CTE #3: SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS
After (a) viewing the documentary “On These Grounds”; (b) watching the lecture videos; and (c) completing the readings:
(1) Read THIS BLOGLinks to an external site. about school resource officers in Colorado
(2) Answer AT LEAST TWO of the questions below (15 points)
(3) Provide at LEAST TWO RESPONSES from your classmates using the 3C’s criteria (attached) (5 points each [5 x 2 = 10 points])
Original posts and responses are due by 11:59 PM on TUESDAY, JULY 9th, 2024 (A little extra time to celebrate America!).
QUESTIONS TO ANSWER (Pick two out of the five options).
After watching On These Grounds, what needs to happen for educators and school staff to be better equipped to handle disciplinary issues without the need for law enforcement intervention? What training or resources are necessary, especially for Ben Fields? What changes need to occur to ensure that teachers are better able to deal with classroom management?
To what extent do you believe that communities and school districts should invest in more social workers and counselors in schools versus school resource officers? Why or why not? Justify your arguments with credible sources.
In the blog, Stacey Collins states the following: “I don’t do school discipline. That’s not for me. I handle situations that may become criminal”. Considering that (a) most youths do not engage in serious delinquency (e.g., felony-level offenses; assaults causing bodily injury); (b) a lot of adolescent behaviors/status offenses can both violate school policies and criminal laws (e.g., fights, possession of marijuana, disturbing the peace); and (c) research on the school to prison pipeline – part 1: who should be responsible for holding youths who engage in delinquent/deviant behavior in school accountable? Part 2: What types of student behaviors and incidents should be handled exclusively by school administrators and educators, and which should involve school resource officers? Where should the line be drawn? Support your arguments with credible sources.
Are school resource officer policies substantive or symbolic? In other words, to what extent do school resource officers actually contribute to school safety compared to simply addressing the fears and concerns of parents? Are there alternative approaches that could address both the safety needs of the school and the concerns of parents more effectively than school resource officers? What are some examples of such approaches, and how might they be implemented? Justify your arguments with credible sources.
Today in South Carolina, Black girls are three times as likely to be arrested in schools as white girls (ACLU, 2018), despite the fact that Black students do not act out any more than their peers. Given this, provide at least three explanations as to why Black girls are more likely than other students to be punished harshly for routine behaviors. Support your arguments with credible sources.
NOTE: While everyone is entitled to their own opinion, remember to be respectful of opposing views. Police officers are not perfect, and there are policing practices that deserve constructive criticism. While some people should absolutely not be police officers, 100% of badges have humans behind them who are not perfect. Arguments should always be followed with solutions. You can be upset at something an officer did, but it is the solutions that are posed that have the best chances of creating real change.
Week #5 (7/8 – 7/14): WHAT HAPPENS AFTER A JUVENILE IS ARRESTED?
WHAT TO READ THIS WEEK
Textbook –> Chapter 21: Juvenile Courts & Corrections
Knight & Armstrong (October, 2021). Black children were jailed for a crime that doesn’t exist. Almost nothing happened to the adults in charge. ProPublica.Links to an external site.
Grow et al. (2020). How thousands of jurisdictions determine a young offender’s fate. News 21 Investigation of juvenile justice in America.Links to an external site.
WHAT TO LISTEN TO THIS WEEK
‘Serial’ Podcast: Season 3 – Episode 8 (63 min) – Also available on Spotify/Apple podcastsLinks to an external site.
‘Kids Imprisoned Podcast – Episode 3: Pivotal decisionsLinks to an external site.
WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEK
Kids for Cash Documentary (recommended, but not required)
ABOUT: In the wake of the shootings at Columbine, a small town celebrates a charismatic judge who is hell-bent on keeping kids in line…until one parent dares to question the motives behind his brand of justice. This documentary chronicles the case of a once-respected judge who received kickbacks for sending juvenile offenders to prison, even for minor crimes.
WHAT TO SUBMIT BY 11:59 PM ON:
TUESDAY (7/9)
Critical Thinking Exercise #3
SUNDAY (7/14)
Reading Quiz #4
Critical Thinking Exercise #4
