9 year old suspended for bringing tools to school

[karrie]

This is what infuriates me about the modern 'zero tolerance' policies public schools have taken to adopting. It excuses administrators from having to bear any responsibility for discretion. It treats kids like criminals for ANY behavior that can be linked to something criminal any other child has done.

And someone, for crying out loud, take the darn hammer away from those kids, or give them safety goggles!

 

[eh1eh]

Teachers didn't get where they are by quick thinking and innovation. They became teachers by memorizing facts and passing standardized, predictible tests.

Obviously it is inapropriate for a kid to have a hammer at school but why not just repremand the kid and rat them out to mommy and daddy?

 

[lone wolf]

I'm more inclined to wonder how adult politically correct "black or white" people are....

Woof!

 

[Praxius]

They've explained the situation quite well... she brought a hammer, screw driver and rocks to school.... it has nothing to do with her intentions, it has to do with other kids deciding to take them from her and screw around with them, or they fight over giving it back and grab it and one gets something jammed in the eye or face and so on.... who's responsibility would it be when something like that happens?

What happens when you say ok, I understand that you meant no harm, so I'll just let this off on a warning.... then you have other parents start to bitch and complain when their kids get worse once they all start to see it was ok to bring those things to school.... or that they won't get any big punishment if they did?

The parent should have made it clear to their child long before they started school that they're not suppose to bring anything that can hurt other kids to school, and if they are not sure, ask.

What parent doesn't think there's something wrong with letting your kid goto school with hammers, screwdrivers and rocks in their bag? Oh... and with no eye protection as you pointed out earlier?

And besides, it should have been common knowlege and common sense for the parents and the child to not bring that stuff to school or at least let the school know ahead of time to see what they think about the idea...... she was suspended for a few days and it was marked down on their perm. record..... who cares?

I've had a few things written down on my own with similar incidences here and there that I just didn't think ahead all that well, it's not the end of the world. Those who will see it in the future will read it and understand what happened, and understand why it was written, most likely determine it was trivial and move on..... no big deal.

But as mentioned before, it wasn't that they figured she was intending to hurt someone, it was the unknown of what other kids would have done if they got ahold of them and if an accident occured, who's then at fault?

The School most likely.... that's why they tell people not to bring that stuff to school.

Oh and although the news report didn't exaggerate or lie about the details, they were clearly biased with how they worded it.

The police even claimed they determined the child meant no harm.... but that wasn't the point for the suspension and perm record addition.

 

[Kreskin]

The insurance companies dictate most policies. Either pay a heavy price for an accident or pay a lot more in premiums to service the risk.

 

[lone wolf]

Explain it to the kid. Be a freakin' educator! Why not call SWAT.... Idiots.

Woof!

 

[Kreskin]

People underestimate the impact insurance companies have on our lives. Something may appear "politically correct" at face value, when in fact it's a policy to ensure an insurance company doesn't send us to the poor house.

 

[Praxius]

Explain it to the kid. Be a freakin' educator! Why not call SWAT.... Idiots.

Woof!

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080402/third_graders_080402/20080402?hub=World

Don't forget, this is US... remember it wasn't too long ago when those kids all plotted to tie up their teacher and stab her?

Sorry, but students themselves have produced this way of life now, and parents and students should be aware of all of this by now. Send in the cops, scare the rest of the kids into making them aware it's a serious situation and don't bring that stuff to school.... and regardles of making an example, it's policy... if and when something does happen and something horrible does happen, possibly even starting a fire, or a shooting, more so then some accident with a hammer or screw driver... and policy wasn't followed through, guess who loses their job?

All because of some parent not thinking ahead about their child bringing those things to school. She might have been responsible with it (Although I doubt that since the parent seems to be totally blind about the consequences and just lets them whack away with no goggles, etc.) but who is to say all the other kids know what they're doing with a hammer?

Hell I brought a knife to school to cut my sandwhich in half at lunch time, apparently it was too sharp and pointy and I got written up too.... I was a teacher's son too, and I sure didn't get any slack..... get over it, that's life.

 

[karrie]

But as mentioned before, it wasn't that they figured she was intending to hurt someone, it was the unknown of what other kids would have done if they got ahold of them and if an accident occured, who's then at fault?

You'd put up with your kid being suspended (there are other ways to reprimand and get a point across you know... detention for example), over some theoretical action of some other kid? I highly doubt it. I know I sure as hell wouldn't.

My kids sneak stuff off to school in their backpacks regularly enough that we've needed to start checking their bags (6 and 8 yrs old), to make sure no pricey toys are taking off to school. Parents don't always know what their kids are taking, and no, it's not logical to expect a parent to catch every last whoops, or to think ahead and explain to a 9 year old EVERY last eventuality for every item they might think of packing to school.

 

[gerryh]

paranoia reigns supreme

 

[Sal]

The Times They Are a Changin'.

I can well see why some would find it ludicrous to suspend the child. However when they explained that another child could have taken the tools and used them for ulterior purposes I began to see where they were coming from.

I think back to some of the things a few of the stoners did during high school days. Back then they were given detentions and spoken to harshly. Today if the same pranks were pulled they would be jailed. I remember a few chemistry experiments that (accidently) :roll: went awry.

No one thought they were trying to blow the school up or kill the rest of us. But the violence factor has upped our paranoia. But then these kids have a different level of awareness than we did. They have grown up with school shootings, we did not. They have grown up with students attempting to kill teachers, we only thought about the possibility.

The thing I disagree with is that the child's record will be carried forward. For what purpose other than insurance perhaps ... I see no other logical reason. The child is not a danger. Although having said that there was a comment made near the end that made me wonder if the child had been involved in some other incident.

Anyone else notice that?

 

[karrie]

I can see the issue of 'what if some other kid finds it' being a reason to disallow them being brought to school. I can see it being a reason to take the kid to the principal's office, call a meeting with the parents, educate the child on the danger involved. But, suspension should be an issue of something very serious that the child themselves did. Not something some other kid could maybe possibly eventually theoretically do. Punishing a child that severely for an innocent mistake should not be happening. What's happened to the other forms of discipline like recesses in the office or lunch spent in detention?

 

[Sal]

But, suspension should be an issue of something very serious that the child themselves did. Not something some other kid could maybe possibly eventually theoretically do. Punishing a child that severely for an innocent mistake should not be happening. What's happened to the other forms of discipline like recesses in the office or lunch spent in detention?

You have me closer to agreeing with you BUT... did you hear that little part at the end that made it seem as though this was not a first offence?

That should also be considered shouldn't it? Perhaps there is information at the office that we are not privy to since she is a minor and they are not at liberty to disclose anything.

That would put the school in a sticky position where they appear to be the heavy when in fact it may be justified suspense due to prior activity.

 

[karrie]

You have me closer to agreeing with you BUT... did you hear that little part at the end that made it seem as though this was not a first offence?

That should also be considered shouldn't it? Perhaps there is information at the office that we are not privy to since she is a minor and they are not at liberty to disclose anything.

That would put the school in a sticky position where they appear to be the heavy when in fact it may be justified suspense due to prior activity.

I heard that little part, but, all it says is that they can't go into specifics in Danielle's case (if we're talking about the same blurb), and that can be used as much as a defense for the school as anything. It's become a pretty standard catch all phrase for 'I don't want to talk about this' in many situations recently. It doesn't convince me that there is anything more than what the mom and child and police have stated on the case.

 

[Sal]

I heard that little part, but, all it says is that they can't go into specifics in Danielle's case (if we're talking about the same blurb), and that can be used as much as a defense for the school as anything.

Why not?

It's become a pretty standard catch all phrase for 'I don't want to talk about this' in many situations recently. It doesn't convince me that there is anything more than what the mom and child and police have stated on the case.

But it might........correct? There may be more to this than we know. Isn't that possible?

 

[karrie]

Why not?

But it might........correct? There may be more to this than we know. Isn't that possible?

yes, it's possible. But it doesn't really change my opinion in the OP. It's still, at face value, a good example of the folly of 'zero tolerance' policies. imo at least. ;-)

 

[Risus]

Hmmm, all the kids have pens and pencils. Better ban those, too, before someone gets stuck in the eye....

 

[Sal]

yes, it's possible. But it doesn't really change my opinion in the OP. It's still, at face value, a good example of the folly of 'zero tolerance' policies. imo at least. ;-)

Well I am not a big advocate of school boards or corporations or any huge organization with power larger than the individual. I tend to always underdog it.......so in order to create balance I try to look at the possibility that the victim is not always "the victim".

 

[karrie]

Well I am not a big advocate of school boards or corporations or any huge organization with power larger than the individual. I tend to always underdog it.......so in order to create balance I try to look at the possibility that the victim is not always "the victim".

I think that's part of why the statement to the effect of 'well I can give you all the details' kind of rings hollow with me after she talked as much as she did. Because they can hint that there's more to it, and never have to back up the assertion based on the 'privacy rights' that they've mentioned. So, they can paint a victim all sorts of colors for us through insinuation, and we'll never be able to find out the truth.

 

[Sal]

I think that's part of why the statement to the effect of 'well I can give you all the details' kind of rings hollow with me after she talked as much as she did. Because they can hint that there's more to it, and never have to back up the assertion based on the 'privacy rights' that they've mentioned. So, they can paint a victim all sorts of colors for us through insinuation, and we'll never be able to find out the truth.

To me then.........BOTH lose.