I CAN DIE A HAPPY MAN
I can now officially die a happy man. One of my crazy ideas has actually been adopted by a group of charter schools. I wish it would now be implemented in our true public schools. The Noble Network of Charter Schools, which runs ten city high schools, has raised nearly $200,000 from disciplinary fees last year and almost $400,000 since the 2008-09 school year. The schools charge $5 for minor disciplinary infractions like having untied shoelaces or dozing off in class. The strict student code issues a detention for infractions such as chewing gum, possessing soft drinks, eating chips, not tucking in a shirt after being warned and carrying a permanent marker. The three-hour after-school detention comes with a $5 fee and can include a silent study period, behavior improvement work or chores. More than 12 detentions lands students in a $140 discipline class.
Of course the parents have been protesting and complaining about the excessive discipline code. Of course we will never see this in normal public schools, but at least it happened somewhere, and I can die a happy man.
The Noble Network CEO said that by focusing on smaller disciplinary issues, the charter operator keeps a lid on violence. “We maybe have one fight per year, per campus,” he said. “It’s an incredibly safe environment… and
