The turmoil that surrounded the crackdown (yes, I know, bad choice of words) on cell phones and their apparent connection drug dealing at Stevenson High School has seemingly ebbed. The key word here is seemingly.
Students, parents, administrators and folks who just want to hone in on a ruckus at the Mecca on 22, have all had their say in one way or another.
But not as much as you would think. According to a report in the Daily Herald, the Feb. 13 meeting of the District 125 was void of any public comments about the situation. Board President Bruce Lubin gave his statement explaining the district’s position, but you kind of expected that.
So as this latest saga regarding Stevenson seemed to fade into the archives of board minutes, the Countryside arrived. Yes, the meeting was covered. No surprise.
No doubt there was considerable grousing Stevenson students and parents, and probably by some faculty members – that all comes with the territory.
The question may be this – just how big is the territory. Included in the Feb. 16 Countryside is a letter by Myra Newman-Foley. My guess is Myra must have a connection to Stevenson, the community, or have mental telepathy that is beyond belief.
See, Myra lives in Palm Springs. Yes, that Palm Springs – as in California.
She doesn’t say why she’s so interested Stevenson from her garden of wheat germ on the west coast, nor does she offer solutions. Just barbs that Stevenson students had it coming.
As she wrote “between the permissive parents and the school officials who turned their heads (probably to keep Stevenson ranked high the State of Illinois, etc) it’s finally time that this took place.”
All for a police state -- raise your hand. Thank you Myra, that will do.
There’s no doubt that Stevenson is not a perfect high school. But neither is Woodstock, New Trier, Glenbrook South, Maine East, Thornton Fractional or Fenger. By reading Miz N-F’s letter to the Countryside (http://buffalogrove.suntimes.com/opinions/letters/10473029-474/letter-about-time-for-stevenson-drug-bust.html) you’d think the school was under siege and there was a need for Marshall Law.
It’s not. It is, fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on your point of view, a typical high school.
Granted, the demographics of the surrounding communities may not be typical, but teens have been finding ways to usurp the law since laws were made.
So who’s to blame? Myra wants to blame the school, and there may be some blame there, and the parents. Myra knows best, because she’s “heard” -- just ask her “I heard that in years past parents supposedly called their kids on their cell phones to let them know the police were on campus and to stash whatever they had. True or not? I say probably true.”
True, some parents may have done that -- but how about the parents who guided their students toward academic excellence? How about the parents who volunteer in schools? How about parents who thank teachers for calling home when their student goes astray?
Hello, Myra? You say you’ve “heard”, but you claim that it needs to be run like a “private school” and that “This school needs to have stricter rules, a better dress code and tighten up on security.”
Nothing’s perfect, including Stevenson High School – but don’t think because a seemingly handful of kids screw up that the entire school is out of control. It’s not and there are a lot of outstanding students at Stevenson.
But you wouldn’t know that from reading Myra’s letter.
Myra is quick to propose solutions to what she has heard while basking in Palm Springs.
It’s easy being an arm-chair quarterback on Monday morning. No muss, no fuss – just an “I told you so attitude.”
Myra, like Monday morning quarterbacks, just needs two simple things: A game plan and a play book.
Oh, and maybe a life.
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