Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
Stumble
Monday, Aug. 29, 2011 | 2 a.m.
David Wilson, principal of Chaparral High School, on Thursday, August 18, 2011.
Related story
I only have one chance to make a first impression on the first day of school. Kids have to know it’s not the same Chaparral they left last year. We’ve done all that we could in a short time frame to change the exterior of the buildings. We added the banners on the front of the building, a fresh paint job, the big C for Chaparral.
That’s why we’re going to have the band out front today, out greeting them, being excited with kids. In the big courtyard we’ll have new speakers playing music.
The whole issue from this very first morning is to set that tone. You only have one opportunity to set that tone for the kids, and we have to be on our A game.
I’m focused on changing that culture, and that’s why I worry about things that I’m cracking down on. You don’t want open rebellion and open revolt. There will be no electronic devices, period, from 7:30 until lunch at 1:40 p.m. When you have kids who are used to aimlessly texting and taking calls at will, walking into class with ear buds at will, listening to music and ignoring teachers, instruction suffers. The bottom line is graduating kids and you can’t graduate kids if they’re not learning. By damn, they need to be doing their part, which is participating.
I absolutely positively know there will be pushback. Do I hope there will be none? Yes. Do I think there will be? Yes. It’s the 80-20 rule: 80 percent will go along with the rule; 20 percent will be upset. The 2 percent is who I will hear from. The parents will call into newspapers, TV stations, the School District. I don’t have a problem with that. I’m simply enforcing Clark County School District rules.
We will have zip ties for kids with sagging pants, saggers. When I came in last year, kids literally had their entire butts hanging out. That’s unacceptable.
It goes right down to the tardy policy. They’re used to just walking the hallways aimlessly, and we’re not going to let that happen, and the last thing is we’re not going to let kids exit the classroom unless it’s an absolute emergency. Most of the damage to the campus, etched glass, graffiti was done by kids either just wandering out of the classroom or saying that I have to go to the bathroom and never coming back. That change is just going to help keep things under control.
Those are huge changes in culture. We have to get the routine and procedures under control. It’s not going to be this easy walk in the park. But I’m looking forward to it.
Chaparral High School has seen better days.
Once among the top performing schools in the Clark County School District, Chaparral High is undergoing changes to counter dismal test scores and the lowest graduation rate in the district.
The campus located near East Flamingo Road and U.S. 95 is one of five turnaround schools not meeting the expectations outlined in No Child Left Behind.
Chaparral is now looking to clean up its reputation, touching every aspect of the school from restrooms to test scores.
Changes weren’t received well by students who openly protested the cuts to faculty and the new order that banned the use of cell phones and music players during the school day.
Under stricter rules, tardy students are locked out of classrooms, bathroom breaks during class time aren’t allowed and the lunch hour was pushed back to 1:40 p.m.
Superintendent Dwight Jones told students he’s not settling for half successes.
“Right now, 50 percent of the kids in this school don’t graduate high school. Is that acceptable to you? Think about that. Right now, some of the friends that you’re with aren’t going to graduate. Is that OK? That’s unacceptable to me. I think you guys ought to kick all of us out.”
- Year built:
- 1971
- Mascot:
- Cowboys
- Principal (Year Hired):
- David Wilson (2011)
- Enrollment:
- Approximately 2,250
- School Report Card:
- 2010-2011
Compiled by Gregan Wingert
David Wilson is the principal at Chaparral High School.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Finally, someone who has the guts to stand up and take action. There will be the freedom of speech crowd saying sagging is their constitutional right. It is NOT.
Good luck David Warren!
Sorry...Wilson
Here Here! What a wonderful concept...adhering to CCSD rules!! Although they were always in place, teachers, administrators and other CCSD personel ignored them all. Fear of retaliation? Probably. Fear of involuntary transfers? Maybe. Fear of parent rebuttals? Most definately. Time for parents to wake up, take the darn cell phone out of your kids hands for a change, make them "play" and operate in the REAL WORLD because some day, they are going to have to show up for a job interview....IN PERSON! They are going to have to communicate in real time, answer questions face-to-face, and begin lasting relationships without texting being in the equation. The jury is still out on whether or not this principal will succeed or be ousted by higher ups who receive phone calls from worried parents that their brats are being "abused". I wish him luck. Let's hope it works and the Big C becomes the standard and not the exception. Time for change folks, do it now or you may be forced into change you may not want....something to ponder...
I do not understand. Your only idea, is to make all the adults, that are receiving money to do a job, actually start doing that job?
Hmmm, this is an interesting concept for government workers everywhere.
Do not blame children for an out of control school, that does not enforce any of the rules.
That's right, Brian, don't blame the kids - try blaming the PARENTS who let their kids walk out of the house dressed like ho's and wanna-be gang bangers. Don't blame the teachers whose hands are tied when it comes to any kind of discipline - that's the ONLY time the school will hear from some of these so-called 'parents'.... when their kid is being made to toe the line - that's when these so-called 'parents' will suddenly become involved (to the detriment of the child, for sure). When it comes time for parent-teacher conferences (if they even do those anymore) these same so-called 'parents' will be nowhere to be found. All this 'discipline' should be starting at home anyway -- parents should be making sure their kids are 'dressed for success'... the way they dress DOES make a difference - just as the way people dress for work DOES make a difference in how they perform. Sadly, some so-called 'parents' just don't seem to 'get it' and probably never will.
What this guy is trying to do won't change a thing. This is tough talk, but the bottom line is that these kids don't value the free education that they are getting. Uniforms, zip ties, banning electronics won't work. It's their stinking attitude that they have that they bring from home in the morning. Just go to the retail stores and gas stations and see their parents at work. Some of them are utterly disgusting and clueless of reality.
I can only suggest that we not make school mandatory anymore. Make these parents and their children pay for school, furthermore. Once they can't get it for free anymore, they will start behaving and valuing school. When you get something for free, you don't appreciate it. Quit believing that we can make this a perfect world, not everyone values school. For the children who don't want to be in school, send them to work. There's absolutely nothing wrong with making children work, especially if they don't want to go to school. They will get a head start on their future careers, especially if they apprentice.
Any bets that a lawsuit is now in the works? Making kids follow rules is sure to violate some human right or free stupidity clause in the Constitutions we are not aware of.
otherwise, I wish him luck and find it refreshing that a school is willing to start teaching and not just playing babysitter.
I'm the first one to agree that it all starts in the home, but cracking down on rules at the school will work. There has to be consistency and follow-through for it to work, but it can work. I happen to teach at a school that enforces dress code, cell phone use etc. very strictly and we have many fewer problems than other middle schools in the area that don't enforce rules as stringently as we do. It takes effort on the part of every adult on campus, but it can work.
Over/Under as to when the first student pees in the classroom?
I like the new principal. Great move!!!!