Zero Tolerance for 6 Year Olds?

[The Ween]

https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/12/education/12discipline.html?no_interstitial

There are so many things that kids get away with in our schools today, yet this kid gets into this much trouble? I could understand if he were older, but come on!

I love the paragraph about the birthday cake too. A YEAR?!

Makes no sense.

 

[Kabukiman]

Somebody should lose their job over this. Seriously.

If you can only make mechanical decisions and are incapable of using human judgement, then you should be replaced either by somebody is capable of using human judgement, or a machine that can make the mechanical decisions faster and cheaper than you.

 

[hoodonit00]

Zero tolerance equals zero brains. I always find stories like this humorous, in a sick, revolting way.

Kid can't have a Swiss Army Knife, but can have a pencil or pen which would penatrate deeper than the small blade in the pocket knife if one wanted to use the writing implement as a weapon. Don't think a student could put a world of hurt on another by using a thick book as a weapon?

So a school has a "no weapons policy". Do they really think that policy is going to stop someone who is going to go on a rampage? Do they think that a student who is going to try to hurt other students is going to change his mind because of the policy they have?

Kids have been suspended for taking finger nail clippers to school. One young boy was even suspended for drawing a ray gun at school.

Same thing about over the counter drugs. Found out my step-daughter took Midol to school for period cramps. She wasn't caught, but I had to take them from her and tell her not to take them anymore to school. Girl about a year ago was strip searched because someone said she had Tylenol. Unbelievable. Schools have to start dealing with the troublemakers and cutting the responsible students some slack.

 

[The Ween]

Zero tolerance equals zero brains. I always find stories like this humorous, in a sick, revolting way.

Kid can't have a Swiss Army Knife, but can have a pencil or pen which would penatrate deeper than the small blade in the pocket knife if one wanted to use the writing implement as a weapon. Don't think a student could put a world of hurt on another by using a thick book as a weapon?

So a school has a "no weapons policy". Do they really think that policy is going to stop someone who is going to go on a rampage? Do they think that a student who is going to try to hurt other students is going to change his mind because of the policy they have?

Kids have been suspended for taking finger nail clippers to school. One young boy was even suspended for drawing a ray gun at school.

Same thing about over the counter drugs. Found out my step-daughter took Midol to school for period cramps. She wasn't caught, but I had to take them from her and tell her not to take them anymore to school. Girl about a year ago was strip searched because someone said she had Tylenol. Unbelievable. Schools have to start dealing with the troublemakers and cutting the responsible students some slack.

I think this might be a first! I agree with you on something!

 

[karamazov80]

Yeah. Stupid.

But, based on the code of conduct for the Christina School District, where Zachary is a first grader, school officials had no choice. They had to suspend him because, “regardless of possessor’s intent,” knives are banned.

There is always a choice when it is something stupid like this. They're gonna end up letting him back in due to public pressure, and will only look like dildos in the long run.

 

[hoodonit00]

I think this might be a first! I agree with you on something!

I actually find myself agreeing with a lot of your post. You have a good head on your shoulders little lady.

 

[Deckard]

I remember going to the bathroom and seeing kids dropping acid and snorting coke, and this was 2002, not the 70s.

One kid in my homeroom, sold tasers and airsoft guns, right there in homeroom. Kids snuck into the dressing room behind the stage to smoke pot and ^^^^ between periods.

All kids learn from school nowadays is how to be a d-bag and hault science. I cut 87 days and still passed my junior year with all B's and one C. We would cut, and when they found out, they were so crowded all they could do is send a cut slip to your class. You were supposed to get up and goto the office. Instead when we got the cut slip, we'd say we were going to the office, and just cut again, they couldn't do anything about it. My school was voted best high school in jersey 3 years running.

 

[creecher]

Dammit!!! Why can't stupidity be legislated against? It's obvious intelligence can be.

 

[Agent0028]

I agree that zero tolerance equals zero brains. There's really no other reason for it.

And how adorable that the kid sometimes wears a suit and tie to school. A lad after my own heart. I wore a tie everyday my senior year of high school. I figured by that point I had enough people with my back to keep me from getting an ass kicking if I let my inner geek out.

 

[Colossus]

WOW, This is what happens when individuals with non elected power is not challenged and when you do they give you the BS policy line and talk down to you, WOW what a Mind^^^^^, Feel sorry for the Kid

 

[karamazov80]

Is the school board not elected where you live, Colossus?

 

[Colossus]

Is the school board not elected where you live, Colossus?

Sorry I was refering to the Super, there hired and your political heros make motions to or not to hire, it's always someone with city's own views and thats in Austin not Round Rock there Strict Conservetive here, they know they will get there a** voted out

 

[BadMoon]

I have mixed feelings on this because you have 6 year olds bringing guns to school. The rules apparently also seem quite clear. This again falls on the parents. My dad let me have a swiss army knife when I was about that age. I spent ages cutting down my neighbors trees. My dad found out and he made me chop it up in 10 to 12 inch pieces. It took 3 days after school to chop up the "firewood". I also agree with Hoodunit though. A kid can stab someone with a pencil. I BELIEVE that the kid and the parents should be punished in some way. However, the punishment is WAY out of control here.

 

[Agent0028]

I wouldn't give elected officials that much credit.

 

[The Ween]

I have mixed feelings on this because you have 6 year olds bringing guns to school. The rules apparently also seem quite clear. This again falls on the parents. My dad let me have a swiss army knife when I was about that age. I spent ages cutting down my neighbors trees. My dad found out and he made me chop it up in 10 to 12 inch pieces. It took 3 days after school to chop up the "firewood". I also agree with Hoodunit though. A kid can stab someone with a pencil. I BELIEVE that the kid and the parents should be punished in some way. However, the punishment is WAY out of control here.

I can understand a Swiss Army Knife, but this was a camp kit that has a fold out knife, spoon and fork made for eating. I'm not even sure if it was medal. I'm sure he didn't know, or realize he was doing anything wrong. This is why zero tolerance doesn't work at that age.

And the third grade girl getting suspended for a year for taking in a cake knife (that grandma gave her) to cut a cake? It's silly!

We had a boy bring in a dildo a few years back. He didn't get anything for that because we knew he didn't know what it was all about.

 

[Toast]

We had a boy bring in a dildo a few years back. He didn't get anything for that because we knew he didn't know what it was all about.

He probably thought it was a lightsaber

 

[BadMoon]

He probably thought it was a lightsaber

 

[MarrowMan]

The zero tolerance rules for these kids are absurd, I know some kids in the past have brought weapons with the intent to do harm, but those cases are few and far between, these lil tykes don't even have the mental capacity yet to cause true malice to anyone, sheesh, what next, banning of peanuts, because some kid might die of an anaphylaxia?

 

[BadMoon]

The zero tolerance rules for these kids are absurd, I know some kids in the past have brought weapons with the intent to do harm, but those cases are few and far between, these lil tykes don't even have the mental capacity yet to cause true malice to anyone, sheesh, what next, banning of peanuts, because some kid might die of an anaphylaxia?

I BELIEVE in zero tolerance in a way. However, they need to figure out the right punishments.

 

[azurepred]

I also agree with a zero tolerance policy, but in this case, the kid is 6 years old, and he doesnt have a complete understanding on what is wrong and right. If this was a high school kid, then maybe you could justify an expulsion, but for a 6 year old, maybe a 3 day suspention at most. He thought he just had a cool eating utencil, and wanted to show it off. The punishment is way too harsh.

I remember when I was in school, kids would accidentally bring knives or other weapons to school because they were camping or something in that nature, with it over the weekend and forgot they had it. If we turned in the weapon not previously knowing we had it on us, there would be no punishment, but the parent would have to come down and pick it up. I feel this is kind of a similar situation, but its obvious the kid didnt think he had a weapon.