Re: U.S.: What are we teaching our kids?
John Tudor (tudorj@HCI.NET)
Wed, 29 Apr 1998 17:10:30 -0400
At 08:42 AM 4/29/98 -0700, CHUCK BRAMLET said:
>
>The Lesson: According to him "Never tell the truth. Ever."
>
>Knowing this columnist, he has more than likely distorted some
>of the facts. However, knowing the school system where this
>occurred, he may _not_ have.
>
>So, again, I ask: "What are _we_ teaching our kids?"
>
Chuck,
This reminds me of another story that was in the news recently:
A girl, who is an honor student at a middle school, got in trouble for
having a knife at school. We all know that you can't bring knives to
school anymore, so it sounds like she should be in trouble, but here are
the details....
The girls mother packed lunch for both of them that day, and somehow they
got crossed by the time the girl got to school. The mother had packed an
apple for herself, along with a paring knife to peel and cut it with.
When the student noticed what had happened, knowing about the school
districts "Zero Tolerance" policy for weapons(knives), she immediately told
her teacher what had happened.
Should have been a piece of cake for the teacher: thank the student for
coming to her, take the knife and either return it at the end of the day,
or have the mother come pick it up, and tell both to be more careful in the
future.
Not so!!!! The teacher went ballistic, took the student to the office
where the principal confiscated the knife, and expelled the student for
breaking the "zero tolerance" policy. This honor student had never been in
a minutes worth of trouble prior to this incident.
After a lawyer was brought in to the matter, and the school board was also
brought in, the student was re-instated, but at what cost?
Not to mention the unnecessary cost of the lawyer to the parents, the loss
of several days in school, black marks on the students record, and the loss
of confidence in school officials.
The lesson to the student?? KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT. Doing the right thing
only gets you in trouble, if you say nothing, you stand a good chance of no
punishment.
I echo the question, What are we teaching our children????
John Tudor
ASM Troop 184
Morganton, NC
Troop 184 Web Site http://www.bsa.net/nc/t184
Wood Badge SR-201 1997
QBSA Radio 1997, News Director
I used ta be a "Bad News Bear".....I can hardly "Bear" it!!!
"Try not, Do, or Do Not, There is no try!"
YODA, The Empire Strikes Back
mailto:tudorj@hci.net
"Eny eereras in typin are a sign of creativiti by the aouther end knot
necessseserily a sign uf typin abilitie." :)
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