Posted on 02/12/2005 5:21:30 PM PST by Ellesu
Sikeston, Missouri --A Southeast Missouri first grader finds herself in big trouble after playing with a plastic bag she found on the playground.
It happened last tuesday during recess at Mathews Elementary in Sikeston, MO.
The girl's mother says her daughter used the bag to make her friend a present. But, her teacher didn't see it that way.
Tuesday Heartland News spoke with 6-year-old Michaela Boyd, and her mother Michele. They tell Heartland News teachers confused a hand-gathered gift of nature's goodies with a bag of marijuana.
"There was nothing in the bag i just found it on the ground." Said first grader Michaela Boyd.
After finding the bag much like the one disposable utensils come in, Michaela says she decided to make her friend a bag of goodies, "They said what did you make this out of. and what did you tell them. I said out of dirt. And what else. I made it with rocks, clover and dirt."
Her mom, Michele, says after Michaela put the mixture into the bag, she tied the top with a purple ponytail holder and gave it to her friend saying,"here's a bag of dirt."
After recess was over the student gave the bag of dirt to their teacher.
Michele says after meeting with the teacher and principal, she was told that the bag of dirt, "looked like a bag of weed."
Michaela says, "They said it was kind of a drug. I don't know what they are I only see cigarettes. That's all I say."
Heartland News spoke with superintendent Stephen Borgsmiller about what happened here on the playground last Tuesday and he says while he can not comment on this particular case given the childs age. He did tell me that after gathering all the information an assessment was made and now they are moving on."
Michele says she doesn't deny what her daughter did. But she does disagree with the two-day in-school detention. "They said it would be on her school record as far as disciplinary that she made a look alike drug but I don't feel like that's right. Because she didn't do anything wrong."
Michele says her daughter served her two day, in-school detention last Thursday and Friday. And while she's still upset with the schools actions, Michele is not considering moving her daughter to another school.
its happened before check out the links in post number 80
bttt
To be honest, this will be perceived as a right wing action, not a liberal one. Its conservatives that push for zero tolerance and the war on drugs, not the left.
"Have you ever been subject to disciplinary action by any scholastic institution? Why? Please provide details, including date, location, and circumstances."
Try applying for the bar or medical school or state licensure for trust positions, and leaving that off--it is indeed ridiculous but it could conceivably come back to haunt you if some bureaucrat has left that in your 'permanent record' all the way through high school (which is, however, unlikely). Not a great chance it'd happen...but it could.
Because it involved "drugs". The student was technically in violation of the school's zero tolerance policy. Most school's zero tolerance policies include items that look like drugs or weapons.
This student would have to answer "yes" if the question "Did you ever violate your school's drug policy" ever came up.
You've nailed it. The zero-tolerance policies are a symptom of conservative's general ineffectiveness of combating trial lawyers. You used to be able to expel the real problem children by using common sense. Now whenever the little demons are disciplined the school district gets sued for discrimination or some other such nonsense. In response, schools have adopted zero-tolerance to enable them to deal with the troublemakers. Many innocent children then get hurt when they run afoul of the complex, legalistic rules.
Suspend first, ask questions later.
I honestly don't know what's worse, what happened to this child or the writing of this piece.
http://www.kfvs12.com/Global/story.asp?S=2927961&nav=8H3xWJVW
More Questions & Answers - Detention for a Bag of Dirt
By: Tony Hensley
Sikeston, Missouri - Police and school leaders in Sikeston say the case involving a 6-year-old girl and a bag of dirt needs to be taken seriously.
"If she would have been 14, we would have been arrested her and taken her to jail.” Sgt. Shirley Porter said.
It's a story you saw only on Heartland News. One that generated an incredible response from you. More than a 1,000 of you logged onto our web site to voice your opinion on the Sikeston first grade student disciplined for giving a bag of dirt and grass to a classmate.
Police and school leaders felt it looked like a bag of marijuana. The girl's mother tells Heartland News that her child did not realize the difference between a bag of weed and the illegal kind. But, passing even a fake drug is illegal and had the child been older, she could have been arrested.
This really is a tough situation for school leaders because they cannot talk to us about disciplinary action against any student. But, with Superintendent Steve Borgsmiller's support, Sikeston police can talk to us about how important it is to handle any drug issue seriously no matter how old the student or how real the threat.
"It's important that a student understands what a drug is.” Sgt. Shirley Porter said.
It may sound simple but Student Resource Officer Sgt. Shirley Porter says it's a problem that continues to rear its ugly head. During her 16 years as a student resource officer she continues to be amazed at how drug problems make it onto school grounds. No matter how old the students are.
Sgt. Porter says, "They are smarter than you think, we don't give them never as much credit as we need give them because they are really smart individuals."
And that's why Sgt. Porter says she talks to kids in high school all the way down to kindergarten about drug awareness and Porter says parents too need to reinforce the warning. “Education starts at home. As parents they need to teach your child about drugs. Teach them about everyday things of life. So, you can know what level they are on as far as their knowledge and we are going to back it up at school with facts and figures. Some with personal experiences and thing's like that."
Superintendent Steve Borgsmiller agrees. Speaking by phone with Heartland News, Borgsmiller says officers absolutely should address drug awareness to children of all ages. Sgt. Shirley Porter was even involved in last Tuesday's questioning of 6-year-old Michaela Boyd.
Sgt. Porter says, "If she had been a 14 year old we would have arrested her taken her to jail and she would have to meet with juvenile authorities. She would have been suspended from school for anywhere between 90 to 180 days. That's how serious it is."
Sgt. Porter also tells Heartland News, that parents need to remember that kids are curious and don't often don't think about consequences.
Zero Tolerance ping.....with a couple of links in the ping post....
Well, THAT article is REAL comforting!
I've never used drugs in my life, and I wouldn't know a bag of grass from a bag of, well ... grass. The sensibilities of these teachers have obviously been formed by different experiences.
Good point.
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