Tardy sweep system Is flawed

Students are still late to class after being swept

Logan Cannon

Photo Illustration of students waiting in line in front of the ISS Room

Logan Cannon, Staff Writer
February 20, 2018

Every year there are changes to the rules at any school that annoy students.

This year the dreaded rule is the increased use of tardy sweeps that result in automatic Saturday School assignments if a student is caught up in one.

Students have said that the increased frequency of tardy sweeps has been unnecessarily annoying and the punishment too harsh, especially for students who are only a little late while having to walk across the school. The irony of the tardy sweep system is that the punishment for being late to class now is not going to class at all because students are often held in In-School Suspension for the rest of the period or the rest of the day.

Administrators often threaten automatic Saturday School assignments over the intercom to get students to run faster to get to their classes. However, it can often seem arbitrary if the students in the sweeps actually gets the dreaded Saturday School assignment. Administrators say that Saturday School is based on inattentiveness and tardies; however, it can often seem like it is based on the mood of an administrator who comes to check on the students in ISS.

The fact that students are being prevented from going to class because they are tardy is  similar to the old tardy policy Akins had until 2016 in which students would  have to go get a pass from the office which was a waste of paper and time. The system was removed because it just didn’t work, and it kept students out of class longer than they needed to be. However, with the increase in tardy sweeps and tougher punishments, it feels like the old problems are back and in a worse fashion.

Senior Hank Scaief said he does not like the tardy sweep system because “. . . a student could be late over something that is not their fault and get punished for it.”

The constant telling of students to get to class does not make me want to go to class; it actually does the opposite. It’s annoying for students to listen to someone to tell you to get to class every 20 seconds. Then to sweep a couple kids and call it a “success.”

Principal Brandi Hosack said in an interview with an Eagle’s Eye reporter that she doesn’t think anymore sweeps are being called than normal. 

“But you know it’s in our handbook and we haven’t changed the rules and it’s been that way forever.”

She said that the tardy sweep rule has been there forever, but if it has been there forever why has it only been used for this year and part of last? Previously, they just used to check grades and attendance for Saturday School assignments, but now anyone can get the assignment even if their grades and attendance are good.

Hosack said that the consequences for being late are severe as they need to be to encourage students to get to class.

I understand that the Akins staff needs to get students to class on time and punish them for not doing so, but I think that the system we have now is not the way to go about it.

A good alternative would be to get rid of tardy sweeps, then replace it with a certain amount of tardies to get Saturday school. That would be a little more reasonable I would think.