School violence task force meets today
by Dave McNair
published 7:41am Friday Mar 24, 2006
published 7:41am Friday Mar 24, 2006
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In reaction to escalating violence in city schools, Charlottesville school officials have created a 15-person task force to start dealing with the problem. The task force will meet at 9:00 am today at Charlottesville High School and present its findings to the school board next week. This week, the Hook reports on the increased violence at Buford Middle School, where “some teachers are claiming the problems with violence are only going to get worse if the school administration doesn’t do more to keep the students and staff safe.”
Who are the members on this task force? How were they selected so fast? Was there any application process?
Things sure do happen fast behind closed doors without much public input. /Steve
A lot of city business does happen out of the public’s eye but the creation of this “task force” is not really a big deal. It’s probably little more than a study group. It won’t have any legislative or regulatory authority. It’s just a token for public relations and won’t end up amounting to much, other than making a few people feel like they’re “involved”. In fact it may do more harm than good by drawing more public attention to the problem but not producing any substantive solutions. I do hope that they will prove me wrong and actually come up with some good ideas that will be accepted and adopted by the school system.
I agree with you, Kevin. It’s just a typical “feel good” approach at dealing with a problem they don’t how to solve. I had entertained the thought of applying as one of the “parents” in the group. But everybody was already selected.
I have lost all faith in local law enforcement. The administration has no control over anything anymore it seems. They can’t even control the school crossing guards shouting out rude remarks at parents leaving the schools in the afternoon. “Get off the cell phone!” “Yeah, take your time!” etc…. I can’t convince any of these parents to go downtown and file complaints. They are afraid of the police. If the parents are afraid of the police, and if the police can’t even control 55 and 60 year old school crossing guards, how do they think they are going to control an entire school full of teenagers? It’s really sad. /Steve
[...] According to Charlottesville City School staff, violence in our schools is “the worst it’s ever been” the Daily Progress reports. The comment was a refrain at last night’s meeting of the Charlottesville School Board’s new task force on violence. In reponse, the board voted to spend $70,000 to install 40 security cameras in Charlottesville High School. The task force also recommended that the Alternative Education Program, which is currently a half-day program, be changed to a full-day program so students aren’t left with so much free time. Parents at the meeting also wanted the board to investigate mistreatment of students by school staff. One parent said a school staff memebr had “used a racial slur toward her young son and said he would never amount to anything,” according to the DP. . [...]