Reply to Smoking Pot Question from Naive Parent

Forum Index » Private & Independent Schools

Reply to "Smoking Pot Question from Naive Parent"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I attended both a public and independent high school.  I'm sure things have changed somewhat since then, but generally, drugs and alcohol were equally prevalent among the public/private school crowds.  The main difference was that in public school, there was always a group (or groups) who didn't care if their drug use interfered with their education and had no fear of failure or suspension.  They would skip school regularly, smoke pot in the parking lot, etc.  There was none of the "slacker" mentality at private school and everyone maintained a fear of getting caught.

Also, no one sold drugs at our private school.  The private school kids had to buy drugs from public school kids.

[/quote]

THIS is why I'm sending my DC to private.  I went to a huge public school in the 1970s in a large city.  We snorted coke off the bathroom sinks during the day and smoked pot in the bathrooms, behind the school, you name it.  We washed it all down with beer.  I laugh at the posters who say poorer kids can't buy drugs.  A gram of coke cost 100.00 and 10 of us would pitch in our 10.00 lunch money for the week to buy a gram!!  I almost flunked out of school because I got in with the druggie crowd.  I barely graduated - and my parents were at their wits end trying to get me off drugs.

My private school friends, however, were all doing just as many drugs, BUT they all graduated with good grades and went to college.  The general achievement culture of the school dictated that it was NOT okay to be a slacker and not go to college.  In the large public, there were so many different crowds that it was all too easy to fall in with the one where it was cool to ditch class, get Fs and drop out.  I was in the cool crowd, but on the fast track to a loser life.

I ended up working for ten years before I finally managed to put myself through college.  I became - surprise of surprises - a high school teacher!!  I have a good understanding of drugs and teens, I'm not naive - and I chose private because I believe there is less change that DC will flunk out and not go to college.  NOT because I think there will be less drugs and alcohol.  Because the culture of achievement puts a different kind of pressure on them.

Good luck out there - it's a scary world for teens.[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics