Firehouse Alternate to Suspension
For years school districts have searched for ways to effectively deal with student behavior on their high school campuses. Traditionally, schools would suspend students and send them home. However, this was akin to throwing Brer Rabbit into the briar patch. So schools began developing alternates to suspension. Many of these programs included sitting in a detention room or cleaning up the campus.
Several years ago, Glendale Deputy Fire Chief Steve Howard, 2007 president-elect of the Character and Ethics Project, saw some kids cleaning up trash at Hoover High School. He thought to himself that this seemed like a productive way to correct a student's behavior. He started to wonder if the "Alternate-to-suspension" program could be developed into something even more rewarding. He then developed and implemented the Firehouse ATS program.
Once a month, students from Glendale and Hoover High Schools come to Fire Station 21 on a Saturday morning as a result of receiving a suspension from school. In lieu of the suspension, they come and listen to firefighters and police officers present key points about four keys character traits and how they affect life and decision making.
These public safety professionals present the terms of honesty, integrity, responsibility and compassion. They interweave the definitions with real life experiences to bring the terms to life for the students. Along with the presentation, students involve themselves in exercises designed to stimulate thought and help them visualize examples of character in their lives.
At the end of the day, the students are thankful for the time Chief Howard has spent with them. Recently, the Glendale Unified School Board issued a commendation to Steve for his work.
The program has had great success and is a very appropriate alternate to suspension.
