Angr alienated, and affluent high school students are no longer either motivatdkr contained b the more traditional'' care, custody, control, conformity" curriculum. These adblescents respond positively to a humanistic relevant, and realistic educational philoso hy which stresses the worth and dignity of students, an appreciation of inzividual differences and a reco nition of their inherent rights regarding self-determination and freedom of caoice. A nine-step discipline process, which can become a profound learning experience for potentially disruptive students, provides numerous opportunities to become more responsible and to adopt more productive behavior for those who move through the system.
AFFLUENT, ANGRY, UNMOTIVATED STUDENTS : A CHALLENGE TO THE SCHOOL Affluent suburban school districts during the eighth decade of the twentieth century are being confronted by an increasing number of students who accuse the more traditional settings of not being attuned to their needs. Some adolescents, who have compiled laudable academic and extracurricular records, complain vehemently that they do not like school because the educational process has raped them of their self-esteem, of feelings of self-worth, of individuality, and creativity. More are rebelling against the pressure to succeed. Milner (1968) describes the intense personal and social anxiety which upper-middle class adolescents experience "when they are pushed too hard to perform beyond their stage of development and when they ignored their natural aptitudes and temperamental tendencies." Adolescents whose parents are professionals and corporation executives can articulate feelings of depression, of resignation, of gloom, because, they feel, they cannot duplicate their parents' academic and professional record. These children are living in what they consider a "no win" situation because they are unable to compete against their powerful parents. Consequently, a few verbalize a disillusionment with, indeed an absolute rejection of, their parents' values. They become recalcitrant. They refuse to conform to the expectations and aspirations of their parents. When affluent adolescents elect to pursue alternative life styles which often involve conflicts with their parents and other adults, they are labeled by the System as uneducable, untreatable, unemployable, unreliable, unmotivated, which can become an internalized self-fulfilling negative prophecy. Consequently, they may elect to withdraw from the competitive academic atmosphere which appears inimical, counterfeit, dehumanized, and hypocritical. Though failure is painful, it seems t o represent a safe retreat from commitment, involvement, and responsibility. Failure is viewed as ephemeral, because these youngsters believe they maintain access to the family's financial resources, social, and professional contacts. Failure is tolerated because these alienated adolescents frequently rationalize that had they made the effort, they would have succeeded. They thus avoid discovering that they might not be as exceptional as they previously believed.