is all a symptom of Bush's No child left behind, which specifically designates a childs riight to "protection" and a Schools right to "enforce" that protection, the problem is it doesn't stipulate what they protect the child from, so possibly (and in some states) it means complete protection from other and themselves, thus justifiying "parenting".

Im not sure of texas law on this but its obvious schools are overstepping thier boundaries