At the Reading School Committee’s Dec. 5 meeting, an interesting proposal was floated before the board by Robert Aiello of Prospect Street.
Aiello, in response to tragic recent events involving drugs and violence, proposed adopting a policy that would require all students to accumulate 25 hours of community service prior to graduation.
“My thoughts are that the kids who would volunteer for something like this aren’t the kids we need to be trying to reach,” Aiello said. “It could be at a church, a nursing home, a hospital or a synagogue, but they would need to get a letter stating that they did the public service.”
According to Aiello, a similar program is in place in Cambridge.
While the committee took the suggestion under advisement, we’d like to know what our readers think of this idea.
Would you be in favor of a program like this, or is it fighting a forest fire with a squirt gun?
Let us know!
Ed Howard
4:35 pm on Tuesday, December 6, 2011
I think Bob needs to do his research. RMHS students are required to do a total of 10 hrs a year. Take that Cambridge!
Andrew Jeromski
4:59 pm on Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Is that a requirement? I only ask because the committee didn't mention that at the meeting.
SMS
9:14 pm on Tuesday, December 6, 2011
This just passed because my son never was required to do 10 hours a year and he graduated 2011.
Andrew Jeromski
9:32 pm on Tuesday, December 6, 2011
@SMS As fas as I can tell, there is currently no community service requirement at RMHS ... That being said, please, someone correct me if I'm mistaken on this.
Donna Dudley
5:08 pm on Wednesday, December 7, 2011
I can only confirm that as of the 2011-2012 Student Handbook's Graduation Requirements, beginning on page 10, there is no Community Service/Volunteer requirement for graduation from RMHS.
Andrew Jeromski
5:09 pm on Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Thanks Donna! I guess that settles that question.
Charles
5:42 pm on Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Why do kids need to do C.S. to graduate? They are there to get an education - period. Not become free labor for the liberals. If you like the Cambridge model - send your kids to Cambridge R&L. If people had to choose between CRL & RMHS I would think 99% would chose RMHS
Cheryl Buono
7:25 pm on Wednesday, December 7, 2011
@Charles, "Can you pray in school?"
Yes. It's a free country, you can pray anywhere you want to. I bet, there are students praying every day in school before a test.
Andrew Jeromski
6:06 pm on Tuesday, December 6, 2011
@Charles I'm not sure doing C.S. at a church or synagogue would exactly qualify as "free labor for the liberals," but I do think you make a valid point about being at school to get an education. That being said, wouldn't consider getting out in the community and interacting with people who may be less fortunate, or unable to take care of themselves educational? I know would.
Charles
8:46 am on Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Andrew,
So every kid at RMHS is fortunate? People at church or a synagogue can't take care of themselves? It is up to the parents to decide what they want there kids "growing experience" to be not a school system. By the way, you can't have kids do C.S. at a church, synagogue, etc... against the law.
Andrew Jeromski
8:56 am on Wednesday, December 7, 2011
@Charles I'm not going to play if you're going to put words in my mouth. I never said that every kid at RMHS is fortunate, or that people in churches and synagogues can't take care of themselves. A simple read of my comment will verify that. Which law prohibits CS at churches or synagogues?
Charles
9:00 am on Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Can you pray in school? If you do work with a religious organization then that is considered an endorsement of that religion. Have you ever scene or heard of a public school system working with a church?
Donna Dudley
5:09 pm on Wednesday, December 7, 2011
That's not how it works Charles. Students can submit qualifying community service that they have performed with church groups to the high school for NHS.
Pat
8:47 pm on Tuesday, December 6, 2011
I think it would be fine for RMHS to require it, but only if the school provides the kids with places or ways to volunteer. It's a different type of education
Donna Dudley
8:27 am on Wednesday, December 7, 2011
It is required for National Honor Society. And some of the high school clubs would qualify as 'Community Service', I would think, like RCASA, Rotary, etc.
Charles, perhaps you could explain to us why volunteering for, let's say, Mission of Deeds, is "free labor for the liberals"?
Charles
8:38 am on Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Donna,
If you feel that volunteering at the Mission of Deeds is a great idea - you should do it. I don't believe there is any place in public education to mandate that kids need to do community service in order to graduate. NHS is a choice to join. Not mandated
Donna Dudley
5:14 pm on Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Charles, that wasn't the question I asked. You said, "... Not become free labor for the liberals". I asked how volunteering for an organization *like* Mission of Deeds (or EMARC, or the library, or the food pantry, etc. etc. get it?) qualifies as free labor the the liberals? And don't put works in my mouth. I never said I supported a CS requirement for graduation. In fact, I don't.
Dave Miskinis
8:36 am on Wednesday, December 7, 2011
I'm quite sure that CS is done outside of school hours and has been required for some time. My issue with it is that I know of cases where the time has been "fluffed" - by adults responsible for managing it - and the actual service not very meaningful. So, if RMHS requires it, should they not be more accountable for monitoring and enforcing it and maximizing the value to the community?
Erin Calvo-Bacci
12:23 pm on Wednesday, December 7, 2011
@ Dave, thank you! I too have witnessed students who receive credit for volunteering yet never fully completed the service. Volunteering should be something people want to do and therefor do it wholeheartedly. I donate a lot of my time as do many other people in our community and take offense to those who are volunteering for "credit" especially when they only work maybe a 1/3 of the time they receive credit for. There needs to be more accountability and pride and less entitlement and deceit.
Andrew Jeromski
10:07 am on Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Clearly, this is a divisive issue. Great stuff everyone, keep it coming.
Andrew Jeromski
10:09 am on Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Also, churches and synagogoues were two examples floated at the meeting, but not the only ones. How about CS at the library? At a non profit charity?
SMS
10:50 am on Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Community service is only a requirement for National Honor Society and some other clubs. Other than that there is no requirement for community service. If a child decides to do community service at a religious facility and use it towards her CS credit the school needs to honor that. The school has nothing to do with that religious facility. Geez forget about politics, you are helping people.
Nikki
11:41 am on Wednesday, December 7, 2011
I'm with you, Charles. As I've opined before on another thread, the schools should be teaching the 3 R's, and should keep their nose out of everything else. CS is a great topic for the FAMILY to discuss.
Erin Calvo-Bacci
12:27 pm on Wednesday, December 7, 2011
@Nikki the Wakefield Mom's council had a lot to say in regards to this especially from the aspect of children learn what they live http://wakefield.patch.com/articles/setting-a-good-example-volunteering-as-a-parent
Nikki
2:31 pm on Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Thanks for that link, Erin. To the young mothers and fathers: Sometimes (often?) it will seem like you're just "speaking to hear yourself speak", but one day down the road you will notice that your kids are starting to emulate you. Hard work, but well worth it.
Erin Calvo-Bacci
3:48 pm on Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Nikki, I have said to my girls "do you think I speak just to hear myself talk?" LOL. My girls are great and compassionate and I just pray they grow to be happy, healthy well adjusted adults, who can support themselves!