8:30 a.m. on the dot, administrators were at every corner of the school, handing out bright, neon pink slips. If your butt was not in a seat in your classroom, you were handed one of these sheets. Students were literally just about to walk into their class at 8:30 a.m. and then BAM, tardy slip. Not only were these papers handed out in the morning, but they were also handed out all throughout the day between passing periods. Let me tell you, it is IMPOSSIBLE to walk from the history hallway to the portables in five minutes. The only way it could be possible is if everyone ran to class. But, that just isn’t going to happen. Obviously, if they were late before this, they aren’t going to care now.

The halls are literally six-feet wide. When walking past the cafeteria it is so cramped there are times when I come to a complete stop. Especially walking from the history hall to the portables, there is just no chance to get there within the passing period.

A lot of teachers preach “work bell to bell.” Okay, well, if I don’t start walking as soon as the bell rings, I am for sure getting marked tardy. If I start packing up after the bell rings, that’s the end of it. There’s no way. Even when leaving as soon as the bell rings, I still don’t make it in time. Having to pack up before the bell doesn’t make it any easier.

The other issue this week was dress code. Having a dress code sweep was threatened and let me tell you, I was not wearing shorts to school. I went through the enduring pain of wearing pants all week. Walking from class to class, dripping in sweat because it was so hot.

Just pointing it out here, but it sounds like a lot of work for administrators. There is a lot of stuff going on with construction and everything I feel like this isn’t a huge priority. Obviously, I am not an administrator, it is not my professional job, and I don’t know exactly what is best for the school, but I feel like the last quarter isn’t the time to start worrying about tardiness. They are spending a lot of time out of their day handing out these slips to every single person still in the hallways after the bell rings. I feel like you can tell the difference between someone actually trying to get to class and someone just wandering around in the hallways. Don’t punish the kids who are actively putting in the effort to get to class on time, punish the kids who are actually skipping.