Beware the Reorientation Room!

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1. Mark Collins says:

   October 3, 2012 at 1:47 pm

   Why a charter of course! I’m hoping that they also offer re-education camps during the summer.

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2. Jon Awbrey says:

   October 3, 2012 at 2:02 pm

   Resist the Running Dogs of Public Education Relentlessly Rooting Out Rhee-Orientation ❢❢❢

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3. moosesnsquirrels says:

   October 3, 2012 at 2:04 pm

   Another great example of the shock the public will get if the reformers get their way. By selling the idea that charters are just like public schools, the public gets hoodwinked into thinking they will have the same accountability and public oversight as the real public schools. When the see the fine print and the abuse, they’ll be powerless to do anything about it, except move their kids back to the public schools; that is, if there is a public school left after the budget cuts caused by shifting funding to the reform schools.

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4. Dienne says:

   October 3, 2012 at 2:17 pm

   Students temporarily lose the “privilege” of wearing the school uniform. I’m having a hard enough time getting my head around just that little tidbit.

   When I read “1984” in high school (in 1984, coincidentally), I thought it was a bunch of paranoid nonsense. Now I realize Orwell was writing non-fiction, he just got the date wrong.

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   • Jon Awbrey says:

     October 3, 2012 at 2:20 pm

     The title was originally 1948

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     • Joel says:

       October 3, 2012 at 10:07 pm

       Are you sure it wasn’t “2014?”

5. Alan says:

   October 3, 2012 at 2:35 pm

   In the “Rheeorientation Room” is where they deal with “failures to communicate” . . . down at Cool Hand Luke Academy.

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   • Mark Collins says:

     October 3, 2012 at 2:51 pm

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     • Linda says:

       October 3, 2012 at 4:15 pm

       Now imagine that clip with the Rheeject holding a broom and masking tape. Rheeform!

6. Linda says:

   October 3, 2012 at 3:37 pm

   Check out all the comments on the Pelto blog…imagine a teen eye rolling…does anyone know of a culture where you are ostracized from the community for such a dastardly act?

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   • Duane Swacker says:

     October 3, 2012 at 4:04 pm

     Well, most public schools have In School Suspension (ISS), Academic Reassignment (AR), In School Alternative Placement (ISAP) rooms or whatever else they are called in which to send unruly students. I know of one Special School District school-Litzinger (which deals with the most difficult special needs students of St. Louis County) that literally has a “rubber room” in the basement (other classrooms are in the basement also) that is completely padded with a simple non destructible chair into which uncontrollable students are put.

     Are the above mentioned rooms any different in theory and practice any different than the “reorientation room”? What’s the name of your school’s “special” room???

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     • Linda says:

       October 3, 2012 at 4:12 pm

       We can quibble about the name of the room, but public schools do not ostracize students for eye rolling. We do have an effective behavioral support room, EBS. We do not talk about culture there.

       Other schools, traditional public, may have a quiet room where a student will go to meet with a teacher or guidance counselor to discuss a problem or a situation. Yes, they may discuss the choices they made and what they could do better next time. They do not stay more than 5-10 minutes.

       They do not change into different clothes or a different color shirt. They are not ostracized from the school community. People, students and teachers, are allowed to speak to them. They do not lose the tax payer provided transportation. None of what is described above happens for minor violations, such as eye rolling.

       A major incident with a weapon or a physical fight is much different. Eye rolling, not sitting up straight (SLANT) in your chair, sighing, or any other “cultural” issues (whatever that is I am not sure –whose culture? TFA culture?) are NOT dealt with as they are at an Achievement First “public” charter school.

       How many of the privatizers/“reformers” send their kids to schools like these?

       There are many in D.C. and Sasha and Malia do not attend these types of schools.

     • Duane Swacker says:

       October 3, 2012 at 4:40 pm

       Linda,

       I disagree that the public school rooms differ that much from the reorientation room. To a certain degree it seems to me that the charter involved is actually being honest for once about what it is trying to do with “unruly” behavior. Now whether that is too extreme in the way they handle it is one thing, and I personally see it as way too extreme and harsh but I see it only as a matter of degree of harshness and not a matter of a different kind of ostracism.

       In my school being put in AR (and I now have to cover the AR room for one hour due to the brilliant scheduling this year but that’s an whole other story) definitely is seen by most students as being ostracized and the students are isolated from the student body for multiple days at a time. Now I am not against these types of alternative placement as I think that it can have a positive effect on students behavior were it to be done properly which I don’t think it is.

       Again, I think it is a matter of degree not kind.

     • Linda says:

       October 3, 2012 at 4:43 pm

       I disagree and we don’t “give them the culture they need”.

7. Robert D. Shepherd says:

   October 3, 2012 at 3:46 pm

   @Jon: hilarious!

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8. rratto says:

   October 3, 2012 at 4:28 pm

   Part of the great national social experiment that is going on. Public humiliation is back in vogue. What’s next, stocks next to our flag poles?

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9. Lehrer says:

   October 3, 2012 at 7:28 pm

   What happens when Sasha and Malia roll their eyes at Sidwell Friends?

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   • Linda says:

     October 3, 2012 at 7:35 pm

     They take a break and re-focus: music, chorus, art, debate club, exercise, fresh air, cooking, experimental building, poetry, etc…that’s the kind of culture ALL kids deserve.

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   • Jon Awbrey says:

     October 3, 2012 at 11:04 pm

     Engraved invitations to the Re-Friending Room …

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10. Urbanlad (@urbanlad) says:

    October 3, 2012 at 9:29 pm

    The “Reorientation room” just conjures up some ugly images. It appears that they are trying to break students as if they were wild animals. Similar analogies could be made to the military, to what they did to slaves in the past and prisoners in the present. What a waste of time and resources.

    Now, I find this practice for “minor” and “trivial” behavior just repugnant. I wouldn’t treat anyone that way and I wouldn’t want to be treated like that.

    Isn’t it amazing what innovative child-rearing, educational, and discipline practices these “?” come up with? It’s truly stunning. If I treated my child like this: say hang a sign around his neck and make him earn his privileges like they do at some schools; (KIPP comes to mind with earning a desk) say make him earn his “bed” at home. Well, I guess I could expect to be shunned by my neighbors and perhaps expect a visit from a social worker or by someone from child protective services. If I did this or even condoned this practice at my school, then again I can expect visits from the people mentioned above. In addition, I might be looking at criminal charges, a license revocation, a termination hearing, and jail time. If I do it at a charter- my goodness! I’m an innovator. It’s just unbelievable. I hope the parents wake up.

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11. Lily says:

    October 4, 2012 at 3:27 pm

    The Reorientation Room–is that like the Harmony Hut from the hellish summer camp in that one Addams Family movie?

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12. Kathy1 says:

    October 4, 2012 at 7:32 pm

    Did I really read what I read?

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