Survey for English Options

[*Azarel*]

Title says all. Not for me though. Be a dear and take it please.

1. Do you believe students in school have the right to say anything that they want?

2. What is your perspective on "Freedom of Expression?" Is there a certain boundary that this First Amendment cannot cross, or do you believe that we truly have the freedom to express ourselves freely in school?

3. What exactly is considered a "threat" to school grounds, in your opinion, and the administration?

4. To what extent does the administration in your school take to keep the campus "safe" from these "threats?" Are they rather tolerant of most of the occurences, or do they take ANYTHING suspicious into account as a potential threat?

5. What consequences does the administration give to students as a result of breaking the rules? Give examples of the different levels of punishment for the different magnitudes of infraction of rules. (Examples, but not limited to: chewing gum, fighting, verbal threats, etc...)

6. (You don't have to answer this one, it basically pulls everything together) Scenario. A diary was confiscated containing seemingly harmless information amongst your peers, but say that the administration had a different perspective on the material that was written in this "diary." They decide to exact heavy consequences on everyone that was involved, even though it was hardly considered a "threat" to anything. Your opinion on it, incorporating your answers from the recent questions.

7. Please state your school name, city and state, so I can do research on it. If you would like to, also give a brief summary of how your school is like. (Anything will do.)

[innovation]

1. Do you believe students in school have the right to say anything that they want?
no; a large responsibility of schools is promoting good behavior and citizenship. schools prepare students to be active, respectful members of society. even in "the real world," people are censored by society and cannot say offensive things; consequences always follow. allowing students to say whatever they wanted without consequences would be ignoring a major responsibility of the education system.

2. What is your perspective on "Freedom of Expression?" Is there a certain boundary that this First Amendment cannot cross, or do you believe that we truly have the freedom to express ourselves freely in school?
"freedom of expression" is a privilege that comes with responsibility. sure, anyone can express themselves, but it must be accompanied by respect, as well as tolerance for the opinions and situations of others. do not forget what "freedom of expression" was created for: the promotion of democracy and the participation of citizens in the political process.

3. What exactly is considered a "threat" to school grounds, in your opinion, and the administration?
any verbal comment suggesting violent or hostile attitude/behavior that creates intimidation and/or insecurity.

4. To what extent does the administration in your school take to keep the campus "safe" from these "threats?" Are they rather tolerant of most of the occurences, or do they take ANYTHING suspicious into account as a potential threat?
er.. i haven't really been involved with any of that, so i'm not really sure. i think that threats can be reported to any staff members, who will deal with it as they see fit.

5. What consequences does the administration give to students as a result of breaking the rules? Give examples of the different levels of punishment for the different magnitudes of infraction of rules. (Examples, but not limited to: chewing gum, fighting, verbal threats, etc...)
it's listed in the student manual..... i don't remember.

6. Scenario. A diary was confiscated containing seemingly harmless information amongst your peers, but say that the administration had a different perspective on the material that was written in this "diary." They decide to exact heavy consequences on everyone that was involved, even though it was hardly considered a "threat" to anything. Your opinion on it, incorporating your answers from the recent questions.
set up a meeting with the administration to work out misunderstandings. communication between generations isn't that difficult, and if it was never meant to be a threat, just explain that it was a personal matter that the school should not get involved in. this scenario is not specific enough.

7. Please state your school name, city and state, so I can do research on it. If you would like to, also give a brief summary of how your school is like. (Anything will do.)
Robinson Secondary School
Fairfax, VA

it's the largest IB Diploma School in the nation with 4300 students. it's in the affluent suburbs of D.C. --- many students' parents work for the government, so everyone's pretty motivated. the students manage to get excellent grades (despite the rigorous grading scale-- 94+ = A), and everyone's involved in some sort of extracurricular activities. it's a pretty normal suburban school, i guess. ranked 50-something in the nation's most challenging high schools because everyone takes at least a few IB courses through their time here.