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PAIN AND TERROR IN AISD

Dear AISD Trustees,

It is my hope that you will take a look at this policy and the way the police (APD, County) are writing tickets for the students in our schools. My son was issued a ticket at the end of the school year last year for disruption of his class. I understood the reason, but not the legal Citation. I was shocked that a Citation with a court appearance in front of a judge was required. What ever happen to office referrals and calling parents or even ISS (in school suspension)?
After being notified by letter to appear in Municipal Court, I did as was required. While waiting to see the judge I had a chance to listen and see some of the other cases before my son's. The more I listen the more upset I became. Not only for myself but for other parents whose children had done far less than my own son.

1. First of all they check to see if you are present and anyone not answering to their name has a warrant issued for their arrest. This is crazy, there could be a good reason why they didn't show up. It being the first week of school and routine adjustments and all. Well that another story.
2. You talk to a prosecutor and they give you three choices.
A) Pay the fine: More than $1.00 but not to exceed $500.00. When I was there most fines were over $250.00.
B) Defer your charge. That means you paid $52.00 court cost, take a 8 hour class which cost $50.00 and then the children does community service work (hours required varies)
C) Go before a jury or judge with your case which would also require a lawyer and may still have the same results as options A & B.

Options A & C will create your child a criminal record that will have to later be expunged. This could cause future problems for your child , like Colleges, Jobs etc
Then as I listen to each case called before my own, children ages ranging from 10-17.
Some of the charges were as followed: Spit balls, laughing to loud /
disruption of class, pushing desk and slamming a chair.

Do these sound like criminal charges that require criminal cases? Most parents do care about their children's behavior and do what they can to help the schools handle what ever problems that they are made aware of. Most parents like most of the people in the United States right now work two jobs and are still barely keeping food on the table. We don't have money to just give away to a system that seem to want to make criminals out of young children instead of teaching them so that they can be educated enough to get a job and avoid the criminal justice system.
As I looked around me at the parents and children in that courtroom I saw only people of color. You can not tell me that our children are the only ones in AISD schools that are misbehaving. I refuse to believe that. Is there still a double standard for students of color? YES, I think so. Your zero tolerance policy is just another way to justify these types of actions.
You say you need more bond money for school construction and upgrades. I think we have more problems than renovations in our schools. Policies like this one takes money out of the pockets of parents that cant afford it. Then you ask parents (taxpayer) for more money. There is something wrong with this picture.

This policy has to be review. It is not being used correctly and I see it only as a revenue generator and just one more form of racial profiling, just starting at the school level.
Parent.