Posted on 05/06/2005 10:15:07 AM PDT by Responsibility1st
COLUMBUS, Ga. -- A high school student was suspended for 10 days for refusing to end a mobile phone call with his mother, a soldier serving in Iraq, school officials said. The 10-day suspension was issued because Kevin Francois was "defiant and disorderly" and was imposed in lieu of an arrest, Spencer High School assistant principal Alfred Parham said. The confrontation Wednesday began after the 17-year-old junior got a call at lunchtime from his mother, Sgt. 1st Class Monique Bates, who left in January for a one-year tour with the 203rd Forward Support Battalion. Mobile phones are allowed on campus but may not be used during school hours. When a teacher told him to hang up, he refused. He said he told the teacher, "This is my mom in Iraq. I'm not about to hang up on my mom." Parham said the teen's suspension was based on his reaction to the teacher's request. He said the teen used profanity when taken to the office. "Kevin got defiant and disorderly," Parham said. "When a kid becomes out of control like that they can either be arrested or suspended for 10 days. Now being that his mother is in Iraq, we're not trying to cause her any undue hardship; he was suspended for 10 days."
(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...
I don't agree with blind enforcement of rules (not laws, school rules) by educators. These people aren't law enforcement, they are civilians hired to do a job. They have the right to suspend him; they have the right to give him detention; heck, they could even expel him, but they do *not* have the right to "struggle for the phone" in an attempt to end the call. That is where they crossed the line in my opinion, and there is no justifying it. Furthermore, I cannot support the idea of school rules (once again, *not* laws) superceding common sense. One of the major problems in our public school system is the lack of common sense in lieu of zero tolerance. Zero tolerance is not and never has been a valid concept.
If not, OK, but the school should change its policy to permit this obviously special situation. If not, the school administrators are biased and should be fired.
Ok, but are you a mom or a dad?
COLUMBUS, GEORGIA
MEDIA RELEASE
MEDIA RELEASE FROM DR. JOHN A. PHILLIPS, JR..
SUPERINTENDENT
MUSCOGEE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
The Muscogee County School District has over 3700 military students enrolled. We have a long and strong relationship with Ft. Benning. Spencer High School has the greatest number of military students of any of our schools. All of our counselors have received training in supporting students whose parents have been deployed, and military personnel serve as Partners in Education in over half of our schools.
When the Spencer teacher approached the young man about using a cell phone on campus, contrary to Board of Education policy which is designed to preserve instructional time and decorum in our schools, the young man did not tell the teacher he was speaking to his mother in Iraq. He indicated he would not comply with a request to turn over his cell phone and used profanity. The teacher escorted the young man to the office, where assistant principals tried to get him to calm himself and to cease the use of profanity. It was only at this point that administrators learned he was talking to his mother in Iraq.
The Guidance Department at Spencer High School has arranged for a number of students to receive calls from parents who are deployed. They would have been happy to do this for this young man. The issue here was not so much the use of the cell phone as it was the choices the young man made in handling the situation. We are empathetic to all students whose parents serve in the armed forces; we do have behavior standards which we uphold.
The school has been in touch with personnel from Ft. Benning. We are endeavoring to have the young man readmitted after a three day suspension, which was the first option for him. It was only after greater defiance and profanity that the suspension was extended. We will ask that the student and his guardian sign a behavior contract indicating that he will comply with the same standards of behavior which apply to all of our students. We will continue to be sensitive to the needs of students whose parents serve our country.
06 May 2005
Contact: Dr. Billy Kendall – (706) 649-0514 – bkendall@mcsdga.net
-----------------------
Notice how the statement which I found most offensive, has been removed:
We will ask that the student and his guardian sign a behavior contract indicating that he will comply with the same standards of behavior which apply to all of our students.
I hardly think so.
I hope I didn't come across as implying that you are less than a dedicated patriot with high standards, as that is my opinion.
My position is that a child should comply with the proper instructions of a parent, and the parent is responsible for giving the proper instruction. I view government education as being subordinate to parental education.
I agree that under no circumstances should foul language be used, and this should be punished. Cell phone usage can be restricted, when not countermanded by the parent. Mom is responsible here and she should have a better plan. You executed a successful plan during your deployment that required more sacrifice on your part. You are, indeed, a strong individual, and a credit to the Navy. I proposed a plan that required a sacrifice on the part of the school, within the parameters of what a parent may require. My own child would not be in this position because he would be in private school and they would have paid a lot of attention to what I wanted when I wrote the check.
Be safe.
We will ask that the student and his guardian sign a behavior contract indicating that he will comply with the same standards of behavior which apply to all of our students.
Until this is removed, I will continue to fight against the school.
Like I said previously, if asked to sign a legal contract like this, there would be only one reply:
It would include the first letters of F and Y.
When the Spencer teacher approached the young man about using a cell phone on campus, contrary to Board of Education policy which is designed to preserve instructional time and decorum in our schools, the young man did not tell the teacher he was speaking to his mother in Iraq. He indicated he would not comply with a request to turn over his cell phone and used profanity. The teacher escorted the young man to the office, where assistant principals tried to get him to calm himself and to cease the use of profanity. It was only at this point that administrators learned he was talking to his mother in Iraq.
The Guidance Department at Spencer High School has arranged for a number of students to receive calls from parents who are deployed. They would have been happy to do this for this young man. The issue here was not so much the use of the cell phone as it was the choices the young man made in handling the situation. We are empathetic to all students whose parents serve in the armed forces; we do have behavior standards which we uphold.
***
So you see...the young man and his guardian could have prevented this situation from occurring.
Wow. You'd bend over for anyone with "authority", wouldn't you? Jawol!
""It would include the first letters of F and Y.""
:-) I agree completely
Well reasoned. Did the "old" FR support feminizing the military?
Let's take a poll: How many of you that support the school's actions are parents? How many of you that support the student are parents? Please let us know if you're the mom or the dad. I'm asking this because I think maybe the moms among us are very upset with the school for trying to interfere between a mom and her kid. My hypothesis is that more moms are siding with the student and his mom.
I have made my choice about this issue from personal experience. The school has stepped beyond their authority.
I have also stated that my two brats would have received a spanking for daring to talk back to their teacher at school.
If at the age of 17 years old, that spanking would have been done in front of their friends. Nothing is more effective, than humiliating a teen-ager in front of their friends.
When they did something wrong, they had to approach me with both of their hands held out. I would then smack their hands.
The actual smacking was so gentle, that they could barely feel it. It was the approaching Father, with your hands held out, that taught the lesson.
Believe me, there is nothing that a school can ever do, that would be more effective.
Did you read the school's press release? It appears they have a different version of what has been reported.
Not sure why you keep making the distinction between "rules" and "laws". I didn't say anything about any laws.
I also agree that "zero tolerance" is often BS.
That doesn't mean its okay to break the rules, though. I'm not cheerleading for the school. I'm simply saying that this is nothing to go nuts over.
I am 50 years old and do this type of thing almost every day. Seriously, even though my boss does get some heat from the city, he enjoys that I do what he is afraid of doing.
Although we are no longer in the military, he will often salute me!
Long live us old farts; who refuse to accept government authority over our personal lives.
All kidding aside, over reactions all around. I believe it was a male teacher in the initial confrontation therefore the t-level was probably high. If the kid didn't indicate right away it was his mom, he screwed up; if he did, then the teacher should have told him to finish the call and then report to him. The teachers should have a little sensitivity considering their proximity to the base. That other kids have arrangements probably means that all their fancy counselors have done a piss-poor job of identifying the kids who need special support. Some fault goes to the Army here too. Tempers got hot and it sounds like decisions were made in the heat of the moment. Not very smart on the part of the admin if they did. Zero tolerance, zero judgment, zero results, zero stones. Zorg for school board.
And about some of the reactions here on FR, hoo boy!
You are one sick puppy. No amount of non-sequitors will change that
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