home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive
- Path: sparky!uunet!haven.umd.edu!darwin.sura.net!wupost!mont!pencil.cs.missouri.edu!rich
- From: Nigel.Allen@lambada.oit.unc.edu
- Subject: American Federation of Teachers on School Violence
- Message-ID: <1992Aug17.232355.29753@mont.cs.missouri.edu>
- Followup-To: alt.activism.d
- Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
- Sender: news@mont.cs.missouri.edu
- Nntp-Posting-Host: pencil.cs.missouri.edu
- Organization: Echo Beach
- Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 23:23:55 GMT
- Approved: map@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
- Lines: 65
-
- Here is a press release from the American Federation of Teachers
-
- American Federation of Teachers to Offer Resolution to Combat
- School Violence
- To: National Desk, Education Writer
- Contact: Janet Bass of the American Federation of Teachers,
- 202-879-4554
-
- PITTSBURGH, Aug. 15 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The American Federation of
- Teachers approved a resolution today designed to help stem the tide
- of school violence and classroom discipline problems.
- "Students have the absolute right to learn and teachers have the
- absolute right to teach in an environment where there are no
- knifings, shootings, muggings, unruly students or other assaults on
- the educational experience," said Sandra Feldman, president of the
- United Federation of Teachers, AFT's New York City local union.
- The resolution calls on the AFT to identify the extent and nature
- of school violence and to work to combat the problem by supporting
- innovative solutions, such as the creation of alternative sites for
- disruptive or dangerous students.
- According to a 1991 Department of Education survey of teachers
- nationwide, 37 percent of urban teachers, 27 percent of urban-fringe
- teachers, 25 percent of teachers in towns and 18 percent of rural
- teachers reported that physical conflicts among students were a
- moderate or serious problem.
- The AFT resolution calls for:
- * Establishing a "crisis network clearinghouse" at the AFT
- headquarters to collect and distribute successful methods of dealing
- with school security, safety and discipline.
- * Supporting the creation of alternative sites and education for
- persistently disruptive or dangerous students.
- * Urging Congress to provide federal assistance to school
- districts to combat school crime and violence.
- * Continuing to support the Brady Bill and/or other stringent
- federal measures against the sale of and easy access to handguns and
- semi-automatic weapons.
- * Supporting the concept of a code of behavior for students and
- having teachers, administrators -- and parents, if possible --
- conscientiously support and implement the code.
- * Promoting the development of anti-violence curricula and
- non-traditional te aching strategies to counter violence in schools
- and the community.
- * Organizing violence-prevention training for school staff and
- support systems for victims of school violence.
- The resolution also calls for the AFT to continue to support
- increased federal funding to help financially strapped areas deal
- with overcrowded and decaying schools and oversized classes, factors
- that contribute to school violence.
- In addition, the AFT will continue its efforts to reform education
- and restructure schools so students can reach world-class levels of
- educational achievement.
- According to a 1991 Justice Department report, 9 percent of
- students ages 12 to 19 were crime victims in or around their school,
- and 16 percent of students surveyed claimed a student had attacked
- or threatened a teacher at their school.
- While there are thousands of schools where students and teachers
- are not confronted with violence, the AFT is committed to exercising
- its leadership to ensure that education and violence no longer
- co-exist at the other schools, Feldman said.
- The AFT represents 790,000 teachers, professors, paraprofessionals
- and school-related personnel, nurses and health care workers, state
- and municipal employees.
- -30-
-
-
-