Resignation & Fights At La Follette

WKOW-TV:

The same day principal John Broome resigned, last friday, three fights broke out, leaving many students, staff and parents wondering if they are related.
Mitch weber discovered the fights ended with two students in trouble with the law and one teacher injured.
Since the school year started, we’ve reported on rising violence at La Follette – a student pulling a knife on another student, a fight in the hallway involving girls.
Today, the district denied the principal’s resignation and the fights last week are connected.
As school got out this afternoon at La Follette High School. Many students knew why we were there. Damian Clendening found out today his new principal isn’t coming back.

I have to agree with Phil M that the Administration deserves “some level of credit” for addressing this now, rather than later. Tim had some useful comments on the challenging job that is an urban high school principal.

4 thoughts on “Resignation & Fights At La Follette”

  1. Budget and curriculum policy certainly deserve all the attention they receive on this forum — and more.
    As a voter, however, I cannot help but notice the alignment between “outsider” candidate Rick Thomas’s comments (http://www.isthmus.com/isthmus/article.php?article=5080):
    “Thomas says the biggest issue facing the district — and the main reason some people want to pull their kids from the schools — is “not about curriculum or achievement, but worries over safety and security.” ”
    and insider “FO”‘s comment (http://www.schoolinfosystem.org/archives/2006/12/la_follette_pri_1.php#c120746):
    “making LHS a better place for all students requires that the new principal make the school environment is safe and orderly enough to foster student learning and acheivement. We don’t have that at LHS right now. ”

  2. Matt Marek makes a good point regarding school safety. Rafael Gomez organized a September, 2005 Forum on Gangs and School Violence:
    Audio / Video
    http://www.schoolinfosystem.org/archives/2005/09/gangs_and_schoo_2.php
    http://www.schoolinfosystem.org/archives/2005/09/gangs_and_schoo.php
    Participants included East High grad and former Police Officer Luis Yudice, who now works for the Madison School District.
    Much more here:
    http://www.madisonblogs.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-search.cgi?IncludeBlogs=6&search=Gangs+and+School+Violence

  3. I wonder just how many parents have taken the time to drop in to their child’s school, especially high school, on a random day, at a random time (checking in first at the office, of course.)

  4. I do not know what the current policy is at each of our high schools, but to me, a good first step is: close those campuses. I attended a Madison high school many years ago, and my own youthful indiscretions (such as they were) would have been nipped in the bud if the campus were closed at lunch.
    I ran some errands the other day around noon that took me past La Follette. I don’t want to prejudice anyone, but I know a little of street culture, and it struck me as odd that so many gentlemen in their mid-twenties would just happen to be using the bus stop in front of the school at lunch.
    Regardless — our schools need to be a sanctuary from violence of any kind, and a refuge from other examples of low culture — be it crass commercialism like Coca Cola machines, or traffic in our cottage industries of less repute.

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