Why some people shouldn't be in education: Hang that Cub Scout terrorist!

[ScribePharisee]

http://www.newser.com/story/71440/school-suspends-1st-grader-for-cub-scout-eating-utensils.html

A complete and utter joke.

 

[Ace]

I'd like to see the actual article on that. 45 days?

 

[Pastor]

Well, here is the NY Times article on it.

Seems fairly straight forward. No knives in school. The kid brought a knife. It seems a bit harsh to run a kid for 45 days for what is likely a completely innocent mistake.

 

[Ace]

This is why the law-and-order folks like mandatory minimum punishments and zero tolerance policies so much.

Takes the human equation and the activist judges and principals right out of the mix.

 

[deskslave]

Either you're in favor of zero-tolerance policies, or you're not. Zero tolerance means exactly that. No exceptions. Think this case is stupid? Then you think zero-tolerance policies are stupid.

By the way, there's this:

Education experts say that zero-tolerance policies initially allowed authorities more leeway in punishing students, but were applied in a discriminatory fashion. Many studies indicate that African-Americans were several times more likely to be suspended or expelled than other students for the same offenses.

Remember, that's no exceptions. Not 'no exceptions, except for cute white kids.'

 

[Bubbler]

Zero tolerance policies are stupid.

 

[Ace]

Zero tolerance policies are stupid.

I like them because then you don't have to worry about getting good people into important jobs. Takes that human element right out of it.

 

[OnTheRiver]

Zero tolerance policies are stupid.

Word for word, yo.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

Zero tolerance policies are stupid.

Do you have a zero tolerance policy against zero tolerance policies?

 

[Bubbler]

Zero tolerance policies are stupid.

Do you have a zero tolerance policy against zero tolerance policies?

It's a soft zero tolerancy against zero tolerancy policies.

 

[slappy4428]

An uproar among parents? WTF?

 

[spnited]

From the same story:

For Delaware, Zachary’s case is especially frustrating because last year state lawmakers tried to make disciplinary rules more flexible by giving local boards authority to, “on a case-by-case basis, modify the terms of the expulsion.”
The law was introduced after a third-grade girl was expelled for a year because her grandmother had sent a birthday cake to school, along with a knife to cut it. The teacher called the principal — but not before using the knife to cut and serve the cake.



Freaking morons are running the school system in Delaware.

 

[Ace]

From the same story:

For Delaware, Zachary’s case is especially frustrating because last year state lawmakers tried to make disciplinary rules more flexible by giving local boards authority to, “on a case-by-case basis, modify the terms of the expulsion.”
The law was introduced after a third-grade girl was expelled for a year because her grandmother had sent a birthday cake to school, along with a knife to cut it. The teacher called the principal — but not before using the knife to cut and serve the cake.

Freaking morons are running the school system in Delaware.

If the girl was expelled for a year because grandma sent the knife, did they give the teacher who actually used it the electric chair?

 

[Baron Scicluna]

An uproar among parents? WTF?

Yup. You only cover us when our Cub Scout brings his knife to school!

 

[deskslave]

Also, is there no responsibility on the part of the parents here? Most 6-year-olds don't go to school with anything their parents don't know about, and from the description of him, I'm guessing this one probably asked to take his multi-tool to school.

If you're a parent and you don't know that your kid can't bring knives -- any kind of knives -- to school, then you're an idiot. If you know that, and you let him do it anyway, then you're an idiot and a bad parent. Tell the kid he can't take the thing to school. How hard is that?

 

[Ace]

Also, is there no responsibility on the part of the parents here? Most 6-year-olds don't go to school with anything their parents don't know about, and from the description of him, I'm guessing this one probably asked to take his multi-tool to school.

If you're a parent and you don't know that your kid can't bring knives -- any kind of knives -- to school, then you're an idiot. If you know that, and you let him do it anyway, then you're an idiot and a bad parent. Tell the kid he can't take the thing to school. How hard is that?

I thought of that, but the kid easily could have just slipped it in his pocket.

I always lecture my kids that it's stupid to bring a knife to school when a nice pair of scissors or a pointy protacter can easily do as much damage.

 

[ScribePharisee]

Either you're in favor of zero-tolerance policies, or you're not. Zero tolerance means exactly that. No exceptions. Think this case is stupid? Then you think zero-tolerance policies are stupid.

By the way, there's this:

Education experts say that zero-tolerance policies initially allowed authorities more leeway in punishing students, but were applied in a discriminatory fashion. Many studies indicate that African-Americans were several times more likely to be suspended or expelled than other students for the same offenses.

Remember, that's no exceptions. Not 'no exceptions, except for cute white kids.'

Look, there's zero tolerance and then there's zero tolerance with no common sense. This is a 6-year-old kid, and we're asking that a 6-year-old kid have the judgement of a 16-year-old? It's a camping tool. If there was a hint that he was angry about something, then yes, there's a problem. But otherwise, let's get real. If we have to have an activist judge for this, then we need the government to help us take a poop.

 

[ScribePharisee]

Also, is there no responsibility on the part of the parents here? Most 6-year-olds don't go to school with anything their parents don't know about, and from the description of him, I'm guessing this one probably asked to take his multi-tool to school.

And could have snuck it out anyway. Bust his ass at home for lying in that case, but leave the courts out of it.

 

[Ace]

Either you're in favor of zero-tolerance policies, or you're not. Zero tolerance means exactly that. No exceptions. Think this case is stupid? Then you think zero-tolerance policies are stupid.

By the way, there's this:

Education experts say that zero-tolerance policies initially allowed authorities more leeway in punishing students, but were applied in a discriminatory fashion. Many studies indicate that African-Americans were several times more likely to be suspended or expelled than other students for the same offenses.

Remember, that's no exceptions. Not 'no exceptions, except for cute white kids.'

Look, there's zero tolerance and then there's zero tolerance with no common sense. This is a 6-year-old kid, and we're asking that a 6-year-old kid have the judgement of a 16-year-old? It's a camping tool. If there was a hint that he was angry about something, then yes, there's a problem. But otherwise, let's get real. If we have to have an activist judge for this, then we need the government to help us take a poop.

You seem unable to grasp the meaning of zero tolerance.

It's not called common sense tolerance. It's called zero tolerance.

 

[ScribePharisee]

Well then, let's use legal verbiage and define within the realm of common sense what the law is....or better yet, make a distinction in the discipline result between a cub scout's pride and joy and a switchblade. How's that? There's plenty of black and white here to get the point across.