Allderdice parents decry suspensions
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An East End couple is calling on fellow parents to challenge a new policy at Pittsburgh Allderdice High School that's seen dozens of students receive one-day suspensions for being in the hallway without a pass.
John and Donna Chernoff, who have two sons and a daughter at Allderdice, said the crackdown followed the arrests of 20 students involved in a series of fights at the school March 12.
Mr. Chernoff said school staff members have been "mobilized" to look for offenders, even well-behaved, high-performing students running a few minutes late for class. He said his sons were among those netted in the "hall sweeps."
He said parents have been told that as many as 50 students had been given the out-of-school suspensions by April 1. District spokeswoman Ebony Pugh couldn't provide a number but said the parents' figure was reasonable.
The Chernoffs said they support the school's efforts to ramp up order following the fights but believe a one-day suspension for a first-time hallway infraction is an overreaction. The couple fear that the suspensions could put students at a disadvantage when applying to colleges and for financial aid.
They noted that many colleges require disclosure of disciplinary problems and that suspensions also affect eligibility for the Pittsburgh Promise college scholarship program.
"It's a blemish that shouldn't be on our kids. It's a serious blemish," Mrs. Chernoff said.
Hall sweeps are used at various city high schools to ensure safe environments, and administrators at each building have the discretion to decide whether violations warrant detention, suspensions or other penalties, Ms. Pugh said. She didn't know whether other high schools currently suspend students for hallway violations.
District officials said the Allderdice fights may have resulted from a rivalry between students from East Hills and Hazelwood.
Two school police officers were injured breaking up the fights. Superintendent Mark Roosevelt said he wanted most if not all of the 20 students arrested to be kicked out of Allderdice for the rest of the school year, but Ms. Pugh wasn't able to say how many had been expelled.
After the fights, Ms. Pugh said, Allderdice staff decided on the one-day suspensions for loitering to emphasize order.
She said the school began meting out suspensions March 20 after putting students on notice March 17-19 and already has seen a dramatic decrease in the number of students in hallways without a pass.
The Chernoffs said parents weren't properly notified of the policy change and called detention a more appropriate offense for hallway infractions. They don't believe suspension for such offenses is allowed under the district's student code of conduct; Ms. Pugh disagreed.
The Chernoffs yesterday e-mailed fellow Allderdice parents urging them to attend the school board's monthly public hearing at 7 p.m. Monday.
First Published April 16, 2009 12:00 am
