Pediculus humanus capitis
Posted on 06/01/2006 6:29:05 AM PDT by mathprof
Laissez-Faire Approach to Lice Minimizes Absenteeism, But It Distresses Moms
Education-reform mandates like the No Child Left Behind law are putting a contentious new spin on a classroom issue that makes parents' skin crawl: head lice.
Schools used to take a hard line on the sesame-seed-sized parasites, which suck human blood and glue their eggs to individual hairs. At the first sign of an outbreak, pupils got scalp checks. Those with lice were immediately banished from the classroom until all lice and eggs -- known as nits -- were gone.
But to the dismay of many parents, these "no nits" policies are disappearing as school districts face state and federal pressure to reduce absenteeism and boost academic achievement.
No Child requires that 95% of students be present for mandatory achievement tests. It also allows states to use attendance to help determine whether school districts are making adequate educational progress under the federal law. Those that don't do so face sanctions that could include state takeovers of their schools.
At the Todd County Public Schools, a rural district based in Elkton, Ky., students found to have lice often used to miss a week or more of school. The old rules barred them from school until they could produce a letter from a doctor or a public-health agency certifying them lice- and nit-free. Under new guidelines, a box top from an over-the-counter lice treatment does the trick.
Bruce Gray, the assistant Todd County superintendent who spearheaded the change, says pressure to reduce absenteeism and boost student achievement was a big consideration. "The more your students are out of school, the less likely you are to meet the academic goals of No Child Left Behind," Mr. Gray says. He says some miffed parents claim he's insensitive to the issue because he is bald.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Pediculus humanus capitis
The Cootie Clause?..........
That's just gross
I could never stand the teachers that always had to nitpick.
When I was a child, when kids from a certain family came to school dirty and smelly, the janitor used to take them downstairs and wash them in a big tub full of soap and warm water and the school gave them clean clothes that had been donated by other families. Cannot even imagine the schools being able to do anything meaningful these days. Poor suffering kids.
It's Bush's fault.
I attended public schools for 13 years in the 1950's and 1960's (no jokes please, the last year was equivalent to first year university except no soft courses). I never heard of head lice until my own kids started public school.
Today the parents would probably try to charge the janitor with child sex abuse.
We fostered a little girl for a week last February. She had lice. Our granddaughter played with her, got lice, passed it on to the neighbors who a few weeks later passsed it back to her. Poor little thing (my granddaughter) missed several days of school and felt a lot of shame. She also about that time ended up with ring worm (from where we don't know but we suspect the neighbor girl) and a cat bit her requiring tests and heavy duty antibiotics. I think her teacher was about to hot line my daughter who understandably was hysterical about it all.
Delousing.
Today there are probably a lot of bold pedophiles working as school janitors.
I can tell you that the schools care zero about it and will not even send a letter home to parents to let them know lice has infested the school.
It is a nightmare for parents and homes cleaning up after them.
After having this done twice to us we now no longer allow the girls to share baseball helmuts or combs, etc.
Another example of a government mandate having unintended consequences.
FYI, a few years ago Hartz dog flea shampoo stated it also killed lice but they had to remove that from the label. It contains the same formula, just the word "lice" has been removed.
Reason to homeschool number...
Of course. If only we had a True Socialistic (ed. COMMUNISTIC) society! Then every child would have free healthcare, and there would be no pollution, and no child would go hungry, ... /sarc
Yeah, I noticed that. Blame Bush for Head Lice.
To deal with head lice you have to go down to the local drugstore and purchase a louse comb, they're squarish with superfine teeth (the comb not the lice). The old fashioned technique was to dip the comb in kerosene and run it through your hair repeatedly. (I wouldn't recommend smoking while you do this.) Make sure you get right down to the scalp. Then wash your hair and head thoroughly with lye soap.
This from my mother who was an old time country school marm.
In my next instalment, I'll explain how to deal with "seam cowboys" AKA graybacks or clothing lice.
For kiddos, there is a special shampoo. You only use it once a week but once you use it, then use the comb and then wet or wash with regular soap every day after for a few days and comb and comb with the special comb, using a plastic bag and paper towels to capture the little buggers. The little girl we fostered (age 7) was a veteran of the process and would sit and watch TV and comb her own hair and kill the bugs. The base of the scalp on the back of the neck is best place to look for them. They like the thin skin there. They don't carry disease and don't even show up unless there is a huge infestation. Also wash everything - towels, bedding, clothes, that has come in direct and sustained contact with the infected person. In sub freezing weather bundle up coats and hats and comforters in plastic bags and put outside for extra extermination.
Most of the lice are coming over the border on the heads of illegals so . . .
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