First of all I must say that I think what happened to Jarod to create Jarod’s law is horrible. But I do think the law took some safety precautions a bit far. Even in the law itself it sates that “the purpose of the school inspection rules is to provide minimum standards and procedures for inspection for school.” I think the purpose should be to make a safe environment for students to learn but secondly, if this is the minimum amount than I would be afraid to see the maximum.
The school environment should be the baby step to learning how to become independent individuals in society. If they are suppose to be members of society as stated in the quote then shouldn’t we expect the students to have some responsibilities in their behavior in school. When they leave the school setting they will need to know how to keep themselves safe and know how to do things on their own. I feel like in todays school setting students have little responsibility to be accountable for their actions. I once had a lab where the kids had to toss paper plates to see how far they would through them, working on estimation and measuring skills. I set it up with the as many safety precautions that I could but of course one of my students threw a plate when another student was walking in an area they were not suppose to and got hit. Now even though I took as many safety precautions as I could someone still got hurt because they were doing what they were not suppose to be doing. So is that now my fault or the students? It would probably be mine for not having adequate space for the activity but I have to work with what I have and took as many precautions that I could. Plus, I work with teenagers so I thought they would know how to handle paper plates by now. So whose fault is it?
When reading over the new restrictions I started thinking about what older school buildings, that can’t afford remodeling, will do to adjust to the new standards. Also, what are the penalties of not following the rules? Do they have to pay a fee? I just think it will be hard for all schools to fit all the regulations. For example, one of the rules is to restrict noise, including traffic noises. If the school was built many years ago there is really nothing you can do to prevent this distraction. Or if they start construction by the school that is not the schools fault or choice. I know as a teacher I too hate when there are distractions outside but I do the best I can do to limit them but there is not much more I can do. In the end I believe we should make the school as safe as we possibly can but knowing that we can only work with what we have. Not all schools are modern schools and will not be able to be up to code on all the rules. Also, the school setting should be a starting point for entering the real world. If there are already members of society then they should know how to handle themselves and be safe in all environments. We are there to assist these skills and make sure they are making the right decisions throughout the day. If we make the school environment such a safety bubble then they will be shock when they are suddenly on their own and not use to different situations that may occur. I think it’s important to teach the kids how to be safe and responsible for themselves. So we should do our best to protect them but the students also should hold a level of responsibility of there own.
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I agree with you that the students need to hold some level of responsibility for their safety. As you said with the paper plate activity you clearly stated the rules and still a student broke those rules and ended up getting hurt. School should be a safe haven but I don't think that the creativity of teaching should have to be compromised in order to create a safe environment. In the real world students will have to know how to handle themselves in order to be safe.
ReplyDeleteAs of now I do not know of any penalties for not following the safety restrictions outlined in Jarod's Law, but again that may change in the future. I agree that we should teach children how to be responsible and use items correctly, especailly surrounding potentialy dangerous materials. If you really think about it, any material can be dangerous if used incorrectly, including items students use everyday in class (pencils, pens, etc.)I personally believe that there are some positive points to this law, but it does take it to the extreme. I think one of the best parts about it are the reports that are sent to the schools that name recently recalled items that the schools might have in their buildings.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jarod's law taking this a bit too far. Once again, a great idea has been stretched along and then the state and government is involved and then there are 1000 page reports and just not enough people to handle what exactly is to be done to effectively make this law feasible.
ReplyDeleteWhile i agree the law has gone to far in some respects we must remember that children as young as 3 are being serviced in our public schools and therefore rules and restrictions must be in place to protect all the children our schools service, including the very young and the mentally challenged. I don't think it is too much to ask that chemicals be locked up, that schools be inspected for mold and peeling paint, that teachers be asked to keep personal items locked in a drawer or closet. We have to remember that this is about protecting our children and if these measures save even one child from getting unnecessarily poisoned, injured, or killed then it is well worth it.
ReplyDeleteKPatrick said...
ReplyDelete"If you really think about it, any material can be dangerous if used incorrectly, including items students use everyday in class (pencils, pens, etc.)" Yes--or paper plates!!
I agree that the reports on recalled items are a definite plus. And I agree with Jenn when she says: "I don't think it is too much to ask that chemicals be locked up, that schools be inspected for mold and peeling paint, that teachers be asked to keep personal items locked in a drawer or closet." But the law goes far, far beyond this....