Safe and Happy Places
Let's Talk About safe, happy, comfortable classroom environments.
The following article is from "The Sacramento Bee", Friday, December 6, 2002.
Crackdown under way at Johnson High
by Erika Chavez BEE STAFF WRITER
Sacramento police officers, including members of the Police
Department's gang suppression unit, patrolled the Hiram Johnson High
School campus Thursday as angry parents made emotional pleas for
school officials to curb escalating violence.
"This school is out of control," said Esther Rios-Alexander,
a parent and school-site council member. "Our kids can't concentrate.
They're scared."
The Tahoe Park-area school is seeing a resurgence of gang activity
that has led to vicious fights in the hallways and jittery students.
Parents believe that overcrowding and administrators'reluctance to
crack down on the perpetuation of violence is exacerbating the problems.
"Kick them out of school," Rios-Alexander said. "I want these kids
gone; anyone that's even close to gang-affiliated."
Fears boiled over Wednesday when a gang-related fight ended up involving
scores of students and sent one boy to the hospital with injuries,
including a concussion. Rumors of a stabbing and imminent retaliation
led many parents to keep their children home from school Thurs-
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page B4 School: Parents skeptical of effort
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day.
Rumors of students taking guns to school sent many into a panic.
However, no weapons or guns were confiscated by officers, said police
Capt. Joe Valenzuela.
Sacramento City Unified School District officials called an emergency
meeting Thursday to address and ally the mounting parental concern.
Approximately 30 parents and students attended the sometimes heated
meeting.
"I took my two girls out of school today and they're not coming back
until this is under control," Brenda Sanchez said.
District officials pledged to take immediate action to stop the
violence and restore a sense of safety.
"The gang members have had their moment in the sun," said Richard
Owen, associate superintendent for high school improvement.
"Starting tomorrow we're taking this school over."
A team of between 20 and 30 district officials, campus security
monitors and Sacramento police officers will patrol the campus for as
long as necessary, Owen said. The team will draw up a school conduct
code that will be rigorously enforced. Parents will receive letters
advising them of a crackdown on any violent activity.
In addition, the district will set up a hearing office and place a
probation officer on campus so that students can be suspended and
removed from campus immediately if necessary, Owen said.
"Until there's a sense of safety, learning cannot go on," Johnson
Principal Andre Douyon said.
The Johnson school year got off to a rocky start as 2,900 students
jockeyed for position on class rosters. Many students spent entire
days in the auditorium while they waited for their class schedules
to be straightened out.
Since then, enrollment has been reduced to roughly 2,600. At least
300 students have been removed from campus for behavioral issues,
Douyon said.
Still, many students feel unsafe.
"Today I heard there were guns and I went home," said sophomore
Robert Riggins. "I wasn't going to stay and get shot."
Parents were skeptical that district efforts would curb the
violence immediately.
"My children still aren't coming to school Friday," Janis Riggins
said. "I don't even understand how it could get to this point.
It's going to take a while to change things."
OOO
The Bee's Erika Chavez can be reached at (916)321-1083 or
echavez@sacbee.com
The following article is from "The Sacramento Bee",
Saturday, December 7, 2002.
Embattled school has a quiet day
Many Johnson High students stayed home in wake of violence
by Ralph Montano BEE STAFF WRITER
Hiram Johnson High School resembled a compound under martial law
Friday as police cars circled the campus and almost 20 security guards
patrolled the grounds.
If there was any doubt in students' minds that the school officials
were taking an apparent resurgence of gang activity seriously, it was
gone by the afternoon.
"You couldn't even go to the bathroom without someone asking you
a whole bunch of questions," said Ashley Hampel, 15.
The campus was peaceful throughout the day, but that might have been
because of a large number of absences as angry parents kept their
children at home.
Daily attendance totals were not available from Principal Andre
Douyon, but he likened it to having a day on campus without the
senior class.
"It was very quiet today, and we are going to
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School: No red or blue clothing, no talking back
CONTINUED FROM B1
continue this next week," Douyon said.
Fears of gang violence boiled over this week following several
fights on campus, one of which sent a boy to the hospital with
a concussion. Rumors of planned retaliation and guns
at school had police staking out the campus
and prompted an emergency security meeting by officials
of the Sacramento City Unified School District.
Richard Owen, associate superintendent for high school
improvement, said new rules for students and new campus
safety measures will take effect Monday and will
continue through the last two weeks of school before
the holiday break.
The rules include restrictions on dress, including
no solid red or blue clothing and no bandanas or hats
other than Hiram Johnson baseball caps.
Any student who talks back to a teacher will be
suspended, and any student who assaults another
student will be suspended and expulsion will be
considered.
"We are through tolerating any of this behavior,"
Owen said. "The gangs had their day. From now on,
we are in charge. We are the adults, and they are
the children."
Cameras will be installed on campus this weekend,
and security personel will continue monitoring who
comes and goes at the school, Owen said...
The students' immediate reaction to the crackdown
was mixed. Some students like Hampel, wh left school
early, said the security was suffocating.
Her boyfriend had to take off his NFL jersey
because it is red, and she probably can't wear her
favorite blue shoes to school anymore.
"It felt like I was in prison or something,"
she said. "Why do they have to treat us all like
we are criminals?"
Another student, John Davis, 17, said he
appreciates the added security. His parents kept
his younger sister at home Friday and asked him
to come home early.
"We are here to learn, not to worry about
getting beat up," Davis said. "I don't think
anything is going to happen when there are a lot
of police here."
O O O
The Bee's Ralph Montano can be reached
at 9916) 321-1909 or
rmontano@sacbee.com