Late Boys & Girls Turned Away From Boys & Girls High?

2008_05_boysgirlshs.jpgSome tardy students at Boys and Girls High School in Brooklyn tell the Post they aren't being allowed inside the school when they arrive late. And since they can't get into the school, many decide to skip out the whole day.

Additionally, some students who have been late numerous times are facing other punishment: Some are suspended, prompting some to just ditch the day--"I'm not gonna go there and get suspended. I guess I'm not going to school now."--and one student says her ID was taken away "before she was sent away for coming late for the sixth time since September."

School officials denied that all latecomers are denied entry, but Principal Spencer Holder, who believes some late students are just using that excuse to avoid school, did admit that students who were repeatedly 30 minutes or more late could be suspended if that happened more than 15 times. He said, "We do believe it's important we instill a sense of organization and structure in high-school kids."

Boys and Girls High School was given a C during the first city school report card. About 38% of students are absent, and the Post noticed one dean yelling to students at the late-entrance door, "Hats off, do-rags off, pants up!"

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Comments (12) [rss]

What's the big deal with yelling "Hats off..." and so on? If you're trying to get a large number of teenagers into the building quickly, and if they can't seem to do it on their own (despite the policy being anything but new), you need a loud method of communicating it. Otherwise, they say, "But nobody told me."

30 minutes late 15 times deserves some punishment. (Although I have always seen suspension as a reward to the majority of kids who are suspended. In-School Suspension is the way to go.) I'd say that's pretty lax, actually. If a teacher comes in 30 minutes late her/his pay is docked and they are disciplined. High school students are plenty old enough to figure out how to take the earlier train/bus - or to set an alarm clock.

"Hats off, do-rags off, pants up!"

Isn't that racist?

That happens at schools across the city. If kids show up late, they're marked absent for the entire day. If you're going to be marked absent anyway, why stick around?

Of all the incompetent government agencies in this city, the DOE has to take the cake. How can we expect the students to learn when the DOE itself is filled with half-wits and morons?

It's not racist. It's what the kids are wearing and how they are wearing it. Since when are hats and pants solely a certain race's jurisdiction? And if you actually look around, a lot of kids of many shades are wearing do-rags. They're certainly not being used for their original intention.

'...one dean yelling to students at the late-entrance door, "Hats off, do-rags off, pants up!"'

That happens at my school and we got an 'A' in the school report card.

"15 times"? And you ask what's wrong with our society, how about some personal responsibility and accountability. 3 strikes and you're out isn't an unreasonable compromise.

"15 times"? And you ask what's wrong with our society, how about some personal responsibility and accountability. 3 strikes and you're out isn't an unreasonable compromise.

And don't forget to cane! No cane no gain!

If these tardy losers want to skip school let them, maybe then the real students will be able to concentrate in class and actually learn something (and go to college, get a job, make money, move out of their parents house, raise a family).

They will skip school now, and then in 20 years when they are in jail or still living in their parents basement blame "the system" for not giving them "a chance." Losers.

Last year in Bolivia I exited my hotel one day and noticed all these school children running, some of the much younger ones had parents dragging them by their feet, but most of these school children were running by themselves as fast as they could. I turned to the bellhop and asked why are all these little school kids in such a hurry, his reply "if they don't get into the school before the last bell, the school shuts the door in their face and they are forced to go home." I stood and watch all these little kids running as fast as they could to make it in before the last bell. After the last bell rang, there were about 3 kids that were sent away with the most worried and dissappointed look on their faces.

If young children in Bolivia can realize the importance of school and how it's a privilege, then I don't see why we have to put any extra effort to make these BK students go to school. Let those idiots rot in life.

Getting to school on time should be mandatory. It teaches you to take education seriously and to eventually become a responsible adult. If I get to work late, I have serious explaining to do to my boss and some docked pay to look forward to; some type of penalty has to be enforced to teach people there are consequences to their actions (or inaction)

Kids who saunter in late more than 15 times are obviously not taking their education seriously. By high school, these young adults need to account for themselves. Most have cell phones or iPods: can't they program the alarm clock these gadgets have to help wake them up?

Public schools in NYC are attempting to give the best education they can for FREE and all the school expects is for the students to at least arrive on time. If you made these kids & their parents pay for it, I bet they wouldn't be late...

With the amount of teachers that fail to teach our students what they really need to know in life, and how brainwashed society is, I don't blame the students for not showing up, If I knew all the stuff that I know now I would not have gone to high school at all. Hell even college is risky nowadays.
@ AnonEMouse
Paying to go to school would not change a thing.

I just have to say that Chief Anita Lo in the story above this one looks like Chairman Mao.

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