Lexington (MA) High School Senate

LEXINGTON HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT-FACULTY SENATE

2001-2002

Moderator Ilana Kessler, Assistant Moderator Michael Fiveash, Secretary Sara Enders

<http://lhs.lexingtonma.org/senate>

Agenda For the November 8, 2001 meeting:

1. Announcements

2. Committee Reports

3. Honor Code Violation Policy Bill

4. Poster Policy Bill

5. Course Recommendation Bill

6. New Business

Minutes From the November 1, 2001 meeting:

[Amended Minutes approved]

[Agenda approved]

Announcements

Kessler: I met with Dr. Seasholes, Friday. He plans to come to Senate to explain five points of concern to him. We talked specifically about the school's "poster policy," and issues that may need ironing out, there. He gave his opinion regarding the Ten Minute Rule, and said he would be in favor of it, as long as teachers didn't have a problem with it.

Committee Reports

S. Girondel: Social Action started stuffing condom packages, Monday.

Kieft: Policy discussed a resolution submitted by Senator David regarding MCAS.

Burson: Oversight discussed drafts of letters to Mr. Lautman and Dr. Seasholes.

[Member of Climate Committee]: It appears that we will be able to use a board in the main hall for the Wall of Rejection.

Ten Minute Rule

Shield: Currently, I am in favor of this bill. We're not relating to it yet because it is still fall, and tardiness is more of a problem in winter. Again, the point is not to punish, but rather to help teachers.

Kieft: One big issue seems to be that this bill would prevent students from wasting time. Students don't tend to take advantage of cancelled class time to do work. Furthermore, a class room is a fine environment in which to do work, there is no need to dismiss students so that they may be productive. Having them leave causes more problems. I talked with other students and one idea was that if a teacher is more than ten minutes late, he/she should not administer any tests or in-class essays.

Kafrissen: There is terrible communication in this school. Messages sometimes don't get through. Talking to my classes, I've discovered that there are a couple of teachers who are routinely late to class. There does need to be a policy to address this. Perhaps, if a house secretary is notified of an absent teacher and that secretary can't locate the teacher, then students can leave. I would suggest that this bill go to a committee to be reworked and made less iron-clad.

Walsh: I agree with the sentiment about communication. My understanding is that there is a policy in place, but it is most appropriate for underclassmen who don't have open campus. I don't think that the purpose is to punish teachers. at the same time, I feel that whatever policy is put in place should be the responsibility of the administration. There needs to be something that addresses the problem of wandering students.

Stratman: I wouldn't pass this bill if the problem is just a few late teachers.

Hemond: I like fruitful discussion, but as Les Phillips pointed out, this may not be under our jurisdiction. Is it?

Kessler: According to Dr. Seasholes, yes.

S. Girondel: The current policy is to report an absent teacher to the office?

Kessler: Yes.

Jehle: I was concerned by the statement that, should a teacher come more than ten minutes late, the class is impacted. Such a situation does not make class meaningless. The waste is not those ten minutes, it is the rest of the class time.

Fried: I agree with Senator Kieft. I am a resource student. Sometimes my teacher will be ten minutes late, but it's for a good reason: making copies, etc. There is a time and a place when teachers can be late.

Kessler: Dr. Seasholes would not veto this bill, should we pass it. He thought it reasonable, so long as teachers did not feel attacked. He is in favor of students having more time during the day to relax. We have very academically packed schedules. I want to add that though the debate seems to be focusing on a legitimately late teacher being penalized, I think it is more often the case that a message that a teacher won't be coming in hasn't gotten through. This bill simply says that when a class should have been cancelled, it should be cancelled.

Burson: This bill neglects underclassmen.

K. Girondel: I think it would be a good idea to send this back to a committee, to be rewritten. This discussion should open the eyes of the administration tot he fact that some teachers are chronically tardy.

Halperin: The emphasis of this bill is not on dealing with chronically late teachers. The point is to create a policy to be followed when a message does not get through that a teacher is not coming.

Walsh: This issue is not a new one. I remember sitting in class when a teacher had not arrived, trying to decide what to do. Both S. and K. Girondel have clarified the current policy, but people seem not to be clear on it. Perhaps a resolution should ensure that it is well-communicated.

Kafrissen: Where is this current policy written down?

Kessler: In the handbook, and in the class expectations of some teachers.

Stratman: I don't understand why the new bill makes more sense than the current policy. Though it may save students a few minutes if a teacher is not coming, the administration should be notified.

C. Enders: I think that having in place such a policy will increase tension between teachers and students. It's a bad idea to give students the leverage over their teachers that this bill would give them.

Conklin: I disagree with Senator Kieft. I would use a cancelled class to get work done. Alternately, teachers could establish individual policies for their classes when they are late.

Strizhak: Tardiness is an issue for both students and teachers. Also, I agree with Senator Conklin-how the time is used will depend on the individual class.

Kessler: Remember that we are here to speak on behalf of our constituents. Please consider what they would say.

Gong: I agree with Dr. Seasholes that the school doesn't have to be so scheduled. Many schools manage to have more free time than we.

S. Enders: To expand upon what Senator Conklin said, I think that for those students who want to use the time for work, having the freedom to seek out a quiet space would be more desirable than being required to remain in a room where the atmosphere may not be conducive to study.

Kieft: Move to send to the Policy Committee. [Seconded] Let's not waste time now. Let's bring this back after it has been reworked.

Fried: I agree. Also, the issue of resource classes should be addressed.

Nagiel: I don't see much nitpicking going on, other than the comment about resource classes.

Kafrissen: The Policy Committee should examine the current policy first.

[Motion passes, 28:8 to send the bill to the Policy Committee]

Kieft: Move to adjourn.

List of Senators Absent from the November 1, 2001 Meeting

K. Ly
M. Finnegan
J. Catsouphes
L. David
W. Cordero
S. Vachani
A. Dugar