Eighth grader penalized for missing school, singing at Bush Event

WRTV ^ | 05/16/2003 | www.wrtv.com

[IAmNotAnAnimal]

This is my first post, bear with me. ...a student's absence can be excused for an illness, a family death, or an educational experience...Singing in a choir for the president of the United States, as Westfield Middle School eight grager, Brianna Tull, learned, dosen't count...was told she couldn't earn crdit for homewrok, tests and quizzes given that day

[m1-lightning]

The History Club meets every other Tuesday during bonus period.  We always talk about great history topics and food is abundant.  With Mr. Lentz sponsoring us, you never know what could happen next! We have elections in the Fall, and our yearly field trip is a blast, so make sure you come and have some fun with us at the History Club! 

 

P.S.  Don't forget to bring a friend!

 

Sponsor: Eric Lentz

 

The Field Trips

[Remember Ruby Ridge]

I don't understand your post. What is your point?

[jhw61]

Did Klintoon skip school the day he shook hands with JKF and inspired him?

[cake_crumb]

Let me get this straight: a chance to SEE and HEAR and SING FOR the President of the United States is no longer an educational experience for an American schoolkid?

SINCE WHEN?? What's next, all class trips to sites pertaining to ANY American history, past OR present, being banned immediately???

Proponents of the participation in the making of American history are winning, 91% to 9% out of 3358 total votes so far.

Did they penalize kids who took off to see the Sinkmeister?

Great post, BTW. Welcome to FR. I'm sure somebody has already said this, but it's ok to use at least PART of the original article text, then summarize in your comments section...also, in the future, make sure to mention the poll if there is one.

[GraniteStateConservative]

"We're in school for 180 days to provide an education," Keen said. "Going to see the president is certainly an experience, but what did the child learn from that?"

If she sat through the whole thing, she learned plenty. She got to see how the Secret Service people do their job; she got to hear a president basicly declare that his former budget director will seek the GOP nomination for governor of IN; and she got to hear a president give a lesson in supply-side economics and tax reform and talk about his economic growth plan. That's plenty eductaional.

[m1-lightning]

More Field Trips Seems like it's ok to have a pizza party for the art class!?!

[OldFriend]

Talk about weasel words..........called the gentleman's ofice and was told that we don't have the whole story. When I asked her to clarify the statement, she said she would NOT...........

[GraniteStateConservative]

"educational"

[Area51]

"I'm not sure what was gained from an educational value," Superintendent Mark Keen told RTV6's Vicki Duncan.

"We're in school for 180 days to provide an education," Keen said. "Going to see the president is certainly an experience, but what did the child learn from that?"


Imaqgine what she could have learned had she been in class:

1) The best forms of Fisting
2) Why it is cool to be Gay Lovers
3) All Minority problems Whitey created
4) Reperations are not a dream but a Right
5) How to snitch on a Gun Owning Neighbor
6) Conservatives sacrifice their Children and eat your pets
7) George Bush Stole the Election from little ole Ladies in
Floriduh and is now starving them for speaking up.
8) Oral sex is not really sex if it is done on a Democrat.
9) IF your conservative Coworker looks at you, you have
case for Millions in a lawsuit for harassment. Anita Hill will over pro bono testimony on pubic hairs.
10) Hillary Clinton is the Smartest, most self reliant, strongest women to earn her own way that has come along since Elanor Roosevelt.

[blackdog]

I already did that with my oldest. She homeschooled for her middle school years and is now 4.0 at a good private school. 40 mile commute each way, but she is so damn smart she deserves it. She pretty much skipped 9th and 10th grade by testing into the advanced grade classes. Several kids at that school have done it too. Private schools love homeschooled kids that come back for highschool.

[r9etb]

A couple of problems. First, don’t notify them about it ahead of time.

Actually, a lot of schools do want to know about absences in advance, if they can. Yeah, it's new to me, too -- I don't know why they need to know, but apparently they think they do....

[AFreeBird]

Going to see the president is certainly an experience, but what did the child learn from that?"

Well, she learned about piss poor educators with political agenda's. If it had been the toon she went to see, and the topic was oral sex in the classroom, I'm sure she would have been given an excused absence.

But going to see a popular president of good moral character talk about taxes, the economy, and the impact on senior citizens, well I guess that's just not educational enough for them .

[Jeff Head]

IAmNotAnAnimal welcome to Free Republic. You did fine for your first post.

Everyone, we need to FREEP this guy.

Here's Dr. Keen's email, the superintendent quoted in the article:

EMAIL DR. MARK KEEN HERE

Here's the email I just sent:

Mr. Keen,

You have got to be kidding me.

You don't see the educational value or experience in an eight grader having the opportunity to sing in a choir at an event for the President of the United States?

How about history? How about government? How about social studies?

I took my child out of school for 3 weeks four years ago when he was in 6th grade to attend a function in Washington, DC that I was asked to MC. My wife and son drove with me from Idaho to that event. My son's teacher and the principle of his school agreed to let him write a journal of his experience and assign a grade to that journal that covered all work that he missed.

Perhaps you can use your doctorate and figure out something as simple as that for this experience.

Actually, a simple excused absence would be warranted because she was gone for only the day with her parents, who have the overall responsibility for their child in any case.

Sometimes I really wonder what this world is coming to and fear greatly for the education of our children, principally because of those in position to educate them. Luckily, here in Idaho we are not saddled too badly with that particular malady yet.

Cordially,

Jeff Head
Emmett, ID

[Not Insane]

I saw one of my daughters friends at the Seattle Symphony last night. She said she got extra credit in Spanish class for being there because one of the guest artists was two Brazillian brothers playing guitar.

That was an experience and, by definition is educational. After all, the experience of shooting yourself in the eye with a bb gun is educational.

[cake_crumb]

I bet the schools reaction to her getting the chance to see and sing for one of the most influential men in American history has been VERY educating for Brianna Tull AND her parents.

[Mister Baredog]

The Tulls said they notified the school about the event ahead of time. But the school decided an excused absence wasn't warranted, saying the event wasn't an educational activity.

IOW: you picked the wrong President, Clintoon would have been fine with them. Seems to me a speech from the Prez IS educational under ANY circumstance. This school district is run by IDIOTS, I recommend "homeschooling" immediately.

"I'm not sure what was gained from an educational value," Superintendent Mark Keen told RTV6's Vicki Duncan.

Perhaps he should have stay in school a little longer himself.

[metesky]

An eighth-grader missed school to sing in a choir in front of President George W. Bush in Indianapolis. The school decided the absence is unexcused. Did the school make the right decision?
Choice	Votes	Percent of 3475 votes
Yes	304	9%
No	3171	91%

[blackdog]

At least she learned what a budget director is! Most public school graduates think it's the guy who gives directions at the rental car counter.

[Cordova Belle]

See Post #35

Wow! You're my kind of Gramp!!

[Mister Baredog]

I haven't had the nerve to try a post yet, good work, you are obviously computer literate, and irritated by what you read and hear, welcome to FR.