Students suggest policy changes

Christine Carrillo

The school district’s zero-tolerance policy is among the rules that a

group of juniors and seniors would like to see changed.

That request was among many from students from four of the

district’s high schools presented to Newport-Mesa Unified School

Board members last week, after months of trying to find a balance

between discipline and student behavior.

During that time, the students from Newport Harbor, Corona del

Mar, Estancia and Costa Mesa high schools conducted two town hall

meetings that drew crowds of students, parents, community members and

school officials to discuss issues concerning the district’s Student

Conduct Policy.

They hope that the trustees will review and possibly adopt the

recommendations for the 2003-04 school year.

“When we’re all working together, we can achieve really great

things,” said Phil D’Agostino, a teacher at Newport Harbor who helped

the students organize their recommendations. “It’s been a really

great process for all of us to be involved with.”

One of the key changes the students asked the board to make was to

ensure that parents were better informed about the offenses and

consequences contained within the policy’s alcohol and drug

violations section.

The members of the student committees also felt that their peers

didn’t fully understand the policy.

They suggested the board institute peer-to-peer education, in

which students in upper grade levels would serve as mentors to their

younger counterparts and warn them of the policy’s consequences.

They also suggested that each campus have an oversight committee,

composed of administrators, students, teachers and parents to review

board decisions and act as an advisory board representing the

interests of the students.

“It’s very important that the kids have some part in this, because

I think that they probably look at it differently than we do,” said

Linda Sneen, a school board trustee. “Sometimes I think we’re being

too harsh, but we have to follow the policy, and that’s why I was so

excited about revising it.”

Although some board members expressed concern about how such

committees might hamper the students’ right to anonymity, they agreed

that the idea is a good one.

While school officials said they will need to look more carefully

at each recommendation, they added that many of the recommendations

could and should be adopted for the new year.

“These kids are smarter than we are sometimes,” Sneen said. “I

have to give them a lot of credit because they’re really in tune. I’m

thrilled that they’re involved.”

The board will revisit the students’ policy revisions mid-June.