Schools or Prisons?

I realize that I don't live in Michigan (although some people may want to send me there) but I couldn't help but forward this article written to the Governor of Michigan by a Superintendent....I think the point he is making is painfully obvious.

A school superintendent in Michigan has written a public letter to the editor asking Governor Rick Snyder if his school can become a prison instead. The full text is below. What do you think?
—-
Dear Governor Snyder,
In these tough economic times, schools are hurting. And yes, everyone in Michigan is hurting right now financially, but why aren’t we protecting schools? Schools are the one place on Earth that people look to to “fix” what is wrong with society by educating our youth and preparing them to take on the issues that society has created.
One solution I believe we must do is take a look at our corrections system in Michigan. We rank nationally at the top in the number of people we incarcerate. We also spend the most money per prisoner annually than any other state in the union. Now, I like to be at the top of lists, but this is one ranking that I don’t believe Michigan wants to be on top of.
Consider the life of a Michigan prisoner. They get three square meals a day. Access to free health care. Internet. Cable television. Access to a library. A weight room. Computer lab. They can earn a degree. A roof over their heads. Clothing. Everything we just listed we DO NOT provide to our school children.
This is why I’m proposing to make my school a prison. The State of Michigan spends annually somewhere between $30,000 and $40,000 per prisoner, yet we are struggling to provide schools with $7,000 per student. I guess we need to treat our students like they are prisoners, with equal funding. Please give my students three meals a day. Please give my children access to free health care. Please provide my school district Internet access and computers. Please put books in my library. Please give my students a weight room so we can be big and strong. We provide all of these things to prisoners because they have constitutional rights. What about the rights of youth, our future?!
Please provide for my students in my school district the same way we provide for a prisoner. It’s the least we can do to prepare our students for the future...by giving our schools the resources necessary to keep our students OUT of prison.
Respectfully submitted,
Nathan Bootz, Superintendent, Ithaca Public Schools

Schedule for the Week of May 23 - May 28

Here is my schedule for the week of May 23rd through May 28th.    Four more days and then some peace and quiet....if you don't count the roofers and the cement people and driver's ed students....Here's what I have on my schedule this week:

Monday, May 23rd

Meeting with Teacher - 8:30
Meeting with Teacher - 10:00
Planning meeting - 3:40 ICN

Tuesday, May 24th

Administration Mtg. - 8:30 ICN
Meeting - 6th Period - office
Lion's Meeting - Nathaniel Hamlin Park - 6:30


Wednesday, May 25th

Last Day for Students- Early Out - 2:15
Baseball/Softball - Home - 6:00
Retirement Celebration - 6:30 - Commons


Thursday, May 26th

Mr. D's Breakfast - 7:00  can't eat :( 
Teacher Check out Day
Driver's Education Classes start


Friday, May 27th

Webinar - 11:30 - Office
Baseball/Softball - Home - 6:00

Saturday, May 28th

The Effects of Bullying

I received the following link through my Twitter account (Thanks to Michael Smith) and thought it was a great visual concerning the problem of Bullying. 

http://i55.tinypic.com/23j37si.png

After you open it up and scan the graph you can't help as an educator and/or a parent but to ask yourself, "where do my kid(s) fall on that continuum? Were they or are they bullies? Are they being bullied?"

We often hear about the victims of bully's....how they don't want to come to school, suffer from anxiety, stress and depression.

How they sometimes take matters into their own hands...inflicting violence on the person bullying them or on themselves through suicide...

What really struck me was the stats on what happens to the bullies themselves....obviously there are no winners in this situation

More importantly, how do we stop the Bullying issue?

In my opinion, this is the toughest discipline issue facing schools and parents today

I wish I had a good answer

Schedule for the Week of May 16 - May 22

Here is my schedule for the week of May 16th through May 22nd.    The last full week of school for the 2010 - 2011 school year...aah!!!  It just sounds good...that's if we survive Graduation week and the verdict is still out on that.....Here's what I have on my schedule this week:

Monday, May 16th

1:1 Informational Meeting - 7:00 - Auditorium
School Board Meeting - 7:30 - ICN

Tuesday, May 17th

IEP - 3:30 - Elementary
FFA Awards night - 6:30

Wednesday, May 18th

PD Day - Early Out
Leadership Team meeting - 3:40 - ICN

Thursday, May 20th

Math/Science Regional Academy mtg. - 9:00 - Carroll

Friday, May 21st

Webinar - 11:30 - Office

Saturday, May 22nd

State Track Meet - Des Moines

Schedule for the Week of May 9 - May 15

Here is my schedule for the week of May 9th through May 15th.    It's graduation week so time for all of the kids to say,"it's about time," and time for all the parents to say, "already?" or maybe not...at this time of year everyone is ready for it to be over.....Here's what I have on my schedule this week:

Monday, May 9th

Finalize Board Agenda

Tuesday, May 10th

21st Century Schools - Clive - 7:00 - 4:30
Festival of Bands - 7:30
Lion's Meeting - Memorial Building - 6:30

Wednesday, May 11th

PD Day - Early Out

Thursday, May 12th

Industrial Technology Show - 7:30

Friday, May 13th

Webinar - 11:30 - Office

Saturday, May 14th

Class Night - 7:00

Sunday, May 15th

Commencement - 2:00

Schedule for the Week of May 2 - May 7

Here is my schedule for the week of May 2nd through May 7th.    The first week of May finds us with a very busy activity schedule as the spring sports season is in high gear. With only two weeks to go before Graduation it's hard to fit everything into the schedule. Here's what I have on my schedule this week:

Monday, May 2nd 

SAI Legal Lab - Clive - 7:15
Academy Awards - 6:30

Tuesday, May 3rd 


3rd & 4th Grade Music Concert - 6:30


Wednesday, May 4th


PD Day - Early Out
Art Show - Cafeteria - 7:30
Honor's Night - Auditorium - 7:30

Thursday, May 5th



Friday, May 6th

Wellness Walk - 10:18
Festival of Choruses - Auditorium - 7:30

Saturday, May 7th

State Large Group Music Festival - Audubon
Lion's Habitat for Humanity Fundraiser - City Park