Worksheet4: Evaluating existing public policies

Date: November 18. 2005 Group Members: Suzanne Zeitlin-Mellor (Student/staff morale committee at P.S. 241)

Your problem (phrase):

Negative energy and language between students and staff at P.S.241.

State one of the major existing policies that attempts to deal with the social problem:

Parents regularly called when problem arises.

What are the advantages of this policy (consider effectiveness, costs, enforcement, public acceptance):

- allowing parents to hear accurate story of course of events.
- home/school relationship
- allowing triad (parents, teachers, students) to occur.
- to institute behavior plan with parent involved.

What are the disadvantages of this policy (consider the effectiveness, costs, enforcement, public acceptance):

- parents get annoyed with frequent calling
- we do not always have accurate information.
- student arrives back at school next day more angry (negative) due to
phone call home.
- parents do not always follow through which send wrong message to
students.
- not enough time and energy to call for every negative event that
occurs.

Based on your evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages, should the current policy be totally replaced, strengthened, or improved? What advantages, if any, from the current policy should be retained? What disadvantages, if any, should be eliminated?

Phone call should only be part of a greater picture. It is now one of our only methods. We need to develop a ladder of consequences and success. Phone calls need to be both positive and negative.

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