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Tardy
Policy
by Zack Roddy,
Editor-in-chief
Since school began on September 6, the entire student body has
noticed one very big change in our school's rules: the tardy policy.
Though our tardy policy has always been practiced and enforced, the
2006-2007 school year has shown a new side to our administration's
enforcement practices.
In previous years, one rarely saw
detentions unless a student was being habitually disruptive or
obnoxious. Most teachers rarely gave out a detention slip. In the
few weeks since school started, however, any returning student would
have noticed the increasing number of detention slips being given to
their fellow classmates. The manners in which these punishments are
being given are also quite different than in years past.
In the mornings before first period
these days, it is now not an uncommon sight to see an administrator
in the halls yelling at students to walk faster and get to class. If
you are, by some chance, one of those unlucky students caught in the
halls anytime after the bell rings, you are immediately interrogated
for your hall pass. Also new to ESHS this year are the now dreaded
tardy sweeps. Since school started, students have already
experienced three of these sweeps. Common in schools with a larger
population than El Segundo High, these tardy sweeps require teachers
to lock their doors at the second bell and the late students are
allowed to return to class if they have a detention slip.
This new policy of punishing students
directly due to tardiness is ridiculous. Our administration expects
us to act like adults, but insist on treating us like children. If
our teachers and administration are supposed to be preparing us, as
young adults, to learn to be responsible in the real world, then why
are they abusing their authority? In the real world, we would not be
merely given a detention, and our bosses will definitely not call
our parents. Instead, we would be met by yelling, and possibly, a
pink slip.
Instead of punishing us so harshly,
our school should let us take responsibility for our own actions.
The individual teacher, not the administration, if they feel it is
necessary, should punish us. If that means docking points from our
grade, giving us extra assignments, or calling home, then so be it.
This will motivate students to be in class on time or they will have
to accept the consequences they are given.
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