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Posted on 07/19/2011 8:05:41 AM PDT by Daffynition
A stunning report today on the utter failure of so-called 'Zero Tolerance' programs in Texas public schools.
1200 WOAI news reports that after a decades long experiment in punishing students for even the smallest infraction, with policies which have allowed dopey school administrators to expel honor students for bringing aspirin or bottle openers to class, or for young deer hunters to have unloaded deer rifles in the trunk of their car in the school parking lot, the Council of State Government's Justice Center says the programs have given us a generation of expelled students, and schools which are not any safer than they were under old policies.
Michael Thompson, who headed the study, says an amazing six out of ten Texas high school students have been suspended for expelled or suspended from class at least once over the past six years.
See tagline. Texas has an excellent homeschooling statute.
So, this writer thinks schools should take disciplinary action only if student behavior involves violence and the necessity of police involvement?
This entire article has a PC stench about it and the stats sound pretty doubtful.
Zero tolerance policies are a way to teach thought control at a very young age.
Have you ever heard how an Elephant is trained? A young elephant is tethered with a bracelet attached to a massive chain. No matter how hard it tries, it cannot budge it. The animal learns to stop trying. Later in life, the chain is replaced with a simple rope. Although the elephant could easily break the rope, it does not try, because in its mind, it is still the massive chain of its youth.
Zero tolerance policies fly in the face of law. They are rules imposed by bureaocrats on our children that have nothing to do with following the law or safety, but they have everything to do with conditioning our children to be sheep. The punishments are way beyond that which would be imposed for a similar offense in a courtroom, if such offense would even be brought into a courtroom. What they threaten is your childs right to continue to recieve an education in the public school system.
Personally, I abhor the public school system, but to kick children out of it for bringing legal products to school is a travesty. If we had a good voucher program, a school could implement zero tolerance and if the student is kicked out, then at least their future is not threatened because they could go to a different school. The reality is though, zero tolerance would come to an end because it only works as a threat against the childs future. Zero tolerance is a tool the left is using to ensure the next generation does not rebel against them.
I would like to see the breakdown of schools and political affiliations of the admins.
I know, it’s going to be what we all know it’s going to be. But it would just once again confirm who is doing what to our children.
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Zero tolerance policies are about avoiding decision making. No matter what punishment a principal decides on somebody is going to complain, if they don’t get to make a decision because there’s a zero tolerance policy in place then they get a pass.
If only I’d known, I’d have arranged for Young Beau to be adopted by an Asian family 17 years ago ;-).
The schools should use a little judgment and common sense; something sorely lacking in a great many educators today.
Expelled for aspirin? Give me a break.
I might spendanother $1000.00 to see my Grandson realy punch him out. That seems the only way to teach him a leason.
This article presents so little detail about what sort of student actions are being punished that it’s hard to get an idea of what’s really going on. I wouldn’t think Texas would be leading the nations in zero tolerance polices that punish kids for bringing aspirin to school or having a hunting rifle in the trunk of their cars.
More needs to be known about what sort of behaviors are being punished. But if a lot of it involves non-violent behavior that still makes it impossible to conduct classes in a sensible environment, then those things have to addressed.
Basically an article that provides little support for the conclusions, and no link to the study it bases the conclusions on.
(And how much of this comes from inner city schools and how much from smaller town and rural areas.)
I dunno *why* they picked on Texas...in my home state, which used to be the top PS system in the USA, and has declined considerably in recent years b/c they tell us, the standardized *tests* are biased against minorities. Meh.
Drop out rate in the second oldest HS in the US [Hartford] is 75%...used to be a dipolma from this school was quite prestigious.
>>something sorely lacking in a great many educators today.<<
should read ...great many *administrators* today. These people are paid BIG bucks to avoid having a spine.
Let me give you an example not from PTA. My oldest daughter has Asperger’s syndrome. This a a form of autism.
During the time this incident took place, it was not a widely known diagnosis. Certainly we didn't know it at the time.
Anyway, despite the care that my wife took with dressing her, and cleaning her up, she managed look pretty slovenly at school.
She also was very shy and reclusive. I don't know what else these particular teachers thought they observed, but they had an easy explanation, probably based on something they read in “Reader's Digest” or “Psychology Today”. THE FATHER (that would be me) WAS SEXUALLY ABUSING HER.
Well, I found out about it and confronted them at the school in a meeting with the principal. I just told them that it wasn't so, and that if I heard any more rumors of that sort there would be a lawsuit, and that if they had any evidence to the contrary, have me arrested, and then there would be a lawsuit. My wife told them much the same thing, as did my daughter (except about the lawsuit).
Well, I never did hear any more on the rumor mill. They shut up. I did hear, though, that I hadn't convinced them, and that my wife was in denial, and I forget what it was they called my daughter. Protecting her Dad, or something.
I heard all this, in case you are wondering, because my mother was friends with a teacher who heard them from one of her friends that was involved. She didn't think it was right to ruin a man's life without giving him a chance to defend himself. For that I will be eternally grateful to her.
But I never heard anymore rumors, and I wasn't arrested, and my daughter still has Asperger’s and still has problems at 35.
The thing is, what made these idiots think they could diagnose a child's problems and come to the unalterable conclusion that only sexual abuse could cause them? Think how many people's lives HAVE been ruined by unfounded and untruthful accusations of abuse or rape (Duke lacrosse team).
And that's the kind of people we entrust our children to. God help us all.
Agree, and many of the purported "offences" are perfectly natural behaviors by children, particularly boys. I've had to have a few "discussions", but not too many, with my son's teachers (who have all been female up through the 3rd grade in TX) about the differences in the interests of boys and girls.
There was one teacher in particular who was going through a divorce, had 2 young boys herself, and was bringing her frustrations into the classroom - giving preferential treatment to girls when grading assignments or doling out punishments, and treated boys with un unhelpful level of disdain.
That was one teacher for one year. The others have been more stable and seasoned. This year, a little boy from India who's good friends with my son wrote an awesome blood-and-guts adventure that he also read to the class and parents. It was an elaborate story of heroics where the main character was lopping off the limbs, as well as the heads of his adversaries. He was highly animated and excited during the narration, acting out many of the scenes. If nothing else, this kid has a great future in the film industry if he wants. But what amazed me was the latitude the teacher gave her students in developing their imagination, writing, and speaking skills. I'm sure if this story was delivered in a public CA school, the whole family would have been sentenced to hard labor and reprogramming, then carted off to a maximum security prison.
>>Although my memory of some PTA meetings left me very unimpressed with the teachers.<<
Many teachers, who would normally have a spine/some standards in cases like you relate are fearful of their jobs. I think the notion of inclusion since the Feds got involved with special needs kids with PL 94-142, has led to much confusion. We have generally lost our common sense along the way; PC-ness has taken over common sense.
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