Problems with a School ID

My school is much less of a school than it is a joke, and the problems within will be pointed out at the end but illustrated through the story, so please take the time to read this. Long story short something needs to be done. A deep look raises technical questions as well as moral questions, answers and solutions I hope to find here within the thoughts of the ATS entity.

I attend a public high school in the city of Jacksonville, Florida. For those who don't know it's on the southeastern peninsula of the United States. I take Advanced Placement (AP) and Honors classes to prepare me for college. The alarm clock woke me up this morning at 5:30, but "five more minutes" quickly turned into 6 am, and a 30 minute rush to the big yellow bus. When I had arrived at The Joke, I realized I had forgotten a safety device so vital to my well being, that any teacher in their right mind would not admit me inside the classroom without it. My school ID. A loop of string going through a hole punched in a little piece of plastic that has my mug on it. That way it lets the administrators and teachers know I'm not a bad guy disguised as a student. The IDs were implemented because the people in school that are trying to harm you NEVER will ever have access to string, plastic and a photocopier. Also because the people out to harm you are also, NEVER another student. Anything in the name of safety. Right?

I walked into 1st period (before the bell) and the teacher asks me to put on my ID ("On and visible!") and a quick conversation ends with me walking to the Dean's to get an ID referall so I could come back to class. Upon arrival, I am told I don't receive detention anymore or even an ID referall, I get to spend my entire day in In-School Suspension (ISS). This is because there is no way I could safely learn without it. Right?

As I passed my first period, the teacher (who had waited at the door for me to return, even after the bell had rung) asked where I was going. "They're sending me to ISS for the day," I say. The statement was replied with something muttered under the teacher's breath with a tone of annoyance for the Administration (those who make the rules at The Joke). When I got settled in the ISS room, I was handed a packet of work. The work for ISS is basically mandatory essays that if arent finished in the four periods of the day, they will be finished on the next day and so on, until complete. When I was halfway done with the first essay, I realized something. I came to school to go to class, maybe even learn something. I didn't come to do essays that have no academic value. I then made up my mind to go to second period, ID or not. It's an elective, and the teacher doesn't ask for the all important ID. Besides, I can't get in trouble for going to class. Right?

Soon enough the bell rings for second period and I stand up and start walking. I hear "Sit down! Whatcha doin' boy?!" from a short old black man as I calmly and politely place the work packet on his desk. I say "I'm going to class," as I turn to leave. I hear footsteps matching mine as I walk out the door. In the hall a few steps from the door I feel him grab my arm. "Go back an' sit down!" the teacher yells. I take my arm back, keeping pace. He gets in front of me, and sticks his arms out in an effort to block my path. "Excuse me, sir.... excuse me sir." I repeat. This is when I notice one of the security guards, a 6 ft black man in his 20s, less than 5 feet away.
"Let him go."
"Take 'em down and write 'em up! Ay boy, where you tryna' go?!"
"I'm going to class."
"Cayn't without no ID so go back"
"I'll take him to [the school resource officer]."
"Betta' not try and leave campus or there'll be a lot mo' than just [the school resource officer]."

(Continued on next page)

'Security' walked me about twenty feet before we started talking. He had asked me why I walked out and I explained that I never should have been there, and just want to go to class to keep a passing grade. He says now I'm probably going to get out of school suspension and that kids have no respect for authority. I tell him that leaving my ID at home was a mistake and I shouldn't be punished for going to class. He says that when you break rules there are consequences and to come with him to the office. I convince him to get me from class when the paperwork is finished, then I gave him my name and my second period class. After that I spent second period doing my work and talking quietly. No one came to get me. I then had to figure out what I was going to do after lunch for third period because that teacher wont let me in knowingly without an ID. I had two choices, skip and go to all lunches, or Machiavelli my way inside the classroom. Last time I forgot it I had to have a friend distract him. But that's okay though, just because a student has to sneak in class doesn't mean there's anything wrong with school policy. Right?

At lunch I met a friend who was in the same situation I was in, no ID. He was choosing to skip and go to all lunches. Now, ask a student if they would rather go to ISS for the rest of the day or choose to go to all lunches and then go to fourth period. Skip of course, and not alone. Not only would not having an ID cause one student to avoid class, but it would also cause the student's close friends to skip class. My third period happened to be AP US History, and missing a lecture isn't exactly the brightest thing to do. Knowing this, I decided to sneak into class. After lunch I waited for the biggest person and shadowed them closely trying to stay out of the line of sight of the teacher. This was a horrible attempt and I failed gracefully lol. I asked the teacher if I could just sit in class and but he still sent me out with a smile. Not going back to ISS, I looked for a bathroom to go spend the next twenty minutes until second lunch. I then found students roaming the halls talking. Unknown to me until now, you could walk the halls during class with no fear of security giving you a referall for skipping. I kept walking until I suddenly noticed there was no students around. I turn down the hall to my right and see 'Security', a different guy from earlier. He asks where I'm going and I tell him ISS. He says nothing else, so I just keep walking. I turn down a hall, and another one (the second one was not in the ISS room's direction). Then, I looked out the window and turned around to see the same security guard sitting on a table staring at me, talking to himself. As I got closer, I realized he wasn't talking to himself, but another student skipping, about football. I walked by without him even saying a word to me. That's fine though, security shouldn't question a young man walking the halls during class with no hall pass. Right?

Second lunch came and went, and I spent the time between that and the next lunch in gym. 'Security' once again decides to make an appearance. A different one from before. He watched about a group of at least ten (all obviously skipping) walk from lunch to gym. Thirty minutes later he calls just one of those students over, and gives him a referall for skipping. Third lunch then comes and goes, and my fourth period gym comes. The rest of the day goes by without a hitch.
This was weeks ago.

I had written this with the intention of immediately posting, but never got around to it until now. Let me point out some things wrong with the ID policy. Why can't I get an education without an ID? My teachers know who I am, we are in desperate need of an alternative identification method as a backup if you forget your ID. Something as simple as a teacher signing a sheet of paper. Should a student ever have to sneak in to a classroom?
Questions, Concerns?

[edit on 1-1-2008 by Jvillezbank]

Society has disintegrated to the point that we can't keep children safe in school without high security.

It's a shame, but that's the way it is.

Identification badges are one of the ways that the administrations have devised to make sure that everyone at school is supposed to be there.

This was a problem, even when I was in high school.

I understand your frustration and I really liked your essay about the incident, but the ID saga is the story of life in today's society.

When you leave home without your drivers' license, you don't forget how to drive and you still need to get to where you're going, but if you're stopped by the police and you don't have that license, you're going to get a ticket and in some jurisdictions, you're going to jail.

There are many work places where an ID card is required to enter the premises. There are jobs that require name tags and if you don't wear them, you get a notice and eventually with enough violations, you can be fired.

Life is full of rules and regulations.

School is about teaching you how to negotiate the real world and not just about teaching the content of your textbooks.

School consists of both process and content and it can be argued convincingly that process is more important than content, as content often becomes obsolete in just a decade or so, while process, well, is a never ending struggle to keep the cart before the horse, to see the forest as well as the trees, and to dot the i's and cross the t's.

If you think your school is a joke, just wait until you enter the real world of making a living and trying to stay ahead of the game of life.

That's the real joke, but it's a joke in which you are the punch line.

So, the moral of this story is to take everything you do seriously, but never yourself.

When something happens like leaving your ID at home, take your lumps, but try to see also the lesson to be learned and don't forget the punch line.

Grady said it; look at this experience as a prelude to working in the "real" world. There are many places where you have to wear an ID; it's just the way it is.

Your school didn't implement these rules as a way to make your life harsh but in an attempt to secure your safety. Whether or not it's the most effective way to do that is another matter; the fact remains that it is a rule and you are aware of it and you should comply with it or be ready to face the consequences., I agree that there should be a method in place for those students who forget the ID at home so they aren't penalized by missing classes but you need to do your part. My daughter is in college and has to have her school ID on her.

I understand your frustration and to a degree sympathize with it but my advice is to accept this and treat it as a learning experience.

Grady is correct when you get out in the working world you'll find out it really is a joke and we're the punch line.

I also enjoyed your writing style.

This sentance is not one to be ignored ...

"I am told I don't receive detention anymore or even an ID referall, I get to spend my entire day in In-School Suspension (ISS). This is because there is no way I could safely learn without it. Right?"

This suggests to me that this is not the first time you have forgotten your ID. The other times (3..4..?) you got a smack on the hand and were allowed to continue along doing what you wanted (Go to class) ... now they are trying to get your attention and help you by pointing out there are consequences for all infringments.

I agree with Grady and GH ... the school administration is TRYING to help you 'safely learn' your 'life lessons'.

Why cant they do what they did in my high school where if a student forgot his/her ID they were simply escorted to the security department's ID station and given a new one, free the first time and a $5 fee for all times after the first? We only have about 1,200 students in my high school so its pretty easy to know who should and shouldent be there, especially when all security guards are given a packet of ID card pictures of the students.

To Reblazed:
No, this actually was my first time forgetting my ID. (I usually leave it in my locker). They completely did away with ID referalls, we had them last year. You can either go to ISS or buy a new one for 5 dollars (every time). I had no money or else I would not have gone through the trouble.

To Grady and GH:
I called my school a joke because of how Security is only there to break up fights, they rarely enforce any other rules. If you don't come to detention or skip the day you're assigned ISS (or even walk out as I did), there are no consequences. I do understand that soon enough I'll need an ID for various reasons, I was merely just pointing out how terrible of a job it does in a school enviroment. My point was this, the punishment shouldn't be so severe. The required ISS work leaves no time to do your actual academic work, the work you're actually responsible for. It's as if your job didn't turn you away for forgetting your work ID, they made you work for 7 hours (including a 30 minute lunch break) on a project for an imaginary company. ISS should be more of a study hall, right now it only does a good job of putting you behind in assignments you need to turn in.





[edit on 4-1-2008 by Jvillezbank]

[edit on 4-1-2008 by Jvillezbank]