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By Jim Uphoff, Ed. D.
Our nation’s public school systems have often found themselves caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place. None of these past dilemmas have had any more emotional and life-serious implications than a “Do Not Resuscitate” legal request. We have never faced this issue here in Oakwood, but it could happen!
Suppose that your family has a child who is medically very fragile. Unlike 30 years ago, today this child, by federal law, could be in the public schools that serve your community. The child likely has a full time nurse or care provider with him or her throughout the school day. But this person is not a regular school employee. You and your family have given long and serious thought, even prayers and have had many sessions with your own spiritual leaders as well as with the medical personnel in whom you have much trust.
Finally, you have reached the very agonizing decision to have an official “DO NOT RESUSCITATE” (DNR) document signed in case the child goes into a medical emergency. You make sure that the local school officials have a copy of it and that they fully understand your intensions and wishes.
Now the burden of this very emotionally-laden problem is placed on the school’s desk. Does this mean that the school must open itself up to being sued in case someone else like a governor or a court disagreed with what the school did or did not do? Such outsider interference has taken place in other “end-of-life” cases within the past two years-for example in Florida.
Should a school intentionally allow a child to die right there inside the school? What would be the effects on the other students and staff? What if there were no medical personnel in the school at the time when the child’s health situation worsened? Will various issue groups suddenly be found demonstrating in front of the school house doors?
A Minnesota school district faced this issue when it had to decide whether or not to renew its present policy NOT to honor a DNR document. The vote was 5-2 to continue to not honor such requests, but the policy was modified to allow the school personnel to inform emergency medical personnel about the existence of such a family directive.
Another Minnesota district since 1998 has had a policy to honor such DNR requests. However, this district also demands that a very extensive Individual Health Care Plan be on file for all such children. But even if such a child were assigned to a building with a full time nurse, the legal liability faced by school districts is great no matter whether or not they honored a DNR. Also, many school districts do not even have full-time school nurses for any building in the district.
Having education personnel be responsible for carrying out a medical practice raises many questions. Following the DNR gives no room for a second decision-the results are either fatal or more brain damage results even if life continues. The issue is not easy and trying to decide whether or not a school should honor a DNR is one that sends many folks to their knees seeking guidance.
I do not have an easy answer for this problem. Thirty years ago such medically fragile children were not in our public schools and there was no issue. Now they are with us, and we have a potentially very difficult situation ahead. I can only say that I would not want to be the educator who had to make such a decision!
In Oakwood, we have no such policy for or against following a DNR and we have never had such a medically-fragile child enrolled. We do have, thanks to a gift, a heart defibrillator machine in every building but its anticipated use has been for an adult working in or visiting a building. Should we use it on a child even though we had been asked NOT to do so? There are no easy answers to this question!
Maggie Maher with newfound friend Alissa Sarradet from Lafayette, Indiana in front of the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C.
“Inspiring today’s leaders to become tomorrow’s stars” is the slogan for the National Youth Leadership Conference. Maggie Maher, a junior at Oakwood High School, recently attended the leadership conference in Washington, D.C. She was chosen along with 349 other scholars across the nation to represent her state as well as the Congressional Youth Leadership Council.
The six day trip consisted of sight-seeing, leadership simulations, meeting with top leaders, and a new outlook on what it means to be a leader. On a visit to the nation’s capitol, Maggie met with the offices of Ohio’s senators and representatives. She even had a chance to meet a few members of the Supreme Court and sit inside the House of Representatives.
The young leaders worked together to simulate being the President, members of the Supreme Court and members of a model Congress. The scholars met with speakers, such as President Bush’s assitant and press secretary Dan Perino, the founder of Habitat for Humanity, Millard Fuller, former Illinois representative Marty Russo, and members of the press. During the long days of hard work, new friendships were formed and memories will never be forgotten.
Tickets for Oakwood High School’s Sadie Hawkins Dance scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 4 will be sold during lunch and after school on October 31, Nov. 1 and Nov. 2. Tickets are $10 per couple and $5 for a single.
Parents and students are reminded that tickets will not be sold at the door for this dance or future dances at Oakwood High School. Tickets must be purchased in advance to attend dances at Oakwood High School.
Holy Angels School third graders listen and watch intently as Michael Bashaw, artist in residence of Muse Machine demonstrates a simple reed instrument. Bashaw held a week-long program at Holy Angels for kindergarten through eighth grade. He met with individual classes throughout the week, allowing students to play pieces from his collection of homemade and international instruments. Bashaw also organized an improvisational all-school concert at the end of the week. Students learned the science behind instrument construction and were encouraged to make their own instrument for the all-school performance. Pictured (L-R), Michael Bashaw, Lili (Kettering resident), Brayden, Eva, Mike (Oakwood resident), Teryn, Bridget (Oakwood resident)
Holy Angels School eighth graders and Michael Bashaw, artist in residence of Muse Machine play their homemade instruments together at a school-wide improvisational concert. Pictured (L-R), Josh Landes, Anne Backhaus, Joe Ferneding (Oakwood resident), Michael Bashaw, Henry Dawson
College-bound high school students can take the ACT college admission exam on Dec. 9, 2006, the next national test date. The deadline for postmark or online registration is Nov. 3. The late registration deadline is Nov. 16 (an additional $19 fee is required for late registration). Students can get registration materials from their high school counselor or they can register online at ACT’s student website (www.actstudent.org).
The basic registration fee is $29. Free sample tests are available from school counselors and on ACT’s website, which also offers additional free practice tests.
Back home in Spain, Italy, Japan, Thailand, Mongolia, Germany, and Vietnam, teens are looking forward to their 2007-2008 school year in the U.S.A. Volunteer host families are needed to take in an international student and “treat as their own” according to Debbie Camp, Area Coordinator for Cultural Homestay International.
Host families do not have to have teens in their family to qualify as a host family. Families of all ages, with or without children, can make great host families.
Any family interested in sharing their lives with an international student should call CHI’s Regional Office at 1-800-210-6080 or locally, Debbie Camp at (937) 339-4312.
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