May 05, 2008 10:23 am
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Bob,
Once again the drug dog has made a stop at Mexia High school. Once again it has found several cars with “illegal” items in them. The parents are devastated, the students are devastated and the faculty has no choice but to send these students to the alternative program, normally reserved for sever discipline problems. This program is intended for kids that cannot control themselves and behave well enough to be in a regular classroom.
Fortunately we have this program for these discipline problems and can keep our schools safe for all the other children, unfortunately we also put the kids that break the “zero tolerance policy” in there with them. Most times when the drug dog alerts on a car and “illegal” items are found they are virtually harmless but fall under the “zero tolerance policy”.
This time the dog found a pocket knife in a pickup truck of an athlete. This student is not a discipline problem, he has never been a threat to anybody and the knife was left in there by mistake. He didn’t have it on him, he didn’t threaten anybody, and he didn’t show it to someone and brag he had a knife. It was just lost in his truck along with his baseball stuff and clothes he had in there. They had to search to find it. This student is not the only one that this has happened to. It happens every year. I’m sure the drug dog has found something that actually was a threat to someone at some point. I’m aware of the world we live in and am aware that there are children out there who unfortunately want to harm other students or themselves. I am not saying we need to stop the searches. But Mexia ISD’s “zero tolerance policy” does not work. It would be a joke if it didn’t ruin the life of the students in affects. We can’t blame the administrators who are following the rules. I’m glad that they are, but the rules are wrong.
My son won’t put tools in his tool box because he is scared the dog will alert on his truck and one of the tools will be considered “illegal”. This is ridicules but with the policy as it is he can’t take the risk. If a student’s car breaks down and they have to take their parents car to school, if the parents left cigarettes or snuff or empty alcohol containers in that car, the student who possibly has never even been in the principles’ office is very likely to go to the AEP alternative program with the kids that are sever discipline problems.
This policy has not helped with the drug problem that is running rampant in Mexia. lt hasn’t helped with the teens abusing alcohol, It hasn’t helped with the teenage pregnancy problem we have in Mexia. It hasn’t even helped with discipline problems. All it does is keeps the kids in fear of what might have been left in the back floorboard hidden under the old school papers and dirty clothes that are in most high school students cars. I am going to start a petition to get this policy changed or taken out and replaced by one that works.
It will be too late for the athlete that was caught in its web this time. He will not be allowed to play in the last baseball game, because he has been suspended waiting to meet with Mr. Cotton, who will determine if he has to go to the AEP program. Our school board members all say they want to do what is best for the students. Let’s see if they can put those words into action and do something to change a policy that has more flaws than advantages. If they can’t then as Americans who, thank God, have the right to vote them out and new members in, we need to do just that.
Please don’t misunderstand what I’m trying to convey here. I know there is a threat out there that someone could bring something into one of our schools and try to cause harm. But let’s get real, I doubt any of them will have the weapons hidden under their backpack and dirty athletic clothes for a couple weeks waiting to see if the drug dogs can sniff it out. They are going to just show up out of the blue and all we can do is pray. If anyone agrees with me please sign one of the petitions and let’s get this thing changed.
Debra Bishop
Mexia
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