Mr. George J. Goodwin Superintendent of Schools Lansingburgh Central School District 576 Fifth Avenue Troy, New York 12182
Lansingburgh High School 320 7th Avenue, Troy, NY 12182 (518) 233-6806
http://www.lansingburgh.org/
A Message from the Superintendent
On behalf of the Board of Education and the entire staff of the Lansingburgh Central School District, I invite you to share our growing sense of pride in the achievements of our schools. The education of our children is a most exciting challenge. Our entire educational program is designed to meet that challenge. The Lansingburgh Central School District offers a wide variety of services and programs in an always supportive environment.
Our school district is a relatively small one, therefore our students are given a sense of belonging often missing in larger districts. This publication, which describes our community facilities and programs, will provide you with an overview of our district and its relationship to the Lansingburgh community.
George J. Goodwin Superintendent
The one question that has not been answered, at least to my knowledge, is what started this whole thing? Why was this kid singled out and called into the principal’s office and questioned about weapons? What made them question him about his possession of a knife in the first place?
Who or what instigated this whole thing?
I am not sure who is the most stupid, The Superintendent, the School Board or the State Board of Education. This is lawsuit driven, so we must also include the Trial Lawyers. PURE INSANITY, maskerading as an education facility.
the Super is an IDIOT.
If a 2 inch knife is a “weapon” then so is a plastic fork that someone uses to stab another kid.
So is the gas in the super’s car tank of someone siphons gas and throws it on someone else.
This Eagle Scout deserves to be educated in a better place.
My 2 year old son knocked my 7 year old’s tooth out with a tooth brush from 6’ away. Even a toothbrush can do harm when in the hands of a hradened criminal.
We really need to reconsider what the definition of weapon is. If an Eaglesscout’s knife, kept in his emergency sruvival kit, is a weapon, we have a big task ahead of us to identify every item that has injurred or killed another human.
The end of commonsense, a sense of discretion, the ability to discriminate, evaluate and judge based on a rational mindset instead of a mindlessly following rules without regard for any standard of reasonablity.
Fire the superintendent. He has proved he cannot problem solve effectively. Being that’s the case, it’s impossible for him to perform his duties.
Since we are going for the safe schools (apparently), let’s think of some other things that could be used as weapons and thus qualify for zero tolerance:
1) Pencils (If I sharpen them correctly)
2) Keys (stabbing people in the eye)
3) Scissors (God forbid that we try to cut things)
4) Forks and knives (eat with your hands)
5) The old polypropylene cafeteria trays that you could shatter into sharp pieces(polystyrene rocks!)
Eventually the list could grow to almost infinity. The lesson is that this was in his car (trunk), under lock and key, and most of all part of a survival kit that is designed to be used only in emergencies. What’s more is that he admitted to having this when asked because as a soldier and honorable person he believed in being an honest person. While I find it highly suspicious that the school would investigate his car although they had no true “reasonable suspiction” under New Jersey vs. TLO since all the people interviewed have said that this young man is an upstanding guy.
If this is what the public system is becoming, my child (one day when I have one; still in college right now) will go to a private school or get home schooled. At least then each case can be evaluated on its merits...
40 years ago every school boy had a pocket knife and a whetstone. No problems were ever encountered because of them.
I read in an old magazine of a kid taking an origional Bowie knife to school for “show and tell”, and I remember a kid taking an original 1812 military pistol to school for the same reason.
Our local school expelled a boy several years ago for taking a hunting knife to school to give it to another student the day before hunting season opened.
Even my supervisor, who was on the school board voted for the expulsion. I could not believe it as he was a farm raised kid!
Today these idiots running these schools would go into “lockdown” and pee all over themselves.
What has happened to the US! They act as if they had been caught by someone with a pair of Burduzios in their youth!
This is a policy that is COUNTRY WIDE in all our schools.
The Zero Policy was enacted by brain-dead knee-jerkers after Columbine. They thought nothing through and all public school personnel have had the training.
The results are that this is happening all over the country with bizarre results.
If you've had your head buried in the sand, you might want to come up for air and recognize that this Cretin of a principal is the NORM now.
See my post #68
Political correctness, 0 tolerance, chairman Mao is smiling today.
What prompted these gov’t school morons to want to look in his trunk in the first place?
These guys have even intimidated airline TSA folks into allowing them to carry daggers on plans and in Canada have won the right to bring them to school
http://www.canadianchristianity.com/cgi-bin/na.cgi?nationalupdates/060309daggers
Canada is so PC-correct and even they let Sikhs bring daggers to school. So zero tolerance should be off the table.
I think that the Eagle Scout should have made a religious argument that his scouting oath requires him to be prepared and that includes a pocket knife in his car, and by the way he is considering converting to the Sikh faith.
At age 13, my nephew planned to go hunting with his Marine Master Gunnery Sgt father after school. He put his hunting knife in his backpack so he would be ready.
Busted. Expelled forever with no possibility of re-admission. He home-schooled until graduation.
The young miscreant is now running the nuclear power plant on a missile sub. He and his parents are very grateful for the eviction from the failing school.
It’s in the hands of the good townsfolk. I suggest tar, feathers, and a rail but I suppose giving him a pink slip will suffice.
Regards,
GtG
This situation is the biggest bunch of BS and is very concerning. It is probably just as well this excellent young man (the eagle scout) is not my son. I would be raising all sorts of hell. This is so provocative and out of any sensical realm I am wondering who instigated this situation. This whole incident is so WRONG and the school and the superintendent’s office needs to be held to account. IMHO.
A scout knife is not a weapon; it is a TOOL. These so-called educators are not bright enough to figure that out for themselves!
A knife is a utensil, not a weapon.
...suspended an Eagle Scout for 20 days for keeping a 2-inch utility knife locked in his car is unwilling to speak to the teen's family or bend in his ruling. Lansingburgh Central School District Superintendent George J. Goodwin, 55, said in a written statement that his district "has an established policy of zero tolerance with respect to the possession of weapons of any kind on school property or in school buildings." But nowhere in the school district's rule book, which is published online, is there any mention of a "zero tolerance" policy...The school needs a zero tolerance policy against goofy liars holding positions of authority.
Bozos like this are a walking advertisement for vouchers. If his pay was on the line he might learn to be a little flexible.