When Michael Brewer appeared on The Today Show (watch video) this week, his statement about Deerfield Beach Middle School was anything but flattering. Michael Brewer said about the school, "That school is terrible, I don't know why I even went to that school."
Following Michael Brewer's vicious attack in October, only a few months later in March, Josie Ratley, an eighth grader at Deerfield Beach Middle School, was nearly beaten to death.
Is this an ugly trend at Deerfield Beach Middle School? Prior these horrible incidents, this school was barely recognized. As a B rated school in South Florida, there weren't any red flags that drew our attention to this middle school.
However today, that has all changed. According to the Palm Beach Post, Principal Christine Flynn said the number of incidents of bullying, harassment and fighting this school year is half what is was this time last year. There were 96 incidents of crime and violence on campus during 2008-09, according to the Florida Department of Education.
Natalie Bigio, president of the school's Parent Teacher Student Association, said she understands why Michael Brewer feels that Deerfield Beach Middle School is terrible, although she disagrees.
"It is a horrible school to any child who went through the traumatic injury - and recovery - he went through," Natalie Bigio said. "[Most] of the kids there are good, and they don't really deserve to have their school called terrible."
Principal Flynn has taken steps to continue to make sure students work with groups such as SUPERB (Students United with Parents and Educators to Resolve Bullying), an eight-week anti-bullying program. She also has employed a strict enforcement of the district's policy of keeping cell phones turned off and out of sight during the day.
The motto for Deerfield Beach Middle School is Stride with PRIDE [Personal Responsibility Involving Daily Effort].
It is a fact, bad things happen to good people. It is also a fact horrific incidents can happen in what is considered safe places. Is Deerfield Beach Middle School a "terrible" school? It is an opinion of many that since these terrible incidents it is, however there are many that will debate that these are incidents that could have happened in any school.
At the end of the day, education is prevention, learn about bullying and be part of your schools action plan to fight bullies and educate our children. Working together can only help everyone in the community. Pointing fingers can waste a lot of time.
Be an educated parent, you will have safer and healthier teens.
Comments
All the male students involved in the violence are high school age. It ias time for an alternative middle school. A place where 15 year old male students who cannot pass their classes to get into high school but are too old for middle school can attend.
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