What do Principal Ken Schlaff from Milpitas High School and Coach Stan Van Gundy of the Orlando Magic have in common? For one thing both had the public on their case for the decisions each made this week.
Coach Van Gundy was huddled with his team with 11 ticks left on the clock in game four and a three-point lead. Should the Coach draw up a play to have one of his players foul, placing a Laker on the line shooting two shots with less than 10 seconds left? Or should he tell his team to play tight defense and allow the Lakers to try a Hail Mary three-point shot to force overtime?
Should Principal Schlaff allow Ms. Shontale Taylor to go through MHS graduation ceremony on Saturday? Or should he restrict her from walking across the stage due to her violation of the MHS Senior Pledge?
The armchair coaches responded with a vengeance following the Laker’s win in overtime after Derek Fisher’s tying three-pointer. After three days of stories in the Mercury News about Shontale Taylor, with the clock ticking down to Saturday’s graduation ceremony, a plethora of armchair principals, Superintendents, and Board members debated the call made by Principal Schlaff to have Ms. Taylor not walk across the stage. His decision to restrict her participation in the ceremony was due to her violation of the Senior Pledge during a fight she allegedly was trying to break up. Shontale’s involvement in the fight warranted a five-day suspension. After examining the facts in this case I think all parties turned out to be winners. Let me explain.
As a middle school principal for 17 years (six years as principal of Russell Middle School in Milpitas Unified) I had to make similar decisions about whether students should “walk” or not through an end-of-year promotion ceremony, so I have some perspective on the issue, although I know high school graduation is at a significantly higher level than a middle school promotion. As I was sitting down for dinner Friday night with some friends I was immediately asked to weigh in on the Milpitas High debacle.
The other seven at the table were convinced that Shontale should be given the privilege to graduate with her class, predicated on what they had read. There was tremendous sympathy with Shontale’s plight especially with all the obstacles she has overcome to receive enough credits to graduate on time with her class. I agree with this sentiment, too.
Yet, if we are doing a case study analysis of the situation one needs all the facts, not just those facts addressed in the journalistic pieces in the Merc. Due to confidentiality requirements and my previous experiences as a principal, I am certain the Mercury did not have all the relevant facts to report. As the facts were written it appeared an exception to the Senior Pledge rule for Shontale was certainly appropriate, especially in light of the victim disputing the facts which formed the basis of the 5 day suspension.
Superintendent Black of MUSD supported Principal Schlaff’s decision based on the complete set of facts, whatever they might be. When the Board convened to review all the relevant facts on Friday evening the Board concluded the same, usually a difficult thing for a Board to do, especially in light of the public scrutiny the case received and the outpouring of community support for Ms. Taylor. For Superintendent Black and the MUSD Board to uphold the principal’s decision it signifies a win-win for the Senior Pledge in the future and for the institution itself.
Sometimes decisions of the heart rather than the mind compromise policy at a future juncture. Fights are a perilous thing for any campus and can never be tolerated, however everyone should have an opportunity to learn from a serious mistake and pay appropriate restitution and be given a 2nd chance.
So in my final analysis Shontale Taylor is a huge winner, even though she attended the graduation ceremony without walking across the stage. As reported in the Mercury she is invited to attend the high school summer graduation ceremony in two months. I hope she attends.
Shontale learned that when you work hard to accomplish a goal and overcome obstacles you receive enormous support from friends and the broader community. Milpitas Unified remained stronger for having made a decision not contravened at any higher step, that bodes well for the Senior Policy in the future.
I think Shontale, Milpitas Unified Board of Education, Principal Schlaff, Superintendent Black and for that matter Orlando Magic, should all be considered winners.
Let me get this straight: The school district has “facts” that have not been presented to the public that show they were right in preventing this kid from graduating. Because of these secret “facts” all of us “armchair Superintendents” should just butt out.
Sorry Mr. DiSalvo, the “armchair Superintendents” are the TAXPAYERS WHO FUND THE DISTRICT. They have every right to weigh in, ask questions and let the district know when they think it is in error. Heck, they even have the right to recall the school board!
True, us taxpayers don’t have the mysterious secret “facts” that you say the district is keeping under wraps. But we’ve also been presented with very compelling reasons why the school district was in error. The best the district has offered in response is “rules are rules” and now your “we have secret facts” defense. Pretty weak!
This appears to be more of a case of chicken-bleep administrative butt-covering than enlightened educators doing what is best for the district’s students.
By the way Joe, Orlando lost the finals! In that sense, your analogy is spot-on!
Reader,
I do not have any inside information about this case specifically, rather I have my experience that dictates that the decision for Ms.Talyor would most likely have been different if the facts presented by the Merc were the full and complete facts.
As a principal or school board member based on the facts presented I would have allowed her to walk in graduation. That is why I feverently believe there are more mitigating facts that never made it to the public’s attention.
Oftentimes, bureaucratic organizations hide behind the privacy rights/privileges of the person involved in the controversy; particularly in personnel and disciplinary matters. I’d bet that most folks don’t know that since they hold the right or the privilege, they can waive that right/privilege. That would require the “Star Chamber” bureaucrats who make these decisions behind closed doors and based on secret (alleged) “facts” to release all data; that is, to put up or shut up. So, if Ms. Taylor were to waive her “rights to privacy” it would force the powers that be to disclose their “secret” facts.
As most who read/contribute to this blog would probably agree, I am about the harshest contributor.
It seems to me that the tipping point here was the decision to levy a five day suspension on a student who even the other participants/witnesses agreed was not fighting, but was trying to break up a fight. This stuff doesn’t adhere to the Marquis of Queensbury Rules, so a (most likely) inadvertent hair pulling should not be deserving of such a harsh punishment as a five day suspension. Even the “victim”, whose hair was allegedly pulled, agreed that Ms. Taylor was trying to do something MOST school personnel would describe as a GOOD THING.
If the disciplinary folks decided that even though it was inadvertent that some discipline was required, how about some after school service, or a suspension that would not require that Ms. Taylor be barred from sharing her triumph with her classmates?
No discretion was exercised here; and under the circumstances, the lame assertion that “rules are rules” just doesn’t wash with me…and apparently with many others.
Perhaps the belief that our principals and superintendents are incapable of exercising rational discretion is what accounts for the 101,000+ sections in the California Education Code—our legislators understand that folks who run the show at the school and district levels just can’t be trusted to exercise discretion wisely; so they have divised a rule book more appropriate for a kindergarntner than for adults who are supposed to be smart enough to know what to do.
Oh, and your drivel, Mr. DiSalvo, that The Magic, who lost in five games, who lost three CONSECUTIVE HOME GAMES are somehow “winners” shows how bereft of reason and understanding you and the school stablishment are. Are all career school folks as devoid of practcal reason? This tripe is probably being broadcast to impressionable school-age kids all over the state. The only “winner” in any sporting event is the person/team with the BEST SCORE, Mr. DiSalvo. And we certainly know how the players feel about whether Mr. Van Gundy is a winner—the two stars eligible for free agency are likely to leave your “winner” coach in two weeks when they must declare.
This should be titled Bad Call By Milpitas Principal.
The principal should have exercised judgement and allowed the student to walk. She received two punishments for the alleged offfense. A 5 day suspension and not being allowed to walk across and receive her diploma, that is 2 punishments. Let us suppose a 11th grader had been the offender. What would the punishment have been? This principal needs to be reassigned.
BTW, when I read about this thursday morning in the paper I phoned the principal and left a polite but firm message to him with my phone # but he did not return my call.
How many of you have ever tried to “break up a fight” between high school girls? Anyone think you can do it nicely without getting involved in the fighting yourself? The people who’s job is to investigate these incidents (Superintendent Black and the MUSD Board) apparently reached the conclusion that whatever Ms. Taylor did qualified as an active role in the fighting. Maybe not a popular decision, but it does make sense. Just try to break up a fight some time.
Be cool,
No grades
No graduation for Milpitas girls who buck the leaders, boy
Gott be cool for Joey, Lots of sex ed
No grades
No leadership
Just be cool
being a foster child thru abuse, melestation, rape, and more obstacles to come i think shontale was right. this is because her friends were fighting the 9th graders not her. When she had saw her friend’s head getting mashed to the ground with her hair being griped and pulled at the same time there nothing to do but help and try to break it up. the teacher that was there left before the fight and after another teacher comes and says let them fight. She has no right to do that. for the safety of every youth someonme should try and stop these teens. Besides even if shontale had signed the senior pledge she actually forwarded the signature because her foster parents were always on her back about other things and she felt like she was on her own. Then you suspened her 3 days later because the teacher that pulled her away told the pricipal that she pulled a girls hair leaving her to go to the T.A.P center then when she comes back you tell her that she cant walk. Plus you know what during that period of time during her suspention the police had came and talked to shontale about the fight who also he did for the associate who faught her friend. Which had equal in a result of the girl saying that she didnt pull her hair. From that also when the police was there shontale had told the girl that she was sorry for how her friend acted and that she wishes that all of us can be friends again because the comeout of the situation was ridiculous. Out of shontale’s school life she had never gotten into any troubles ecspecially with fighting. but you know what i think the principal thought that since shontale was friends with the girl fight then she would pull the opponents hair but in this case before the school year had started all the girls were friends it just happended to where they fell out of friendship. so for the principal sympathy shontale doesnt need she needs more faith courage and respect because she is dealing with this situation and she is scared. come to find out the same things i have been threw shontale has been threw and these things are still going on in her life.