in Schools
Were School District Policies Followed With Regard to Students Making Threats That Impacted the Kearns Campus Today?
Late last night Park City School District Superintendent Dr Ember Conley issued a press release notifying the public that there were threats made (in October 2015) against the Kearns Campus that mentioned today’s date. This morning, in an interview with KPCW’s Leslie Thatcher, Dr. Conley said that it was Park City School District students who had made threats against certain teachers and a school administrator. Ms. Thatcher asked if the students had been suspended. Dr. Conley replied that due to student confidentiality she couldn’t say but that all policies were followed.
So, what is the policy on making threats against a school? Policy 10100 – Safe Schools says:
2.I.B: A student shall be suspended from school for participation in any of the following prohibited conduct when it occurs (a) on school grounds, in school facilities, at school-related events, and in school dispatched or funded transportation, or (b) wherever it occurs, if it has a direct impact on the discipline or safety of the schools or the learning experience of a student.
Chapter 2.I.B.6 specifically seems to mention today’s threat when it provides an example: “(6) Commission of an act involving the use of force or the threatened use of force which substantially interferes with the educational process in the school, for another student or for an educator;.” I’d say that 2.I.B.6 fits the bill, since today is an AP testing day, students are likely freaked out about this, the police and fire department are on premises, and the threat was made against educators.
So, that indicates that it is likely the students who made these threats should have been suspended from school. But for how long?
In Chapter 2.II.A.1.C it says:
“Procedures for Suspension A. When a student engages in conduct for which suspension is possible or required under Chapter 2 of this policy, the following procedures shall occur: 1. For the first offense:(c) If the conduct is described in Chapter 2, Section I.B.2 through I.B7 of this policy, the principal or designee shall suspend the student for ten consecutive school days and in addition shall refer the student to the superintendent for suspension for up to an entire school year, or its equivalent imposed over two school calendars. Principals can also recommend a suspension for an indefinite period of time.”
So, the question is, was this policy followed? Were the students suspended for 10 straight days? Were each of them referred to the Superintendent for a decision on whether to be suspended for up to a year? Did high school principal Bob O’Connor decide to indefinitely suspend any students?
We’ve reached out to the school district with these questions and will report back with what they tell us.
We are not looking for individual students names. That would be a violation of privacy laws. However, we as citizens need to know that school policies are always followed. Even more importantly in a case that apparently was egregious enough to “beef up security” at our schools, we need to know that from the beginning this was taken very seriously. If the school district followed their policies, even though it may appear to be tough on some students, we’ll be on our way to knowing that our district won’t stand by idly for threats.
Opt Out of the Yellow Pages
My first internship in college was working for Sprint Publishing and Advertising (one of the largest yellow pages providers in the country at that time). This was before the Internet was used by hardly anyone outside of universities, research and development, and government. I was tasked with task of trying to electronify their yellow pages. Twenty years on, the Yellow Pages companies never figured that out and the world has passed them by. Yet, every year yellow pages end up being thrown somewhere on your lawn by some random car that drives by. My only hope is that it isn’t too far from the recycle bin… so it’s not much effort to toss it immediately in.
This year I finally took the step I should have for years now — opting out of the yellow pages. The process is simple. Go to www.yellowpagesoptout.com. You provide your zipcode and they will show you the publications that could be delivered to you. Then you can opt out for some or all of them. The only catch is that they need your address, email, and phone number. They promise that they will not use your information. However, I never really believe that. So, I use my gmail address that handles spam effectively and give them a Google Voice number, so my cell phone doesn’t start to get spammed.
It was about a 3 minute effort and hopefully those efforts will save at least a tree or two.
in Schools
Threat Made Against Kearns Campus for Today (May 3rd)
We just received a release from the Park City School District citing a threat made about the Kearns Campus back in October, 2015 that mentioned today’s date (May 3, 2016). Therefore, you may see an increased police presence today.
Both the district and police department are doing the right thing by being vigilant. Most likely this was just a threat made by an idiot, but you never know. Hopefully they will catch and prosecute the person who made the threat to the fullest extent of the law.
However, this does serve as a reminder that there are bad people in this world and it’s our job as parents, educators, and community members to teach our children what to do in a situation like that. Of course, opinions vary on the right strategy for your child in the case of a school shooting, but here are a few opinions:
How to Teach Your Child to Survive a School Shooting
Three Things Your Child Can Do to Survive a School Shooter
The other thing to point out is that many people have been opposed to Utah’s laws that enable teachers to carry concealed weapons. Yet, it is likely that just the mere fact that some teachers will be armed on the Kearns Campus will prevent someone from committing violence at our schools.
Of course, people who commit these types of crimes aren’t always logical. Therefore, the care our schools are taking in the situation makes complete sense.
Here is the press release from the district. If you have questions, you can contact the Office of the Superintendent at 435.645.5600.
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Update: A reader wrote in and said that a comment in the story about “people with mental illness aren’t always logical” was out of line. I have responded in the comments below, but she is probably right. I didn’t intend to generalize anything about those suffering from mental illness or imply that most people with a mental illness would somehow be violent. I have changed the article to reflect this. Thanks to the reader for pointing out this out.
in Schools, Uncategorized
Office Hours With Ember Conley (4/30/2016)
The Park City School District Superintendent, Dr. Ember Conley, meets every Friday (through May 27) with citizens in an open, friendly environment at Hugo Coffee. No topic is off-limits. Each week, Dr Conley answers questions about what the Park City Schools are doing. Below, is a summary of last Friday’s discussion. Much of the session was dominated with a discussion of a nurse at Parley’s Park who may not been rehired for the next year. Other topics included mental health, master planning, and testing.
- A citizen asked about mental health month and what the district is doing about it. She says mental health can cover a multitude of issues and not just the extremes. It can cover anxiety, depression, etc. She says it is important to pay attention to all of those issues.
- Dr. Conley says she agrees it is important.
- The talk shifted to test anxiety. One of the citizens talked about how she is organizing therapy dogs to go into the high school with them. She is looking for ways to get more teachers interested. Dr. Conley said she can help. She suggested that the citizen should focus on the a few teachers until the use becomes more prevalent.
- A citizen says that she was involved with master planning the last time around. She says, though, she is hearing more conversations about the 6th graders back into elementary.
- Dr Conley says one board member has been talking about moving the 6th grade back into our existing elementary schools and another member says that the decision has already been made to go with a separate 5-6.
- Dr Conley says that the board has now asked her to form a committee to look at both possibilities (pre K to 6th vs a separate 5-6 school). The timeframe includes having everything to the board by next March. Before March, meetings will be held with the community to get input (much like is being done on the new rec facility).
- A citizen says he has 3 kids in schools. His middle child is Type 1 Diabetic. He says there is a rumor that the Parley’s Park nurse may not be rehired. He says he doesn’t have the words to express how much he appreciates what the Parley’s Park nurse does. He and his wife view it as the fact the nurse saves their child’s life every day. The Citizen says the nurse is so important because Type 1 Diabetes is different every day. Citizen says it is so disappointing that the district may not value this nurse. The citizen says there are 3 type 1 diabetics at Parley’s Park.
- Dr Conley says that in her former district it was high poverty and low income and they had full time nurses. She says that she knows they have massive improvements to make. She says using the model of a full time nurses and with a nurse manager is the model they are going for in 2017-2018. She says as the population has grown, there are now more needs.
- Citizen says he is concerned that this is a personality issue between people at the district and people at Parley’s Park vs the nurse. He says this is hearsay, of course… but he hears that this is more vengeance than doing the right thing for the kids. He says it will be disappointing if that is the case. Citizen says he has no relationship or vested interest in this particular nurse, other than that she is great with his kids.
- A citizen relayed a story about high school students not caring about Galileo testing, and therefore not taking the test seriously. The citizen asked where our district stands on having the Galileo test, SAGE, and then individual tests that lead to an unending series of tests at our high school. Dr Conley responded that there should be a shift as we go to more collaborative team process. She said that one of the issues is that teachers are still giving certain exams (i.e. some year end exams) that duplicate what the Galileo testing is doing. Another citizen asked whether the Galileo testing could be used for grades. Dr Conley said, yes. Dr Conley also responded that teachers can submit questions for the Galileo testing.
- Another citizen says that they have talked to teachers and the teachers have tried to add questions and it has not happened. Dr Conley says that they don’t think it’s too widespread.
- Dr Conley also responded that is Galileo more than just a test. It can also help teachers teach to areas where there are problems. For instance, if a majority of students have a deficiency in an area, Galileo can provide supplemental lessons and quizzes to help make sure students get the education they need.
There were a few other discussions but that was the majority of the meeting. “Office Hours” runs through the end of May. I would encourage you to attend (Friday’s at 8:30 at Hugo Coffee) if you have questions.
What About Increasing Frequency of Buses?
It seems that people I have heard from think that vans providing on-demand pickup to deliver residents to bus stop has zero-to-little chance of succeeding in getting people on buses.
So, here is another potential plan by the city and county: Increased frequency. Instead of waiting 30 minutes for a bus they will come every 7 to 15 minutes (on certain routes). I believe this has an estimated cost to the county of about $1.5 million. I’m not sure if Park City Municipal would have costs in addition to that (i.e. paying their share) but I would guess so.
What do you think? Would that get you on a bus more often?
Summit County Drug Court Serves and Saves
The Summit County Drug Court was established in 2011 to allow non-violent felony drug offenders who meet certain criteria an opportunity to avoid lengthy incarceration by voluntarily participating in a program that provides structured regular drug testing and monitoring of the offender for compliance with firm conditions.
Recently BYU students did a review of program in an attempt to answer two questions:
- Does the existence of the drug court reduce the number of inmates in the County Jail Facility thus helping the facility remain viable long term by delaying the need to expand or build a new facility
- Is the drug court effective in reducing the number of drug offenders who are repeat offenders
So, how does a typical drug court work? Generally certain felony drug offenders are offered the ability to plead guilty to drug charges in exchange for being put into the program. As part of the program, offenders are usually tested three times per week for drugs and/or alcohol. The cost of testing is paid by the offender. Additional measures are included such as performing community service, attending regular meetings, and writing a report.
The program lasts a minimum of 24 months. If the offender successfully graduates, then they may have their criminal charges reduced.
So far, 7 of 18 participants have graduated. There are currently 11 participants in the drug court. The annual cost of the drug court is $20,000 (does not include wages of officials presiding over court). If these 11 participants were jail, at an estimated cost of $30,000 per inmate per year, it would cost the county $330,000 annually. Therefore, it appears it is a financially successful program.
Nationwide, there are many proponents of drug courts. They cite statistics such as 75% of drug court graduates remain arrest-free after 2 years and reduce crime by as much as 45% over other sentencing options. However, there are also those that cite that drug courts cause individuals to lose rights and discriminate against those who cannot afford to pay for drug tests.
It will be interesting to watch if Summit County invests more heavily and expands the program. So far, with its limited reach and limited budget it seems to be providing benefits to our community.
To read more about Summit County’s Drug Court, click here.
An Interesting Idea from Summit County on Transportation
Last week I had the chance to sit down with Summit County’s person in charge of transportation, Caroline Ferris. One of the issues we discussed was buses. I mentioned that one of the impediments I see with regard to adoption is that often people either need to walk a long way or would need to drive, park, wait, and then catch the bus.
Ms. Ferris offered a solution to that problem. She said that the city and county were looking into a shuttle service that could be scheduled to pick you up from your home and drop you off at a bus stop in time to catch the bus. Here is how it would likely work… Let’s say you want to take the 7:30 AM bus from Pinebrook to Prospector. You’d use an app and tell the bus service that you wanted to be on that 7:30 bus. They’d then schedule a van to come pick you (and others) up and transport you to the bus stop by 7:30. Of course, you may need to get picked up at 7:10, so that the van could service other people as well.
I said to Ms. Ferris that this process must be complex from a scheduling standpoint. She said that it wasn’t actually that hard. She said that the Park City Transit software currently had much of that capability built into the program and they were looking to find an area to pilot this type of program.
I personally think it would solve one of two big impediments to bus ridership, the last mile to people’s homes. The other of course, is ensuring that bus trips don’t take too much longer than a car. If it takes an hour to get from Pinebrook to Prospector, you can’t assume many people will take that option. However, if you can get to Prospector in 30 minutes or to Canyons (from Pinebrook) in 20 minutes, people would likely do it.
In speaking with a few other citizens about this, they bring up some of the negatives, of course. Having vans circulating through neighborhoods isn’t exactly “green” and there is a cost to ensuring that everyone who wants to schedule a pickup CAN schedule a pickup. Yet, it’s an interesting idea.
If the city and county could really pull this off, I think it would be a great test of whether locals want to take buses at all. The ride would be free. You’d be picked up at your door. About your only excuse left for not riding buses… is that you don’t want to ride a bus.
I like this sort of innovative thinking, though. In the long run, the only way we’ll really know if it will work is to try it. So, I hope Park City Transit pilots this soon. I hope they pilot it in an area like Park Meadows, which seems to get a lot of bus usage (the trips are shorter). If it works there, I’d like to see an expanded pilot into the “burbs.”
Regardless of whether this plan is ultimately successful, it shows that our transit officials are thinking outside the box. That is definitely a good thing.
in Schools
Tour Treasure Mountain Junior High
The school district is ramping up efforts to convince you that TMJH needs to meet the solid end of a wrecking ball. I don’t think most people probably need convinced of that. Hopefully, though, the district will use these same sorts of efforts when more controversial items are brought up (i.e. the new 5/6 school).
The tour will be held Monday May 9th at Treasure Mountain Junior. The tour will leave promptly at 8:45AM from the school’s lobby. It will be led by Facilities Director Todd Hansen and Principal Emily Sutherland.
If you want to tour crowded hallways, drink brown water from pipes, breathe in dust with lead from contaminated vents, and possibly bring home a bit of the curse that is evidently plaguing the school (like when Bobby Brady brings found that tiki idol in Hawaii), then this just might the tour for you. If you are more of the faint-of-heart type, I might suggest the Park City Ghost Tour. It may be a little less scary.
Feeding the Beast … Is Traffic Really a Problem?
We’ve all sat in traffic on a random Friday at about 4:30. I know that traffic in town during the week after Christmas is horrible. We’ve all read about CARMAGEDDON (some even experienced it). Almost all of us have experienced BLINKING LIGHT SYNDROME when stoplights in Kimball Junction start blinking red.
Yet, is it really a problem? More importantly, if it really is a problem, is it a problem we can solve?
The reason I ask is that the city and county are poised to spend multiples of millions of dollars on trying to solve the “problem.” During the last few years, it seems there have been countless stories in the Park Record and on KPCW about how bad traffic is. However, as time goes on, I wonder if we are all just being ginned up, for lack of anything better to talk about.
Ask any of your friends or family visiting from Washington DC, Florida, or Los Angeles if the traffic is bad here and I’d bet they’d say “what traffic?”. A couple of years ago my sister was from Chicago during the week before New Years. I asked her if the traffic would stop here from coming back…she said…you guessed it, “what traffic?
I realize that traffic is probably worse here than during the 80’s when Park City was really a one horse town, but do we have a problem? You may say “who cares. What harm can it do to make traffic better?” The problem is that “traffic” often becomes an incubator for other projects and solutions. It leads to a myriad of solutions, poised to save us from what may become a REAL PROBLEM, but isn’t now.
I’ll be the first to admit that traffic could become a real issue if economic growth continues around Park City. Yet, in Park City does it regularly take 3 hours to get home from skiing on a Sunday? No. That’s what folks in Denver face. Does it take an hour to go 2 miles? Maybe once a year… maybe.
So, do we have a traffic problem? If your definition of problem is having to wait at all… then yes. However, in the scheme of things, the wait just isn’t that long. And the question we need to ask as citizens is whether it is really a problem worth pouring millions into.
Every time we complain or tell others that “traffic was horrible,” when it was only a minor inconvenience, we are feeding the beast. We are telling our elected representatives that they must solve our traffic problem. They will add more bus routes. They will increase the frequency of buses. They will find ways to make it too expensive or cumbersome to drive. This is all in the name of “solving” traffic… because the people told them it was a problem, They are doing what they are supposed to do — listen to the people.
So, I ask the following questions of fellow citizens, “Do we have enough of a traffic problem, to throw millions of dollars at it?” If you say yes, “What then is the likelihood that our local governments can actually solve it?”
If you answer yes to the first question and give them better than 50% odds on the second question, then I suppose constantly complaining about traffic makes sense. However, if you don’t think it’s worth it or you don’t think they can solve it, all complaining is going to do is likely waste time, money, and resources that could spent more effectively elsewhere.
We live in a great place with many great elected officials that actually often listen to their constituents. That’s rare. We just need to ensure that they are hearing the right things. If not, we are doing ourselves a huge disservice.
in Park City
New Stories Shortly
Hi Everyone.
Sorry there haven’t been many new articles recently. I have been a bit wrapped up in the Park City Follies.
However, we should be back soon with new articles about:
- Buses
- E-bikes
- Boyer Tech Park
- Skullcandy
- The land next to Jeremy Ranch Elementary
- Water
- Dogs
- School Board
- Drugs
- …and more
So, thanks for the patience! See you soon.
Parkrag
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