She's not married, just LOOK at her picture....
Posted on 05/07/2005 7:54:12 AM PDT by Teflonic
The Muscogee County School Board will discuss on Monday changing its cell phone policy.
Friday's addition to the work session agenda was prompted by this week's brouhaha about a Spencer High student being suspended for disorderly conduct after a teacher caught him using his cell phone during school hours without permission, which the policy prohibits. The student was talking with his mother, who is serving in Iraq with Fort Benning's 3rd Brigade.
The Ledger-Enquirer asked board members Friday their opinions about the issue.
Was the situation handled correctly?
"We have a policy that they follow the policy; however, sometimes we have to use discretion in a situation like that. Unfortunately, there seems to have been a lack of communication. It probably would have been better if the child had notified the school that he was expecting a call from his mom. They can't call whenever they want to. Some communication should have been done there." -- Pat Hugley Green, District 1
"It probably was appropriate, but it's very unfortunate it had to escalate to that. People in charge should take the time to find out exactly what's going on. They're trained to be in the position they're in and to deal with children, and sometimes things are cut and dry. Some things need to be responded to with more tolerance." -- John Wells, District 2
"I haven't talked to anyone over at Spencer, and I don't know any of the background on the student, but we sometimes have to use common sense. Sometimes children overreact to certain situations. But sometimes people are provoked, although I'm not sure if that was the case. And sometimes a child has persistent behavior problems and they may have assumed that he was using the phone inappropriately." -- Naomi Buckner, District 4
"The answer is I don't know, because the truth is, I don't really know the details of it... . But based on what I've heard, I would question the judgment in the way it was handled." -- Fife Whiteside, District 5
"I don't know what the situation truly was... . There was a correct way for it all to be handled. Two wrongs don't make a right, so if he then became disrespectful and belligerent, that's a whole separate issue. That warrants the punishment." -- Brenda Storey,District 6
"I want to wait on all the facts, but I have concerns about the special circumstances. This young man's mother is serving our country. That ought to be considered. I know we have policies that must be followed, but we also need to use good judgment." -- Joseph Roberson,District 7
Would you support a policy allowing students to get cell phone calls from deployed parents or guardians during school hours?
"The student should be paged and brought to the office to take the call. Otherwise, someone would have to monitor the cell phone to verify it was the parent in Iraq on the line. We should welcome such calls to the school office." -- Mary Sue Polleys, county-wide, son deployed in Iraq
"I certainly would, but I think that we need to handle that properly. He can't just answer the phone in the middle of class. If he was expecting that call around lunchtime, then the principal needed to have known that... . With all of the daily insurgency going on over there (in Iraq), I don't think anyone wants to pass a moment by to speak to a loved one." -- Pat Hugley Green, District 1
"We don't need a policy. That's already in effect at Spencer. They already let students take a call, as long as they just tell them beforehand. We've got to do everything we can to support our troops, so Spencer is doing the right thing already... . They can do that at other schools, too." -- John Wells, District 2
"Sure. We have to look at that policy. To me, it's common sense for principals to allow that anyway." -- Naomi Buckner, District 4
"I don't know that I would support a policy that allows the student to take a cell phone call... . But what would seem to me to be reasonable would be for us to adopt a policy that the parent can call the school at any time and ask to have the child taken out of class to take the phone call." -- Fife Whiteside, District 5
"Not in the classroom. I think even deployed parents have to be respectful of the educational process. But if the school is aware of it, and they know the parent isn't going to call during class, then that's fine." -- Brenda Storey,District 6
"Yes, I would -- if it did not interfere with class, and if it was manageable. Again, these are special circumstances." -- Joseph Roberson,District 7
Did he resist the school authorities? Did he use vulgarity and disrespect when confronted by those authorities? If he did, he should be punished for it--unless, of course, it's school policy to allow students to be disrespectful and vulgar when, in their eyes, the circumstances warrant it. The nails are another story. If that's bad policy, it should be debated at the proper level by the appropriate individuals.
Which is precisely what this kid did as the occasion clearly called for it.
but they have the wisdom and maturity to accept the consequences that arise from their actions.
And this kid did as well. He served his suspension time did he not?
A very wise post.
"I think what they really need is a policy that allows a child to respond in a vulgar and disrespectful fashion (including the application of a quick punch in the gut, or kick in the shin) to a teacher or administrator whenever, in that child's opinion, the said teacher or administrator has attempted to enforce a policy with which the child does not agree. And there should be a machine in each classroom that continually shoots out caramel candies and Hershey Kisses, which the teachers will unwrap for the students and proffer when the children cry out for them."
Who in the world are you, and what planet, sir or ma'am, do you come from?
I was incensed about the action of the teacher, and I thoroughly understood the reaction of the student because we had a son serving in a very hot spot in Iraq. We lived in fear for seven months because we knew that every call from him could be his last. There was a segment on CBS when his platoon was shown as one of his very good friends was pulled back through a gate, ver badly wounded. What we knew was our son was right outside that gate, going after the bad guys who had injured Johnson. My wife and I were upset and crying because we knew how close he had come to being killed or wounded, too. Every phone call from him was precious.
But I totally depart from you when you want policies that put the students in charge, that would encourage students to attack teachers at the students' whim. In Iraq, they call the people who do these kind of things terrorist and insurgents. I would fight you tooth and nail to prevent it.
Thank you for correcting my thinking. (This is not sarcasm.) I hope you are right.
This kid got to speak to his mom about once a month.
Calls are on a catch as catch can basis, you cannot "schedule" them in advance. You cannot expect the rest of the folks in line over there to wait 10 minutes while the school people decide to get your kid out of class, or no one will get to get their call through.
This might have been his last chance to talk to his mom.
Defend this pencil necked pissant authoritarianism if you must. I, personally think the whole thing could have been handled by asking to verify the identity of the caller and letting the kid finish the call, not grabbing the phone from him and losing the connection.
As for grabbing the phone and initiating hostilities, assault me, and I will kick your ass and ask questions later, I don't care who you are.
Let me tell you something. I raised three children and put each of them through the public schools. Since my wife and I are doctrinaire conservatives, and the public schools are doctrinaire, but hardly conservative, there were numerous school policies with which we didn't agree, and we were forever fighting the local district over something. We carried on this war through the proper channels, employing proper, adult methods of discourse, and we never allowed our children to use these disagreements as an excuse for disrespect toward the people in authority over them at the school. We did this in the belief that our first responsibility was toward our children, not our feelings.
Whether criminal arrest is a proper use of school authority in the case you mentioned has absolutely nothing at all to do with minor children defying legitimate authority. These are two separate issues, and must be dealt with as such.
I suspect you just made my case for me. Or are you simply returning my sarcasm?
You must have kicked a lot off ass in your day. I think you're one of the main reasons I never wanted to be a cop.
She's not married, just LOOK at her picture....
not married, has no wedding ring.
Suppose the call had been to inform him that his mom had been injured in a civillian accident at home?
IMHO, the best reason for my kids to have cell phones is for emergency communication, in this case, I strenuously object to the knee-jerk lack of common sense on the part of school personnel.
How is anyone supposed to respect administrators who act without wisdom, and whose actions show their disrespect for the young man involved and his mother who is serving our country?
This could have been handled much better.
He is dead, as of 5 years ago.
LOL.
Conversations with police have always been civil, partly because they are professionals.
The amatuerish authoritarianism exhibited here was unnecessary, and assaulting the student in the middle of speaking to his mom, when that could have been verified by request and the phone returned to the student to complete the call, was ridiculous and immature on the part of the school's representative.
I have always used physical force only in response to physical force, not been the initiator.
If, as a cop, you would have initiated force unnecessarily or inappropriately, it is a good thing you found a different line of work. You probably would not have lasted long.
I'd be interested in knowing how you'd react if a cop came up and grabbed your cell phone.
Can I revise the question to be a little more appropriate for this circumstance? You're using your cell phone in a place where cell phone usage is prohibited, such as in a courtroom or some hospital locations, and the policeman asks you to turn it over, you refuse, and he grabs it.
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