Telling on classmates?

[FreedomAngel82]

I'm listening to Bernie Ward and he's saying how in Georgia, because of the shooting in Minnesota, they became the first district (Houston) where students can get up to $500 for telling about firearms, $100 for fingering students for theft or drugs. Another school in Rome they started a program that pays students up to $100 for theft, drugs or guns on school property. The model program began before the Red Lake shooting. From the 150 student school money from candy and soda sells will be sold for $10 valid information on campus thefts, $25-50 on drug tips, $100 on info on gun possession or other felonies. A similar program in Caston County, North Carolina has worked well and the principle has said he has given out $1000, $11,000 and for $100 they'll turn their mothers in. The money will pay for drug possession or sales and in Texas they started this school in four middle schools and three high schools. You're basically turning the school in a series of snitches. I think this is dangerous because it can make people really paranoid. Bernie is asking what happens if fellow students are being paid to drop a nickle on their classmates for bad behavior? I think it can be abused. You should tell if you see something suspicious and could lead to something and not just do nothing but I think this is taking it too far. I wish I had the actual article. :(

[Jamastiene]

1. Good/bad

It could be good for the violence deterrant only. The other stuff shouldn't be on the list. I guess I'm contradicting myself, but it bothers me that schools have become crossfire zones/target ranges. You are right that it's going to far on the nonviolent stuff, but like I said, to stop some of the school shootings and violence in school in general, I wouldn't complain. And you ARE right, you SHOULD tell if you know something and it could possibly save lives without being paid for it.

[UdoKier]

2. It's extremely cynical, crass, mercenary and contributes to the problem.

Problem being kids who are not being taught to see themselves as members of a team, a working society (school - or a class) that is a model in miniature of society at large.

This tact does NOTHING to make kids into people of conscience and compassion.


But this kind of gimmick is SO typically American.

[FreedomAngel82]

3. Exactly

Yep. Someone called earlier in the segment and said it was a Hitler-like tactic. And someone else is calling now and said that if a student did do this and got a reward then the person who they snitched on could find out and get them beaten up or something and the parents could sue the school and claim that if it wasn't for this program the student wouldn't have ever been involved and they wouldn't have gotten hurt. Another woman called in and said that they're selling the students short and you don't have to pay a kid to do the right thing. I think if a kid sees someone with a gun they'd go straight to the top and tell with all the shootings. I don't think kids were raised to be that stupid to not say anything. Especially now days. This woman also said they should have an annonymous tip line where they don't have to let it known that they snitched and leave the information to where the school can look into it.
She's also saying how if you pay the kid to do the right thing when they get into the real world they'd expect to get paid and in the real world you don't get paid and/or rewarded.

[autorank]

4. Great Post. This completes the High School as Prison metaphor.

Question: What do you call a place surrounded by barbed wire fences, with only one entrance, police roaming the halls, where the favorite pass time is weigh lifting?
Answer: High School


:rant:
You can always justify a program like this once you prevent one incident so I'm sure it's going to stick around in some places. What about all the incidents you miss because kids clam up?

As a society, we behave as though we hate adolescents, which I think many Americans do. Probably something to do with their exuberance, energy, and, in the case of males, testosterone levels. So what do we do, confine them for 40 hours a week in a place that sounds and, to a lot of them, feels like prison. Why are we surprised that they don't learn as well as they should? Why are we surprised that there are so many acting out incidents? We get them up at 5:30 to make a bus and start school at 7:10...insanity for an age group that operates on a 30 hour day biologically. We parade police officers through the schools who rarely bust the big dope dealers and only convey a prison atmosphere. We allow them no say in school governance. Why not pay them? In fact, why not a "living wage" to attend and pass classes with good grades? It would work, I suspect.

I attended a 3000 student public high school that was a bell curve of race and income levels. We were not the Jet Set. But, for some odd reason, the school had students (monitors + a student court) do all the discipline (except for all out fights and attendance). Guess what, there were no fights. The school ran exceptionally well. Students who would graduate to join the Hells Angels gladly took 'tickets' from debate nerds for minor infractions. There were no fights in school, just after school, one step off the property. Why? Because the students ran the place for behavior and, even the wildest, go directly to Folsom Prison students respected that.

OK, bed time!