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Post by wvhsparent on Mar 5, 2009 22:55:43 GMT -5
fyi - Indian Plains is for HS students at this present time.
I do agree that they should have moved them ASAP, but I was under the impression that the staff at Gregory addressed the issue as soon as they were aware, and the initially all parties involved were fine with that.
Is that incorrect?
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Post by asmodeus on Mar 5, 2009 23:08:22 GMT -5
I don't know if we have all the facts on this. The father disputes that he was "fine" with the initial solution, and even if he was, it's entirely possible that the full extent of the attack, subsequent beating, and distribution of photos were not fully known until some time later. I would not fault the Gregory staff for making certain moves based on incomplete information, but it is understandable that a victim of a crime of this nature may not come forth with all the gory details immediately.
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Post by WeNeed3 on Mar 6, 2009 7:11:07 GMT -5
Senger vows to try again on Safe School legislationBy Justin Kmitch | Daily Herald State Rep. Darlene Senger says she feels like a large door was slammed in her face, but she'll be back knocking on it again next week. The rookie Republican from Naperville said she was irate Wednesday evening when an Illinois House committee narrowly rejected her proposed amendment to the state's Safe Schools Law to allow districts to immediately transfer students charged with juvenile or felony crimes to an alternative educational program. Senger's proposal was in response to a case involving two boys from Naperville, a 12-year-old and an 11-year-old, charged with felony counts of criminal sexual abuse and criminal sexual assault against an 11-year-old schoolmate. According to police, the incident occurred Nov. 11, 2008, in an unsupervised home. The students all attended Naperville's Gregory Middle School in Indian Prairie Unit District 204. One of the boys accused in the incident has since transferred to neighboring Naperville Unit District 203, but the other alleged attacker and the alleged victim remain at Gregory. Democrats on the House Juvenile Justice Reform Committee balked at the proposed bill Wednesday, saying it would give school districts too much control. The bill needed five votes to proceed to the House floor and lost in a 4-3 vote that went strictly along party lines. "What happened in that committee room was shameful, partisan and it was pretty much insensitive to everyone in the room. Many people in the audience were left in tears," Senger said. "My Democrat colleagues seemed to have a lack of empathy for the case at hand." Indian Prairie school board member Curt Bradshaw joined the alleged victim's father testifying before the committee Wednesday. He called the hearing productive, despite the outcome. "Ultimately (Senger) fell just one vote short of an entirely different outcome," Bradshaw said. "With just a little crafting and massaging, I get the feeling she could convince even the opponents that this needs to get done." Before reintroducing the bill next week, Senger said, she intends to narrow the list of felonies it includes to those of the most serious nature and to indicate that sending a student to an alternative school would be a last resort. "I feel optimistic so I'm going to give it a try again next week and hope Springfield doesn't again treat me like a new kid on the block," she said. "I also hope my being a Republican does not stand in the way of finding a solution to this horrible issue our schools are forced to deal with." Bradshaw said a key to success may be convincing lawmakers that alternative schooling is a tool, not a punishment. "Some who opposed this had the belief that moving a child from the traditional school setting is giving up on them," Bradshaw said. "That couldn't be further from the truth because keeping them in a school instead of on the street is only increasing their chances to be a productive citizen." www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=277108&src=76
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Post by cocrt21 on Mar 7, 2009 9:11:35 GMT -5
Do something constructive ... get the violet felons out of our schools. sign the petition, forward to your friends www.senger.ilhousegop.org/?page_id=102Senger hopes signatures will sway legislators By Justin Kmitch | Daily Herald Staff Published: 3/7/2009 12:07 AM State Rep. Darlene Senger plans to save gas on her next trip to Springfield by not packing a bus full of supporters. Instead, she hopes to have her arms full of signatures. The rookie Republican legislator from Naperville said she intends to present as many signatures as she can collect before Monday afternoon, to the same Illinois House committee that turned her away Wednesday evening. Senger said Friday evening that volunteers have been calling and stopping by on a constant basis since the committee narrowly rejected her amendment to the state's Safe Schools Act. She proposed allowing school districts to immediately transfer students charged with juvenile or felony crimes to an alternative educational program. Democrats on the House Juvenile Justice Reform Committee balked at the proposed bill Wednesday, saying it would give school districts too much control. The bill needed five votes to proceed to the House floor and lost in a 4-3 vote that went strictly along party lines. Senger's proposal was in response to a case involving two boys from Naperville, a 12-year-old and an 11-year-old, charged with felony counts of criminal sexual abuse and criminal sexual assault against an 11-year-old schoolmate. According to police, the incident occurred Nov. 11, 2008, in an unsupervised home. The students all attended Naperville's Gregory Middle School in Indian Prairie Unit District 204. One of the boys accused in the incident has since transferred to neighboring Naperville Unit District 203, but the other alleged attacker and the alleged victim remain at Gregory. "People I don't even know have been coming in looking to do anything to help out so we're starting a petition drive on the Web site where people can give their support and feel like they're helping," Senger said Friday night. "Whatever signatures I have on the Web and those that were printed and circulated, I'll take those back to committee with me on Thursday." Before reintroducing the bill Thursday, Senger said, she intends to narrow the list of felonies it includes to those of the most serious nature and to indicate that sending a student to an alternative school would be a last resort. And she hopes to have quite a few signatures to back her up. "I don't have a specific goal but I want to properly represent the sentiment we're feeling here in the community," she said. "If we get 1,000 or 5,000 (signatures) that really says we're serious here and that our priority here is our children."
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Post by WeNeed3 on Mar 7, 2009 9:14:12 GMT -5
Thanks for the info, cocrt21. She needs everyone's support on this. I suggest you forward this to anyone you know who is outside of this area. If parents from all districts support this, it will mean volumes.
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Post by wvhsparent on Mar 7, 2009 9:47:48 GMT -5
I signed. I recall they did firm up the language a bit to keep it from running afowl of the Civil Rights folks.
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Post by cocrt21 on Mar 7, 2009 9:52:57 GMT -5
Yes the language will be for only violent/force felonies.
Nobody complained about civil rights and due process when the original code passed extending the current privilege to staff and teachers. That a student accused of violence aganst a teacher or staff may be removed.
Now Rep Senger wants to extend the "privilege" to students. Arent they the reason we are all here? Arent they at least as important?
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Post by eb204 on Mar 7, 2009 10:05:29 GMT -5
I'll sign it and I would be happy to forward this on to people outside this district. I have several family members who are teachers outside of this district as well as friends in other neighboring districts. We all need to get behind this and do something constructive.
Thanks for the info. cocrt!
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Post by WeNeed3 on Mar 7, 2009 11:00:33 GMT -5
Yes the language will be for only violent/force felonies. Nobody complained about civil rights and due process when the original code passed extending the current privilege to staff and teachers. That a student accused of violence aganst a teacher or staff may be removed. Now Rep Senger wants to extend the "privilege" to students. Arent they the reason we are all here? Arent they at least as important? That is amazing. A teacher would have more power to defend himself/herself against a student than a fellow student would. Seems like the current law kind of discriminates against the children! Those that commit an offense against a teacher are moved but those students luck out if they abuse a fellow student! I had no idea this was the case. Thanks for clarifying.
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Post by cocrt21 on Mar 7, 2009 11:18:04 GMT -5
Yes the teachers have a powerful lobby, the students have the Illinois State PTA - who do you think gets more things into the state school code?
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Post by WeNeed3 on Mar 7, 2009 11:38:47 GMT -5
Yes the teachers have a powerful lobby, the students have the Illinois State PTA - who do you think gets more things into the state school code? What is the IL State PTA's view on this?
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Post by cocrt21 on Mar 7, 2009 11:44:02 GMT -5
Senger has said that IL PTA is supportive but requested that non violent felonies (i.e theft over $300) be excluded. Head of IPPC was in Springfield in support of bill.
Senger has modified per the DailyHerald article.
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Post by wvhsparent on Mar 7, 2009 11:50:04 GMT -5
BTW cocrt. I hope you understand I have nothing against you at all.
I DO support Senger's bill, and have signed on. I am just trying to play devil's advocate a bit, so that they get it right. It does us no good if they pass the bill and it gets shot down on Civil rights issues
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Post by WeNeed3 on Mar 7, 2009 11:50:24 GMT -5
Senger has said that IL PTA is supportive but requested that non violent felonies (i.e theft over $300) be excluded. Head of IPPC was in Springfield in support of bill. Senger has modified per the DailyHerald article. Good to know. Thank you for keeping us informed.
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Post by cocrt21 on Mar 7, 2009 11:58:27 GMT -5
Other states have already adopted this. Texas only requires that "the superintendent has a reasonable belief that the student has engaged in conduct punishable as a violent felony" for OFF CAMPUS conduct, to require MANDATORY placement in an alternative education program. www.atpe.org/protection/workingwithothers/studdisc.asp
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