02/9/2012:
"It very sad that a parent had to go out and get people to sign a paper
before a school does anything. The school has a zero-tolerance policy!!
My school has a little bully ... A the parent does not think the bully
needs help. This little girl has become a threat to my gril , To think
that a rope was around her neck, where she could have been killed or left
crippled had there been a tug with just the right force still causes me to
cringe.
But a slap on hand to this child and that it! And you can not play with
your class mates. That is it! Really?
And this little girl been doing lots of things to other children in this
school.
How many times is this school going to close there eyes?
And really step up and do something.
What is needed in order to get help for a little girl screaming for help,
and attention who is going to be her advocate?
Is anyone going to do anything to help this child, or will the pain and
anger inside her lead her to act out with even more violence?
Nothings being done to correct her; teaching her a healthy way to redirect
her anger. Nothing you have done in the past has helped, and yet you will
once again repeat the punishment and hope for the best.
I find your actions to be unacceptable, she will do it again and my hope
is the next child will be able to protect themselves from her anger. I
cannot believe you are aware of this situation and that continue to place
other students in danger.
a loaded gun and unless someone can reach her, unless she gets help,
someone is going to get hurt. Do you want the responsibility for that
child's life to be on your hands?
The little girl needs Help!!!!!!!
"
11/28/2011:
"There are two issues here. One is that 45 days for a 6 year-old in a
reformatory - a child with no previous record - is both extreme and
unproductive. Indeed, I'd say it's counterproductive. A 6 year old would
leave a 45 day stint in reform school very scared and scarred.
Is the problem really that schools have been too tolerant of the presence
of weapons?? Is that why students bring weapons to school?
And did this child think school was the same thing as a Cub Scout camping
trip??
Because the other issue is that it's clearly unwise on the part of the
parents to allow such a young child - for the child's sake - to have free
access to any knife. This six year old was clearly not old enough to know
when and where knives are allowed.
"
11/21/2011:
"A great article that Douglas County School District in CO needs to read as
zero tolerance is so up their rearends they can't even comprehend
punishment fits the crime. Everyone involved in an incident is punished
equally the same!!!! Children can't even play snowball fight with one
another without getting suspended!!!!
"
11/7/2011:
"My child was unlawful set up for a "cheating" incident he didn't do. He
was then punished so serverly we had to get a court order for the Marion
County School district to quit. The child was subjected to bulling by
other students that the principal failed to stop. Yet the principal
turned a blind eye to others that actually "cheated" They then used the
incident to unlawfully disallow the child the next gifted program. The
prior Year, the child was in a class where he and the class were abused,
this child developed an incurable medical condition because of the abuse
and we have had to get counseling for this child. While searching for a
psycholgist another said that her neice had been in counsel after that
class experience too. The teacher is believed to be the Rubber room
teachers from NY and had child abuse charges with child protective service
when she came to Florida.
Funny this school district is involved in discrimination activities,
altering other children's records, blogging false matterial to the local
newspaper, falsifing data to the Federal Department of Education. But the
Florida and Federal Department of Education does no enforcement. Remember
Atlanta the Governor finally had to invoke its own investigation on the
cheating in schools and in Broward County Florida it took the Grand Jury
findings on Corruption --- Wonder when Ocala will get its investigation?
"
09/2/2011:
"You can't effectively deal with bullying in a piecemeal fashion which is
what 'zero tolerance' for bullying is. 'Zero tolerance' treats the symptom
only and doesn't address the cause of the problem and so 'zero tolerance'
will never be a cure.
Why are the bullies bullying?? Bullying is not a happy behavior- children
don't bully because they're happy. Children sometimes bully on impulse and
because they have not been taught not to. We can't command away the
impulse to bully or command away a child's unhappiness and anger.
Teachers and Principals need to model the behavior they expect from
children in school. Do all the teachers speak with respect and regard to
the children? Do teachers fawn over some children and give the cold
shoulder to others? Is there room for every child to shine? Do we publicly
shame children in the school?
Emphasizing to the children that they are all valued is the first stand
against bullying. Every principal should be at the front door every
morning greeting every child by name. Every child in the school should
know they are known. A school must create itself as a community of shared
purpose and common endeavor. And a school must take the stance with
children that 'we are here to serve', we are here to make sure your day is
a safe one and a good one.
Only with statements like that - openly declared - can children really
come to feel that their school is their community and only in a community
can the bullies come to lose the anger and unhappiness that comes out as
bullying.
"
07/19/2010:
"what is happening in our society? When we stop offering 'tolerence' to
our students, we have stopped teaching 'tolerence'. This is sad. Zero
Tolerence makes zero common sense. PERIOD. "
01/15/2010:
"Last year my son was a third grader. During this school year, a student
allegedly brought ammunition to school but no type of weapons. This child
has been said to have had anger problems and outbursts in the past. To my
knowledge he was only given an in-school suspension. My son was in his
class and he was rightfully concerned. I working in law enforcement do
not believe that the school did enough, standard protocol or not. Kids
are being suspended out of school for fighting but a child allegedly
brings ammunition to school from home and the child is still in the school
right after that. Inconistent? I beleive so. I offered all the help in
the world to the principal and to this day have yet been asked to assist.
Any advice or opinion regarding this issue? Thanks!"
11/25/2009:
"My family has recently had our eyes open to the policy of zero tolerance.
My grandson accidently took a pocketknife to school. He was immediately
suspended for 10 days and may end up being expelled for a year and sent to
an alternative shcool. My problem with this is that this is a good kid,
never been in trouble before and makes decent grades and he makes a big
mistake and they want to criminalize him. I believe the 10 day suspension
was warranted, however from there I think he should be allowed back in
school. There was no intent to harm and no violence occurred. Instead of
expelling for a year, counsel him and allow him to do community service.
Prisoners in our prison system get treated better than our kids in school.
One size does not fit all."
11/16/2009:
"I believe and wish to have mutual respect Upon all.
Adult at first. If every one behave as a civilized person, Know his
Boundry, Respect one another, Do'nt posess what's not his/her's. mind
theire own business, thre will be no reason to be scared.
The law is very clear: No one should take the law in his own hand. Kidds
are the Immage of theire PARENTS, If a child have in his/her posession any
form of weppon PARENTS are to be BLAMED First and put on trial and held
Responsible for Theire kidds.
Kidds go to learning school not Deffence Deppartement. They should have in
theire posession no more or less than school supply."
11/12/2009:
"Our son was bullied and beaten up once just outside the local middle
school because he had excelled in sports in the gym class. Needless to
say, after that he didn't do well. Then he grew big and strong and went
to high school there he defended a young man who was being threatened and
bullied. Unfortunately he had a length of chain in his bookbag so he was
suspended. The bully wore his chain attached to a wallet with a rock in
it - so he was 'ok' because that was part of his 'dress'. Our son got
kicked out of school for the remainder of the year. He finished high
school on line as we never wanted him to return to that environment. The
school principal sat at the informal hearing and blatently lied about our
son. When he got caught in his lies, he tried more lies. To make the
situation worse, it was a black on white situation with our son being
white and all other parties, bully, picked on kid, principal and school
psychologist being black."
11/12/2009:
"Zero tolerance policies make zero sense! My daughter's high school issues
a detention if a student is late to class, no exceptions. This occurs no
matter what the reason. While I agree that continual tardiness is not
helpful, there are times when one has challenges. (ie: injury, bodily
functions) Policies should be able to be guided by intelligence, not set
in stone."
11/12/2009:
"My DD is in a private Catholic school now and they are more along the
lines of disiplining each incident accordingly. But the elementary school
she was in before was outrageous. Kids were expelled for simply talking
about going squirrel hungting with their grandpas, or talking about the
knife they got for Christmas. My DD was even threatened by a teacher for
saying that Christmas is about Jesus' birthday-when the teached had asked
what Christmas is about! Yet this same school allows children of other
faiths to pray and speak freely in school, allows bullies to steal from
younger kids, and allows boys to feel up girls right in the middle of
class qith no prepercussions!
Sadly it's not that parents aren't willing to pay more in taxes to provide
a safe environment. Instead the district refuses to spend more on
anything but improvements to their athletic fields and teacher benefits.
Not one dime more is spent on education or safety-not 1!"
11/11/2009:
"Your US public schools are just going to be in more truancy and
disciplinary problems regarding students today who attend public school.
They are taught on the day before classes start not to bully other guys.
What ever possessed you for thinking in such derogatory methods in dealing
with delinquents and regular students? Do you really think that negative
pressure would actually help? On the contrary, you would actup in class
or with other students if all you heard nonstop was do not bully!!
Teaching in love and patience is what children really need to hear and
see modeled by these adults."
11/11/2009:
"As long as parents continue to use the mindset that it sounds good but
never realize their own child could be caught up in zero tolerance,
districts will not change policy. You have educated, trained personel who
can not or will not decide what is or is not reasonable;or are they not so
educated and trained? The other day at a parent meeting, a parent said
they hated something. They were immediately reprimanded by a staff member
that 'we don't use language like that here'. I had to say excuse me,
don't tell an adult what to say or do. Zero tolerances are no better than
bullying. The kids use them to do just that, bully other kids by setting
them up. And as I remember alternative schools were initially designed
for those students who were incouragible, in trouble with the law and
unwilling to change their behaviour. Now it is punishment for 93 policy
violations and if they don't want to give a waiver they just don't. Do
you really believe the education in the alternati!
ve schools are as equal to the regular schools? No they are not, it is
just a holding area so that these kids are not in regular classrooms.
Teachers unions helped craft these policies. Zero tolerance has to be
removed from our schools. Check out how many adults supervise the
movement of kids to, from and inside the building. Bet you thought the
teachers helped supervise. Wrong they do not, you are lucky if five
adults are supervising. Now ask yourself what would they do to a private
daycare that had a ratio of 200 kids to one adult. Close it down. This is
a red flag that all parents have ignored. Have you read your students
code of conduct handbook? You're in for a heck of a read. And when they
try to tell you they survey the kids and parents and things are good -
beware those surveys are crafted to get answers to make the schools look
good. This is a parent with their eyes wide open and not liking the
scenery from the adults who run our educational process. Beca!
use that is what they have made it into - a process."
11/11/2009:
"My school has that kind of a policy, and I agree with it. It is a high
school, so if you bring in an eating utensil, you won't get suspended. I
like this policy because I feel safe at my school."
11/10/2009:
"Zero tolerance policies are based on fear, mostly of lawsuits. There is
no common sense. The teachers have been stripped of decision making
capabilities in exchange for a rigid, one size fits all policy that is
ridiculous. I leaves no place for honest mistakes and teaches extreme
paranoia to students. The answer lies in using the least common of all
senses, common sense."
11/10/2009:
"The real problem here is that there is improper PARENT education. A child
should know the rules if his or her parents pay attention themselves and
communicate with that child. However, one size fits all never really fits
'all'. I am horrified by the 7% to 9% figure on the children being
threatened. That should be a zero with proper supervision at schools.
Obviously we taxpayers have not been willing to foot the bill to protect
all children, which is a disgrace. Finally, the law recognizes that
children cannot even distinguish between reality and fantasy before 7 or
8. (They are still afraid of the Boogeyman or maybe Zombies at that age.)
Why are the schools not recognizing the diminished maturity of such little
children? If they were perfect and didn't need to learn many, any things,
there would be no need to call them 'minors'. Sorry, the rant sort of
happened as I thought of all the kids who might be afraid to go to school
today. Thanks for the microphone. "
11/10/2009:
"If we want our children to use their minds productively, our school
administrators should be using theirs also. what happened to role models?"
11/10/2009:
"Our boys attend Catholic schools & neither have zero tolerence policies .
Each situation is addressed on a case by case basis . In the twenty years
of their on going education ( we have four kids ) there has never been a
serious - life threatening incident in their schools .
Addressing security - years before Columbine these schools have had very
restricted access,CCD on DVR 24/7 & plain clothes off duty police officers
at each school 7am to 4pm"
11/10/2009:
"In light of this, it is even more surprising that my child was not allowed
to read a book brought from home to read in PRIVATE READING TIME because
it had religious content. Being too strict regarding weapons does not
seem wise, but being too strict about private reading material (that was
not promoting anything dangerous) seems even worse. Such negativity will
not likely benefit children."
11/10/2009:
"I am not a fan of the zero-tolerance policy, especially in elementary
school. This is a time when even the brightest kids seem to be clueless.
It's a time for them to learn, and one of those things they are learning
is responsibility. Yes, they need consequences, but they also need some
tolerance."
11/10/2009:
"Our boys attend Catholic schools & neither have zero tolerence policies .
Each situation is addressed on a case by case basis . In the twenty years
of their on going education ( we have four kids ) there has never been a
serious - life threatening incident in their schools .
Addressing security - years before Columbine these schools have had very
restricted access,CCD on DVR 24/7 & plain clothes off duty police officers
at each school 7am to 4pm"
