Suggestions for improving schools in Juvenile Halls

[sfveggie]

I'd love to hear suggetions from parents who's kids who have been in
juvenile hall schools...
mainly, ways to improve the education there.

I know that one issue is mixing kids of different grades and education levels...
some kids are way behind or way ahead of others academically.

Any other issues your kids have mentioned?

Thanks!

[crstdrvn]

Well, the days of juvenile hall are long over, and now it's the big house...

But at the time, here were some of my concerns that needed fixing:

They wait 7 or 8 weeks to get them into school at all. They says it is because they don't know if the kid will only be there a short time. But we all know how they continue and continue thier cases while they observe their behaviors, and drag it out for weeks and weeks before they even decide what they will do. In the meantime, the kid is in, doing nothing, and getting more and more behind.
This sets them up for failure if/when they do get out and try to get back to school. They are so behind they can't possibly catch up, and what schoolwork they did do in the hall (if anything) doesn't count at school. I've seen most of them just give up, drop out, and get in more trouble. I'll bet about 3/4 of my son's class is in prison today.

They won't let you bring in their existing schoolwork so that if they are only in a short time, they don't get behind in the classroom.

They mix all the ages together and my son described it as more of a day care with lots or arts and crafts and the learning on the 3rd grade level (when he was in high school.)

They do not have the same curriculum as the public schools use for that same grade...it's totally different. Since the school in the hall is run by the same county office of education, seems to me they could at least follow the same curriculum. They will not communicate with the child's school to even see where they are, what the curriculum is, or what they should be working on.

School is inconsistent. When it happens it only happens for a few hours 3 days a week. Sometimes not at all, if the "teacher" is sick, or something else is going on.

If kids were made to attend school on a rountine, just as if they were on the outside, a lot of them might not choose to go in at all. As it stands now, they spend 72 hours in a cell when they first go in, then they are out with the general population, with all day to hang with their friends (make new friends and devise new crimes) watch TV, and play games. No chores, no parents setting guidelines, lots of peers to reinforce the rebellion and the bad behaviors.
A fine retreat for a rebellious teen.

Sorry I got on my soapbox, bu this is a sore subject for me. I think we take rebellious teens and instiutionalize them at a young age. We set them up for failure. Our system is broken. At least at this county's juvenile facility.

That's just off the top of my head. I'm sure there was more, but it's been a while. I do hear from other parents that none of that has changed here though, in the 6-7 years since my son was in juvenile hall.

If you want to keep them out of prison, you need to start when they are juveniles. DUH!