Kids need to learn the joys of full auto fire.
Posted on 09/20/2006 4:44:30 AM PDT by jmq
First-Grader Suspended Over Plastic Squirt Gun School District Says Policy Prohibits Exceptions
POSTED: 3:50 pm CDT September 19, 2006 UPDATED: 5:01 pm CDT September 19, 2006 Email This Story | Print This Story Sign Up for Breaking News Alerts KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A mother is angry that her first-grader was suspended from school over a plastic toy gun.
"I asked her, 'You're going to suspend my son for 10 days for this? He cannot harm a soul with this,'" said Danielle Womack, whose son, Tawann Caskey, was suspended from Milton Moore Elementary School.
KMBC's Natalie Moultrie reported that Tawann was suspended over a 2-inch plastic squirt gun.
"She told me it's a weapon, a little girl saw it and reported to a teacher that he had a weapon," Womack said.
According to Kansas City, Mo., School District policy, the squirt gun is a simulated weapon and a class IV, which is the most serious school offense. Moultrie reported that principals have no discretion in cases like Tawaan's. It is an automatic 10-day suspension.
"We ask our principals for safety of students and staff, and we do follow the code of conduct and do not give exceptions to Class IV offenses. We take it very seriously," the school district's Phyllis Budesheim said.
Moultrie reported that the incident will stay on Tawann's school record. But Womack said her son does not understand why he's not in school.
"I think this could have been resolved in a different way. It's wrong to bring it school, but come on, he's 6 years old. This would not hurt a soul," Womack said.
The school district said it is all policy -- one that the school told students and parents about at the start of the year.
"We regret that this happened. My feeling is that by not giving any exceptions, this young man will not bring a toy gun to school again," Budesheim said.
The school district said that the incident should be a reminder to parents to check their children's backpacks before they go to school.
Moultrie reported that Womack is waiting to state her case before a school district hearing Wednesday morning.
This has gotta stop. We cannot allow our children to be treated this way. This is inhuman.
Th school is focusing on the wrong dangers. I am unaware of any water pistols being used by terrorists. However they have attempted to use shoe bombs. So for school safety shouldn't we ban shoes? Oh and coats, pants, shirts, lingerie and boxers can all be used to conceal weapons. Safety first, ditch the clothes. And let's not forget the most recent foiled plot. Perhaps we should ban bringing toothpaste, hair gel, and other liquids to school. Come to think of it why the heck to students need scissors in class? Kind of sharp and pointy aren't they? Too dangerous for sure. Textbooks are heavy and pack quite a wallop. Do you want to be faced with angry students ready to bash you with their math books? I think not.
I think for school safety it is probably best that schools rethink their security policies. " Learn Naked" has the making of a good slogan that students can support.
You are made too many assumptions and gave the public school the benefit of the doubt. We really don't know that the mother came in at acted like a raging fool. I am certain this would have been the school's reaction no matter how the mother behaved. School administrators almost universally act like mind-numbed robots when it comes to these zero tolerance rules.
Actually, it sounds dumb more than on the surface. I live in the area, and there is a whole lot more wrong here than meets the eye.
For instance, I didn't catch it when I skimmed the article, but the first grader was made to sign the school's disciplinary form in the space reserved for the parent - before the mother arrived at school.
This whole situation reeks of idiotism on the part of the school district. The schools are "failing" in this district, meaning that they cannot meet their required metrics for actually teaching. So, ban all squirt guns! That should help the students learn better, right?
Sorry if I'm too sarcastic. I am simply fed up with idiots running the educational institutions across this country (and may God bless those few exceptions to that generalized comment).
When squirt guns are banned, only little squirts will own guns.
I think it's more a case of their lawyers not wanting to be sued by whiners for enforcing the rules in a discriminatory manner.
This is way it was so hard for me to resist choking educators when my oldest kids were in school. People in charge of teaching our children should at least be required to have common sense.
I would at least give 'ole Phyllis a good scare. :)
"It's official. We've become a nation of total pu**ies."
Anybody remember cap guns? I went to a Catholic School and all of us would play war in the wooded lots adjacent to the school during recess. The snapping and popping went on all the time and no one ever got hurt. Granted, this was 30 years ago ... yikes has it been that long?
Gosh, being young today must really suck!
It's not about safety, it's about stamping out the "gun culture".
Now a squirt gun can be a disruptive item, the same as a squirt bottle, and thus they probably should be controlled or even prohibited, but not at the level of a permanent entry on the kid's record, nor at the level of suspension for 10 days for a first violation.
Where are the parents when these asinine rules are being made?
Adoption, step-children, or foster children are three I come up with.Or mom got married/re-married after her son was born. Or took her maiden name back after a divorce.
When my niece was born her mom and he agreed that if she was a girl she would have mom's last name, a boy would have ours.
-Eric
Actually in many cases they did take them to school. Either so they could hunt on the way to/from school, or to shoot at the school's gun range. They did not kill their classmates, teachers, staff, etc.
I think for school safety it is probably best that schools rethink their security policies. " Learn Naked" has the making of a good slogan that students can support.Perhaps not in high school, where all-day "biology lab" might result. >:o
-Eric
The Russians and Chinese still use this dated system...
Might as well call it the Michael Moore Elementary School...
Kids need to learn the joys of full auto fire.
Aw, too cute!
Yours?
These are the same schools that DON'T allow recitation of the Pledge of Allegence or flags in the classroom, and don't allow even private prayer.
I'm 48. I started carrying a knife to school when I was in the third grade. My classmates and I would stand around on the playground and see how far we could throw our knives and have them stick in the ground.
But at least we didn't bring 3 inch red water pistols to school!
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