Dec 18, 2018, (Madison) Wisconsin State Journal: Madison School Board backs contract that would keep police officers in high schools https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/education/local_schools/madison-school-board-backs-contract-that-would-keep-police-officers/article_20b3c2a1-5dbe-581e-91ca-b6bb38482b22.html The Madison School Board on Monday backed a proposed contract that would keep police officers at Madison's four main high schools. Board members voted 4-2 in favor of the proposed contract, which would emphasize alternative disciplines instead of arresting or citing students, lay the groundwork for a new complaint procedure against the officers and require more training in areas such as autism, adolescent brain development and implicit bias. The board, though, added contract language that would give the Madison School District the ability to require an officer be replaced for cause. "The reality is things that we don't control make having (police officers) in our schools absolutely the best decision," said board president Mary Burke. "Unfortunately yes, there are downsides, unintended consequences."… More than 50 people spoke at the meeting with a large majority of them opposing SROs [School Resource Officers]. Employees of and students involved with Freedom Inc., a local social justice organization, shared their personal stories about negative interactions with police officers as they urged the board to reject the contract and put the funds for SROs toward other initiatives…. After regularly showing up at school board and committee meetings for nearly two years, several people expressed frustration, saying board members were not listening to them…. The new contract would have the school district develop a complaint procedure for students, family members and district staff to file grievances against an SRO that would be a separate process than the Police Department's complaint process….
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Childhood Lost
Children today are noticeably different from previous generations, and the proof is in the news coverage we see every day. This site shows you what’s happening in schools around the world. Children are increasingly disabled and chronically ill, and the education system has to accommodate them. Things we've long associated with autism, like sensory issues, repetitive behaviors, anxiety and lack of social skills, are now problems affecting mainstream students. Blame is predictably placed on bad parenting (otherwise known as trauma from home).
Addressing mental health needs is as important as academics for modern educators. This is an unrecognized disaster. The stories here are about children who can’t learn or behave like children have always been expected to. What childhood has become is a chilling portent for the future of mankind.
Anne Dachel, Media editor, Age of Autism
http://www.ageofautism.com/media/
(John Dachel, Tech. assist.)
What will happen in another 4 years? How can we go on like this? This is a national (and international) problem of monumental proportions. We have an entire new class of children who cannot be accommodated by the system: many are manifestly neurologically impaired. Meanwhile, the government and the medical profession sleep on regardless.
John Stone,
UK media editor, Age of Autism
The generation of American children born after 1990 are arguably the sickest generation in the history of our country.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
It seemed to me that with rising autism prevalence, you’d also see rising autism costs to society, and it turns out, the costs are catastrophic.
They calculated that in 2015 autism cost the United States $268 billion and they projected that if autism continues at its current rate, we’re looking at one trillion dollars a year in autism costs by 2025, so within five years.
Toby Rogers, PhD, Political economist
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