Posted on 07/02/2005 6:33:40 AM PDT by fight_truth_decay
The girl was given a choice. She was refusing to do her homework. The parents consented. The rocks were within a fenced playground. She was under supervision by a security camera.
It's amazing how how vitriolic Freepers can get because a public school is the setting even though the story is obviously slanted.
Shame. Shame. Shame.
Sounds like things are wound a little tight in Kansas City, Mo
"I would be sueing for all I could, perhaps then they will do something about getting rid of the idiot taskmaster."
FWIW OSHA would abolutely cream any forman who sent a worker out to that exact spot to do that exact work with out "traffic control, a hard hat, a visibility enhancing vest" and, depending upon other circumstances, ear and eye protection.
I probably agree with you and again my approach would have been to work things out with the parents in some fashion. I really don't agree with him lowering the boom on the teacher either.
Sometimes in education it is darned if you do and darned if you don't. I don't think it applies in this case, but it seems that way in some situations.
We can find egomaniacs in many jobs. They're one type of person I just don't get along with.
The principal sounds like a real ass. But remember to always support publak educayshun.
Good point.
Those pesky facts.....thanks for the link.
The fired teacher, Christa Price, went to the principal -- who is also the district superintendent -- and asked him to reconsider the punishment, but he wouldn't. So on her free period, Price helped the girl pick up rocks. Other teachers watched the girl the next day.
Ted Feinberg, assistant executive director of the National Association of School Psychologists, questioned Doerhoff's decision to have elementary pupils pick up rocks.
Is he a feudal lord building a pyramid? Feinberg asked from his office in Bethesda, Md. School discipline is not the same as hard labor in prison.
School discipline needs to have an educational purpose. What was he teaching this girl how to pick up rocks? This would only cause frustration, anger, embarrassment and more oppositional behavior.
At contract time in March, Supt. Dan Doerhoff recommended firing Price, a popular teacher with good performance evaluations, for insubordination. Seven other teachers chose not to return their contracts.
''If a teacher who advocates on behalf of safety of a student is not fit to be a teacher at East Lynne or anywhere in Missouri according to this administration, then none of us are fit to teach at East Lynne,'' the teachers who resigned said Tuesday in a statement.
One of the teachers who resigned, Jenny Neemann, said having a security camera on the area where the girl worked wasn't enough.
''Somebody could have nabbed her in 10 seconds,'' she said.
Doerhoff ...dropped the punishment of picking up rocks because of the uproar.
Kansas City Star and Springfield, Missouri News-Leader via
http://www.susanohanian.org/
The punishment of the girl can be debated.
But the principal fired a teacher, who ON HER OWN TIME, helped the girl pick up rocks.
Would you fire Christ for the same thing?
When I went to school we had inside supsension where you sit in one classroom in one desk for a couple days and catch up on all your missed work. That sounds like a better option to me. But I don't think the principle was looking for a solution as much as he was looking to flex his muscle.
I have posted stories from two newspapers and other reputable sources so before you say shame shame shame I suggest you read more than one article from Boston.com..and also QUOTES from other teachers, community, parents and other professionals.
You are the one that needs to do your homework..so what if she didn't do her homework..and it is also stated that there was a security camera..so what? Your point is? You might take the time to read the sources I provided before YOU formed your own opinion. We are not amateurs here in seaching out the truth..which is what YOU must believe.
Regards
fight_truth_decay
Note: My first source (link) is recommended by Fox's Rosen...and ironically by the New York Times. Randy Cassingham has a following from many of the news media for finding the unusual.
They still have that in my area and I agree, it would have been a much better option. Thanks for saying it.
Another Randy fan??? Cool. I will become a premium subscriber one of these days. I will say that he does have political biases sometimes, but I love his columns.
Absolutely amazing comments. I once worked at a high school nearby, and I admired the way the principal had some unruly students police the grounds when they were sent to his office.
They move up because it is government - where no one is responsible for anything, and no one is held accountable for anything.
All hail the omnipotent State!
And its agents.
Boy I wish that were the case in my school district.
They are doing "intelligence" gathering. Sometimes it is bad and sometimes good.
Sounds like this little hitler could not stand up to an investigation of any rigor. It will be easy to find a reason to fire his ass for cause.
The girl, whose name was not released, told The Kansas City Star that the assignment ''made me feel like a slave." Her mother said she and her husband had agreed to the rock-gathering punishment,
The girl shouldn't have to do her homework. She doesn't need an education, everyone will be glad to pay her welfare checks later on.
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