Does the Punishment Fit the Crime?

The theme for today is “Does the punishment fit the crime?” In the first case, the clear answer is no, since no one has been apprehended, and the school doesn’t sound too interested in looking for the students responsible. LACES seniors poured manure throughout the hallways, leaving a $2,000 cleanup bill. Apparently things have changed since my days when toilet papering the school or stacking the lunch tables 3 stories high was considered high art and took a few hours to undo. I understand, as the principal said, that senior pranks are senior pranks, but unless schools want to see an escalation of these kind of pranks, I’d hope the principal actually attempts to find out who did it or take it from senior class funds.

And in another case, the answer is apparently no, as LAUSD might allow the reopening of the Crescendo Charter Schools that had been threatened with closure due to cheating on standardized testing. While I’m all for school choice, this seems like a perfect example of a one-and-done crime. Do it once, and you don’t get a second chance. But I’m not affiliated with LAUSD. So let’s hope the next school doesn’t turn standardized testing into a take home test.

To those with with students graduating/culminating/matriculating, or otherwise moving on to new schools, “Congratulations.” To those who’ve survived the entire year–one more day!