Pimping at Harrisburg Hifgh School

I was wondering how parents feel about Harrisburg High School pimping their students to get a $5000 check. Students have been told they will get extra credit if they wear some ridiculous shirt to school on March 26. If this doesn't prove that the schools are interested in money and nothing else, I don't know what does. I urge all students who read this to not wear the shirt. What has the school ever done for you? Why should you help them out?

I have no idea why it says I'm in Utah

Concerned wrote:

I was wondering how parents feel about Harrisburg High School pimping their students to get a $5000 check. Students have been told they will get extra credit if they wear some ridiculous shirt to school on March 26. If this doesn't prove that the schools are interested in money and nothing else, I don't know what does. I urge all students who read this to not wear the shirt. What has the school ever done for you? Why should you help them out?

Pimping is absolutely not the correct term. "Community service" is something that has long been encouraged in high school students and will likely become a graduation requirement in some places. The students are working very hard to raise awareness and discourage drunk driving. The school will not collect a penny - it is a service project. "Pimping?" Good Lord. If your student does not want to participate then that's fine. The term "pimp" is vulgar. Community service is admirable.

The school WILL collect $5000. The students are being used by the school to get this money. Pimping is a very accurate description.

Community service is admirable. That's correct. Schools using students to collect money? Now THAT'S vulgar.

Concerned wrote:

The school WILL collect $5000. The students are being used by the school to get this money. Pimping is a very accurate description.
Community service is admirable. That's correct. Schools using students to collect money? Now THAT'S vulgar.

Any money collected doesn't just land in the school's coffers. It will not pad pockets of administrators or teachers or even a building fund. It will be grant money specifically used for drunk driving awareness. Have you seen news reports on WSIL depicting the hard work and dedication of these students? These kids know exactly what they are doing and why....they are not being exploited and they are not being forced to participate in what you describe as fund raising for the school's administration. Perhaps you haven't had the opportunity, yet, to assist your child with college and scholarship applications. If they want to qualify for higher quality schools they had darned better have community service on their resume. If you are discouraging young people from participating in awareness events, especially something as simple as wearing a t shirt, I question your motives. Are you resentful of the high achieving student? Are you deliberately trying to oppress your own child? You know the origin of the word pimp. The students who are working hard on this project are not prostitutes. Again, if you think it is not a worthwhile project, don't participate. Pulling the proverbial rug out from under a hard working high school student is obnoxious.

Defending public schools using kids to make money is also obnoxious. The kids were told they would get extra credit for wearing the stupid shirt. What does that shirt have to do with their grades? Answer: nothing. The school is coercing them to perform a certain act so they can get money from it. As I said, the school is pimping the students.

Another thing: Doesn't it seem strange that Harrisburg High wasn't concerned about "drunk driving awareness" until $5000 was involved? Hmmm.....

Awarding extra credit for wearing a shirt is absurd. At last we agree. The money raised is for student use. If you have evidence otherwise then a serious impropriety is occurring and the money is being embezzled. Do you have evidence that the money will be used by the staff, board or administration for something other than it is designated? Then..as I said before, legal action should be taken. Now, I'm going to type very slowly so you can understand....the students have done an excellent job. No one was held down, locked up or punished for ignoring this activity. I have no particular love for certain components of the Harrisburg school system, but there are many students there who deserve support - not a kick in the teeth for working for public health awareness (yes, even when money is involved). Again....I am an educator and have issues with extra credit points being awarded for everything from attending a band concert to having parents attend teacher conferences. Those situations are clearly inequitable. Why, exactly, are you so frosted over this?

I'm sick of schools using students. I feel the same way about the way they dress the cheerleaders to bring in ticket sales at sporting events. It's disgusting, and I don't for the life of me know why parents put up with it.

Parents, take back the schools. Your kids deserve it.

OK...you have had some bad experiences that have made you bitter. I also agree with you that cheerleaders dress and some of their dances are inappropriate but, as you said, the parents are the decision makers. Not every activity is exploitive - especially the kind that allow every student to be involved. So I guess our point of disagreement is on this specific activity. The school using the children? For what? The school gained nothing but publicity. The students gained a sense of school spirit and service. Best wishes.

Harrisburg resident wrote:

The school using the children? For what? The school gained nothing but publicity.

And $5000.

Shame on me for assuming that the ignorance of the oppressed and lazy sub-class of Harrisburg parents is impenetrable. I'll bet you are among those parents who stand about and bitch about teachers, sponsors and administration without an iota of knowledge regarding the every day operations of the facilities. Concerned, it's grant money. GRANT money. Look it up. The school will not be using that in their annual budget. The students were not exploited - they were told of an opportunity and worked TOGETHER to raise some awareness. And that just has your dander up, doesn't it? Yeah...many times community service involves raising money. I'll bet you'd be a little less miffed if it was hitting your pocket. Shame on me for responding to an adult who uses the word "pimp" regarding a perfectly respectable activity at Harrisburg "Hifgh" School. Yawn....goodbye.

Oh, I know plenty about the everyday operations there. I know that the assistant principal lied to a student about home schooling, telling her that she wouldn't be able to go to college if she did. I know that the history teacher has an agenda regarding her own personal politics, and it comes forth in the classroom. I know that numerous kids are having stress and anxiety issues because of the lack (or absence) of morals and discipline at the school. I know that these kids are sent to counselors and told to "face their fears" to keep them from going to private schools or home schooling, which is another attempt to save that all important revenue. Want me to keep going?

The students WERE coerced into doing this by being offered extra credit. It was not done because they all got together and thought it was a good idea. You're not going to see me sit by while you try desperately to make people think that's what happened. Parents need to know what goes on in the schools. The teachers and administrators need to be reminded that they work FOR the parents, not in the place of parents. They are public servants.

From the tone of your posts, one might deduce that you are employed by Harrisburg High School. That's the only reason I can think of that you would be so irritated by the exposure of the misuse of students there.

I am not employed by the Harrisburg school system. Are there moral and disciplinary issues at the school? Yes...on that we agree. I have instructed in high school classrooms - you should hear the outcry of protest when you tell students that: "sucks," "crap," "pissed," "ho," and, yes, "pimp" are the kinds of terms that are not allowed in the classroom. I got called by parents---I kid you not. I know high school teachers who have been told to issue extra credit so that certain students would pass - just move them on through the system. You are referring to a history teacher at HHS? When my kids were in school I went head to head with a certain female history teacher. She is still there and is still terrorizing students - but I tried. Did Mr. Smithpeters try to intimidate a student into attending public school? That is inexcusable and should be addressed. So, students participated in this activity just to obtain extra credit points. That is NOT RIGHT!! OK...do you get what I'm saying? If not, then the printed word is not the correct venue for this discussion. The students with whom I am acquainted worked hard, had some fun and realized the benefit of this activity. These particular students do not need extra credit but they did it any way. Their efforts are to be applauded. Again, if it was up to me extra credit would be class related and then very rare. You have many issues with this school system - it sounds like you should. Run with them. Your last post is full of information that needs to be shared with parents. Do it - and drop the gangster street language so you can be taken a bit more seriously. This is my last post on this topic - you are now free to blister me freely.

Oh, I don't know. I think this forum is the perfect venue for this discussion. Parents need to be informed about how the school treats their kids. It doesn't need to be discussed behind closed doors.

BTW, you were correct on all counts above. I think we agree more than we disagree.

Hello, concerned! We had a rather spirited conversation that became a bit tense at times. In the end, though, I think we reached a common ground. I do respect your comments. I hadn't had time, yet, to return here until today. I expected to see some kind of comment regarding the reassignment of Jim Butler. My assumption is that you still have a family member that attends HHS. Perhaps that is not correct. My own kiddos have been out for awhile. I have mixed feelings about his reassignment. If you do, indeed, still have a loved one there, would you mind posting your opinion of that? I have found him weak when needing to stand up to certain teachers. I have found him strong when supporting certain programs that uplifted students who were not athletically inclined. What do you think? And, I am truly asking the question with respect.

wtf? are you talking about there not pimping anything

Pimping sounds like fun.

Concerned wrote:

Another thing: Doesn't it seem strange that Harrisburg High wasn't concerned about "drunk driving awareness" until $5000 was involved? Hmmm.....

When I attended school there in the 80's the school would have a wrecked car delivered to the scool around prom time every year as a reminder to the students not to drink and drive. They've always promoted this agenda.

I know this is an old topic, but i just came across it. Holy moly!

"What has the school ever done for you"

It educated you. It's unfortunate that they can't teach common sense though, because you clearly are lacking.

"Exploiting our childred for money"

It was a tee shirt.. For a grant.. For a good reason. They didn't ask you kids for a kidney or sell them into slavery. They asked them to wear a tee shirt. Get a grip.

I remember a wrecked car being parked on the lawn of college and Granger, usually around prom time. You know, that time of year your kids get dressed up, go to prom, then get trashed and the guys "get lucky" while you think they are at after-prom then tell you how good the pancakes at the Methodist churh were.

There are discipline issues in schools because parents like you got corporal punishment outlawed. Morals? Well, morals are relative and largely dictated by religious beliefs.

Sometimes you should just go with the flow for the common good, and let go of the petty stuff. School Spirit teaches our youths to be part of something bigger than themselves, which will help them excel as adults. If the school gets a grant out of it, all the better.

It was a tee shirt.... for one day..... for a grant....