Posted on 12/15/2009 5:00:13 AM PST by 6SJ7
A Taunton father is outraged after his 8-year-old son was sent home from school and required to undergo a psychological evaluation after drawing a stick-figure picture of Jesus Christ on the cross.
The father said he got a call earlier this month from Maxham Elementary School informing him that his son, a second-grade student, had created a violent drawing. The image in question depicted a crucified Jesus with Xs covering his eyes to signify that he had died on the cross. The boy wrote his name above the cross.
“As far as I’m concerned, they’re violating his religion,” the incredulous father said. He requested that his name and his son’s name be withheld from publication to protect the boy.
The student drew the picture shortly after taking a family trip to see the Christmas display at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette, a Christian retreat site in Attleboro. He made the drawing in class after his teacher asked the children to sketch something that reminded them of Christmas, the father said.
“I think what happened is that because he put Xs in the eyes of Jesus, the teacher was alarmed and they told the parents they thought it was violent,” said Toni Saunders, an educational consultant with the Associated Advocacy Center.
Saunders is working with the boy’s parents after a mutual acquaintance referred them to her.
“When I got that call, I was so appalled that I had to do something,” Saunders said. “They weren’t looking at the fact that this is an 8-year-old child with special needs,” she added. “They made him leave school, and they recommended that a psychiatrist do an evaluation.”
(Excerpt) Read more at tauntongazette.com ...
Home School
[...stop bitching and start doing something..]
Sorry, but you are over simplifying the situation! Heck, in some states the courts have ruled - and I figure Taxachusetts to be included in this delusion - that once elected, School Boards can do ANYTHING they want and you cannot do anything about it! They can put anything into the curriculum and you can’t even “opt out” of them! So, once they put people into play, it is almost impossible to just “do something” to fix.
More importantly, very seldom do these teacher report to principals who reports to Superintendents, etc... The Public School system is like the boys in blue - they take up for one another! This school board will try to do the same thing that they all do - I can hear it now, “If that kid does something in the future, we would never hear the end about how we should have caught this when he was young.” They will circle the wagon, grandstand and use the bully-pulpit of “it’s for the kids” to disarm the “too damn lazy” people (as you like to call them).
Your argument is that we are only fighting half the battle by going after the teacher and such - and I kind of agree with you. I got friends that live in Massachusetts and no they are NOT too lazy, they are beaten down! They have lost their will to fight because they ALWAYS get kicked in the teeth. After a while you feel like you are the only one fighting and no one - NO ONE - is helping or reporting or even caring about the fight!
So, get off the soapbox about it is all our own fault! The system is totally skewed to be against we the people, so if you don’t see that, then you are only fighting half the battle as well!
No, they'd think it was a tribute to Barney Frank.
There is also a quote from Dr. Saunders that refers to the child as a "special needs" student, and this doesn't mitigate their reaction?
I suppose a picture of Kali by a Hindu student or of Mohammad smiting infidels would have been OK.
I was easily able to SAY the words. I just know I can’t type them!! Probably same words, huh?
My children have long graduated and in 5 months my LAST grandchild will graduate. Only then can I publicly say what I think about the schools.
Reason eleventy bajillion and 12 why my kids are in a private Christian school where they are encouraged to write about, talk about and draw pictures of Jesus.
And then, as a treat, they’d let him meet Kevin Jennings for a private talk.
100% correct response.......you win a cookie...now, to motivate the masses to throw out all current school boards and restock with people who give a crap about education and the hell with PC.....
hmmmm... I think JFK had a thought about what happens when non-violent change is made impossible.
Ah, too bad he isn’t a Muzslime...that way he would blow up the entire school and everyone in it and they’d just blame it on “post-naptime disorder”
you act as if I have never fought these people...well, I put 3 kids through the public schools, and for the 16 years I had kids in the schools, I fought and fought and fought...it is a tough battle, but if you wear down, lay donw and quit, they win...but based upon my experiences with these communist bastards, if you fight hard enough you will prevail.....if you are indeed an ex marine, what do you do when you are surrounded, lay down your arms or fight like hell?
And you and this teacher are figgen morons.
Marxism/Liberalism/PCism has destroyed common sense and IS destroying us.
Why do people continue to send thier children to public indoctrination schools?
I think this is a more realistic approach than Houghton or Joe’s suggestions.
No disrespect to you Joe and Houghton, but fixing a system that is beyond repair is just a waste of time, money and effort! And I feel that is where we are with the public school system.
Have you ever tried to fire a teacher (for cause) - as a school board member or sub-committee member? I have and I can tell you it is easier to eradicate extreme Islam and Bin Laden than it is to get rid of bad teachers! Once they are in, they are like a bad penny and they just keep turning up and they keep getting promoted - before long they are in a position to be a Principal and refusal to promote WILL lead to an expensive, long, drawn-out legal battle that sucks the life out of you and the school district!
Personally, I think the system has already collapsed and the only things still IN the system are the cockroaches that survive EVERYTHING! And the hopeless, new comers that think they can “change the world”!!
This is a government owned “buggy whip shop” that we are FORCED to continue to fund, expand and “work with!”
What if he had drawn Santa Claus crucified on a cross. Would that have been “Christmas-y” enough.
I wonder if this “concerned” teacher would have sent home and marked as violent a Muslim student drawing a picture of a Jihadi warrior beheading an infidel?
Teachers like this give a once proud profession a huge black eye. It isn’t the student who needed to be sent home, the teacher did PERMANENTLY!!
[...if you are indeed an ex marine...]
Not an “ex marine,” a former active duty Marine. The “ex” stands for Excellent - Ha/Ha!
[...what do you do when you are surrounded, lay down your arms or fight like hell?]
You see, I don’t think we are surrounded, I think we keep going right back into the same battle, expecting a different result! I would create a better battle plan - like destroy the DOE, scrap “no child left un-screwed” and let the school districts actually be “independent” school districts!
When the current Rules of Engagement have you starting without ammo or armor and with a loaded gun only inches from your head - I say let’s not get into that fight. Step back and let’s try a different approach - that is what I am saying.
I think ANY predicament that the left has gotten us into (such as our poor public schools) which has taken 40+ years to destroy, will take better than 60 years to unscrew to a point of “descent” and a full 80 years to actually make it “right!” I don’t have 80 years left, especially once government run healthcare is passed - so we need to start fighting for permanent resolutions!
THAT is where we, the right, have been failing!! We fight to push the left back three whole steps, when the battle took a mile!
What do you expect from the state that gave us Caligula as the Safe School czar?
It is long past time for a separation of school and state.
My point exactly! How far have we fallen when a man like this is actually helping create Federal policy that WILL affect every child in America!?!?!
You don’t fix a car that has been crushed - you melt it down and start over!
Holy Crap!!!!! where in the hell have you been hiding??? we need a hell of a lot more people like you, that was an excellent reply...not bad for a jarhead.. :)
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