How Safe Are Rockford Schools?
How Safe Are Rockford Schools?WIFR Blog Listing
How Safe Are Rockford Schools?
Topic Author: Chris Linden
Posted: 12:03 PM Nov 4, 2009
Replies Posted: 40 comments
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It's been a scary week for students and parents in the Rockford Public School District.

Six students were arrested Dec. 9, allegedly for an attempted stabbing at Guilford High School that happened the day before. Then, Dec. 11, two students were arrested for allegedly bringing guns and bulletproof vests into Auburn High School.

Earlier this fall, outbreaks at East High School led parents and students to question the safety of their schools, and after a Halloween shooting at a house party, students sent letters to Superintendent LaVonne Sheffield urging greater action to improve safety in school.

All of this comes on the heels of a new discipline policy enacted by district administrators and rubber-stamped by the board of education at the beginning of the year. Those policies offer new consequences for violating school rules. You can click here to see the district's new discipline policy, approved this fall.

You've seen comments from parents and students who question the safety of Rockford's schools. You've heard from district administrators who seem to downplay the growing seriousness of school safety concerns.

Now it's time for your thoughts.

Students: How safe do you feel at school? Parents: Do you ever worry about the safety of your children? Teachers: From what you see in the classroom, is there cause for concern? Share your thoughts here, and we'll share them on our nightly broadcast.
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  • by Concerned Dad Location: Rockford on Jul 30, 2010 at 08:36 AM
    I moved to Rockford 6 yrs ago with hopes of starting a new life. It's sad to say that City School Officials have let the schools get so out of hand. How productive can this learning environment be? I'm terrified to let my daughter attend any of schools and she's only 3 YRS OLD! Hopefully, I can move out and you guys can keep your school violence and poor education system.
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  • by Doug Location: Northern IL on Jul 23, 2010 at 06:13 AM
    Here is the problem, the people who make the rules have never taught or are so far removed from the classroom they have no clue as to what goes on in school. Schools are constantly bombarded by parents, that we are picking on their kid. I see so much of this during the school year. The school is always wrong and the student NEVER does anything. Even if you catch them on camera. This is part of the reason schools have installed cameras on buses and in the schools. It is not so much to protect the student but the school and the staff. We have done this to our children by catering to them. It is called the what will I get or the me generation.
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  • by Joni Location: Rockford on Jul 12, 2010 at 08:00 PM
    With all of our frustrations over our schools, I thought you might all enjoy a look at how one school in Austrailia handled some of their issues: www.break.com/index/hilarious-answering-machine-message.html
    Reply [ Report Abuse ]
  • by Darth Location: IL on May 20, 2010 at 09:24 PM
    Lovely. Her cronies are seeing the light and bailing out on her, and she's on a cruise in the Bahamas. Isn't school in session? Doesn't she get the summer break? With the semester winding down, wouldn't it be more sensible to be in the office for administrative functions than taking a leave? There must not be anything important to do at the end of the year, when someone has to decide to pass or fail students, assign teachers for next year, find replacements for all the vice principals who were fired, and try to find a way to keep the schools open. How safe are the schools? As long as the current administration commands her staff to keep quiet about problems, enforces a gag order on the staff, and ignores the problems, they schools and the entire district will continue to be a very unsafe place.
    Reply [ Report Abuse ]
  • by Sherry Location: Roscoe on Apr 12, 2010 at 05:26 PM
    The Person that let the students on the Harlem Bus Should also be let go for letting the driver transport those kids If it was your child.Thank God the driver didnt run over a child getting off the bus or hitting something I think there are alot of people at fault here besides the bus driver. And they say safty first dont think so. Ill spend the money to drive my kids my self. Someone needs to look into Harlem and all the cover ups this is just some icing on the cake.
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  • by Sherry Location: Roscoe,il on Apr 7, 2010 at 08:08 AM
    Its not just the students or the Rockford School Dist They need to look into the cover up at Rockcut in the Harlem School dist This week 4/2010 a BUS DRIVER at Rockcut Drove children home smelling of alcohol she was then taken to have a alcohol breath test and failed How many parents were called about this ????? Iam sure not all bus drivers are like this but how safe are our children on the bus Parents should of been told COVER UP BIG TIME
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  • by formerly with dist 205 Location: il on Mar 11, 2010 at 07:26 PM
    My children went to Rockford Public Schools.They don't make sure these children stay in school or are even safe.I know this for a fact because my child almost paid for it with his life.The elem schools had no problem with.Its the jr high & high schools is where the problems lie.
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  • by A Mom Location: Rockford on Jan 24, 2010 at 09:44 AM
    My family moved here from a small town, last year my daughter was bullied and assaulted by another child while attending Auburn Freshman Campus. It happened while on the bus, and I was not notified of the incident or any action toward this student by the school. I took it upon myself to directly notify the bus driver and the child the next day that this would not be tolerated. The bus driver refused to take any action and further told the school that I had threatened this child. THEN I got a call to speak to the principle. Needless to say, I requested a meeting with the child, the child's parent, and a police officer, as I was very upset at the lack of response to my child's attack and injury. It wasn't the school but the child's parent and myself who decided to keep communication open to make her child accountable. I think it's great we could work it out peacefully without further problems, but I'm still appalled that the school did NOTHING to assure my child's safety.
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  • by concerned Location: Rockford on Jan 12, 2010 at 02:49 PM
    I want you people at the news to find out the truth of a security guard who was beaten by 8 students at west elementry school. The officer was not helped by teachers the teachers or staff they were told to back off how do I know this i was there and wittnessed the beating,the cops took the kids only for them to be back into school the next day by the ORDER of Sheffield, NOW she made a comment to your people stateing I WILL NOT SEE ANY OF MY KIDS Carried out in handcuffs. But these kids beat a security officer ans are allowed to come back to school. I have not seen the officers as of late it was rumored he got posted at another school. SPI and Dist 205 have a no hands on policy but if I was being beaten by 8 kids I would defend my self htese kids today are violent and have no respect for anything or anyone and now Sheffield sent a message to the kids that they can get away with anything she removed police out of schools and has made a mochary of her possition she needs to be removed
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  • by Jessica Location: Rockford on Dec 27, 2009 at 07:59 PM
    I agree with what another person stated earlier- this is a socio-economic problem more than anything else. Teachers are unable to give students the much needed dicipline they need, and they are not given it at home either. Students are not seeing the system work for them when they have backgrounds and struggles at home that are not educationaly friendly to begin with. On the one hand I fear that increased security implies a perceived threat in the schools- therefore increasing fear and violence amoung students, and on the other hand I think it's even worse when there are not legal authority figures readily availiable for school staff to use in order to keep themselves and thier students safe. I do agree with the others that Ms. Sheffield was a terrible mistake, but I also feel there will be more that needs to be done besides getting rid of her in order to help guide these troubled students that are disrupting class and harming others in the right direction socially and academically.
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  • by joanne on Dec 20, 2009 at 07:07 PM
    I have 2 students and 1 that graduated from Auburn. Last year and any previous year I would have told you that Auburn was the best school in Rockford. Sadly, I have 2 left and I don't want them in any Rockford Public School. I am definitely looking at alternatives.
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  • by businessasusual Location: rockford on Dec 19, 2009 at 08:33 PM
    why doesn't Rockford wake up and get a superintendent that is from and familiar with the Rockford schools. Ms. Sheffield lives in a dream world. There has to be consequences for students when rules are broken and teaches and bus drivers need to have the authority to act immediately when students break rules.
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  • by brian Location: rockford on Dec 17, 2009 at 10:01 AM
    our schools are not as safe as they once was iam a parent of a six year old glad there hasnt been a outbreak of crime at her school but we need to tighten security at all schools if we want our kids to be successful i hope the crime rate goes down before our kids start skipping school.
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  • by Elizabeth Location: Rockford on Dec 16, 2009 at 06:46 PM
    I think the main reason Rockford public schools are in such a precarious state is the continuing, sometimes virulent, sometimes subtle, racism and white flight from public schools. Taking children out of public school because you believe the minorities make them unsafe is not going to fix the public schools or give your children the opportunity to know what the world is really like. And they will not learn to respect people of color or lower economic levels by removing them from the public school population. Parent support and involvement is key to successful schools of any kind. When the most supportive people remove themselves from the public sector, that decreases the chances that all children will be successful in education and in life. Look to your history and look to your heart. You know it is wrong to discriminate against anyone, and it sets us all up for failure. It is our responsibility to promote the whole community, not just the white one. I'm white and very sad.
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  • by Good ole days on Dec 16, 2009 at 06:33 PM
    No consequences for their actions ? Goes to say it all starts at home. The parents should give consequences. Its not up to teachers and principals, they are there to teach life skills not discipline. That should have been taught at home!!!!
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