Mob rule at Pittsfield High School

It is a sad commentary on the quality of adult leadership in this community that it takes a student at PHS, in Thursday's Eagle, "No minimizing turmoil at PHS," to spell out the truth about public education in ...

[joel]

A big part of this problem is children being raised in a single parent so called family.You can thank the federal government for rewarding illegitimate births with money.Stay single, don't marry the guy that got you pregnant and we will pay your way.All children need a man in their life.Anyone who thinks otherwise is a fool.This school needs a dress code,cameras and a regular drug sniffing dog presence.

[Scotty]

joel wrote:

A big part of this problem is children being raised in a single parent so called family.You can thank the federal government for rewarding illegitimate births with money.Stay single, don't marry the guy that got you pregnant and we will pay your way.All children need a man in their life.Anyone who thinks otherwise is a fool.This school needs a dress code,cameras and a regular drug sniffing dog presence.

You got it right. But vast number of citizens in this country are so stupid that there is no hope whatsoever. The "liberal" insanity destroyed the country. And it is only logical that education is the first to disintegrate - "liberal" antisocial subversive elements worked on it longer than on anything else.

[fear-monger]

Take religion out of American schools. Take any sense of morality from our children. tell them that there is no God, that life id just random evolutionary chaos, where nothing can be none for certain.

Then, to replace the ideas of hope, morality and responsibility, demand ever more tax dollars from an already over-taxed populace. Scream that only more money can save our schools (as opposed to what money does to our political process, which is horrible).

This, in a brief, is what American public education has become today. It's no wonder college students are taking to violent rampages. But how dare anyone question the ('liberal') education establishment...

[Grace M]

Well said fear-monger. The Unions and the goverment are ruining public education and we the taxpayers and parents are left holding the big empty bag.

[anonymous]

Actually more money would help solve, or perhaps prevent, some of these problems. Obviously if you offered higher pay, you would get higher-caliber teachers who are better at inspiring the good in their students. More teachers also means smaller classes and more individualized attention to each student, so they don't "fall through the cracks" and end up dropping out or acting out violently. You could hire more security officers and install more security equipment. You could employ more school councilors and psychologists to help these obviously distressed children from disfunctional homes cope with their emotions in constructive ways. You could invest in more community programs, both the kind that gives kids activities to keep them off the streets and the kind that educates community members about their needs. These are all things that well-meaning union members and government officials would like to offer, but the money is just not available.

[Trish]

anonymous wrote:

Actually more money would help solve, or perhaps prevent, some of these problems. Obviously if you offered higher pay, you would get higher-caliber teachers who are better at inspiring the good in their students. More teachers also means smaller classes and more individualized attention to each student, so they don't "fall through the cracks" and end up dropping out or acting out violently. You could hire more security officers and install more security equipment. You could employ more school councilors and psychologists to help these obviously distressed children from disfunctional homes cope with their emotions in constructive ways. You could invest in more community programs, both the kind that gives kids activities to keep them off the streets and the kind that educates community members about their needs. These are all things that well-meaning union members and government officials would like to offer, but the money is just not available.

The problem is that the money doesn't end up going for useful things at all. The problem in this school is that school administrators seem to think they can handle the problems themselves, but according to the students, nothing could be further from the truth. Kids are scared. That is obvious from the tone of their letters.

[Trish]

fear-monger wrote:

Take religion out of American schools. Take any sense of morality from our children. tell them that there is no God, that life id just random evolutionary chaos, where nothing can be none for certain.
Then, to replace the ideas of hope, morality and responsibility, demand ever more tax dollars from an already over-taxed populace. Scream that only more money can save our schools (as opposed to what money does to our political process, which is horrible).
This, in a brief, is what American public education has become today. It's no wonder college students are taking to violent rampages. But how dare anyone question the ('liberal') education establishment...

I agree that the loss of religion from the public schools is just one more reason why the problem of violence is out of control. Adults can argue all they want about whether they believe in God or not, but children of all ages need to be exposed to the moral principles that religion imparts.

[Stan]

Too many drugs in the schools,too many unqualified teachers and administrators. Thro the kids that do not want to learn out of the schools.Get rid of the trouble makers. The priciples are afraid to do this. It would look like they can't run their school

[Ooogah Shagah]

Evolution is reversing itself
The Children of Apes
are acting as such
The Jungle Rules once More

Creationalists just plod on
and Appeal To Heaven
for Their Hope

p.s. An Appeal to Heaven was an
Early American Battle Flag

[Grace M]

To Stan's comment -- add too many parents that no longer parent their children. Due to all of this nonsense regarding discipline and what is too much there is no discipline anymore. It is a mess.

[ed benguche]

what we have is a failure to commnicate

[iswhatitis]

This article is succinct: a lack of positive paental influence is the key factor in this disturbing mess. Don't be too quick to blame the liberals, who came into being as a result of the militaristic repression of the '50's. There is enough blame to go around. If one wants to act rather than complain, try mentoring a student and or attending school meetings and other functions. Get involved. It's also true, as the article states, that expensive new facilities do nothing to correct the problem.

[taking over]

only differance from when i attended p.h.s. is that the gangs used to be local boys. back then it was tolerated when it was your kids doing the bullying. now your children are getting there butts kicked hows it feel. its always been a battle between the haves and have nots. i know many will say we never had gangs back in the 80's guess again . they were called the palmer boys. they learned their bullying ways from adults who ran the little league at deming park. like father like son. i remember when 25 pimboys surrounded three of us all with weapons. what a bunch of wimps they were. gang mentality. im sure all these punks had fathers. they all know who they are. and im sure they know me. i stood up to your bullying. the good ole boys. still run this town .

[beenthere-doneth at]

This seems to be a common theme across the country and needs to be addressed on both a state and federal level. I think one option would be to take one of the two high schools in Pittsfield and make it into a school that harbours learning; one thing that could be done is to institute a uniform dress code similar to ones that St. Joe used to use so everyone for all intents and purposes looks the same. Second to this we should then look to create more alternative schools that focus the learning toward behavorial issues and if parents or guardians are opposed to their children being exposed to these teachings then THEY need to be the TEACHERS!!!! No more avoidance of these issues...stand strong and take back control of our schools and those who don't want to comply...MOVE TO ANOTHER CITY OR BETTER YET STATE!!!

[beenthere-doneth at]

Stan wrote:

Too many drugs in the schools,too many unqualified teachers and administrators. Thro the kids that do not want to learn out of the schools.Get rid of the trouble makers. The priciples are afraid to do this. It would look like they can't run their school

Let me first state that I am NOT a teacher or related in any way to a teacher...having said that I don't think it's an issue of unqualified teachers because lets face it, if I'm a teacher who cares about teaching then I'm most likely going to other school districts outside of Pittsfield. What we need to do is take the "Handcuffs" off of principals and administrators and allow them to deal with these thugs on an individual basis and maybe create one of those alternative schools within the Berkshire County House of Correction so these students know there next step will likely be behind bars!! Remember the series that aired years ago...Scared Straight....this got kids to see that if they continue in their ways this is where they will end up...works for some but at least it gets them out of our mainstream schools where students WANT to learn. Make it tough HERE and they will certainly go ELSEWHERE!!!

[Ooogah Shagah]

Ther should be consequences to loathsome actions....

Yet the priviledged few seem to be excempt...

If Our Government's Leaders get away with Unjustice, from where comes a good example...

[BleedingPHSPurpl e]

SORRY FOR THE LONG POST, BUT ... I am a proud graduate of Pittsfield High School and I can tell you that when I was there in the late 1990s, these types of incidents would periodically creep up. There were DRUG DEALS around the school, BRUTAL FIGHTS, and the infrequent ATTACK on a teacher/ATHLETIC DIRECTOR. The problems with fighting and gangs were certainly as severe at this time, but PHS is one of the most uniquely diverse schools that you'll find anywhere. It has one of the largest AP programs in the Commonwealth (that's right, as many or more college-level course offerings than places like Wellesley, Newton, Brookline, Marblehead, etc.), yet has a subgroup of about 50-100 students that are behaviorally and academically challenged and would fit right in at Holyoke, Charlestown, Brockton, Lawrence, and rougher urban schools. In fact, these urban communities are where a lot of these students come from. Your #1, 157 year-old COMPREHENSIVE (academic, vocational, special education) high school has successfully accomodated the needs of students ranging from brilliant to troubled for decades and has done a very good job at it for most of that time. Now, what our school needs is stability and aggressive enforcement. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THIS WHOLE SCHOOL IS ENMESHED IN A GANG WAR!!! THE PROBLEMS ARE WITH THIS TOUGHEST SUBSET OF KIDS! Its a public school, and its in a dovish state like MA, so the administrators are really hesitant to get aggressive with the student body. I think a greater police presence in the hallways is necessary (with assurances to the good kids that these guys aren't looking for somebody out of dress code, but they are looking for lawbreakers and delinquents), cameras in the hallways may now be necessary, AND STUDENTS WHO DON'T FOLLOW ADMINISTRATIVE INSTRUCTIONS OR GET INTO FIGHTS SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO LONG-TERM SUSPENSIONS, EXPULSIONS, RELEGATION TO THE ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL, AND/OR DISORDERLY CONDUCT CITATIONS/ARRESTS FROM THE PITTSFIELD POLICE. Police citations to those who participate in serious misconduct will set a tone that hard-core criminal activity will have no place in our high school!

[Gee em Heler Cap and]

The beat goes on

[yeah]

taking over wrote:

only differance from when i attended p.h.s. is that the gangs used to be local boys. back then it was tolerated when it was your kids doing the bullying. now your children are getting there butts kicked hows it feel. its always been a battle between the haves and have nots. i know many will say we never had gangs back in the 80's guess again . they were called the palmer boys. they learned their bullying ways from adults who ran the little league at deming park. like father like son. i remember when 25 pimboys surrounded three of us all with weapons. what a bunch of wimps they were. gang mentality. im sure all these punks had fathers. they all know who they are. and im sure they know me. i stood up to your bullying. the good ole boys. still run this town .

ya man.....doc gian,sinopoli,and all those other wannabees