Woodson HS honor code?

[Anonymous]

One of our neighbors kids has been referred to the Woodson Honor Council because a teacher said he was looking at his phone during a class assignment. The kid admits to using the phone inappropriately but says he was not getting the answer from the phone. He has even turned over search history on the phone.

So my question is- why is Woodson one of the only FCPS schools with this "honor code" and "honor council"? He is going to get pulled in front of a panel of other students who will decide the merit of this and it could possibly go on his transcript. What kind of training do these other students have? I find this whole thing absurd for a public high school and feel bad for my neighbor.

Here is the policy: https://woodsonhs.fcps.edu/academics/honor-code

[Anonymous]

I feel bad for your kids. When they are caught at school, you blame the school instead of support the teachers.

No wonder kids ride are fragile. And cheaters.

[Anonymous]

Sorry but that sounds like a didiculous policy.

If it is a discipline issue, the admins or counselors should handle it.

But a group of kids??? Completely unacceptable and a violation of your kid's privacy. I would be escalating this student honor court up to the superintendent if it had to go this far.

What a ridiculous idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of our neighbors kids has been referred to the Woodson Honor Council because a teacher said he was looking at his phone during a class assignment. The kid admits to using the phone inappropriately but says he was not getting the answer from the phone. He has even turned over search history on the phone.

So my question is- why is Woodson one of the only FCPS schools with this "honor code" and "honor council"? He is going to get pulled in front of a panel of other students who will decide the merit of this and it could possibly go on his transcript. What kind of training do these other students have? I find this whole thing absurd for a public high school and feel bad for my neighbor.

Here is the policy: https://woodsonhs.fcps.edu/academics/honor-code

He turned over the search history? Wow! /s
They cheat many different ways than using Google, you know. How many communication apps does a phone have?
This is why teachers are giving up. "Honor codes" don't mean much anymore because so many families have no honor. Cheating is ramped up exponentially from back in the day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of our neighbors kids has been referred to the Woodson Honor Council because a teacher said he was looking at his phone during a class assignment. The kid admits to using the phone inappropriately but says he was not getting the answer from the phone. He has even turned over search history on the phone.

So my question is- why is Woodson one of the only FCPS schools with this "honor code" and "honor council"? He is going to get pulled in front of a panel of other students who will decide the merit of this and it could possibly go on his transcript. What kind of training do these other students have? I find this whole thing absurd for a public high school and feel bad for my neighbor.

Here is the policy: https://woodsonhs.fcps.edu/academics/honor-code

He turned over the search history? Wow! /s
They cheat many different ways than using Google, you know. How many communication apps does a phone have?
This is why teachers are giving up. "Honor codes" don't mean much anymore because so many families have no honor. Cheating is ramped up exponentially from back in the day.

To me, there are 2 entirely different issues occuring here.

1) The cheating issue, and to a lesser extent the cell phone usage, are discipline issues which should be dealt with by the teacher (with admin support), or escalated up to the admin if this is a recurring issue for this particular kid. There should be appropriate administrative consequences given by the adults on the payroll. Perhaps a zero on the test for the cheating, and a detention for violating the phone policy (if that is the standard going forward for in class cell phone use.)

2) The second issue (student honor court) is completely different and the OP is correct to be upset about it. A student tribunal is a violation of the student's privacy rights, especially since this is an issue that impacts grades and potentially, college admissions. A student court opens the kids (all of them, both on the court and off) up to bullying, retaliation, gossip, and opens the school to FERPA violations. Did that parents give permission for their kids' discipline issues to be shared publicly with other students? Are kids with IEPs or 504s for things like ADHD, aspergers, spectrum issues or impulse issue also subject to this peer court? If they are not, while non IEP/504 kids are, this is a very unequal administration of school discipline. How does the school ensure fairness for the kid being punished, or protection against retaliation for the kids on the tribunal? What if there is a history between the kids of middle school bullying or neighborhood drama that the school is unaware of? What if the honor court kids mention the case to one of their parents who happens to be the neighborhood gossip? What kind of recourse and oversight do the parents and student have if they need to escalate the issue or if the issue eventually lands at lawsuit level (not improbable given that it is northern Virginia)? Do they have legal recourse against the students if the kid's ferpa rights are violated due to some kid on the honor court inadvertently gossiping about some student information that should be protected and private?

There are so many things wrong with a school using a student "honor court" to institute discipline that is solely the responsibility of the adults hired by FCPS and who are mandated to follow FERPA.

Punish the kid for cheating and having his phone out in class? Fine.

Abdicating the responsibility by using a bunch of kids to mete out punishment? Completely unacceptable.

[Anonymous]

Other kids should not be involved.

[Anonymous]

Quite a few other FCPS schools also have an honor council approach. Probably up to the incumbent principal if they want to have full responsibility or push off some of the pressure to others.

It's just a made-up opportunity for kids to volunteer and add a line to their college resume applications, but I doubt their input is taken into very serious consideration if it misses the mark. Principal and teachers will follow the SR&R regardless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Other kids should not be involved.

Yep.

One of my kids is the type of student and personality where adults would have picked them to serve on the honor court.

The amount of behind the scenes bullying, ghosting, rejection from classmates, ostracizing, gossip and social pressure that it would open the kids on the honor court to would be pretty heavy in my opinion, especially if they had to judge any kid who remotely overlapped into their friend groups.

I can't imagine how miserable this could make things outside of school for the kids chosen to sit on the honor court.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Quite a few other FCPS schools also have an honor council approach. Probably up to the incumbent principal if they want to have full responsibility or push off some of the pressure to others.

It's just a made-up opportunity for kids to volunteer and add a line to their college resume applications, but I doubt their input is taken into very serious consideration if it misses the mark. Principal and teachers will follow the SR&R regardless.

It violates FERPA protections to share discipline information with other students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Quite a few other FCPS schools also have an honor council approach. Probably up to the incumbent principal if they want to have full responsibility or push off some of the pressure to others.

It's just a made-up opportunity for kids to volunteer and add a line to their college resume applications, but I doubt their input is taken into very serious consideration if it misses the mark. Principal and teachers will follow the SR&R regardless.

Which FCPS schools use a student honor court to mete out punishment for alleged cheating?

[Anonymous]

No wonder the Principal left. Sounds like RJ mandate from Gatehouse.

Kid was cheating and parent is on DCUM to look for blame?! Good luck FCPS staff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No wonder the Principal left. Sounds like RJ mandate from Gatehouse.

Kid was cheating and parent is on DCUM to look for blame?! Good luck FCPS staff.

Yup.

Administration isn't allowed to properly deal with cheating so they come up with a new "restorative justice" solution - and parents complain online about it. When this is nixed, then what?

Do y'all understand that cheating is bad? Do you care? At all?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No wonder the Principal left. Sounds like RJ mandate from Gatehouse.

Kid was cheating and parent is on DCUM to look for blame?! Good luck FCPS staff.

Yup.

Administration isn't allowed to properly deal with cheating so they come up with a new "restorative justice" solution - and parents complain online about it. When this is nixed, then what?

Do y'all understand that cheating is bad? Do you care? At all?

No, there are two separate issues and the complaints about a student "honor court" administrating discipline is 100% legitimate complaining.

Other students should not be involved in disciplining a student caught cheating on a test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No wonder the Principal left. Sounds like RJ mandate from Gatehouse.

Kid was cheating and parent is on DCUM to look for blame?! Good luck FCPS staff.

Yup.

Administration isn't allowed to properly deal with cheating so they come up with a new "restorative justice" solution - and parents complain online about it. When this is nixed, then what?

Do y'all understand that cheating is bad? Do you care? At all?

Not one person has posted in support of the kid's cheating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of our neighbors kids has been referred to the Woodson Honor Council because a teacher said he was looking at his phone during a class assignment. The kid admits to using the phone inappropriately but says he was not getting the answer from the phone. He has even turned over search history on the phone.

So my question is- why is Woodson one of the only FCPS schools with this "honor code" and "honor council"? He is going to get pulled in front of a panel of other students who will decide the merit of this and it could possibly go on his transcript. What kind of training do these other students have? I find this whole thing absurd for a public high school and feel bad for my neighbor.

Here is the policy: https://woodsonhs.fcps.edu/academics/honor-code

He turned over the search history? Wow! /s
They cheat many different ways than using Google, you know. How many communication apps does a phone have?
This is why teachers are giving up. "Honor codes" don't mean much anymore because so many families have no honor. Cheating is ramped up exponentially from back in the day.

To me, there are 2 entirely different issues occuring here.

1) The cheating issue, and to a lesser extent the cell phone usage, are discipline issues which should be dealt with by the teacher (with admin support), or escalated up to the admin if this is a recurring issue for this particular kid. There should be appropriate administrative consequences given by the adults on the payroll. Perhaps a zero on the test for the cheating, and a detention for violating the phone policy (if that is the standard going forward for in class cell phone use.)

2) The second issue (student honor court) is completely different and the OP is correct to be upset about it. A student tribunal is a violation of the student's privacy rights, especially since this is an issue that impacts grades and potentially, college admissions. A student court opens the kids (all of them, both on the court and off) up to bullying, retaliation, gossip, and opens the school to FERPA violations. Did that parents give permission for their kids' discipline issues to be shared publicly with other students? Are kids with IEPs or 504s for things like ADHD, aspergers, spectrum issues or impulse issue also subject to this peer court? If they are not, while non IEP/504 kids are, this is a very unequal administration of school discipline. How does the school ensure fairness for the kid being punished, or protection against retaliation for the kids on the tribunal? What if there is a history between the kids of middle school bullying or neighborhood drama that the school is unaware of? What if the honor court kids mention the case to one of their parents who happens to be the neighborhood gossip? What kind of recourse and oversight do the parents and student have if they need to escalate the issue or if the issue eventually lands at lawsuit level (not improbable given that it is northern Virginia)? Do they have legal recourse against the students if the kid's ferpa rights are violated due to some kid on the honor court inadvertently gossiping about some student information that should be protected and private?

There are so many things wrong with a school using a student "honor court" to institute discipline that is solely the responsibility of the adults hired by FCPS and who are mandated to follow FERPA.

Punish the kid for cheating and having his phone out in class? Fine.

Abdicating the responsibility by using a bunch of kids to mete out punishment? Completely unacceptable.

It's somewhat funny that you mention "college admissions," considering that honor code panels at most colleges and universities are comprised of a majority of fellow students.