I have noticed a change in tone or attitude by you nursescare. Before, it seemed that you were attacking certain individuals, and as I scanned your prior post, I would think to myself "There goes that crazy woman again."
However, since this thread has been started back, I can really feel, through your choice of words in your post, the concern you have for this cause. It is really making a difference, as you have a convert from the other side of the battle. I admire you for your courage for doing what you think is right, no matter the consequenses. And Roxanne, you for admitting your change of thought.
I am one who feels that if my child has behavior at school that warrants a paddling, they better go ahead, paddle, then make sure that we know about it so we can insure that it will not ever happen again. I say that because in every classroom my children have been in, there are rules and consequences posted for misbehavior. These all include notes being sent home and a parent/teacher conference being requested.
Just as I noted above, the tone of this argument has changed, and instead of an attack, this argument has been most educational to me as a parent. I really think that parental education/involvment on this issue is going to make a very big difference. I feel that even with CP being allowed in schools, as I think it should be, when the schools' administration get parental involvment and see that the parents REALLY care about how their children act and that they want their children to have good behavior and follow the rules, I believe that we will see a change in how the schools react to situations and how they respect the wishes of the parents who want to be called prior to paddlings.
Just as a doctor seems to lose his/her compassion for chronic patients, after many, many, many years, I feel that the schools and the administration lose some of their respect for parental wishes because of that handful that look at education as babysitting and really don't care. The downfall is not with the school system, it is in our society. Sadly, our society is what took a wrong turn first, so it's gonna have to be the first to make U-turn back to the right way.
I'm glad to have been informative. I don't want my children paddled by others. I'm 100 % in favor of discipline by others. Until this incident in 2001, I had given cart blanche to schools but requested to be called anytime discipline went beyond the class.
Parents must be involved in school discipline. Communication/ consent should be mandatory. Parents refusing-- should pick up children. Children will make mistakes. Parents and teachers must work together.
Parents and teachers should be held to the minimal standards of the AL Child Protection Act. AL law states that all school employees shall be exempt from those standards. We think of teachers as 'mandatory reporters'. Not so. if the suspected abuser is another teacher. Schools are permitted to secretly videotape paddling and sell it,in-state, as discipline educational videos. Parents have no legal right to see the video of their own child being paddled. Accountability is the key for everyone involved.
A day off from checking here and I've really missed out. It appears as though, even though this is an "old topic", it is still one very near and dear to more than Ms. Curtis's heart. I am glad to hear it, too.
Let me reiterate that I am not against discipline, I am all for it. I just do not trust others to lay their hands on MY child. Call me, for pete's sake, and I will take care of anything that requires that stern of a punishment. But, after reading here, I have been informed by the school district that by submitting my child to the Demopolis Public Schools I have given up my right to be notified and they can, and will, use corporal punishment on my child without notice to me.
I have written my senator about changing this law and, like I said before, my child (who, by the way, has had no need for spankings since early childhood only because other forms of discipline work better for her) has her instructions on what to do if the occasion arises. As I have also said before, if I don't stand up for my child who will?
Thank you, Dave...for continuing to make me feel welcome here, even though I am a newcomer and have stirred up the stink again. As my signature says....
Immunity for schools may be challenged soon. A Greene County principal is being sued for hitting a child in the ribs, back and head with his metal cane as a form of 'discipline.' The Supreme Court refused to drop the case. A similar case earlier this year was dismissed based on the immunity law.
In another story, a Selma High School Vice Principal has been arrested and released for having sex with students. He has a history of other indescretions w/ students and staff.
Ok, here's the problem with this. You can't possibly be attempting to compare a principal sodomizing students to a teacher paddling a student. If I tried just a little, I'm sure I could dig up examples of unruly students that wearn't paddled that soon after robbed or murdered someone. Your attempts to convince people that these extreme examples of criminal principals is what happens when corporal punishment is allowed is sad.
I agree with the "opt-out" concept, allowing you the choice of getting your child from school if you don't trust teachers to administer CP. What I don't agree with is the attempt to scare parents into your way of thinking.
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My point is to convince parents that they must find out what is happening in the schools and become involved in their child's education and discipline. Recent actions in Marengo County should cause us to become more involved in the schools. The detailed notes on this case include previous concerns over paddling female students. I hope it never happens here, but it is happening in Alabama. Parents must get involved with their hild's schools and know what is going on. This can weed out bad teachers and support good teachers.
I see why you brought this up, though. Because the schools/educators have immunity from civil suits, it gives them much more leeway to do as they please. Am I wrong, or was that your point in bringing up the above incidences? And there are loopholes to the law...my firm is working on one of them right now against another counties school system. It has been done in Alabama before.
In my opinion that is rewarding the child for something they did wrong. If I knew that my parents didn't want me disciplined at school and I knew that I could get some time off, then I would do anything to be in that situation.
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Suspensions should not be mini-vacations. They are to too many students. But I have seen several students who had too many suspensions have to go to a lovely little place called boot camp. No vacation there! But I agree that students shouldn't get to sleep late and watch TV as a reward for misbehaving. I would hope the parents would have them cutting grass or scrubbling the house or doing some other productive activity. That comes down to a discipline issue with parents. If the parents choose not to discipline their children further after they have been suspended, there is nothing more the school can do. But at least the other kids have a few days away from the troublemakers so they can try to learn something.
Kaye334
