Parent Post 1: Not a perfect person, not judging, but merely suggesting district policy should be changed. Policy states: Tobacco use, first offense is referral to law enforcement.  Why not with alcohol? Underaged drinking is against Oklahoma law, and our schools are federally funded which could hold stronger consequences. It seems to me, that if these children break the law the authorities should handle it and if it happened at an after school event, then the kids should be banned from future after school events...dances, sports, clubs etc.  They should receive mandatory counseling and have to do community service in our school district.  Punish teenagers where it hurts, DO NOT suspend them from their educations, that just doesn't make sense.

Parent Post 2: Sounds like some student and parents have an Ax To Grind with the students and the parents of the kids that had been drinking at the dance. Just reading between the lines of these post, I just want to laugh at the must ridiculous statements that have been made!  

Our Reply: To Parent post 1 you make excellent points.  There is no doubt that this is an alternative approach worth the school board's review. Please make sure to let them know!

Student Post

Come one parents grow up...you know, you all keep saying how this is going to help the kids grow and learn but yet here  you all are gossiping...thats real mature. i think you all need to take a step back in look at your self in the mirror. and as for all the parents of those kids, you guys are pathetic. you really make me sick. i cant wait to see your child as an adult and see how far they get in life when they've had their mommy and daddy bail them out of everything.seriously parents,get a life and quit try to run your kids, im sure they would appreciate it if you got your life to worry about!

Our Reply

Good thing you don’t gossip.  Must be meaningful if it is your opinion.

Parent Post 1:
I am sorry these 5 kids were "good" kids that got caught drinking at the dance.  You can't tell me they didn't know that drinking in school would cost them 45 days out of the classroom. When as parents do you make your kids accountable? When the court system does it for you? Be glad these kids weren't hurt or hurt some else and make them realize there are consequences for their actions. Come on DC parents, STEP UP!

Parent Post 2:
The growing problem with our DC students is they continually get bailed out of situations because of parent’s affluent means.  Remember telling your toddlers over and over that the stove was hot?  When did they learn best?  The consequence of actually touching it.  Unfortunately, most of us learn that way - by experience.  

Mr. Bradley has given all of the high school students a huge learning experience:  life has major consequences.  Whether we agree or not with how long the punishment is:  someone is finally upholding the rules at the school and not allowing kids to "get off" because of who their parents are!   Thank you Mr. Bradley!  I am impressed with the values you have shown.  I appreciate your concern for those students involved and those who will hopefully learn by osmosis.

Unfortunately, as you are already witness to in Deer Creek; our parents choose to take care of things for their kids instead of letting them live and experience their own lives.  I am certain that the punishment stinks for those that have received it.  No one likes to "get caught" doing something wrong.  It is embarrassing, branding, and punishing. 

It is illegal for kids that age to be drinking.  That is not a school law - that is the law of the country we live in.  Mr. Bradley has no choice but to uphold those laws.  If he were to be lenient; we would hear parents throwing a fit.  Unbelievably, we have support for students who did something illegal by drinking in the first place.  They then topped it off by coming to the school intoxicated.  Why shouldn't they?  We have so many parents who are willing to fight for their punishment to be less harsh.  Are you kidding me?  If the punishment is not harsh; why wouldn't the kids continue to do it over and over....eventually risking more and possibly killing someone.  No punishment is fun.

I'll bet we all remember and learned a lot from the worst punishments we have had in our own lives.  Let's hope this punishment sticks in the minds of as many kids as it can.  If it were only a week or two; it would be a vacation.  And the parents who are writing in to support the shortened punishment are the same parents that would treat the time off from school as a vacation not a punishment.  If you don't suffer a severe enough consequence to make you alter your behavior; the actions continue.

Mr. Bradley is obviously a very educated man.  Experience, Psychology and common sense have proven to guide his decision making.  I have yet to meet the man; but I appreciate his integrity.  Hopefully, he and his staff will help to mold our own children and others in Deer Creek to be successful adults.  I don't want my kids to expect me to bail them out their whole life.  And if in high school they are still that dependent; how are they going to survive in a few months when they head off to college or in to their own lives?  Time is certainly of the essence!  And if you still don't like it:  teach your kids not to do illegal things and certainly don't support it by trying to lessen the penalty by defending it in any way, shape or form! How embarrassing that we have so many parents willing to support breaking the law.  If your child would have died by alcohol poisoning or an intoxicated driver that night - would you want the kids to get off easy? 

Parent Post 1:
Absolutely agreed, we as parents are all concerned with the wellbeing of our Childress / Young adults. Like most of us, we at times have made bad decisions. Yes, these 5 students made the wrong decision Saturday evening. The key in life is learning from your mistakes and taking personal accountability for your actions. These students have accepted absolute responsibility for their actions and so have each of the parents. No one has relinquished their responsibility and has accepted this with the deepest concern.

These Students when questioned demonstrated immediate integrity by NOT lying.  They admitted to their actions when many many others Saturday evening failed to tell the truth or departed the event immediately for fear of being caught. They were not intoxicated; however they broke the policy by consuming alcohol and attending a school related function. Everyone has an opinion on this; however many of the comments related to the night are hearsay / gossip.

All 5 of the students are very fine young adults with a 3.50 + GPA. Additionally they have a perfect school record. Zero issues.  Teenage drinking is a concern for all of us, just as it was for our parents when we were growing up. At the end of the day we are the bow and our Children are the arrow. Our role is to point them in the right direction and let them fly, the course they take is theirs to determine.   Life is about leaning; for many the greatest lessons in life come from challenges.

I know for a hard fact that these Students and Parents have accepted ABSOLUTE ACCOUNTABILITY / RESPONSIBILITY. A LIFE LESSON LEARNED!  Some of you reading this have young adults or you yourself who have not experienced alcohol….Excellent.   However a majority have.....THINK BEFORE YOU CONSIDER TAKING A DRINK.   Deer Creek is a fabulous school and These 5 Students and Parents are fine respected people.

Parent Post 2
Let's quit being hyprocritical parents. "Let he who has not sinned cast the first stone." Also, in regards to the "lumper to a party bus" hand it to the kids that they didn't drive. These kids are kids, they are not perfect. And do all of you really think that the dance only had 3-5 drinkers at the dance? 45 days? That is not doing anything but hurting their education. Alter the punishment, let the kids back in the classroom

Parent Post 3
Without a doubt the kids should be punished. Is it fair that they are taking the heat for half of the kids on the bus? Probably not but they are the ones who got caught. The real issue here is not should they be punished or are we proud of Mr. Bradley? The issue is the extent of the punishment.

I have researched other board policies across the nation regarding the same issue and have found that Deer Creeks policy is extremely stiff. Most schools take more of a logical approach. Suspend the kids anywhere from 5 to 10 days and require them a certain number of days in counceling. It is an approach that disiplines the kids but also educates and helps them. 9 weeks might be a better punishment for a 2nd offense.

Did these kids know better than to show up at a school function drinking? Of course they did. We have to remember though that they are kids, kids who are not perfect and they will make mistakes. Now, as a community and district that cares about their kids we should show a little compassion. Punish them and educate them. Not accadmically ruin them.

On another note...whoever said that 3 should be punished and 2 should not. Are you serious? I personally know all 5 of the kids who are involved. Does it really matter if they are an A student or a C student? Are you saying that because one is more accademically blessed they should be treated differently. Are you trying to say that the 3 are trouble makers? Other than typical actions like being tardy or talking in class I would hardly say that those students have been in trouble at school. All 5 of the kids involved are great kids. They are kids that made a mistake and they are willing to own up to it and take the punishment. Again, the issue is: Is this punishment too harsh? My opinion is that yes it is.

I would also like to applaud all of the parents of these 5 kids. They are also willing to stand up and admit that the kids messed up but they are fighting for the education rights that the kids deserve and are entitled to.

Our Reply

For those of you who may not be aware of the policy it can be found at http://www.deercreekschools.org/boe/faq.htm and the alcohol related policy is in the middle of the page.  You will also find the policy for long term suspension and the process for appeal.  The appeal needs to be submitted five days from the occurrence so hopefully all of the parents involved have done such.

Now for the bigger point at hand, the length of suspension.  It would seem that reading all of the posts being sent in on this issue that most would agree that the length is probably too long.  What needs to happen is somebody/anybody should submit a request in writing to the Superintendent asking for this policy to be put on the School Board Agenda for Review.  It was last reviewed in October of 2006.  If she agrees to do so then the parents can go to the board meeting to let the board members know how they feel about the policy.  If enough people attend and express their views, maybe the school board will see fit to change the policy to something more appropriate. 

If you want to make the next school board agenda the submission will have to be made by next Monday.  By doing this a wrong can be righted before it is too late for another family.

October 31 , 2007

Parent Post 1: I apologize if I gave the impression I was "lumping" all the parents out there that rent limos into the category that doesn't care if their kids drink. My kids have ridden in a limo or two and we have two in college as well as high school that haven't always been "perfect angels", but, we've always told them 'you are guilty by association'. Sometimes they listen, sometimes they don't and they find out the hard way. The dance was a great success and my kids loved it...they even said it was the best dance ever. I don't think it's any surprise to anyone that you can't come to a school function drunk, and how getting an attorney involved to represent at least one that I know of hardly seems necessary if there is any doubt this individual was wrongly accused. I just don't want to ever get a phone call late at night telling me one of my kids has been killed by a drunk driver. But we do have several parents who don\'t have a problem with their kids drinking and I know that for a fact. I support Mr. Bradley's decision to suspend these kids. Better to learn early that actions have consequences.

Parent Post 2: I just want to applaud the faculty and the new principal for giving the three individuals the punishment they deserve. On the contrary the other two individuals who were caught drinking deserve a less harsh punishment. They are both straight A students and have never been in trouble with the school until now. Those two would not have had to take the sobriety test if it were not for the three who were noticibly inebriated. The poor choices those three individuals made ruined the night for many and should be punished for their unexceptable behavior.

Parent Post 3: How can you parents wish 9 weeks suspension for kids. They are teen's and make mistakes. They are here to have an education, how do you expect these kids to get their public education at home with no instruction? I am for a punishment, but come on 9 weeks. Everyone was a kid once, give the kids what they need which is an education and a punishment. Lower the suspension, let them come back to school earlier. My taxes go to their education, let my money help them out.

Our Reply: Nobody has suggested what the best time the students should be suspended for. That is an existing school district policy that the school district can re-examine and change if needed. The students and families have the right to appeal the suspension through the school board. The school board will make the final decision on the length of suspension and if the families are not satisfied they have the right to explore taking legal action. It is up to the families involved to decide on the best course of action for them.

With all of that said in regards to parent post 2 what is the cut-off point - is it a 'B' student, 'C' student, or 'D' student? How many mistakes is a student allowed to have before they should be punished? When you start changing how you administer the rules based on who "deserves" it, you run the risk of opening Pandora's Box.

It is definitely an unfortunate situation that these students put themselves in, but it in the end it was their actions and decisions that put them there.

October 30 , 2007

Parent Post 1: In response to the Drinking post:  Please don't lump every kid who takes a limo into the "drinking" group.  That is an erroneous generalization and I do not appreciate it, and I take it personally.  

I, too, completely applaud the faculty of DCHS in doling out the correct punishment for these kids.  It's illegal. I'm glad they got caught.  It's about time.

However, my child enjoyed the excitement of the evening in a nice limo carefully monitored by all of the parents involved with a "no tolerance for alcohol rule".   You know what assumptions do. Please stop making them.    And GOOD JOB faculty.

Parent Post 2: Yes, I agree that it is wrong for these kids to drink. But does the punishment of 9 weeks out of school help them or hurt them.  What good is it to have these kids out of the class room for that long of a time. The person that made the comment must not have children or that their kids must be perfect.

Parent Post 3: There was only 5 kids caught drinking. And parents had no idea! thank you very much get your facts straight!!

Our Reply: To Parent Post 2, What is the correct period of time for Punishment?  Is there a definable number?  Not sure there is an answer to either one of those questions.  This much is true, the students knew what they were doing was wrong and now they are being held accountable for their actions.  The students have no one to blame but themselves.  How they recover from this situation depends on what they learn from their mistakes.

To Parent Post 3, looking back to all the things we did as kids we were lucky that our parents didn’t know about most of it.  And we hate to break the news to some of you but at this age (high school years) it is becoming more and more evident that the parents are the last to know.  Does that mean the parents are wrong? No, it just means the kids are getting better at hiding things from them.  But now the parents do know and they can deal with the situation.  Before anyone looks down their nose at these parents, remember this could have happened to any one of us.

The bottom line to all this is Mr. Bradley is setting the tone for how he is going to handle these situations.  Every student now knows what the consequences will be for breaking the rules.  At the end of the day, is discipline in the High School really a bad thing?

October 29 , 2007

Parent Post

Good job Mr. Bradley!  Students that show up at school dances drunk ruin the fun for everyone.  I for one am glad to hear you have a backbone and will hold those students, and their parents, responsible.  And, what can we do about all these expensive party buses/limos that are rented for dance nights and the kids end up drinking the night away.  What's wrong with the parents that allow it?, and you can't tell me they have no idea what's going on...they justify it by saying "You know they ALL drink, this way they are SAFE".  Last time I checked the law states you have to be 21 years old to legally drink alcohol.  Keep up the good work Mr. Bradley and make sure every one of those students serve every day required of detention they deserve, maybe it will teach them a lesson and save a life someday.