Children, Schools, and Discipline. « Expertise's Politics and Sports Blog

Saturday, April 23, 2005

Children, Schools, and Discipline.

Two incidents grabbed my attention today.

First, is it necessary for the police to slap handcuffs on a five year old child? Well in St. Petersburg, Fl it is. Wizbang's Kevin Aylward pointed to a story yesterday in Florida where a five year old little girl was handcuffed and arrested for throwing a tantrum.

That's right. A tantrum. Take a look at the first video, while she was in the classroom. Then there's the video in the office. Watch some of her antics first, and then scroll to the 5:00 mark on the office video, where they handcuff her.

I could see if this was a 14 year old kid raising hell. But a five year old little girl? Let's get real for a second; if you can't control a five year old child - even if you can't whup her, which is all she really needed - then you have problems. The police shouldn't be sent to a school because the teacher and the administration can't control that child. Lord knows if three of them got out of hand, much less one, because the school would have been in utter chaos.

When situations arise and you are limited by options, competent people adapt and find solutions. Period. The principal could have easily found an empty, but ventilated room, had the child placed in there, and waited until either she calmed down or her mother got there. There was no need to send the cops there. They should be concentrating on real criminals, rather than handling disturbances that could have been easily done by the school administrators.

What you had in that school was an undisiciplined child being an undisciplined child. Look at the office video. At the 3:00 mark, she was acting the fool; pulling stuff off the boards, standing up on tables, HITTING the administrator, etc.

But at the 4:30 mark, she happened to glance out of that window, and she immediately sat down. Could it be that the cops walked in? Of course. That tells you that she knew what authority was, and she knows what she can get away with and at what time. She sat there and didn't say another word for that moment on. If the teachers and administrators would show that kind of authority, then they wouldn't have that problem. Instead, they let the kids run over them and then resort to extremes in order to fan the fires they allowed to burn.

Every day we're given more and more evidence that a growing number of teachers and administrators that are supposed to be educating today's children are woefully inept and simply not capable of handling these students. Today it's a five year old girl getting handcuffed. Tomorrow it's a child being suspended due to pointing a chicken finger at someone. How about a child being suspended for doing cartwheels?

Or, how about a 8-year-old child beating a principal with a wooden pole?

Yeah. The principal sees the child walking on campus with a pole in his hand, just about as tall as he is. She tries to take the pole away from him, and he turns into Buford Pusser. She ended up receiving several lacerations to the head.

When it gets to the point that you are getting opened up by an eight year old child, it's time to retire. I don't care who you are. If you can not defend yourself against elementary school children, then you shouldn't be teaching elementary school. I do feel for this woman, but it's just another example of the incompetence of school administrators. At the very least, she should have went and called for help.

As a result, the school went on total lockdown, even after the cops took the kid away. All outside doors were locked; the kids never left their classrooms. They even ate lunch in there. "Crisis counselors" were called in to help with the grieving.

It's no wonder why these incidents happen. Schools are being ran by a bunch of whimps. I don't want to bring children in the world after reading these incidents.

Posted at 05:52 am by Expertise


	Claire Wayne November 2, 2006 05:21 AM PST I agree calling the cops was inappropriate. I have been a public school guidance counselor in Florida for five years and have assisted with emotionally handicapped five year olds daily. You cannot undo at school what a parent has done for five years at home with neglect and poor supervision. Give teachers a student whose been properly supervised and disciplined and we can work with them regardless of their handicapping condition.


	prechool teacher April 28, 2005 03:34 PM PDT the teacher was correct in her actions and so were the police. how can anyone say differently. the child has a lot of things going on with her home life. but we as educators are not allowed to touch a child so what are we left with. a few kind words and redirection. give me a break! that is what is wrong with todays' youth. instead of real discipline. the child had been warned and she knew the cop and the cop knew her. makes this a recurring problem. the teacher on the walkie talkie told the parent if she continue her behavor she would have to be removed. what is so important that you would not leave work to get your misbehaving creation. why would you leave you child there to indanger herself as well as others around her. this child should not be allowed back into any school system until she has had a lot of help. i would not want my child anywhere near her.


	ms rogers in atlanta April 25, 2005 05:08 PM PDT the problem here is that the administrators have been given guidelines, noone knows how to intrepid those guidelines let alone administer them. No one is capable of making a decision. Shouldn't someone in charge there be capable of or have enough sense to handle a 5yr old. God help us if we've reached the level of handcuffing 5yr olds. whats next my 3yr old grandchild? please some one there has to be some level of common sense in everything.


	RHONDA April 25, 2005 03:29 PM PDT I THINK THAT THIS CHILD DID KNOW RIGHT FROM WRONG AND THAT NO COPS SHOULD HAVE BEEN CALLED IN DON'T THEY HAVE A TIME OUT ROOM OR A PLACE FOR KID'S WHERE SHE COULD HAVE EAITED UNTIL SOMEONE GOT THERE TO PICK HER UP. AND ANYWAY HOW MANY ADULTS DO YOU KNOW THAT CAN NOT HANDLE A FIVE YEAR OLD CHILD. EVEN IN THIS TYPE OF SITUATION.YES YOU CAN BLAME THE MOTHER BECAUSE I WORK ASWELL AND IF SOMEONE SAYS YOU NEED TO GET HERE ABOUT YOUR CHILD YOU NEED TO GET THERE AS FAST AS YOU CAN BUT THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE VERY DIFFRENTLY AND HAND CUFFS WERE NOT THE WAY.


	Aaron April 25, 2005 02:08 PM PDT Unbelievable? What's unbelievable is the inability for administrators to have the authority to control their classrooms. Thoes teachers did absolutly the right thing. Lay a hand on a child even for acting like this and your asking for a law suit. Her mother should be totally ashamed that her child would act like this. What's the next step? If my kids went to this school I would raise so much hell if this child was allowed to come back to class. What's happening at home that would cause her to be so destructive and frankly violent? My children by no means are angels... but they respect the authority of their teachers because they know if they don't there will be serious consequences at home. When I was in grade school which wasn't that long ago (I'm 27) I and everyother student knew if you acted like this, actually way before it got this far, you were in the pricipals office getting pops. That's how it was, and it only took once of getting on the end of that paddle to fix any thoughts of a repeat performance.


	memer April 23, 2005 04:52 PM PDT Hey, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying they couldn't have at least tried to take the little princess by the hand and lead her out of the room. I'm just sayin that in this day and age, you'd be wise to be antsy about it. Anything could have happened. The AP could easily say that she only touched the kid for safety's sake (hell, if the kid fell and busted her lip or somethin?...shoo...). That would be consistent, no?


	Mays April 23, 2005 01:47 PM PDT I happen to disagree. This child had been warned, and by the reaction of the child once the LEO walked in indicates she knows right-from-wrong. If this situation will prevent her from not only causing a tantrum, but from physically hitting and kicking her teachers and her administration, then that's what she needs. Quite obviously this child isn't disciplined at home, so what else is this school to do? Obviously a repeat occurrence since the child knew the cop, and the cop knew the child. The child got off easy. She shouldn't have an ass left on her.


	Expert April 23, 2005 12:35 PM PDT Name, I don't think teacher's pay has anything to do with being able to control your own classroom. Besides, there's been the same old complaints about teachers not being paid enough for the last 50 years. Is there a teacher on earth that's ever been paid enough? Memer, I don't think the camera played that much into it. It seems as if she's acted like this on past occasions; there was just a camera there to record it this time. The assistant principal was willing to pick her up to get her off the table and get her off of the table, why weren't they willing to do so to restrain her and place her in another room? I dont see how that could be grounds for a lawsuit.


	memer April 23, 2005 08:29 AM PDT p.s. mebbe the presence of that video camera played a role in the drama, too.


	memer April 23, 2005 08:26 AM PDT I saw a quick clip on the local news last night and I thot it happened up here, T-dot way. Needless to say, I am greatly relieved that didn't go on in <i>my</i> backyard. Anyway, that's indefensible the cops slapping HANDCUFFS (irons!) on an unarmed 5yr old. Ridiculous and shameful. But that's the easy one. I can actually see why a teacher might be hesitant to lay hands on the little ankle biter tho. In this day and age of hot coffee lawsuits, I imagine that the teacher was only following procedure. Don't touch them. Touch = suing opportunity. I can actually see why they might THINK to call the cops. To actually go and DO it...? Well. Jury's out on that bit for me (but I'm saying this w/o having watched the whole thing yet). That said, I can't see why the kid couldn't have been coaxed out of the room. And why all the crazy lockdown crap? I'm sure that's some kind of policy thing too. Columbine's effects are still rippling thru. Even thru grade one.