This morning's Tribune includes a fascinating little story (Teacher's biting blog stirs storm) about how a Fenger teacher's angry blog (Fast Times at Regnef High) may have led to the teachers' departure from the school -- and a renewed awareness about the problems Fenger faces.
One thing, however: the story (by Tracy Dell'Angela) states that the blog was taken down after it was discovered, but that was apparently not permanent. Click here to see what Regnef had to say, or click below if the links stop working. (Just so you know, I'm told this may be a repost of the original blog, not the original itself.)
It's angry and inappropriate stuff, to be sure, but also a real-world look into a troubled urban school like relatively few have experienced for more than a day or two. I say, read for yourself, think for yourself -- and tell Regnef I want to interview him about what happened.
Crying Wolf
Aptly titled, it's what we do best here at
Regnef.In a literal sense, this could be verified via the 5 false fire alarms
this week alone. 2 on Friday March 31, 2 on Thursday March 30, and 1 earlier in
the week. Nothing like 30 minute breaks in the courtyard to negate the rare
actual 5 day work week! (well, almost a full week - Friday was a 1/2 day).
You see at Regnef, every Monday is a
holiday/day off - whether Pulaski Day, Martin L. King Day, President's Day, Lincoln's birthday,
Columbus Day...the list goes on and on. Ironically, I doubt that any of those
we "honor" if given the option, would elect to close schools. These
men were big on education. They would be the type to say "have school on
Saturday to honor me". But nope - at Regnef we close the doors, and the
students don't know a lick about MLK or Lincoln, DEFINITELY not a thing about
Pulaski, and can't name all the presidents, let alone honor them.
Naturally, this just MIGHT be the reason
that students don't ever beleive they're actually in school. With so many 3 day
weekends, 4 days of school doesn't seem like much to put forth effort toward.
This is, of course, not counting the fact that Regnef has record low attendance
on Fridays and Mondays due to "student imposed" holidays; that is,
they just don't feel like coming to school.
Let me get back on track: crying wolf; the
5 false fire alarms in 1 week. Note, there were several in the previous 2 weeks
as well. I'd guesstimate about a dozen or so this year alone. Not sure how much
that costs the school in terms of fines, but one thing it definitely earns is
the scorn of firefighters. Can you blame them?I mentioned the gathering in the
courtyard during alarms. This is apparantly a new security procedure - since
there have been several violent incidents this week in which they evacuated via
standard routes and the usual street mob gathering ended up in an ambulance
being called.
As yes, I love the courtyard. I somehow
doubt that evacuating 1,200 students from the building via only 3 exits to the
courtyard would be the most timely way to save lives if there were a real fire,
but it's the new standard. Highlights today included students smoking weed
while leaning against the assistant principal's vehicle and local neighborhood
gangbangers jumping the fence to get into the courtyard.
Additionally, a new "trouble
shooter" has been called upon to assist Regnef. The gentleman won't really
say what his position is, and has no title. When asked, he said "I do
whatever the principal needs". He usually walks the halls with a
walkie-talkie, but you have to wonder if it's a front and he's really reporting
back about the teachers. All good surveillance needs better counter
surveillance. Then again, maybe he really is here to help. Time will tell. A
formal introduction to the staff might be a more professional angle to take,
instead of just showing up and walking the halls.
More smoke and mirrors: Regnef has a new
group of tough-talking security guards in suits that mostly intimidate and
bluff the students with empty threats. Nothing like calling in the cavalry in
the 26th week of school to make sure the place runs as it should.
How about those security cameras? They
rock. The amount of fellatio performed and drugs sold in the stairwells
continues to grow, since there are no cameras there and security sure won't
walk the stairs. Walking/rotating patrols are not a standard security procedure
here at Regnef. Instead, our guards like to sit on desks or chairs and chat on
their cell phones. Their behavioral patterns are predictable and known by
students; when they take lunch, when they sleep, and which guards will let you
do whatever you want. Additionally, because they do not rotate, guards become
friendly with students. The students give false respect in return for the favor
of walking the halls, selling snacks and cd's, and treating teachers in
whatever fashion they deem appropriate. (usually the same way an interrogator
may treat a hostage at Gitmo or Abu-Ghraib). The guards are neighborhood locals
who may be friends of the students' families, church members, or dating a
relative. The loyalty is to the hood, not the school. The administration at
Regnef need to understand and change this.
Then again, "you get what you pay
for". That was the explanation offered up by Regnef's principal in
response to some teacher's laptop being stolen from a locked classroom. This
guy's was the 6th of the year -all from locked classrooms. That students were
recorded on camera either picking a lock or using a key for entry (believe me,
they're not skilled enough to pick a lock because that skill acquisition
actually requires discipline, patience, and practice). This means they have
keys. Wonder who they get those from? Could it be the teachers who regularly
have the students selling candy bought at wholesale for
"fundraisers"? True, a rare few fundraisers are legitimate efforts at
raising money for teams that are denied the basic finances to buy needed
equipment. The shame is that teachers have no real knowledge as how to fundraise
or win grants properly. Most times, however, there is simply an arrangement
that the student will share 1/2 the profit with the supplier (teache r with a
Costco card). There are teachers in schools with an army of student
"salespeople" working for them who make literally thousands of
dollars yearly on these ventures. How embarassing.
Back to theft at Regnef: kids with keys,
security and administration with no accountability. Apparantly it was a
teacher's fault last week when a borrowed LCD projector was stolen from a
locked classroom. This teacher was informed of his tremendous faults, while
volunteering at the school on a Sat. morning, by the principal. (This poor sap
is one of those who had a laptop stolen and was told that the solution was to
claim it on homeowner's insurance because the school wasn't responsible).
Granted, it was passed from colleage to colleague (the library where it was
checked out and to be returned to is notoriously closed or unattended) and that
ain't right. But later, the LCD was mysteriously "returned". Turns
out that one of the coaches, who in some abstract way feigns security guard
status, errand runner for the "discipline office" (or just hangs out
in there) had "borrowed" the projector from a locked classroom to
watch game film with it. The reamed-out teacher is still waiting for that
admission or a quasi-apology of sorts from the principal, but it won't come.
And what exactly does that coach do at Regnef anyway? (besides re-locate
expensive equipment without telling anyone.) No one really knows. In fact, does
anyone know if any of the disciplinarians or security "experts"
indeed HAVE any expertise or training? The head of discipline was a band
teacher for over 20 years, until this year when appointed to head of the
discipline office. That expertise must have been gained overnight or in some
super-seminar. Perhaps this very well-paid official can teach Regnef's
criminals how to play the trumpet, because consequences sure aren't being
taught.
On the security note: When the A.P. was
asked today "why can't cell phones, hats, hoodies, and music players be
confiscated on the way in the door when bags are scanned and students go
through the metal detectors, for later retreival by parents?", the answer
was: "we're doing what we can to get to June 16, those are things that
maybe we'll consider for next year." Nevermind that this is a policy that
can be implemented in a matter of days. Nevermind that it would likely greatly
reduce these problems:- students texting or calling one another to schedule
fights, fellatio, drug deals, or notifying one another as to the location of
security personnel so they can be avoided.- students calling outsiders during
false alarms who deliver weapons to the school - like the gun earlier this
week.- students ignoring staff because they are listening to their music
players- the sale of illegally copied cd's by students (and staff)- students
calling their friends and baby-daddies during class.
These are things staff must deal with in
the halls of Regnef everyday. But instead, the administrative priority is to
station staff in front of fire alarm boxes so they can't be pulled. Don't mind
the fights occuring in the now-unattended classrooms, the textbooks, chalk,
erasers, and people being thrown out of windows, the vandalism, or the theft of
teacher items. A band-aid is better than a cure; that's the attidude at Regnef.
I wonder if secretly there is no
confidence that security can handle a task as simple as contraband
confiscation? Or a fear that security may in fact steal the items? Or are they
so worried that this may generate media attention from inconvenienced parents
who have to retreive their little darling's electronics and gang-banging hoodie
and hat of choice, or may attempt to hold the school liable via bogus lawsuit
threats for lost or stolen items? The fact is, Regnef has no idea as to its
legal procedural rights. Confiscation of contraband is one of them.
And why institute a standard blue/white
dress code? I mean, it's so much more fun to decipher which gang is being represented
by appropriately chosen colors, teams, symbols, etc. Amazing - 83% of the
school gets government paid free or reduced (about 40 cents) breakfast/lunch,
but 83% of the students at Regnef can also somehow afford $100 NBA jerseys,
several pairs of gym shoes, and some really hideous fake-fur pimp-coats that
look to be constructed of road kill. And there's nothing more appealing than
the young ladies who wear their full pregnant bellies with pride, tiny half
t-shirts proudly displaying that sexy newly attained protrusive belly button
and mammaries, and the new "ink of the week". Lots of student names
being tattooed on backs, necks, arms, and wrists. In case they forget who they
are. And "Fuck the Ville!" "Dirty 130's run this bitch!"
"GDN!" (Gangster Disciples Nation, for those less in-tuned to the
local gang acronyms) At least, that's what the airbrus hed t-shirts that are
allowed in Regnef say! That is, the ones that don't have pictures of handguns
or serve as cotton tombstones letting us all know that "Lil' Wayne, gone
but never forgotten, RIP 1993- 2000".
Dress code? Bah! Regnef loves it this
way!The saga continues: 2 teachers cars with tires flattened this week. 3 weeks
ago, a young guy had his car window bricked (for the second time) and his door
smashed. Course, his hubcaps were stolen months ago. Am I repeating myself?
And the violence! Who doesn't love a good
stand-off between a teacher and a 19 year old 260 lb. special ed student (who
Regnef supposedly "can't" kick out because of the SPED designation)?
There's nothing like a man-child balling his fists and screaming "I'ma
beat your motherfucking white bitch ass, motherfucker, I'll kill you, I will
shot your fucking ass you fucking white bitch" when a teacher asks him to
evacuate the building during a fire alarm. Naturally, if that teacher were to
defend himself verbally or physically, the kid's mom will be at the school, the
teacher will be investigated, and that's that. There is the mistakenly held
notion that "self-defense" means one must wait until the other
"throws the first punch" in order to take action. This is incorrect.
An individual has the legal right to defend him/herself in a hostile situation
when an aggressor places the subject in a position in which immediate safety is
compromised.
To all the Johnny Cochran wanna-be p
arents and students out there: think again. You'll be a laughed out of court.
And to the administrators that think a teacher can "never" put hands
on a student, you too should reconsider that the lawsuit faced because you have
verbalized instructions that result in teacher injury ("reactive"
self defense instead of "proactive" self-defense) will be much
greater than the pathetic attempt at prosecution of a properly responding staff
member. The State doesn't even want to pursue a case in which, on camera, a
student moves agressively toward a teacher and creates a hostile confrontation.
If you tell a teacher to not act until acted upon, that teacher may be stabbed
or seriously hurt before they feel they have a right to defend themselves. Now
THAT's lawsuit potential! It's techinically called "failing to provide a
safe working environment", and it will be taken seriously by the courts -
especially given Regnef's reputation.
And what better to couple with violence
than a serious drug problem? The student caught last month possessing enough
marijuana to distribute to the whole junior class (about 10 oz) was suspended
for 10 days. Not arrested. Not prosecuted. Why not? Because the school police
officers were at the police station processing a previous in-school arrest (I'm
convinced they are among the hardest workers at Regnef - likely because school
politic consequences mean nothing to them; they are the police, and they do
their job) and the security staff failed to search the dealer properly.
posted
by regnef @ 12:29 PM
At 6:37 PM, Anonymous said...
who eva this is yall is bogus i bet i know
who this is!!!!!!!!!!!!!
viva la blog
Posted by: | April 22, 2006 at 02:57 PM
Now this is a blog!
Posted by: | April 22, 2006 at 03:22 PM
I read the Tribune story today and then read the actual blog.
The sad thing is, I grew up in Roseland back in the 60's and early 70's and will never forget going to Fenger one summer for a math and typing class. I say sad, because at one time this area was a thriving community with well-kept up houses, including trimmed bushes and mowed lawn, safe neighborhoods, schools and businesses. People went to work, kids went to schools, and I might add didn't have sex in the stair-wells, $100 jersey's, or belong to a gang, and best of all there weren't any juvenile delinquents or should I say thugs, like there are now!
But getting back to Fenger, and my own personal experience. One day, while I was in the math class, the teacher, a White woman by the name of Lucy P. had turned her back and was writing something on the blackboard and suddenly without warning or provocation a Black guy that was sitting next to me threw a blackboard eraser directly at her. She turned around in stunned amazement and then got ahold of the disciplinarian. That's when they actually had one and actually did the job they were paid for! BTW, this was over 30 years ago and I still remember that incident like it was yesterday. That ugly experience told me more about the real version of race relations that you never read about or see on TV.
My point is, this was my first (of many) real experiences with racism. Not the White/Black kind that the media usually portrays, but the Black/White kind that they hardly ever portray. I say hardly ever because I really can't recall when the media, which includes the Sun-Times, Tribune, Channels 2, 5, 7, 9, 11, or 32 ever reporting a story, including Tracy Dell'Angela, on reverse racism. Oh my! I actually said it. Reverse racism, what a radical concept!! It happens all the time... just never gets reported.
Just wondering when the media outlets are going to be "fair and balanced" like they portray themselves to be?? The operative word here is portray. They're kind of like actors, always portraying.
Probably never. No one ever reports the other side, what I like to call the real side. I certainly didn't see it in Tracy's column??
I have a suggestion, how about changing the reporter's slogan to unfair and not balanced!! I think that would be more appopriate. It might even sell more newspapers, at least it would be believable.
But once again, getting back to Fenger. Am I surprised to read about all the problems. No. It's just the same old racism, but now it's at a much more accelerated pace than it was 30 years ago. And just so there's no confusion, the racism is on the part of the students or should I say thugs.
Posted by: solo | April 22, 2006 at 04:31 PM
I read the Tribune story today and then read the actual blog.
The sad thing is, I grew up in Roseland back in the 60's and early 70's, and will never forget going to Fenger one summer for a math and typing class. I say sad, because at one time this area (Roseland) was a thriving community with well-kept up houses, including trimmed bushes and mowed lawns, safe neighborhoods, schools and businesses. People went to work, kids went to school, and I might add, didn't have sex in the stair-wells, guns, knives, $100 jersey's, or belong to a gang, or disrespect teachers, and best of all there weren't any juvenile delinquents or should I say illiterate thugs, like there are now!
Update, I was recently in the neighborhood (at least half a dozen times) to take pictures of the school. All I saw were kids hanging out of the windows, milling around near the stairs in groups, walking, or hanging around on corners aimlessly without purpose. I only felt safe enough to get out of my car because several police cars now surround the school !
But getting back to Fenger, and my own personal experience. One day, while I was in the math class, the teacher, a softspoken White woman by the name of Lucy P. had turned her back and was writing something on the blackboard and suddenly without warning or provocation a Black guy that was sitting next to me threw a blackboard eraser directly at her. She turned around in stunned amazement and then got ahold of the disciplinarian. That's when they actually had one and actually did the job they were paid for! BTW, this was over 30 years ago and I still remember that incident like it was yesterday. That ugly experience taught me more about the "real" state of race relations, the one that you never read about in the Trib, or see on the sanitized TV version of the evening news.
My point is, this was my first (of many) real experiences with racism. Not the White/Black kind that the media usually portrays, but the Black/White kind that they hardly ever portray. I say hardly ever, because I really can't recall when the media, which includes the Sun-Times, Tribune, Channels 2, 5, 7, 9, 11, or 32 ever reporting a story, including Tracy Dell'Angela, on reverse racism. Oh my! I actually said it. Reverse racism, what a radical concept!! It happens all the time... just never gets reported.
Just wondering when the media outlets are going to be "fair and balanced" like they portray themselves to be?? The operative word here is portray. They're kind of like actors, always portraying. Probably never. No one ever reports the other side, what I like to call the "real" side. I certainly didn't see it in Tracy's column??
I have a suggestion, how about changing the media slogan to unfair and not balanced? I think that would be more appopriate. It might even sell more newspapers, at least it would be believable. Maybe it would increase the dwindling readership they're now experiencing?? That manipulation newspapers use to get away with, and I might add made a lot of money off of, you know, where instead of reporting a story that was really gray they turned it into something that was more black and white to sell more newspapers, is finally catching up with them. The "real" news is now being written and reported on in the blogs.
But once again, getting back to Fenger. Am I surprised to read about all the problems? No. It's just the same old racism, but now it's at a much more accelerated rate than it was 30 years ago. And just so there's no confusion, the "real" racism is on the part of the students, or should I say thugs, administrators and unecessary service personnel! That story is not being reported in what's known as the "traditional media", or the fakes as I call them.
Surprised? I'm not!
Posted by: solo | April 22, 2006 at 05:31 PM
A critical situation overlooked regarding the security is true at many schools. The security is the neighborhood locals, friends,boy friends. Rather than patrol they cluster together, sit in chairs and talk on cell phones. Behavorial patterns know by students. They don't confiscate cell phones and other items as students come through the detector. A survey of many high schools you will find the same patttern. If security had assigned areas to patrol the principal wouldn't have to assign teachers at the alarm boxes. A major problem.
Posted by: | April 23, 2006 at 10:48 AM
I know Fenger and there are good and bad things going on there. What strikes me, however, is that the central office is running around, totally consumed with this reorg and none of the current leaders, (Mitchell, Maheley, Whelan, Swanson, Eastwood, Bugler, Vitale, Duncan, Runcie, Stanton, etc.) have even the most rudimentary clue about Chicago neighborhood high schools. Have they ever spent some time at these schools? Have they ever tried to teach a course at these schools, or any schools for that matter?
I am appalled at the disconnect between the realities of teaching and the agendas of the leaders at CPS. It is depressing.
Posted by: | April 23, 2006 at 07:16 PM
The re-org is only moving deck chairs around once in place there will be no new knowledge that will impact student learning. "In Chicago we have worked hard to develop what we think is one of the most thoughtful and comprehensive approaches to high school reform in the nation," said Duncan. A new curriculum will change nothing at most high schools. The re-org should be about changing leadership at the very top.
Posted by: | April 24, 2006 at 09:39 AM
I'm a teacher. I taught at southside schools. I can't say I think this guy's attitude is totally appropriate- he sometimes lashes out at the student body in too general of a sense. Yes, things are-pardon my blue language, but sometimes only expletives can convey the depth of the situation- totally fucked up. Even in dire situations, i don't think it's a positive thing to alienate an entire population because some of them have problems, and probably reasonably so. That said, a lot of people have no idea the myriad of problems or corruption in these situations. I read the blog, and, while the tone makes me itch, if only for the good students who might read it and feel disillusioned, I can't say anything he spoke of surprised me or rang untrue. If we are to put trust in the CPS, machine, which perhaps, or most definately,we should not, shouldn't they do more to support their own enterprise? It's about time we stop bitching and start doing. I am guilty of the bitching part- we all might be. But I think we might have more power than we realize. It's depressing to see a teacher become disillusioned with a clearly flawed system, but maybe if we are loud enough, it can change. I can't and don't want to live in a world where that isn't true. I certainly may be disillusioning myself to think that things WILL change, but given the choice, I pick the proactive one.
Posted by: the tourist | April 25, 2006 at 08:00 PM
Now, THAT being said, watch out fat cat MF's in CPS, the proletariat are getting hungry, and you've got all the cake. Challenge your teachers- if they can't help you, they will refer you to the principal, or go there directly. If you get the run around, go to the Local School Council and make some noise. If they don't got game, call the principal's boss. That might not be enough. Call the press. How? Not sure, but I'm gonna find out.
Posted by: the tourist | April 25, 2006 at 08:10 PM
This is actually true there are gang fights that start on fridays & do not end till monday morning. Kids are arrested in herds taken to The 22nd police district. Who runs the school the students not the principal/administration. I have seen it w my two eyes. Kids walking in going through the metal detectors smelling like bud & commenting to one another about it. Cellphones being used down the hallways. they do not search & investigate the situation. Their loyalty to the gangs & neighborhood not to the kids & their jobs. They are not protecting the future nurses, doctors lawyers they are protecting the remnants of drugs, crime,sex & collecting a paycheck. Is this why you send your children 2 school? HELL NO! We send them there to get a education so that they can accomplish things in life. Fenger should been on the list to close! Maybe next year?????
Back in january the freshman class was not allow to school unless their parents had to come with them & be told that their child is failing. 80% of the class of 2009 was failing in the second marking period due to lack of attendance. These kids decided to come school now & request or demand extra credit so that they could recieve at least a D(passing). Also since the last gang fight in January at least 20 students were arrested/suspended & sent home w no homework assignments for 3 weeks!!!!How do you expect them to pass. State laws state that is you miss a certain amt of days you cannot become a soph,jr ,sr or better yet graduate. Go online to the CPS website & take a look at their report card & tell me are the kids LEARNING? I got my child the hell out of there. Her safety & education is very IMPORTANT to me.
Posted by: some who cares | April 25, 2006 at 11:38 PM
What a disgusting bunch of comments. I hope they aren't coming from teachers. If they are, it's no wonder that only 6% of our kids are graduating college.
Posted by: | April 26, 2006 at 02:00 PM
yes i read school news on the internet,yes i am black and i go to fenger,some of the stuff is true but some of it wast a damn lie no students ever have sex on the stairwells and no people dont have spray painted shirts that say fuck the ville and all that.just because the ville was fighting with the dirty 1-30,s (argeal gardens for paeople who dont no)the didnt have shirts of disrespect,anyway everbody knows who the teacher was so i dont got to say his name,and i thought he was cool but i guess not.anyway no other teacher complains that hard about the schoo and to me i think he was a punk and could handle the situations,he might as well start his own school or somethin so he wont bitch or nuthin,but now he supid cuz he out of a job and i hope he dont get another one,so fuck u mr. D erbody else no the rest.
Posted by: dont worry about it | September 05, 2006 at 11:51 PM
Digital literacy amongst our young people is wonderful. Actual literacy would be even better. Preview, proof, and drop all that darn profanity. A sharp tongue and an empty mind often reside in the same head.
Posted by: Sharon Smith | October 26, 2006 at 02:20 AM
What a cuntry!
I called 3 different elementry schools this week...and the principal for each school was on "sick leave" (blue cross, blue shield)..."don't ya know". My 5yr. old son who attends Kozminski Elem. school (only white student in the entire school)was sexualy (once) abused and twice physically assaulted in less than 90 day, after attending the same school for 1.5 years... has been profiled as an outcast "minority". Now let's remember "the best interest of the child" focus , and as a highly responsible father...a mid term transfer to one of two (same distric) schools with a more multi-cultured format and secure setting would be in order??? ---- NO! ...I was told by the big wiggs of the most concerned CPS union members. "January 15th is the final day of registation for next fall, or transfer students". I am so sorry for all the CPS shit for brain upper hand reps. I do not find any gain in bringing the CPS board to court, I am not that kind of person, but I will expose this form of reverse discrimination and negligence (of the union members,teachers ,principal, etc.)no reports and no notification to my son's mother or to myself. CPS forgot to do their homework, I have direct contact to AM,FM,local and international television folks, should I let them know? M.A.S.
Posted by: Mark A. Studney | February 01, 2007 at 12:24 AM