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Herm Albright
Hi All;
What a wacky weekend of weather! I’m sure many of you will be tired from snow shoveling, as we were barely
finished cleaning up from Thursday’s storm when we got walloped again on Sunday. In between the Welches
got to go sledding for a time on Saturday, and the conditions were excellent for some thrilling rides. My two-
year old Amber still wants to be pulled back up the hill, but Alison has developed an independence that Dad has
been anxious to see for years. We spent almost three hours on the hill, and returned home wind burned and
cold, but happy to have had the opportunity.
Congratulations are in order for the three students from Barbara Earley’s Entrepreneur class participated last
week in the finals of a Junior Achievement Titan contest. They are Brent Gleason, Shane Hovanee and
Watsondy Michel. Microsoft Corporation in Waltham hosted the competition against 7 other schools as they
were challenged to manage a manufacturing business using a computer simulation. The objective was for the
team to achieve the best Performance Indicators in a business that made and sold a futuristic product, the Holo
Generator. Framingham High School's Business students have been playing this contest for the last six years,
and this is the first time any FHS team has reached the final competition. Although the team did not finish as
one of the top three winners, they had a strong showing as runner-ups. Mr. Doug Woodard, V.P. from Staples
Corporate Headquarters, is the classroom consultant here at FHS for Junior Achievement in the
Entrepreneurship class.
How many of you read the article in the Sunday Globe yesterday regarding the lawsuit filed by the family of a
student at West Newbury High School? The family is suing the police department, the school district,
including the superintendent, school committee, high school principal and vice-principal at Pentucket Regional
High School, and perhaps some others. The nature of the suit is related to a student who purportedly had a
swastika drawn on a day planner notebook (though this is somewhat in dispute). In what the paper claims was
an attempt to possibly find more swastikas, the student was then searched and a container of pills was found in
his possession. The pills were tested and thought to contain methamphetamine. The boy was subsequently
handcuffed and arrested, then suspended from school. The suit seeks $5 Million in damages for the whole
event. The charges were eventually dropped. The parent indicated the 11 drugs were purchased at a local Wal
Mart and were over the counter diet pills. The full article can be viewed here :
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/12/16/w_newbury_is_sued_after_teens_arrest/?
page=2
While I certainly believe this article only contains a part of the story, it is another example of the recourse
available if individuals choose to pursue it. Search and seizure is one of the first issues covered in a school law
course, and the ebb and flow of the constitutional rights at the school house continues to be a topic governed by
case law and practice. Schools only have to establish a “reasonable suspicion” that a law or school rule has
been broken in order to search a student. This is different and less stringent than the police official standard of
“just cause” which generally requires first-hand observation of a violation in order to search a person or a
vehicle. The standard that constitutes “reasonable suspicion” is typically decided by a jury and is based upon
what a reasonable person would decide. In most instances, the greater the degree of threat to the school or more
egregious the potential violation, the more likely the standard will be reached. While the vice-principals and I
make these judgments on a daily basis, you never know when a particular decision will be held up to the bright
light of scrutiny in the future. I will be interested to see how the officials at Pentucket Regional are judged.
Sadly, I learned this morning of the passing yesterday of Charlie Sposato after a long illness. Many veteran
teachers will remember Charlie as a teacher here at FHS as well as the director of the Resiliency For Life
Program. He was also Massachusetts Teacher of the Year, and started a very successful charter school in
Boston. I only knew Charlie briefly, but in that short time he impressed me as someone who was always
looking to find the positives in life and in students. One of the hallmarks of his school in Boston was that he
personally greeted every single student each morning as they entered the building. He will be missed. At this
time funeral arrangements are incomplete, but as soon as I get them I will pass them along.
As we head in to the December break and the conclusion of the 2007 calendar year, I’d like to take this
opportunity to wish everyone a healthy, safe, and happy 2008. I have been fortunate to work in a school that
values hard work and caring for kids. I wake up every day thankful to live and work in the same town, and
happy to have colleagues put the needs of students first.
Get some rest and come back ready to launch into 2008 with vigor and enthusiasm!