I don't know how you worked things in your family, but my kids were told to be respectful of school authorities no matter how much they (or we) may have disagreed with them. It's part of the disciplinary process that leads to good citizenship and the ability to function successfully in the world. Kids who aren't imbued with the quality of respect generally turn into foul-mouthed, pie-throwing leftists.
aI emailed the principal ( a female) and appealed to her as a mom and that the kid should have been given a break. As a mom of a son I know they can get POed at little things at that age let alone a mom in Iraq and no dad. The teacher should have lightened up on him and allowed him his few minutes. The soldiers can only call when they can call so he may not talk to her again for a long while. Given students doing all kinds of things in public schools these days this kid deserved a break which I told the Principal.
I hope you also taught your kids to think for themselves (that was not meant to be snarky or a judgment on your parenting style...just to head that little war off before it starts!:)
Sometimes teachers are really bad.
In 2nd grade, my son was going to a private Christian school. One day, I picked him up, and he had had a pee accident. He told me they can only go to the bathroom at recess and lunch, and he needed to go to the bathroom after lunch.
I told him to try to go to the bathroom at recess or lunch even if he didn't need to, and I told him to also ask his teacher if he ever needed to go to the bathroom.
Well, he had another accident at school. However, he asked th teacher if he could go, and she said no.
I told the teacher she should always let a 7 year old go to the bathroom. If there was a problem with the kid going to the bathroom too much, it should be brought to the attention of the parents. The child could have a medical problem like a urinary tract infection.
She still didn't let kids go to the bathroom.
I told my son that if he had to go, then to just go to the bathroom and I'd deal with the school afterwards.
I sent him a note.
I should have pulled my son from the school right then and there, but we finished the year. She was a horrible teacher. We switched to public school the next year, and we've had much better teachers there. (who'd of thunk that)
I certainly agree that in most cases, and for most reasons, school officials should be obeyed. To do otherwise is asking for anarchy.
However, a high school student on his lunchbreak is not hurting a thing by talking to his mom in Iraq, and he should well know it.
The teacher should have known it as well, and probably did, but the drive to obey policy and proceedure, disregarding good common sense, is strong among the small minds of tyrants and sycophants.
We free people fight tyranny, whenever and wherever we find it. The "rule" of obeying authority would not have applied here, in my family. We are Americans; not Germans, or Russians.
If I was talking to my mother on my own time, and not disturbing anyone, and a teacher pulled the phone out of my hand, that would be the last time she used that hand.
If I have to worry that everytime I talk to my mother may be the last time I ever talk to her, no teacher is going to stop me, and if they did, I wouldn't be foul mouthed or throwing pies, I'd be using a baseball bat and bashing their skull in.
The kid should have beaten his teacher senseless for her conduct.
And kids that blindly follow authority turn into lemmings.
Respect has to be earned. GOOD authority figures EARN respect, not simply demand it because they are a mid-level bureaucrat with a title.
Rules should not always be senselessly followed...or administered.