Tardy Table Frustrates Students

Tardiness. It’s never a good idea to be late. Missed instruction, the teacher gives a mad look, everyone is staring as the room goes silent. Tardiness can be a real issue at many schools. The tardy table is a system that was put in place about a week ago that limits the number of times a student can be late for class, no matter what the situation. If a student is tardy they go to the tardy table near the main office. The student is provided with a pink pass and a mark goes down for being tardy that day. After a certain amount of time, consequences like detention and suspension begin to take effect. 

Freshman Elise Hamma said that the tardy table makes her nervous going from class to class and knowing the consequences if she shows up late, it makes her hasty.  The crowded hallways are out of her control, but she fears that the traffic in the halls will cause her to miss the bell. She said she believes that it is a good tool to use for students who just mosey around and don’t care, but that other student should not be punished for things that happen when it wasn’t their fault.

She said that, despite her anxiety about the table, she likes how it gives all students a sense of responsibility, given the fact that high school is for adolescents. 

Sophomore Ray Bady said he tends to be a slow walker, and with the jammed hallways it can be chaotic to get to class on time. He thinks it is unfair to be punished when his tardiness was not his fault.

He explained that he finds himself practically running to get to class on time, which causes him a lot of stress and he believes we should have more freedom as a student body.

Junior Miya Walker shared her viewpoints. She explained that the system has impacted her life rather negatively because she worries she will be late to class and get penalized for it. “Do you think the tardy table is a positive addition to the school?”, she went on to say that the table has not changed the school in a positive way because it adds stress to getting to class. She believes that the school should be focusing on academics more so than punctuality.

“Has the tardy table changed your perspective of Crofton High?” to which she answered a little bit. She stated that the tardy table makes things stricter and it shows that the main focus at this school is tardiness, rather than the academic aspect of school. She said that things should be the way they were before; marking students tardy but without the serious consequences, and uncontrollable tardiness should be excused. She remarked that she strongly disagrees with the way that everything is being handled because she believes that it wastes time and is very nerve-wracking for herself and her peers. 

Substitute teacher Mr. Bryan Bedingfield expressed his opinions. He said that kids are sad and mad when he turns them away. He also said that kids are taught discipline and are urged to get to class on time, which he thinks of as a good thing. He said he likes the way it puts kids in their places and sets rules at the school. He said that it almost enhanced his liking for the school.  

To conclude, the tardy table has definitely caused trouble for many students and teachers at Crofton High School. Since the enforcement of the tardy table, many students who are simply trying to get to class on time are not able to. however, many students who are wandering the halls are also facing consequences.