" I can't believe you are comparing being a parent to being a teacher.

Being a good or bad teacher has nothing to do with pay. How does teacher's have anything to do with kids being in a gang?

And wanting to get paid as a parent if that is what you are insinuating, proves that you are an example of what I am talking about.

Don't assume that unions stand up for all the teachers. "

" Yes, teachers willing to work in an alternative school setting should get additional pay. They should be required to show academic progress, just as other teachers are required to, but they should get a pay bonus. Even then, I doubt that few certified teachers would be willing to take on the "hard kids" on an all-day, everyday basis. "

" So, who will work with all these little gangbanger's and what are you going to pay them? Don't you think they should have a higher pay scale to deal with these kids that the regular school's push out? They're taking on a risky job don't ya think? "

" Let me use something from the Teachers Union..."If we made more money, we could do a better job" "

" When things get bad enough, we'll simply jump a fence or swim a river to get to the promised land and the United States.
(Don't forget to bring everything that worked in the old country too) "

" how about zero tolerance policy withing the city limits.guess what "if you are a known gang member or an associate", then you are not welcome. an escort to outside the city limits is what you'll get (hope they don't trip on the way out). "

" I think you are wrong...The reason we are in the situation we are is because of the lack of good responsible parenting. "

" Does anyone ever wonder why we are in this situation ? Look no farther than your local police. Years back when the gangs started their move to Ontario the move was not addressed as a problem. We were to busy worrying about everyone's civil rights when we should have been enforcing a NO TOLERANCE plan. But no maybe we can establish a dialog with the gangs and everything will be OK. Well guess what it did not work. Now we spend money on gang enforcement officers and what exactly do they enforce? Now we have a multi-gang task force. For what? Oh I forgot it's to share information. Meanwhile back at the ranch.... the gangbangers are laughing their baggy arse's off at all this meaningless attention. Well folks get use to it they are here to stay. They are like a invasive weed if you did not control it from the beginning its here to stay. "

" Wow, that has to be one of the best ideas I have ever heard of. Having an alternative school for those students who need to be removed from the "system" for the betterment of the rest just seems so logical its no wonder no one has thought of it yet. I would not want my child, or their teachers, being distracted by students who probably shouldn't even be there in the first place. I would be very much in support of having a place where kids who require a different approach could be dealt with on a more personal level, away from those students who can function and behave as expected. "

" I agree 100% with the uniform policy and an alternative high school. I have voted against the bonds the last two times because of the current administration but if they would implement these two changes I would vote for the bond. These changes are sorely needed. Hey, the uniform policy might help decrease the pregnancy rate. Malheur county has the highest teenage pregnancy rate of all of Oregon. As I drop my daughter off in the morning to OHS, I am very concerned. I see the way the girls are dressed. They can't sit down in those short skirts without exposing themselves and their shirts are letting it all hang out. Then my daughter has to walk through these gangsters gathered around the entrance. There is a uniform policy at the high school but you would never know it unless someone is wearing a hat. "No hats" is the only enforced policy at the high school. The male teachers can't say anything about the way the females are dressed for fear of accusations. Can anything be done about the couple in the halls making out and groping? Where are the administrators? Something must be done. An enforced uniform policy and an alternative school would be a great start. Enforcing the rules is absolutely necessary. "

" How about just rounding every Gangbanger up, put them on OHS football field, let them go at it and the last one standing gets $50,000 that's half of what a gang officer would cost. That would rid us of the problem, although we would still have one to deal with, but that would be easy enough to do. You have to think outside the box sometimes. "

" George, I couldn't have said it better myself! Great job!
Other districts in the area could benefit from this strategy. Ask your administrators if they spend 95% of their (negative)time with 5% of their students. "

" The uniform issue is a “NO BRAINER.” Those who have been elected to represent the people should make a very easy decision and pass the Middle School uniform policy for the entire school district. Why do we always cater to the bad and loathsome? The uniform is great for the student’s self-esteem; it makes it harder for students to do their criminal behaviors. It makes the gang members stand out like sore thumbs. In fact if we were serious about protecting the great students from the stupid there would be a 6th through 12th alternative school and about 3 percent of the student body would be kicked out to the alternative school. If we keep status quo then our schools are only going to get worst with more dysfunctional students coming into the system. Is it fair to try and save the one student and loose 20 in the process? Gang members are just like a rotten apple. If you place a rotten apple in a good bushel of apples and you leave it there it will rot all the apples around it. Why do we do the same with our students, if anyone but walks the halls of the High School at lunch you will see the rotten and loathsome dressed in their gangster gear, doing their gangster behaviors. It’s sad that most people placed into positions of authority forget to remember that if you deal strongly with the small and simple things then the big things most of the time will be taken care of at the onset and won’t become a big thing. I call upon the school board to please pass the uniform policy for the entire school district. If any of the administrators don’t want to comply then find new ones. This is only the first step, the second step is to have a 6th through 12th alternative school and put the 3% percent of the students that want to do their gang crap, or criminal behaviors or don’t want to comply with the rules there. Please protect the rest from the worst. You will be amazed at the change in the attitude of the students and the entire school system will improve. Students will enjoy attending school knowing that they don’t have to deal with the rotten and loathsome. You will also see the great change affect on the parents and our community. It’s a very simple concept to remember that these parents and those who reside in our community are the same who vote for school bond measures.

In fact I would suggest that when the economic conditions change and you present a school bond measure to the voters again and if you place a provision to have a strong alternative school to get rid of the riff-raff from the rest of the student body it will make it very appetizing to the voters knowing that their students will be safer and wont have to worry about the gang members, or bully’s, or criminal minded for they are the ones who will be in the alternative school.

My two cents worth… "

" I would have to agree with what was said to "5th grade parent". I work at the middle school, and I find it a little funny that there is this perception that our school is full of a bunch of thugish gang bangers. We have some great kids at OMS, and this is by far the best group of kids I have worked with in along time in my long career as an educator. They may not have the greatest skills, but they are polite, respectful, and for the most part, try very hard to do what is expected of them. If I were a 5th grade parent, I wouldn't worry one bit about sending my kids to OMS. :) "

" Unless you are afraid your daughter is going to join a gang, you don't have anything to worry about. The overwhelming majority of kids have nothing to do with gangs and just go on their merry ways doing what middle school kids do. (Wow, maybe that is even scarier! :-) "

" I say that school needs to become a privilege again and not a right. Make known gang members decide between their gang and the school. They either drop out of one and stay in the other. And if they mess up in school then GET OUT!!!! "

" I am curious what some of the parents and community members out there think about uniforms at the High School. I think I heard that Fruitland has uniforms district wide and that they all wear the same thing. Why would the High School have a different set of rules than the Middle School? If it is working at OMS then they should just roll it up to OHS. I agree with Dr. Phillips, why waste time reinventing the wheel. They have a policy in place at OMS, just use that one. The kids should be use to it. What does everyone else think? "

" What is the drop out rate at OHS, has anyone investigated why kids leave the school. I know for a fact more than a few instances of kids leaving to get away from the gang influence there, it is good that someone is finally admitting there is a problem. Hope its not to late for all the kids that have left school early to get away. How many of them will continue with some kind of education. It is hard to be sixteen and without an education. Good thing minimum wage in oregon is enough to get by on. barely. "

" Real New here folks....The primary focus should have always been in the middle schools and the related areas of easy influenced youth. The kids need protected from the older negative element that embraces the gang mentality and culture. Parents need to check their own kids and stop placing the entire burden on the schools. Schools need ZERO tolerance policies for Gang related behavior don't be so dismissive and deny your problems to the parents who have entrusted you to educate our kids. "

" I really do hope that these issues are ironed out and the school is safe by the end of this year. I have a daughter gettin ready to go there next year, and I am already tensing up about the gang problem. "