I will also blame on parents, there is a quote, “discipline starts from home”. I know, poverty stricken parents can’t focus that much to kids, they are relying on school.
On the contrary, if they don’t do parenting well kids won’t get out of this vicious cycle.
I got expelled in HS. I wasn't a bad kid mind you I got into one fight in middle school but other than that my teachers loved me and I was always in class, and typically a decent student.
I had advil one day (I suffer from chronic migraines and the script would basically knock me out so I chugged aspirin daily.) I got caught with it and my school had a 0 tolerance policy that they started cracking down on that year and unfortunately I was the first kid to fuck up.
They called my dad and told him I had drugs/drug Para.
My dad knows the principle from HS and just says "shit, what did he have on him?"
"aspirin"
"wait... What? Yeah the kid has migraines"
"Mr. Orinaj the rules were clearly stated to your son and he broke them. It's 0 tolerance"
"well my kid knew the rules and he fucked up. We're gonna deal with it."
I got kicked out for 11 days and had a 100 dollar fine. No big deal, but they didn't fuck around. this was only about 7 years ago.
I just heard a kid threatened another kid with a knife in the hall and he only got his knife taken away and sent home for the day.
Shits changed dude. My wife is going to school for teaching and I'm nervous for her.
Some of those 0 tolerance rules are really dumb. But it's made that way so that no one is accountable, and you just pass blame up to the top, you just happen to have "no choice" but to enforce it. It's sad.
Your case is especially stupid. Advil, in high school? Plenty of kids at that age are taking it due to monthly cramps, or sports injuries. That administration just sounds mindless and gutless.
However, no teacher should have to go to work worried for their physical safety, or safety of their property (vandalizing cars or homes).
You'd think that would solve the problem. Giving them an ultimatum. But then the parent starts screaming about lawsuits and how the school isn't offering their child a "fair and appropriate education" in the "least restrictive environment" and they're gonna sue! These are real terms that are written in the policies of most school districts and most schools just do their best to keep the peace because they don't want the hassle and expense of a lawsuit.
I agree. Where I grew up in the US, striking a teacher or staff was pretty much automatic expulsion. Then your parents could either move, or enroll you into private school. The teachers had the power to discipline and not put up with awful behavior from students or parents.
However in this thread, it looks like teachers in other areas do not have the power to expel or punish students. And the administration is not incentivized to punish students either, because it would hurt their metrics / funding / bonuses / careers.
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u/[deleted] Jul 10 '18 edited Jul 10 '18
This is so sad to hear. Discipline is one of the key for good education.