What Can You Tell Us About Green Hope High School?

[jgb]

Whoa, I am totally shocked that I am finding myself on the more conservative end of the spectrum on this one. MJ and coke and heroin ARE super different. People smoking pot in college is one thing -- they are adults! People in high school range from age 13-18 -- they are kids!

I have taught (not high school but college) and I cannot imagine what it must be like for the teachers to have to try to teach a kids who are stoned. I am mean what an insult and disrespect to the teacher.

I support the legalization of MJ and believe it is way less harmful than alcohol but to have a "whatever" attitude to children using it during the school day on a regular basis is surprising. Sure, some of them also smoke cigarettes on their own, too. But we don't allow them to sit in class and puff away. That would be ridiculous and so is smoking pot on a regular basis in school.

Since it's illegal, they also risk getting criminal records if they get caught with it. That's something colleges ask about on applications. And someone has to be selling it, so that person can even get caught and charged with trafficing or intent to distribute. Not a good way to start your adult life.

If they kids were doing coke and heroin they would be droping dead. It's good that is not happening, for sure.

[RDSLOTS]

Rest assured that schools do not turn a blind eye to drugs on campus. They cannot afford to. Problem is, it is so hard to catch the kids, and there are a million ways students (and even some faculty) wriggle-out of a conviction.

As a HS teacher, we were interested in who was doing drugs on campus, and were alert to suspicious and/or drug-related activity. For some, not so much as passing moral judgment but thinking more along the lines of school just isn't the place for this kind of foolishness, any more than it is the place for other inappropriate activities: bullying, drinking, gambling, stealing, fencing stolen goods, gangs, sex, and whatever. A school is a microcosm of the larger community. You kid yourselves if you think these things don't happen on a HS campus. Try, too, the middle schools, and in some areas, an elementary school.

Drugs are prevalent on all HS campuses. What may differ is whether the students operate under the wire, and are seldom caught, and what reputation the HS earns for itself as a result of it. Of the three major high schools where I taught, the one with the worst problem with drugs on campus, was the very HS that drew from the best areas, best families, best however you wanted to look at it, but the school's actual reputation was better because the kids were 'quiet' about what they were doing. By contrast, the HS across town, that drew from poorer areas had the worst reputation, but that's all it was -- a reputation. According to data made available by the local police and sheriff's departments, there were more drug-related incidents, and instances noted, from the school with the better reputation.

I suppose I share this because I would ask that you take a reputation for what it's worth, and in some cases, it is not worth much. Green Hope's academic standing and reputation far supercedes that of being called Green Dope. My experience, both as a teacher and a parent, is that students who make up the drug culture will find one another and hang out, if only to pass along the contraband. Those kids are generally well-known to the SROs, the Principal(s) and staff, who keep an eye on them, but are more concerned with trying to nab the kids in the school who are the pushers. These are the kids the school wants o-u-t of the academic setting.

Neither coming to class stoned, or drunk, is condoned, and many teachers are quite comfortable with calling for an administrator or SRO to come get a kid suspected of being either. With parents who are involved in their students' lives, in school and out, you can benefit from the good of being in a school like Green Hope, and offset the bad, in whatever form it may take. I used to tell parents, better to deal with it at that level instead of at college, where there are fewer controls and the repercussions are more expensive -- GPA, greater peer pressure, etc.

[Ellen Pitts]

I was in no way advocating the use of marijuana on campus. I was just saying that I think it happens.

[jgb]

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you or anyone else condoned it.

I do agree it will happen everywhere and I think the post by rdslots is useful in providing info on what things are like today, as many of us will understandably think back to how things were "in our day" and of course times do change.

[joshyomaster]

my son graduated from Green Hope High. Coming from a Florida High School, this one was a better school in many ways. My son loved it there. I also questioned him about this "rumor" (not sure if it is true). He said he never saw anyone doing drugs in front of him. Someone told me that this rumor was started by a teacher that had been fired. Not sure if it is true..I am sure there are drugs in the school-there are drugs in most work places too.

When I picked up my son at different times , I never saw anything either. The principal was always outside in the morning-greeting the students and parents-I only have good things to say ..my son did a lot better than he did in Florida and still has those friends he made in Green Hope..

Good luck to you.

[eloyfan]

Originally Posted by joshyomaster

my son graduated from Green Hope High. Coming from a Florida High School, this one was a better school in many ways. My son loved it there. I also questioned him about this "rumor" (not sure if it is true). He said he never saw anyone doing drugs in front of him. Someone told me that this rumor was started by a teacher that had been fired. Not sure if it is true..I am sure there are drugs in the school-there are drugs in most work places too.

When I picked up my son at different times , I never saw anything either. The principal was always outside in the morning-greeting the students and parents-I only have good things to say ..my son did a lot better than he did in Florida and still has those friends he made in Green Hope..

Good luck to you.

Very grateful to you for the info!

[Funky Chicken]

All I can say on this topic is that there is PLENTY that goes on with GHHS students that does not see the light of day in the press.
It's an excellent school that has a higher than normal proportion of very priveleged kids who to a large degree live unsupervised lives. With that comes access to adult temptations and all of the dangers that come along with them.
YES, it has high achievers and a great track record of academics and extracurricular excellence. YES, plenty of kids do well there and stay focused and on track. That's not the whole story, though.
Happy to discuss further via PM if anyone cares to-not wishing to continue this in a public forum.

[eloyfan]

Originally Posted by Funky Chicken

All I can say on this topic is that there is PLENTY that goes on with GHHS students that does not see the light of day in the press.
It's an excellent school that has a higher than normal proportion of very priveleged kids who to a large degree live unsupervised lives. With that comes access to adult temptations and all of the dangers that come along with them.
YES, it has high achievers and a great track record of academics and extracurricular excellence. YES, plenty of kids do well there and stay focused and on track. That's not the whole story, though.
Happy to discuss further via PM if anyone cares to-not wishing to continue this in a public forum.

Funky Chicken thanks for the invite. I will take you up on it in a day or 2. Nite!

[GraciAnn]

Hmmm, Funky Chicken ~ would love to know the whole story! But then, maybe not!! Son graduating from GHHS June 10th. I thought it was a great school & thankfully kid wasn't involved or didn't seem to be involved in...whatever you are refering to. Hopefully folks here would not make personal judgments regarding the reference of the recent & tragic death of an awesome friend of many & fellow GHHS student. My kid didn't stress out about his grades, & was happy finishing w/ a 3.00-3.10 gpa. Keep in mind that a 3.00 GPA nets in bottom 50% of GHHS class rank. Good luck, elofan, with your decision!

[RDSLOTS]

Originally Posted by Funky Chicken

. . . there is PLENTY that goes on with GHHS students that does not see the light of day in the press.
It's an excellent school that has a higher than normal proportion of very priveleged kids who to a large degree live unsupervised lives. With that comes access to adult temptations and all of the dangers that come along with them.
YES, it has high achievers and a great track record of academics and extracurricular excellence. YES, plenty of kids do well there and stay focused and on track. That's not the whole story, though.

You've brought up a good point, Funky Chicken. Like society, itself, schools have subcultures, and in any HS, there are many beyond just the stereotypical jocks and preps. It was my experience, too, that in schools with higher percentages of privileged children, you will find them living largely unsupervised.

I recall being surprised when data revealed things about our own HS (much like Green Hope, and a nationally-rated School of Excellence) on the coast. The counselors, members of the law enforcement agencies, social workers, etc., showed evidence of this privileged cross-section of the student population, living unsupervised, and being involved in adult activities -- many of which made my hair stand on end, and I was, as a HS kid myself, neither a nerd or goody-two-shoes. Add to it, we were told, the fact that many adults ask, "aww, what kind of trouble can the kids get into out on the beach?" Well, I admit I was most surprised.

Still, many schools get reputations for whatever reasons, some of them grounded, some of them not. How much easier for one HS to throw darts at another and say things like "well, they're a bunch of __?__s." You can fill-in-the-blank with about anything you like.

The school's overall academic record speaks volumes. The single biggest influence in any child's life can be the parents, if they choose to be. Schools generally are aware of a reputation they may have, good and bad, and what impression other schools, parents, students and the community may have of them. Along with the data showing us how we were or weren't being successful with the students, academically, was all of the other data shared with us from other agencies in the community. As part of their jobs, and the expectations made of them, these agencies were responsible for training us teachers and staff to recognize, make note of and document things, and when to consider a problem as truly 'serious.'