By Scott Harvey
Commerce – The Commerce ISD is moving forward with a new policy aimed at awarding good student behavior with special incentives.
During Monday's regular meeting, High School Principal Verdie Montgomery proposed a volunteer program where students who are in good standing with the district would be issued a "Tiger card." Any student who obeys day-to-day school procedures would be considered in good standing.
As long as the students adhere to district guidelines, they would be allowed incentives such as talking on their cell phones before and in between classes, listening to an MP3 device while not in class, chewing gum, running certain errands for instructors during class and occasionally released early for lunch.
Students would lose privileges if found in violation of everyday rules such as dress code procedure or tardiness. It would then be incumbent upon the student to earn back those privileges.
Principal Montgomery feels the new program is just another tool to get students to obey everyday district guidelines, plus it offers a positive incentive that most students are willing to work toward.
Prior to Tuesday's meeting, Montgomery had spoken with a group of students to get their thoughts on if such a policy was enacted and said the response was overwhelmingly positive.
The program will now go into effect for the remainder of the 2009-2010 school year.