School survey yields ‘scary’ results
BY MAC McLEAN
BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. – Almost a third of Sullivan County’s middle-school students say they may have gotten into a car with a drunk driver.
According to the survey, 32.2 percent of boys and 27.2 percent of girls in the county school system’s sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade classes were driven at some point by someone who was drinking.
“This is a serious health issue,” said Meredith Charles, director of the school system’s coordinated school health department. “These are our middle-school students. It’s a wonder they ever make it to school in the first place,” she said.
Charles asked about 95 percent of middle-school students 46 questions designed to identify risky behavior. She reported the results Monday to the Sullivan County Board of Education.
The survey found that 75.7 percent of students said they don’t wear a helmet when they ride a bike, and another 37 percent watch more than three hours of TV each day.
Almost 30 percent – 28.9 percent of boys and 25.3 percent of girls – said they have had at least one drink of alcohol and of those who said “yes” to this question, 40.2 percent had their first drink before their 11th birthday.
Another 17.6 percent of students said they have “seriously thought about killing themselves,” while 49.9 percent, 59.8 percent of girls and 37.6 percent of boys, said they are trying to lose weight.
“Some of that stuff’s pretty scary,” board Chairman Ron Smith said after Charles’ presentation. “We know what these kids say, now the question is, what are we going to do about this?”
Although Sullivan County’s survey results were comparable to other school systems in the region, Charles said she’s been trying to work special lessons that address these behaviors into the county’s health classes.
She hopes to conduct a survey during the next school year to gauge whether these lessons have any effect.
That upcoming school year will start one week later, according to a new calendar the board adopted Monday night. The 2009-2010 school year will start with a half day for students on Aug. 4 and end on May 24, 2010.
Board members also agreed to make fixing the roof at Central High School a priority for the school system’s maintenance budget this year because it is leaking in four classrooms and some of the building’s hallways, said Maintenance Supervisor Joe Mike Akard.
Twenty-one of the county’s 28 school buildings received a failing grade when it came to the condition of their roofs, according to a physical assessment the school system conducted last spring. Smith said the results of this assessment will be the main topic of a school board retreat set to take place Sunday at Northeast State Technical Community College.
| (276) 645-2518
Advertisement
Reader Reactions
Well farmer? You are completely right. My dad was a teacher for 25 years. My mom is still a teacher. My husbands side also has teachers. The biggest problem today is 1) the laws about disipline. 2)the parents. which are the reason for the laws 3)the administration.
I have been through this the hard way. My dad quit because he wasn’t able to “teach”. His class used to be one of the most behaved classes. Everyone knew you would get in deep trouble if you acted up. Now? Children are not taught to respect authority. We moved back to the South because of the politics of the Northeast. Not only is it against the law to spank your children, the teachers actually got on to my children for saying “yes sir and no sir”. They wanted to be called by their first names !! They have taken over the childrens rearing. You are not allowed as a parent to even wash your childs mouth out with soap !! I was so happy to be back down here. I am however worried about all the “fairness acts”. The world is not fair and our children are being taught that “everyone” is a winner. That you will get “rewards” if you do good. Our children at home, know that if you work hard, you will atleast be able to face yourself in the mirror and be proud of yourself. They are taught respect. The administration and the laws need to be changed. There needs to be acountablility. I know that I am not that popular on my beliefs, but I was raised with a paddle behind me and the world before me. I have made lots of mistakes, but I learned from them and am teaching them to my children. By the way? Even when I got in trouble with the law as a young adult? I shocked the officers by saying “yes sir, I was wrong and deserve the punishment.“ Did you know that the punishment wasn’t near as harsh?
The best lessons are learned from the Bible, and the best teachers are first and formost at “home”
Interesting. I don’t know how it isn’t about money. Don’t they need more money for staff and stuff, but Education budgets are always the first things the Government cuts? I think that if teachers were well paid, they wouldn’t fear for their jobs, they would just leave and go to a school that supported them. I think that teachers are really committed to their jobs, but need those jobs more than some people because they have chosen a lower paying career to make the world a better place. Parents are responsible for their kid’s behaviors- I still think we hit them in the pocketbooks if their kids cause the teachers to work overtime, or take time away from other students. Isn’t time money anyway. When I was in the Bristol public school system in the 70’s and 80’s, they paddled us when we got out of line. Helped me be a law abiding citizen today I believe. How about that for a rant?
General Lee, you’re exactly right in that teachers know how things work. If, however, they speak out, their jobs could be in jeopardy. Isn’t it funny that we’re at a time when telling the truth (which can easily be proven) can result in getting someone into deep trouble. Wow!!
I disagree with you, however, in that higher taxes are required to fix all this. It really has nothing to do with taxes. Taxes don’t make administrators support teachers, enforce policies, and stand up to irrational parents. Having some courage, and choosing to do what’s right are free. Taxes could even be cut and this problem be taken care of.
The taxes should be for additional staff, more computers, more library materials, etc. Every school in the country could be given an extra $100,000,000, and every teacher could made an instant millionaire. If the leaders are running scared and allow students and parents to run the schools, things will only get worse.
This problem is definitely NOT about money. It’s about politics, courage, and some questionable people in leadership positions.
I think that teachers know what is going on, but they are scared for their careers from the administrators and they are in turn scared of taking any risks and hurting their political careers. Problems are fixable, but require more taxes from us.
Sparkie, thanks for the kind words. This is one subject, however, I wish I wasn’t right about. You must know teachers who experience this on a daily basis. Administrators are scared beyond belief that a parent may get mad, hire an attorney, etc. They, the administrators, are complete cowards. Yes, those are strong words, but easily proven day after day after day in American public schools.
General Lee, not all problem kids have problem parents. You’re right, though, about many instances. Young people model behavior they see from the adults they love and respect.
I wonder why there were so few responses to this article? I bet at least one administrator saw what was said here. I bet they clicked away from it in an instant, though. People don’t like to be called out, especially when they have no defense against the allegations being made.
Does getting into the car with a drunk parent count? It should. Problem kids have problem parents. If we made parents pay more for their problem kids to attend school, things would change pretty quick wouldn’t they? I thought THS was great though.
That was a wonderful letter that “farmer” posted. I agree with him 100%. It is not just the school systems, but the entire system! There is no deterrent for crime. Students have no respect for teachers and authority. The ones that do want to learn can’t give it their best because of the ones that disrupt the entire class. I would love to see some more posts from teachers and administration. What is the answer? Does anyone have the solution? These students don’t realize that the way they perform in school will determine their future. How will they be able to support themselves with no education? (Welfare?) How many more can we support on the welfare system?? I agree with “farmer.“ The administration doesn’t want to deal with the problem students either. Most of the headache goes to the teachers. I think teachers need to be applauded for taking on such a challenge in this day and time where there is no respect for ANYTHING. It all goes back to taking God out of the schools!
Sounds to me like Farmer knows what he is talking about.
Nobody close to today’s public schools can be shocked by this article. Young people today are nearing a point of being totally out of control. The funniest part of this whole thing is the way school administrators, and school boards act so shocked by it all. There’s no way they can be shocked. They know what the deal is, but seldom address difficult situations.
I’m sure the problems with today’s young people come from a variety of sources. One problem, which is seldom mentioned, is the way the schools are run today. By that, I don’t mean what teachers do, or don’t do. I mean the way administrators and boards of education sweep things under the rug, make great efforts to keep certain things out of the press, and have all but eliminated any sort of discipline from our schools. It’s no wonder good teachers are leaving the profession. They receive very little support from their superiors. As a matter of fact, when students don’t perform due to a lack of effort, lack of concern for their education, failure to bring books, materials, etc. to class, sleeping in class, and poor attendance, often the teachers are held responsible. What administrators and boards know, but won’t say, is that no teacher can force any student to care and be motivated. Teachers go to in-services all the time concerning “student motivation”, however, most of that is so unrealistic it becomes almost a joke. The folks who attempt to teach today are teachers, not magicians who can magically make someone care. There are even some out there who became administrators because they couldn’t handle the classroom setting when they, as teachers, weren’t supported.
Many teachers do little teaching. That’s because they’re constantly dealing with problem students who administrators won’t deal with. It takes one disruptive student in a class to bring learning to a standstill. Teachers can send problem students to the office, however, if those students return to that same class within minutes laughing at the teacher, the whole process falls apart.
I’d love for a public school administrator to respond to this. Any administrator!!! I’d love to hear them deny anything I’ve said here. Quite simply, they can’t honestly do that.
As I said earlier, I’m sure there are many reasons for young people acting the ways they are. A lack of parenting, I’m sure, is another. Young people rarely see consequences for their actions. They get hundreds and hundreds of second chances, but rarely suffer punishment for irresponsible behavior.
I’m sure some may write in and blast me for what I’ve said here. That’s fine. I bet any who doubt me have spent very little time in and around today’s public schools. I don’t mean athletic events. I mean on a daily basis.
When will this change? Let’s hope sooner, rather than later.
Advertisement