Do Schools Tolerate Stealing?
The school was closed because the icy parking lot was not safe for teachers, student drivers or school buses. So I returned to my hotel, deciding how I should use my unexpected day off. I sent a few emails, unaware that I was about to have a visit that would crystallize my purpose in school consultation: to integrate efforts of ALL stakeholders.
I looked up at the gentle tap on the door and a barely audible “housekeeping” that preceded the unassuming woman who asked if I wanted my room cleaned. I suggested that she wait because I didn’t know whether I was staying one more day or checking out.She edged further into the doorway as I explained that I was working in a school that was closed due to weather. I didn’t know if school would be open tomorrow.
“Yes,” she said. “School is closed today. It has to be open tomorrow because I have a meeting with the school.”
She was talking about a different school, but her story has haunted me and her courage inspired me. You see, her 13 year old daughter came home last Wednesday in tears because her new iPhone – a Christmas present – had been stolen from her backpack.
“She is a good girl. She has never been in trouble in school,” she reassured me. “And she knows it’s against the rules to have her phone out in class.” The daughter told her mother that when she reported the theft to the school office, the secretary replied that’s what happens when you bring valuables to school. Her daughter knew who had stolen it, too. Her friends told her they saw the girl bragging and showing it off in the girls room.
Socorro Enriquez Flores is the kind of mother we all hope to be. She has clear definitions of right and wrong. She had worked hard for the $450 that she paid for the iPhone. The next day she took time off from work to talk with anybody in the school who would meet with her. She was informed that the surveillance films showed that the accused girl had touched her daughter’s backpack, but there was no evidence that she had taken the phone. That night Mrs. Flores called 911, and Friday morning she and the police detective spent two hours reviewing the surveillance tape. On film, they watched the accused girl take the phone, and later show it to other girls in the restroom. They had the evidence.
What was the school going to do?
The next day (if schools are open), she will meet again with a school official about the next steps. She wants the phone returned or the money to buy a new one, but most of all, she wants the school to reinforce the value of justice and honesty. Her story raises other questions. Are students and staff safe in school? Do they worry about their belongings being stolen? If this school takes no action against the accused girl, in spite of the evidence, what are they communicating? To the girl, they are saying we don’t care if you steal. To other students who are aware of the theft, they are saying stealing is OK with us here. To the families, they are saying we don’t care about your problems.
Mrs. Flores is making an issue of this, and I admire her for it. It takes courage to take a stand for your values and say we won’t tolerate stealing just as we won’t tolerate bullying or any other behavior that makes students feel devalued or unsafe. Mrs. Flores confided that she knows there is a risk that the school or some students may retaliate against her daughter. She’s worried, but willing to take that risk. In the process, she is inspiring us all to take a stand for what matters most. Bravo!
This is just one small example of how families can contribute to stronger educational systems.
Sometimes when we are immersed in our focus on 21st Century and Common Core rigorous standards, we forget that these students are tender human beings learning about life. We forget that they come from families who care deeply about them. And we forget that we came into the field of education because we felt a profound need to make a difference with children. Families can help us remember.
