11. That’s how many rights FCPS students have in the 128 page Student Rights and Responsibilities handbook. Most people don’t know that. Most people don’t even read the SR&R. Ironically, the SR&R handbook might be the least read document in school.

       SR&R fact: You waive your Fourth Amendment and First Amendment rights in the U.S Constitution by signing the SR&R. The SR&R states, “School officials may conduct random inspections of lockers, desks, and other areas on school property.” This goes directly against the Fourth Amendment which guarantees “the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures,” but it’s too late. You signed. They can search you if they feel like it. 

       Another right you waive by signing is (the/your) freedom of speech, which a lot of students don’t realize. The SR&R states that school admin can punish you if you use “Verbal or written…vulgar, profane, obscene, or patently offensive language.” This might be the only rule that students know and straight up ignore. For my potty mouth friends, you can be referred to the division superintendent for cursing. So maybe effing stop.

       Perhaps bizarrely, you can’t be referred to the Division Superintendent for a dress code violation, which doesn’t make any sense but… rules are rules.

       Now let’s play a little game called how many rights/responsibilities in the SR&R might not be followed here at Westfield. 

• You must be quiet for the moment of silence after the pledge of allegiance, but we might have had that one class where the students do not care.

• You must follow the dress code. I honestly could write an entire article on the amount of people who might not follow the dress code; that’s how bad it is.

• You can’t cheat or plagiarize. This has already been a huge problem as so many students might do it, but now with AI it’s even easier.

• You must show up at the bus stop five minutes before the bus arrives and you may not show up at the bus stop ten minutes before the bus arrives. I get showing up five minutes before the bus but why on earth do you get punished for being early?

• You are not allowed to rearrange your keyboard. I don’t know anyone at Westfield that doesn’t follow this but supposedly there have been incidents in the past that suggest people thought it would be a funny prank.

       Let’s move on to the rights students have. SR&R states that students have: “The right to express beliefs and opinions respectfully in online environments without being interrupted or punished.” This technically means if you disagree with something about FCPS in a respectful way (use both sides of the argument) then you can’t face repercussions from your school or FCPS. Students also have the right to be called by they’re chosen name and gender. 

       That’s essentially it, no, I’m not joking. Almost every single right–other than the two I just mentioned–are about being safe at school, which is funny because they didn’t need to make six rights for something they can cut down to one: All students have the right to be safe and respected on school property. SR&R Fact: School property extends from the second you leave your house to go to school till the second you step in your house at the end of the day.

       For something that calls itself Student Rights and Responsibilities it only has 11 rights, and three of those rights aren’t even mentioned under the students’ rights page. They should rename the SR&R handbook , “Student responsibilities that you must follow plus 11 rights that we could have shortened to three but it would look bad.”

       If any of this bugs you, FCPS is holding a Zoom meeting to discuss what to keep/change for the SR&R 2024-2025 on November 9th.