Common Sense Lost in Schools??

[BugDoc]

This story is really a sad representation of the state of our school system. A 10 yr old girl is suspended for bringing a steak knife to school to cut up her lunch? Did absolutely NOTHING inappropriate, but the school suspends her anyway. I know we don't want kids having weapons in schools, but can't we be reasonable. What would be wrong with her teacher simply telling her that she couldn't have the knife and why; cut up the lunch for the kid and take the knife away and send her home with a note to her parents outlining school policy.


FOXNews.com - Girl, 10, Arrested for Using Knife to Cut Food at School - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News

 

[HILLCYD]

It isn't just gone in the schools...

 

[MidwestZest]

i saw this on the news this morning. some of this no tolerance crap is a bunch of a bull. REALLY? I saw another one a couple weeks ago where a boy (granted, 13 years old and should have known better) tossed a crayon at a teacher. Instant suspension. I guess they can just throw away all the detention slips....

 

[Cyclone62]

Just out of curiousity, does anyone else know what would have happened if the school didn't take this action and other parents found out about it? The school would have been sued for endangerment, and would have lost.

 

[BugDoc]

It isn't just gone in the schools...

You're right about that! I stand corrected.

 

[jtdoyle1]

I used to think these stories were a little out of hand, but my wife is a middle school teacher and sometimes I fear for her safety. And it's not like she's at a bad inner city school.

The thing is that some kids are out of control and there are no consequences coming at home so they have to get punished in school. The news stories rarely tell the whole story.

 

[DaddyMac]

The title of your thread suggests you seem to believe this is a new development?

:wink:

 

[MidwestZest]

Just out of curiousity, does anyone else know what would have happened if the school didn't take this action and other parents found out about it? The school would have been sued for endangerment, and would have lost.

i don't know about that. just go take the knife away from the girl, explain the situation, and call the mother and explain it to her.

 

[mj4cy]

I completely agree that schools need to realize she was just trying to eat, but I do understand to a point the need to be safe. All of these school shootings leave schools no choice but to take the "no common sense" stance and not take any chances.

 

[HILLCYD]

i don't know about that. just go take the knife away from the girl, explain the situation, and call the mother and explain it to her.

There you go with that common sense again...

 

[Jetta]

Just out of curiousity, does anyone else know what would have happened if the school didn't take this action and other parents found out about it? The school would have been sued for endangerment, and would have lost.

Sadly, it's true. Anymore, it's not as much about the "danger" that specific situation presents, but what could happen if they let it go. But that's not just in schools, everyone has to worry about covering their backs so they don't get sued. I think the school system is doing the best they can given the parameter's they have to operate in.

And what kind of lunch requires a steak knife to cut? That could've used some advance thought on the parents' part.

 

[djcubby]

The thing is that some kids are out of control and there are no consequences coming at home so they have to get punished in school. The news stories rarely tell the whole story.

So you mean that watching TV and playing video games isn't punishment? :wink:

 

[DaddyMac]

Just out of curiousity, does anyone else know what would have happened if the school didn't take this action and other parents found out about it? The school would have been sued for endangerment, and would have lost.

Hence Av8r's post about common sense being lost elsewhere, as well.

Remember when kids did stupid stuff, and educators or other professionals would deal with it (as would parents), and people wouldn't tread such issues as direct attacks on the constitution, national security, or democracy in general?

 

[HILLCYD]

Hence Av8r's post about common sense being lost elsewhere, as well.

Remember when kids did stupid stuff, and educators or other professionals would deal with it (as would parents), and people wouldn't tread such issues as direct attacks on the constitution, national security, or democracy in general?

Remember when kids were supposed to be hyper and have short attention spans? Now we give them medication...

Don't even get me started on RLS...

 

[mj4cy]

I really wish the person who posted the funny differences between school 30 years ago and now would repost it.

 

[MidwestZest]

I guess what puzzles me is why the girl needed to be arrested and taken to a juvenile center. I understand that may be protocol, but to say that "we aggressively report it because we don't want to take any chances, regardless" is pretty bogus. Once you took the knife away and took her to the principal's office, what was she gonna do? Stab someone with a pen off the secretary's desk? Just call her mom and send her home with the suspension. Talk about trama for a little girl.

 

[mt85]

I think the schools response seems very appropriate, and hopefully this will lead to some new knife control laws. Maybe the government should set up a new registration system and require people to take a knife safety course before they can use knives.

Waning this post includes sarcasm.

 

[isucyfan]

My kid got sent home from school in Kindergarten for pushing down a classmate who was his friend and who he was playing with at the time. It was something I would have had to sit up against the school for five minutes for when I was a kid.

Schools are hypersensitive these days, probably because of lawsuits. (The boy my kid pushed was a special ed. student, which I really think factored in.)

 

[Flag Guy]

It is really sad that this is what thigns have come to. We can thank a buzz phrase for all of this - "Zero Tolerance"

While it is sad, there is usually some outrage that comes about from this (due to the sheer stupidity of the situation) and as I understand it a number of school districts are re-evaluating the Zero Tolerance policy.... unfortuantly thats not happening fast enough :no:

Lets face it folks, we live in a stupid society

 

[mj4cy]

My kid got sent home from school in Kindergarten for pushing down a classmate who was his friend and who he was playing with at the time. It was something I would have had to sit up against the school for five minutes for when I was a kid.

Schools are hypersensitive these days, probably because of lawsuits. (The boy my kid pushed was a special ed. student, which I really think factored in.)

I kicked a kid in the junk when I was 5 and had a timeout. I hit another kid over the head with legos because he was wasting my precious pieces on what he thought was "art". Another timeout. No medicine, no conseling, no doctor visits, no nothing. After my parents yelled at me, I was fine.