| Guam's New Southern High School Principal Faces Problems Head On |
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| Opinion | |||||||||
| Written by Michael Rudolph, Guam News Factor Writer | |||||||||
| Thursday, 12 November 2009 14:06 | |||||||||
 Regaining Control
By Michael Rudolph
GUAM - What do you do with chronic problem students? What do you do with illegal drugs on school grounds? You get rid of them, very simple.
Acting Principal James Petitte is cleaning up the bad behavior that has long plagued Southern High School. Last week he expelled six students involved in the so-called 'riot' posted on YouTube. According to KUAM, this week Petitte locked down his school for a successful drug sweep.
Where has Petitte been all this time? Well, we're glad to see him changing the environment of Southern High School. Actions like this may frustrate parents and local residents, but we must keep the situation in perspective.
Every public school student deserves a fair shot at succeeding academically. In order to give those students who want to learn (or who are willing to change) the chance they deserve, the school system must maintain a safe learning environment. A student who constantly causes problems and is beyond control does not belong in the same school as other students. As it now stands, too many resources have been drained to deal with problem cases. And that takes away from other students' chances for academic success.
Petitte's style for transforming a dangerous place may not sit well with some, but the overall message is: 'things are going to change.' Not having drugs and chronically violent students on campus can only be a change for the best.
Principal Petitte's no-nonsense approach to problems reminds one of the 1989 biographical movie Lean On Me starring Morgan Freeman. In the movie, Freeman plays the role of Joe Clark, who has recently been made principal of the broken East Side High School in Paterson, NJ. Clark begins with identifying and expelling problem students as he turns a school around using unconventional methods.
At some point, problem students need to be removed from a school. And the blame for their bad behavior rests squarely on the shoulders of those who are answerable for the crimes committed by minors.
The other side of that coin is this. Proactive principals like Pettite fight a losing battle when the Department of Education fails to prioritize student safety.
Read the KUAM story, "Drug discovery prompts Southern lockdown", November 12, 2009. Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites          
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