What is Fair Punishment?

[Palehorse]

Since I don't have any children in the school systems out here, I thought I would run this past you guys and ask for your thoughts.

Recently I heard of a situation that I am astounded over the reaction to within the area, but not Anderson. You have a 7th grade female student, straight A student, honors, who has never been in any kind of trouble in her history. A "nerd" type who is smart as a whip and never misses a single day of class.

This young lady is in that awkward stage of development we all go through, and only wants to fit in and be accepted by the "cool kids" and popular folks.

One day one of these "popular" kids asks this young girl to bring some booze to school for them if she wants to be accepted. Naive and desperately wanting to be accepted by these kids, she steals some vodka from her parents liquor cabinet and places it into a small container in her backpack; taking it to school with her for the cool kids.  Of course she gets caught with it, and before she could give it to anyone.

She is immediately suspended, the authorities are called and she is arrested. Her parents immediately have her tested for drugs and alcohol by their family physician, results negative, and they enroll her into a therapy program designed specifically for diversion of this type of behavior. (At their own cost)

The immediate results were an official diagnosis indicating she is not a substance abuser, wants nothing to do with the stuff, and is only a naive but very smart young girl who wants to fit in with the "in crowd", but despite this the parents insist upon her undergoing the diversionary program in its entirety; just to be sure. (Which she is in the process of doing and for which the child is receiving high praise from the program administrators).

When the time comes for her suspension to end, and she and her parents attend the meeting with the school officials, the young girl makes a very emotional, sincere, and heartfelt apology to all, and a large number of her teachers make statements in full support of her and garnering great praises for her work and ability.

One would think that would be the end of things no? No. The girl was suspended for the rest of the school year and now must repeat 7th grade next year. (The rest of those involved received no punishment or even a suspension).

To me this seems to be very heavy handed and a knee jerk reaction to an admitted mistake on the part of the child. Her punishment up to the point of this meeting had been severe, and she admitted everything up front, event to the point of providing the names of everyone involved, and fully cooperated with the school officials.

She has been severely reprimanded at home and has had all privileges revoked through the summer. Her initial suspension was for two weeks and everyone assumed she would be back at school after that, until the meeting.

Am I wrong in thinking this punishment is far too severe? 

I've known cases where physical attacks have not drawn as severe corrective actions from this very same school, yet here we have a case where no one was physically harmed and the child is severely punished?

It just seems wrong to me. . .

 

[followsthewolf]

Assuming your report to be true, I would concur that the punishment is way too harsh.

Not surprising, though. Couple these days of over-reaction to everything with the tendency of school administration to cover their asses with "no tolerance" policies (saves them from having to make any really difficult decisions) and a way too compliant wussy set of parents, and you end up with a perfect storm of punishment.

The girl will comply initially, but, with time will realize just how badly she has been abused, and she will grow into a very deeply resentful adult. She will have nothing but contempt for such a rigid and unforgiving group of bureaucrats (the nicest word I can use) in the school.

What is worse, she will have lost respect for her parents, who should have protested at the point where the girl was forced to repeat the grade.

The only reason these mental sadists have committed this crime on this particular child is because they can.

Her parents are too compliant.

[Palehorse]

Thanks for weighing in ftw. Appreciate that.

The facts as I stated them are absolutely true. I am just trying to recalibrate since I am rather close to this situation and need to assure I am truly divorcing emotion from the arena within my thinking.

Anyone else?

[LOsborne]

Thank whatever powers may be she didn't also take a plastic picnic knife to spread her peanut butter on bread at lunch. She would have been doing time in juvy!

Not only are school boards knee-jerking on every possible level, these days, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of teaching going on either. Remember the days when getting in trouble at school meant getting in more trouble at home, and that was the end of it?

Damn, if it were my child, she would have been yanked from that school system on the very day it happened, and re-enrolled somewhere private, where at least I could have a leather-lunged voice in policy making and implementing.

My thoughts: her parents are as bad as the school administration, and I doubt if the poor kid has a hope in hell of turning out normal at this point. But then, my youngest just graduated from college, so it's easy for me to judge.

[Sandy Eggo]

I totally agree with FTW.

I don't disagree w/the parents choice to have her tested/evaluated and  enrolling her into a diversionary program. I think, depending on the program, that it might be instrumental in helping her identify and deal w/peer pressue. However, beyond that, they should have stepped up and fought for that young lady's rights. I don't think they realize the message they're sending her by not supporting her return to school. I also think that punishing her for the summer is overkill.

So, having said that, I know that she's suspended, but is home school an option so that she can enter the 8th grade next year?

I just hope that this experience doesn't negatively impact her future.

[Palehorse]

Her parents have fought this on her behalf with great fierceness, and so have a number of the teachers in that school; all to no avail. They are now seeking private schooling options although this close to the end of the school year I am not sure how much success they will have. I am amazed this case hasn't ended up in the local media, and it yet may. . .

They are also considering legal options but I am not sure how that will go  in any case.

Her parents are strict but I am certain that the lengthy home sentence will be shortened substantially once some time has passed without a repeat incident.

As I said earlier, she is a very good kid and always has been. Her parents brought her up right, and I am sure their reaction to this situation was just to quell what at first appeared to be a very serious challenge for their daughter. Given what has transpired I am sure they will adjust accordingly.

I cannot believe the over reaction of the school system though. It just boggles the mind!

[The Troll]

Just like I have said for years.  Some the most nonthinking, stupid, dumbass and out of their mind people, have college degrees and are their in our schools teaching.  What doing you think they are doing to our kids.   :rant:Enough said.

the Troll

[Mr442]

This entire situation needs to be on the 6 o'clock news.  Make it very public and embarrassing for the school system.

[Anne]

That is the problem with the zero tolerance policy. There are no grey areas and no room to evaluate individual cases. I understand the reason behind no tolerance, it keeps the discrimination card out of the equation, but it often translates into the kind of situation you describe.

I am not sure, but home schooling the rest of the year might be their best option and keep her in the proper grade next fall.

[Palehorse]

That is the problem with the zero tolerance policy. There are no grey areas and no room to evaluate individual cases. I understand the reason behind no tolerance, it keeps the discrimination card out of the equation, but it often translates into the kind of situation you describe.

I am not sure, but home schooling the rest of the year might be their best option and keep her in the proper grade next fall.

No, alternative schooling is the only option that will be considered; placing this type of child into the mix with "real" juveniles and teaching her even worse things. . . But that's how society generates criminals these days. We start them in middle school now. . .

I think 442 is right. They ought to go public with this crap and give the taxpayers some real examples of the way our tax money is beng utilized.

[The Troll]

  As the Troll See's it.  We had a good school system for years and years.  Then the lawyers and the the people who raised their kids, the Dr. Spock way came in.  Gave the "children" more rights than the teachers.  I never had a whipping in school, was because my dad told me, if I did, that when I got home, I was going to get a hell of a lot worse.  I believed him.

  Coming from dysfunctional families, single parents, divorce rate of over 52% and the lawyer hovering over the schools.  A little girl brought a pair of pointy scissors to school, accidentally in her purse.  One of the rattie kids turned her in, the police were called, the police took her in and then called her parents.  May I say in a real nice Troll way, "BULLSHIT!!!!!" Where is the "GOOD COMMON SENSE!!!!"

The Troll