No prom for student protesters (Check the Superintendent-with-a-backbone's statement)

WFAA ^ | April 1, 2006 | Brad Watson

[Jedidah]

Mayra Hernandez and Lesly Hernandez planned to look pretty for the Ennis High School senior prom on Saturday night.

But they won't be going because they joined a protest.

"We all bought dresses, accessories, and we rented a limo and all that," Mayra said. "Now all that money is just going to waste."

Thousands of North Texas students skipped classes this week to demonstrate against the immigration bill now being considered by the U.S. Congress.

About 130 Ennis ISD students—from sixth graders to seniors—joined in Thursday, despite a school district warning that any student participating would be suspended until Monday, including the prom.

The district suspended Aracely Garcia, even though her mother excused her from school for the demonstration. "We shouldn't get suspended—and especially not from prom—just because he thinks we shouldn't protest over something we believe is right," Aracely said.

Mayra's sister-in-law, Noemi Garza, urged the school district to let the suspended students attend the prom. "They are trying to punish these kids with something that they've been looking forward to," Garza said. "These girls will never have another chance."

But as parents and school staff set up decorations for Saturday's event, the Ennis ISD held firm.

School officials declined interviews with News 8, but Superintendent Mike Harper told the Ennis Daily News, "one of the greatest gifts we give to immigrants and their families is a free public education, and it shows extraordinarily poor judgment for those who have received that gift to walk out on it."

If they can't go, the suspended seniors said they will walk in protest Saturday night outside KJT Auditorium, where the prom takes place.

[Txsleuth]

Are you serious??

If her child had been hurt during this protest...don't you know she would be the FIRST to sue, saying she was hurt during school hours..and the school is responsible.

NAH...wrong attitude.

If someone feels like that, they need to home school.

[El Gato]

Actually, that is typical edu-speak from a typical edu-crat.

Or most any other bureaucratic manger type. Private industry included. Lots of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

I just got done reviewing a (Power Point) presentation made by a contractor to the Army. Pretty much the same thing, lots of management BS, very little technical content. (Partly because 2 years into the contract their system engineering team still doesn't understand (or buy into) the requirements.)

[Brytani]

Perfect post!!!! Applause!!!!!!!!!

[El Gato]

I'm sympathetic with the superintendent, but if the above is true, that girl ought to be excused. It's insane for a government indoctrination center to have more say in what the students can do than their own parents.

I would agree IF the prom were not a school function. But it is, so the school makes the rules. In Texas, at least, a parent cannot "excuse" a student from school. At minimum the student will be charged with an "unexcused absence", too many of those and you can't progress to the next grade or graduate as applicable.

[El Gato]

I believe it should read "Thousands of illegal, law breaking Mexican, America hating "immigrants", posing as students rioted in the streets."

AFAIK, there were no riots in Texas. Although they came close in Ft. Worth, blocking the streets for example.

That said, the students are not the ones who chose to come to the US illegally, their parents did. Many of them are probably citizens, having been born here and under the current laws. As citizens they have a right to protest (it's in the first amendment, but they don't have a right to cut school. It's cutting school that got them in trouble, not protesting.

I want to know who coordinated this thing nationwide. Dollars to donuts it wasn't a bunch of kids on the Internet.

Reports on local radio in the DFW area were that many of the students didn't even know what the "protest" was about.

[El Gato]

If this country is soooo bad, why did they come here in the first place?

Because their parents brought them along when they entered illegally, or they were born here and have as much right to protest and demonstrate as anyone else. They have the same right to cut school as anyone else too, that is none.

[El Gato]

But they won't be going because they joined a protest.

No, they won't be going because they cut school. They made their bed ... you know the rest.

[Trajan88]

I read about this in today's (04/01/06) Dallas Morning News.

Regarding the students' complaints about not being allowed to attend their prom (they were forwarned: skip school to protest, then no prom)... I made a mad dash to find the smallest violin in my collection so that I could play a sad little tune.

I chose the one on the left ;-)

[wizardoz]

If her child had been hurt during this protest...don't you know she would be the FIRST to sue, saying she was hurt during school hours..and the school is responsible.

Yep. Some of my students were actually talking about that: that if they got hurt jumping the fence (we were on lockdown) they could sue the school and get "lots of money."

Charming children, they are.

[Txsleuth]

I am sure the ACLU would be more than anxious to help them, also.

[dufekin]

Wait a minute. If this incident had happened when/where I went to public school, the only sanctions available would require collective punishment--canceling the prom outright--rather than punishing certain individual students for their actual actions. Because this rule-breaking lacks an obvious victim, we could suspend the other principle of school discipline, "punish the victim, not the bully."

Students missing from class for non-disciplinary reasons could receive academic punishment (zeroes on any tests or other work missed) at the discretion of the teacher.

[ThinkDifferent]

I'm sympathetic with the superintendent, but if the above is true, that girl ought to be excused. It's insane for a government indoctrination center to have more say in what the students can do than their own parents.

Agreed. If a kid has their parent's permission to be absent, that should be the end of it from the school's perspective. The superintendent has the right idea, but he overstepped his authority in that case.

[CzarNicky]

"As an educational leader, I am powerfully committed to collaboratively promote the successful learning of all students at Skyline High School, while simultaneously optimizing humaneness and respect for all, staff and students alike." - Tom Stumpf, Principal, Skyline High School

That's damned near incomprehensible.

Actually, that is typical edu-speak from a typical edu-crat.

"Full of syllables and feelings, signifying nothing." My apologies to Shakespeare, but I couldn't resist.

It certainly is a tale told by an idiot.

[SandRat]

This should perk you up a bit - a school official with backbone!

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

Your email addy isn't working for me, was rejected.

[OkeyDokeyOkie]

Some Los Angeles school officials could learn from the resolute action of this North Texas school superintendant.

[King Prout]

these kids don't accept that illegally entering the US is, well, ILLEGAL... so who can be surprised they whine about penalties when they themselves violate lesser rules?

[gakrak]

"The district suspended Aracely Garcia, even though her mother excused her from school for the demonstration. "We shouldn't get suspended—and especially not from prom—just because he thinks we shouldn't protest over something we believe is right," Aracely said."


It's about time these folks found out that there are consequences to what you do. They knew in advance that what they were doing would reap what they sowed. To have the guts to stand by it is a big plus for the school. Amen.

[Bismark]

A parent can keep a child out of school for any number of reasons, but the school reserves the right to make a judgement call on whether it is a valid reason. For example the following reasons seldom work:

I gave my daughter permission to miss school so she could experience the joy of watching soap operas.

I gave my daughter permission to miss school so she could experience the joy of shopping.

I gave my daughter permission to miss school as she didn't feel like going.

[GladesGuru]

"As an educational leader, I am powerfully committed to collaboratively promote the successful learning of all students at Skyline High School, while simultaneously optimizing humaneness and respect for all, staff and students alike." - Tom Stumpf, Principal, Skyline High School

That's damned near incomprehensible.

Actually, that is typical edu-speak from a typical edu-crat.

"Full of syllables and feelings, signifying nothing." My apologies to Shakespeare, but I couldn't resist.

It certainly is a tale told by an idiot.

Right On! Dr. Sowell accurately said that the education department is the bottom ten percent of the talent pool at any university. He meant, of course, both faculty and student populations had risen to their level of incompetence in the shallow end of the gene pool.

Intellectual trolls, living under the foot of the IQ bell curve.

NO! NO! Not that end! The low IQ end!