From the Superintendent of Schools, Prince William County, Dr. Walts:
This is the first year that the COB is being distributed primarily online, saving significant educational funds.
Print copies are available only upon request. Still, it is necessary that a parent or guardian for every student complete, sign, and
return the form sent home the first week of school, acknowledging COB content and availability. If you do not have a form, it
may be obtained—along with other important documents—by request at your child’s school office; or on the pwcs.edu Web site, by
clicking the home page button for Code of Behavior/Forms.
I am disgusted that Prince William County Schools have not prioritized this document. This document should be kept in every students binder all year long. It should be in a place where it can be whipped out at a moment’s notice for reference, either by an individual or a group or a class. Without easily accessible rules, it is difficult to insist on enforcement.
Having that document to hold in your hand sends a strong message to students that these are the rules we live by. Kids used to be tested yearly. The test was kept on file. The students had ownership of the Code of Behavior. If that child got in serious trouble–trouble that ended up in long term suspension or expulsion, the test on the code of behavior was pulled out to determine that indeed the student was familiar with the rules.
I doubt that anyone will bother now. I just tried to read it online. Its difficult and I had to keep changing the size. The rules are fairly toothless. There are pages of beatitudes about how to be a decent human being and about making wise choices.
Every kid in Prince William County, and there are 83,000 of them) needs to have ownership of the Code of Behavior which governs how they will act not only on school property but also going to and from school and at school sponsored functions. Nothing says ownership like a hard copy of that document. Where will it be stored? Your Kindle? As late as last year, Kindles weren’t allowed in some schools. DS’s, smart phones, and lord knows what else were everywhere but don’t legally have your novel for English class on a Kindle.
Not every family has internet. For some, it is an unnecessary expense. For others, it means the difference in food on the table. Still others, especially those living in the western end of the county, internet service is just too slow and unreliable. Cost has nothing to do with it. How would you like to be the kid who has to ask for the hard copy? Shame on PWCS, especiawlly after all that gobbledegoop about making everyone feel important and special. Practice what you preach.
In a school system where teachers haven’t had raises in a long time and wont be getting any increase in salary for a long time, I suppose saving money is important. However, this isn’t the place to save. The Board of Supervisors needs to set that tax rate where they aren’t operating on the cheap. What’s worse than operating on the cheap? Operating on the Cheap and bragging about it.
I sure hope no one is saying world class education. It isn’t. World class education isn’t done on the cheap.
Cheap is NOT better, and certainly NOT world class. I loved the first day of school this year, as I had NO students. 🙂
Hello, PWCPS…last time I checked NOT every home in PWC had a computer. So, how can you expect a parent of each student to read this document? I will save my “rant” as I don’t have a dog in this fight anymore.
@Lafayette, I think it is better to rant when you don’t have a dog in the fight…it helps remove the bias. I have found that I can step back and look at the issue more clearly.
I wonder if the little kids still have those Code of Behavior little people’s books that they can color and yes….read. Probably not. I will have to ask my little source.
I really have to gather my thoughts on this one. As I am seeing RED over this BS. I guess kiddos can’t give the excuse the dog ate it with an electronic document. 🙄
Not sure if they will read it or how it can be tested. Legally, I have been told that proof of “mastery” is needed for expulsions and long term suspensions. Who knows. Hopefully, the real press will cover this issue. Parents need to know.
I made the discovery talking to Elena whose children now go to public school. She was talking about kids with electronic devices. I said, well they aren’t allowed. Wrong on me….Yes they are…sort of. It isn’t a right to be able to have them. That’s when Elena told me no Code of Behavior booklet.
Being this our first year in public schools, it almost felt like an afterthought to have to read the code of conduct, its importance felt minimized at best, negligible are worst.
I was shocked that ANY electronic device is “legal” on school grounds or on the bus. How DID we all survive before cell phones?!
Moon, there was nothing, nada, that came home for either one,
My concern is when little Johnny breaks a rule and he and his parents land themselves in front of the board to resolve the issue. And they claim they didn’t know the rules and there’s no hard copy to back it up. Then again we must also ask the question, is it really even read at all by students and/or parents.
Oh Moon, flashbacks to the CoB test. I sure took my share of them during my career in PWCPS.
That’s a valid concern. I guess the passed test will be the only proof needed.
It just seems like everything else with PWC. Its on the cheap. If they want ownership, give each kid his or her own copy. Give the little kids the workbook for younger children. Good behavior is the most important thing, before all the academics in the world. If your behavior is good, then you can learn and others around you can learn. When behavior is out of wack and the learning environment has been compromised, then it doesn’t matter what is taught.
There are those instructors who feel if the instruction is engaging, that will take care of the behavior….well…to a point. Then there are the basics.
As a student I threw that crap away as soon as I could.
That form that provides federal funding to schools. Same thing. Always told teachers the same thing. Try to fail me for not bringing back that signed form.
If my kids go to public schools I’ll teach them the same.
You have pass the code of behavior test, at least when you were in school. Why not sign that you have read it?
As for the federal aid card, why would you act like a jackass over something like that? Do you even know what it is for? It is the impact aid form. Prince william County gets federal compensation for the number of military and govt. worker kids it educates. It reduces everyones tax rate in the long run.
They don’t fail you. They hand carried it to your parents house for a signature back when you were in school.
What would you have done if they had failed you? Frankly, you didn’t own the power.
What test? Not in 94 when I graduated..
Jackass? Cause that’s my God given right.
LOL. Hand carry it to my parents? Hardly. If someone with an official looking vehicle pulled up to my parents house – no hablo!!
If PWCS tried that as me being the parent? All agents of the govt not invited by me are trespassing.
Well technically I did have that power. I was told by a teacher that it took more paperwork to fail me than to just let me skate with a D. Booyah!!
Yes, they tested code of behavior in 1994. Why? If someone had to go for suspension or expulsion, you had to prove they had been taught and mastered the rules.
Jackass-that is an odd thing you use your God-given right on.
They would have sent a spanish speaking person to the house.
No…tried that with you being a kid.
I seriously need to understand why you wouldn’t cooperate with something this simple. If your parents are federal employees, the school system gets impact aid. If they are, the schools get nothing for you. I don’t understand why it is an issue. It really just sounds like you wanted to be a pain in the ass. There is no reason not to fill it out. The school does have a right to know where your parents work. What would a school do if you were sick or injured?
I probably failed any test on the code then. Interesting too because I also had a 10 day suspension. Oh well.
That’s the nice thing about freedom. True freedom means I can make poor or bad decisions and have no one but myself to blame.
Let’s just say no one came to our home and got the form filled out.
School has a right to know where my parents work? No. They may have a statutory obligation to try and find out but they have no rights. Govt has powers and people and corporations have rights.
If I’m sick I’ll call my mom myself. If I’m injured they can call 911 and let the hospital figure it out.
But help the county soak the federales for more tax money? No.
That isn’t how it works. The school legally assumes the role of parent when you, a child, is their responsibility. However, in the even of emergency, they must be able to contact your parents. Therefore, if a parent refuses to provide that information or at least an emergency contact, I believe the school can refuse to enroll you.
If you failed the code test, you would have been given it again until you passed it. You obviously didn’t challenge your 10 day suspension or have a fancy lawyer to fight it.
As a child you can’t have the freedom to make bad decisions. If you were at school, you don’t know if anyone came to your home or not.
Its a shame you used 13 years of free school to fight the system. That was really a silly thing to fight over….impact aid forms. Sept 30. You still haven’t said why.
Actually, back then the school might have filled it out and just verified the information provided on the enrollment card.
The impact aid forms don’t force the parent to reveal where they work either, Marin. I can assure they were NEVER told where my mom worked while employed by los federales. 😉
I must say I’m really surprised to some to degree to see your thoughts on the CoB. Now, let me ask you this. Let’s say one of the cuties are injured at school by another student. One of your babies has to have costly medical care at the ER and follow up with doctor’s office. Are you saying you would NOT want the student perp held accountably for bodily injury to one of the babes? Please, think about that one for a minute.
I’m not sure why you would be so opposed to following the rules. Do you not subscribe to the rule of law?
I think actually they ask for the address of the property. They don’t ask for the name of the agency.
Forgot to add. Do you want them to be let off the hook, because they claim they did NOT know the rules. Hells, bells, most of those rules are pretty basic.
@Moon-howler
Clearly, Marin didn’t have the sort of administrators and teachers like we did here at Sudley ES, SMS, and SJSHS. 🙄 I’m trying to picture Mr. Brooks and/or Mr. Mason rolling up Casa de Marin back in the day. LOL
Too funny! @Lafayette
I can see the Brooks-mobile hauling it over there right now.
She could only give Washington, DC and nothing more. No street address or PO Box.
I think they are actually given a federal address to use. Its a neutral one that everyone uses who has highly classified locations for federal impact purposes.
PWC would not accept refusal from that many people without getting a means to collect their impact money.
All the county wants is verification that the parent is a federal employee, so a fake neutral address works. They did not accept PO boxes.
Signing off or having read the rules does not exclude a person from being found guilty of them. For example, have you read every line of the tax code? But, you are held accountable to them.
Ignorance of the law is not a defense.
So, the school system will do what it will within the confines of its rules to that student. I am, as a parent, also not excluded from seeking civil damages from those parents for any damage to my property (my children).
Remember, to me this is not about ‘not following the rules’. As I said I was suspended that year for 10 days and failed a semester because of a school suspension (for something else). So I was held accountable to the rules without regard for my ‘signature’ on a piece of paper.
I am however obligated to not spend some Michigan taxpayers money on my education. Education should be funded at the county/state level. So, if I see a form that says its from the Federales (yes even forms that promise our schools money) I will refuse to sign. I will do the same if my children have to go through PWCS. I remember how we would be bribed with an “A” as a homework assignment if we brought it in the next day. Sickened me.
“Its a shame you used 13 years of free school to fight the system.”
Isn’t that sort of the point? Are we EDUCATING people or mearly throwing words at them with a ‘desired’ outcome. Are we teaching people to think or what to say? I forget.
If you want me to get on my knees and thank the heavens for mandatory obligated education – I refuse. The fact that I could – or my parents – could be put in jail if I were not to attend my ‘free’ education.. makes me think of a few choice words and greatful is not one of them.
“Actually, back then the school might have filled it out and just verified the information provided on the enrollment card.”
Fraud is something I fully expect out of public education.
Marin, children are not “property.” UPDATE: wives aren’t property either.
Secondly, I am not going to argue school board policy with you. The point is, a school board hearing is not a court of law. Kids claim they don’t know rules etc all the time. The test on code of behavior proves otherwise. Take it up with them, not me. I am merely quoting the party line.
The impact aid cards are other matter. Failure to provide employment, especially if federal, costs all of us money. Our area is excessively impacted by the federal government.
Take what up? You require my cooperation for money. I refuse.
End of story.
I guess you like paying more taxes then. @marin.