| "My experience
from the PBS broadcasting show was horrible. First they showed us going
through the metal detectors. Then they showed a boy sleeping in class. Finally
they showed a boy busting pass Mr.Land. W ouldn't you think our school is
horrible? Why would the PBS broadcasting show us going through the metal detectors? It's like we are in jail. The security guards act like we are going to bring a gun andshoot somebody. Mr.Land probably approved of us going through the metal detectors. That shows people who watch PBS that we can't be trusted.collapse Then the PBS showed a boy sleeping in class. They want to make our school look bad. It's like the boy wasn't learning so he went to sleep. To be honest, they don't know if he had finished his work and his teacher allowed him to go to sleep. Sure, he might have just gone to sleep not completing his work, but they do not have factual information that he just doze off. This made a big affect on my reaction toward the PBS broadcast. This last reason that affected my reaction is a boy bursting past Mr.Land the "turnaround specialist." Another student may have made him angry. Most people when they are angry do not want to be touched. Boys here at Thomas C. Boushall are very violent when it comes to fighting. A lot of the boys tell them to leave them alone, but they just keep on bothering them. The boy that busted passed Mr.Land was probably ticked off and Mr. Land touched him. He should have left him alone or let him calm down before touching him. This is all one reason that affected my reaction to the PBS broadcasting. In conclusion, my reaction to the show was bad. The reasons why it was bad because we had to go through the metal detectors, The boy fell asleep in class, and the boy that burst passed Mr .Land." –name withheld "The way I felt about the PBS broadcasting was very frustrated The reason I felt this way was because the cameras showed only bad things. Another reason I felt this way is because of the young man who did not want to go to class. My last reason was the way the school looked before the students returned for the 05-06 year. The reason I felt that the cameras was showing only bad things, like a boy getting thrown into a classroom. They didn't show kids walking to class on time, they only showed kids being late for class or skipping. They didn't show when kids where talking to administrative instead they showed a young man cursing and fighting back at an administrative. Nothing good about our school was shown.collapse The young man that walk out of the emotional disturbed classes. He's mother came to the school and talked to his teachers and Mr. Land, the school principal. They say the reason he is in those classes is because he would not make it in regular education classes. My opinion was that he should start his day off in regular education classes and move into the other classes in subjects he need help in. My last reason was because the way the school looked before the students came to school for the 05-06 school year. Clocks were missing from classrooms, other rooms were missing blinds and desk. How do students opposed to work in these conditions. Tins should not be the way that students begin their new school year. These are my reasons for feeling this about the broadcasting. My reason was because of cameras showed only bad things. My other reason was because the young man who didn't want to go to emotional disturbed classes. My last reason was the way the school looked the week school opened. " –name withheld "I think that the PBS broadcast did not show the whole truth about Boushall. Nothing good about the school was shown. They did not talk about the honors class or how big it was. They repeatedly talked about the 28%of students in special education. I also did not like that they said it would be harder with our school then a white school because almost all of our students are African American. It made me upset that nothing was said about the school honors class. The broadcast made our school look like we have no well behaved. children at all. There should have been more of the honors class shown then just the students that were misbehaving. Then Boushall would not have looked so bad. People who watch this would not want to send their children because of what was shown.collapse In Boushall 28%of the students are in special education. This was repeatedly said but yet nothing about the honors class was shown. When you think of special education you think of children with special needs. You would also think that no more than 10% of a school would be special education but our school is much higher. It was a sad thought to think that 28%of our school is special education but it did not have to be said so much. The thing I did not like the most was that they said it would be harder to help our school than a white one. This was because almost all of our schools students are African American. It shouldn't matter what color the child is because a black child can act just like a white child. The color of a child is not what makes them act a certain way but where and how they are raised. If everything was based on color many black people where they are now. The PBS Broadcast was completely wrong about Boushall. Our school is not like that every day. If they had shown just some of the good things we do, it would have been a lot better. Because of what was shown many people are not going to want their children to go here. From what was shown I wouldn't either." –name withheld "My reaction to the PBS broadcast was disappointing I felt this way because I think we could do much better. Another reason I would like school to become a better place for everyone. My final reason is that if we work together to make Boushall better it will become a better school. I felt this because, we could do much better. We were in the halls most of the movie, and when we were suppose to be in class. Some people were also trying to walk out of class during class time. My second reason is because the school would be able to find something good that we do. collapse Another reason is because I would like it to become a better school for everyone. Boushall is not a good school for teachers, students, or staff members at this time. We also shouldn 't have to walk though medal detectors every morning, as a kid that is giving you the message that people are waiting for us to do something wrong. It also shouldn't be a daily process where the teacher's are watching their back more than they are teaching. My final reason is that we should work together to become a better school The students, parents, and teachers should come together to make the school better. The students could help by trying to be on their best behavior. The way I think the parents can help is by coming to parent teacher meeting, and also by checking on their children. I know the teachers are trying their best but I think they can do a little more, but I guest they are doing their best to pitch in." –name withheld "The movie that we watched in class about our school, Boushall, made me upset because it showed that our school had a lot of problems as well as bad children. It showed that a lot of our students did not follow our Code of Conduct Handbook. Our school is beautiful on the outside but on the inside there was a lot of unbeautiful ness. Our principal went throughout our school with a video camera and filmed all of the activities that were going on in our school. He came across a lot of students that were disrespectful to their teachers. In the classrooms he showed that some students talked back to their teachers. Some fell asleep in their classes and some were not doing their work in the class. Not paying attention in class makes the students fail throughout the school year as well as when it's time for them to take their SOL's. collapse On the video it also showed students walking out of the classrooms. This showed me the lack of respect we had throughout our school for the adult figures who are known to us as our teachers. I feel that my teachers are here to help me in whatever I am trying to learn. They have a lot of knowledge and they are eager to share their knowledge with us. But the video showed that a lot of students were not and are not eager to learn, so therefore they walk out of their classes. Also on the video I saw a lot of fighting. The students thought that fighting in front of the video was cool. It just showed the lack of respect that they had for our school and what our principal was trying to do. The students also used a lot of profanity with our principal as well as the person with whom they were fighting with. Our principal wants to turn our school around for the better. He wants all of our students to follow our Code of Conduct Handbook. This means students paying attention in class and learning more. This means better grades throughout the school and better test scores after SOL's are taken. He wants to bring respect back in the classrooms. Making learning fun so that students will want to learn is another of his objectives. Making Boushall a safe place for us to attend as well. All of these things need to be corrected so that our school, Thomas C. Boushall Middle won't be shut down." –name withheld "I thought that the film was embarrassing to see what is happening in this school. I really think that it's a good idea to have a turnaround specialist to help make the school better. Mr. Land is trying his best to keep children from doing what they don't suppose to do. This film might make people not want to bring their kids to this school. There is a reason why because there are kids who don't want to do their work or learn. A second reason they are disobeying teachers. Also kids are walking the hall.collapse My most important thing in this film that struck me was being one of the students that are not like others that lead into trouble. The second reason it cause lots of problems. The third reason it can turn other kids into horrible children. I also thought the film was embarrassing because kids were cursing at the cameraman and they found out we were bad. Also there were kids cursing out the teachers. The kids who are acting up should take a look at the video and see how they really act. Then they will see how we feel. This school really needs a turnaround specialist. I hope the principal can make some changes." –name withheld "My reaction to the PBS broadcast is negative. My first reason why is they are focused more on the special students than the honor students. The broadcast did not acknowledge the fact the Thomas C. Boushall has a high percentage of honor and scholar roll students. With the focus on the special education students, PBS gave the perception that Boushall was a special ed school. When the truth is Thomas C. Boushall provides education for all types of students. This is my reason why I found the PBS broadcast to be negative. collapse My second reason why I did enjoy the broadcast is because it did not focus on the actual teaching and learning that was taking place. Instead, the broadcast focused on the students roaming and milling around the hallways. Was the entire student body in the halls? No. The majority of the students were in the classrooms, seated and engaged in learning, Why did PBS find it necessary to focus so much on the negative aspect of our school? I don't know. That was my second reason why the PBS broadcast was bad. Another reason why I didn't like the PBS broadcast is because they made Boushall seem like some sort of gun toting, gang infested school. Yes, we must walk through metal detectors, but its for everyone's safety. I feel better knowing that there are no weapons on school grounds. Students can focus more on learning when they feel safe. I feel that PBS negative focus on the metal detectors was not necessary. This deeply affected my reaction. I feel that PBS broadcast was totally negative. It didn't portray Boushall in a positive way. If I were a new student enrolled at Boushalll would be really scared. Which in truth, Boushall is not the worst school in the Richmond Public schools system. Yes, we do have our school of problems, but all schools do. In order to make our school better we must work together as a team. Being highlighted so negatively will not accomplish the desired end result." –name withheld "My reaction to PBS Broadcast is agreeable. I say this because when I go to school, I hear about fights, I hear cursing, and I have to deal with people with ugly attitudes. One reason why I have this reaction is because of what a teacher was talking about. Another reason is because I see people trying to skip class. My last reason for having this reaction is because of the number of kids in special Education. My first reason for this reaction to PBS Broadcast is because of what a teacher in the video was talking about. A teacher named Angela Wheeler was talking about how the kids in some classes are throwing chairs and kicking tables. I agree with the statement she made. Mostly after lunch, I see kids going wild sometimes when a teacher isn't there with them. To conclude this paragraph in my opinion, I think it is the energy they get eating their lunch with their snacks. collapse My second reason for this reaction to PBS Broadcast is kids that are trying to skip class. In the video, I saw a boy trying to get past Mr. Land to get out of the class, but he was pulled back in. Obviously he was trying to skip the class. Sometimes, I hear kids that say that they are going to skip, but I don't see them roaming the halls at all. In my opinion, I think that the kids skip class because either they don't want to hear the teacher's mouth or they just don't want to learn. My last reason for having this reaction to PBS Broadcast is that our school has a lot of kids in special education. In the video, I found out that we have about 28% of kids in special education out of about 750 kids in schools. Our teacher told me that that is about 200 kids. I wonder what there problems are. Hopefully they will find some way to get through their problems and get back to learning normally. What Angela was talking about was true. Kids sometimes like to wander the halls just so they won't have to go to class. 28% of the 750 of kids in schools are in special education and that is about 200 kids. I think if any adult saw this video and they wanted to send their child there that they would automatically change their mind. To conclude this whole essay, I agree with you, PBS Broadcast." –name withheld "My Response to Turnaround Specialists Episode One My response to Turnaround Specialist Episode One is negative because the episode doesn't show the way Boushall Middle School really is. The broadcast does show bad behavior. The broadcast makes the school look very bad. Finally,the broadcast doesn't show student views. The movie only shows bad behavior. In the broadcast the camera crew shows a boy pushing pass Mr. Land also, the broadcast showed people cutting class. Finally, the camera crew shot a boy in the principals office getting in trouble.collapse The episode makes the school look bad. The staff and students of Boushall know it is not as bad as it looks. The episode didn't show equal amounts of good and bad throughout the school. Nearly every response to the episode was negative. The episode doesn't show the student views. Students weren't interviewed to share their points. If students were interviewed, I think people would understand. The students don't have a fair say in what's going on. I have come to the conclusion that the show called Turnaround Specialist Episode1 is not how Boushall really is. The broadcast shows bad behavior.Also the broadcast doesn't produce an image with student views. I think the broadcast is unfair." –name withheld |