Students and teachers have rights in schools which is something they might not know! I know that after going through this module, there was a lot of information I learned about the rights I had as a student in school that I was just unaware of. I think that schools try and do lots of controlling of their students and the way things are run. I think many situations get swept under the rug, and young students and even teachers are told that its not a big deal and brainwashed into thinking that they were the ones in the wrong. In some situations students and teachers rise up and take a stand for their rights and we have seen that with the Tinker vs. Des Moines (1969), Bong Hits for Jesus and even Safford vs. Redding. People win and people lose but in the end it was a fight for rights and it has helped shape our education system.
As I watched the videos from the module and read the readings, I've learned there are many rights that students and teachers have that should be protected. When we take a look at the Amendments, its a great way to lay the foundation for rights and what we have as citizens.
Some rights that should remain protected for students and teachers are that they cannot be searched without reasonable suspicion and they should maintain religious rights. Freedom of speech was crossed in the case for "Bong Hits for Jesus" even though the student felt that he was just expressing himself. This was an example where the student was on school grounds and promoting drug use, which in the end resulted in losing the court case.
Students and teachers are the core of the education system and its important that they know their rights. If we can all strive to make the education world a better place for everyone then I think we will be taking steps in the right direction.
I learned so much from this unit as a student. I was unaware that student even had rights at school.I was also shocked to learn that schools don't want their students to know what rights they have. I agree with you when you said that schools can be controlling and young teachers can be brainwashed into thinking they were in the wrong in complicated situations.Teachers sometimes don't want to risk getting fired but also should stand up for what they believe is the right thing to do. Students should not be scared to go to school for any reason. School is supposed to be a safe environment for students and embrace individuality. Schools already tell students what to wear, what classes to take, when to arrive and when to leave. Students and teachers need to be more educated on their rights and know when to use them. Otherwise the school system has failed who it is created for.
ReplyDeleteHey Mashal! Yes you made a great point that teachers don't want to risk getting fired, and I honestly feel like this is where fear in the education system can stem from. Everyone just wants to do the right thing and not start anything but if we don't have people willing to sacrifice for the betterment of education then we will only be sliding back down the slippery slope.
Delete-Kenzie Jones
Hi Kenzie, great job on the post, I think it was worded beautifully. I can relate to you on the ideas that I wasn't very educated on the teacher and students rights ideas before this module. I didn't realize what a huge problem it is now and what it has been for others in the past. Schools can have a very big hold on their students and teachers and sometimes unfortunately situations do happen that get swept under the rug after its all over. I liked the application of the freedom of speech portion of your blog as well, because it really does a great job and further proving your point, as well as touching on the cases of what we learned this week. I think the Bong Hits For Jesus case gives a fantastic example of what students rights being challenged looks like. This lesson taught me a lot about what I need to know as a future educator, as well as what I need to do to look out for my students.
ReplyDeleteHey Morgan! Awe thank you so much!
DeleteI think the lesson Bong Hits for Jesus should be something that every educator or future educator is aware of and takes a look at. It can give us all a different understanding and viewpoint to rights and what we can and can't tolerate in schools.
-Kenzie Jones
Hi Kenzie!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I agree, I think it is important for both students and teachers to stand up for their rights. It is so important for students and teachers to be aware of the rights that they have. The cases that we learned about in this module were super interesting and gives a lot of insight into why certain things are the way that they are. Some of them were very surprising. Which case was the most interesting to you? I definitely agree that students and teachers have certain rights that should be protected and that unfortunately some issues are overlooked. I do think that some schools need to realize that students are people too and that they have rights just like everyone else. I think that schools should be sure to educate their students on their rights so that they are aware. I think that as future educators we should be well aware of these as well in order to create a fair environment for our students.
-Lauren
Hey Lauren! The most interesting case to me was definitely the "bong hits for Jesus." I think alot of people are going to have different opinions about this case but it was neat to see how groundbreaking in a sense this case was for all eyes.
Delete-Kenzie Jones
Growing up I never really thought about my rights as a student, I almost felt like I was controlled and going day to day based on strict rules. I wish I had known a long time ago that students had rights. I find it funny how we are supposed to have freedom of speech but sometimes get in trouble whenever we do that. In the "Bong Hits For Jesus" Case I thought it was very wrong that Frederick was suspended for just expressing his thoughts. I'm glad they took it to court however, because that just means Frederick was well aware of his rights and fought for it too, leaving behind a huge impact on both students and teachers.
ReplyDeleteHi Kenzie! I absolutely loved your post and I think you brought up a lot of great points. After this module I too was extremely shocked finding out the rights I had as a student. I went to a school where administration was very controlling so know first hand how upsetting that can be. I think that as new teachers we must get familiar with the rights we have as well as our students. The last thing I want is to be taken advantage of or have my kids treated unfairly. I feel that this is seen too often now a days but educating ourselves can help us prevent that for our future students. When we teach our students to stand up for the things they believe in and use their voice than we are bound to be heard. You did a great job on this topic!
ReplyDelete-Catarina
Hello Kenzie! I truly enjoyed getting an insight into your thoughts on what rights should be protected for students and teachers. The part where you mention, “I think that schools try and do lots of controlling of their students and the way things are run. I think many situations are swept under the rug, and young students and even teachers are told that it's not a big deal and brainwashed into thinking that they are the ones in the wrong.” The first sentence reminded me of the time my friend was placed in an Algebra class with the same teacher after she had failed the first year. So, I asked her why she didn't try to switch teachers if her learning style did not fit the first one and she said that someone that she knows had tried to do that but the administration accused her of being racist. Another situation where a teacher was placed in the wrong instead of a student is when my art ed teacher told us that one time she was with a group of students in the hallway and all of sudden something flew past them. She then went to the office to show them what happened, they then asked if anyone was hurt, my art ed teacher said luckily we did not and they just said “oh okay, that’s great.” So definitely this topic should be talked about more in schools and outside of school.
ReplyDeleteHey Elena! Its so good to see that we as future educators are being trained and having these hard conversations that might be difficult to better understand about rights in the classroom. This world needs teachers and students who are unafraid to stand up for their own rights!
ReplyDelete-Kenzie Jones
Hi Kenzie! I agree that there are many rights that students and teachers need to be educated on and should be protected by. A situation about students rights would be dress codes. When I was in school we couldn't wear shorts that were above the knee or tops that showed our shoulders, and if we did get dress coded we would be given a 3x t-shirt and basketball shorts to wear for the rest of the day and then be given ISS which was like a detention. The principle stated that it was distracting others from their education, which is wrong because I feel like it was distracting male teachers than the male classmates.
ReplyDeleteHi Kenzie,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog post for this week. I was also very informed throughout this module about the different rights that students and teachers have that I wasn't aware of before. I think your statement about the uppers in schools often wanting to remain in complete control is so true. As aspiring teachers, knowing these rights can come into play during those exact kinds of situations that may occur in our career. I also love your comment about how although some students/parents may lose or win court cases involving their rights, it is still a fight that deserves to be recognized by all so that we can understand the way our rights are organized into the current and future education system. Through this, both students and teachers will be able to freely express themselves while knowing the correct boundaries that are set for (usually) good reason.
Hello Kenzie! I loved reading through your blog. We had a very similar experience going through this module! I was also completely unaware of the different court battles that took place to grant and clarify students rights. I think it is super important information to be aware of, especially as a young student. In the case of the “bong rips for Jesus” situation, there was valid confusion as to why freedom of speech was not protected in the same way. If the student had advertised this same slogan under different circumstances, such as at a music festival or walking around town, his right to express such opinion would be entirely legal and permitted. However, because such speech was advertised at school, the rules operate entirely differently. I think it is vital that students in school are exposed to the discussions and rulings mentioned in the video because it provides a better look at the full detailed scope of the protection of their rights.
ReplyDeleteHi Kenzie! I liked how you brought up the controversial case about the Bong hits for Jesus shirt. It is easy to say freedom of speech should be respected in schools but to what extent. You mentioned we need to draw the line when it comes to drugs, alcohol or anything illegal in school grounds. This can be appropriate outside of school in any other setting but the school does have the right to draw the line there. I do believe freedom of speech should be allowed in school but of course the school has the right to set boundaries if these boundaries are reasonable.
ReplyDeleteHi Kenzie,
ReplyDeleteYou did an amazing job with this blog! I also learned a lot about the rights of a student after reading this module. I believe that everyone should have the right to freedom of speech but if they are talking about drug use on school grounds, that is a different story. I agree with what you said about situations getting swept under the rug! You do not really hear about issues like these unless there is a protest or something else to make it more public. The Bong Hits for Jesus shirt is a great example of this. Students should not be able to talk about drugs or alcohol while at school but I think there are other controversial things that they should be able to talk about that are not illegal activities. Schools try to control teachers and students by telling them exactly what they can and cannot discuss which I believe makes students want to talk about them even more. We should all be allowed to discuss topics that are important to us as long as they are not illegal or harming anyone!