Clearly, Cadets are evil......

[AngelWings]

The story makes me want to punch a cactus. No wonder kids are getting stupider. The school's staff isn't much intelligent etiher, now.

[tsrup]

I was expelled the second week of my Junior Year of HS under the same type of zero tolerance policy.  Same exact method too, 10 days suspended, then school board action to expel.  There were politics involved too, If we went to the press I wouldn't be allowed to enroll in online classes, If I pushed to the school board for appeal, I would miss the registration date for online classes.   

This event was the catalyst for me joining CAP in the first place, as I was in JROTC in High School and wanted an outlet for that.
(I even brought in another cadet the next year that had the same thing happen as well.)

Did online classes and went back the next year.  Graduated on time with the rest of my class mates, got accepted into college just fine.

Not saying I wasn't an idiot in High School, but this kind of heavy handedness does not solve any kind of problem, it just creates more.  A person with real intent of using a weapon and breaking the law isn't going to give a second thought to breaking a school policy.

I empathize with the kid whole heartedly, hopefully he stays involved with something positive while he's not in school and stays focused on what his goals are.  It sucks, and its hard, but do it, get through it, and move on.

[Flying Pig]

Boys shoot stuff at each other.  Thats why we are boys.  Its engrained in our psychology.  A hunting instinct. Thinning the herd.  Lame school administrators who have never been in a fight are intimidated by our warrior mentality.  The sheep is trying to weed out the sheepdog.  There is something wrong with a boy who doesnt want to play war or cops and robbers at least once in their lives!

[nesagsar]

When I was in public school I ran into a situation of obvious abuse and brought it to the principal. The administration backed the teacher 100%  because "We always take the teachers word above the child". That didn't go too well with me. I left and did two years of home schooling. When I returned to public school I was 13 years old and took the freshman placement exam for my high school to see what level of classes I could handle. I beat that 4 hour placement exam in 30 min and was given the option of college INSTEAD OF high school. I jumped on that in a hurry. Now I am 22 years old with an associates and a bachelors plus I am working for the federal government in emergency management. Looks like homeschooling turned out pretty well for me.

[Flying Pig]

Congrats that it worked out for you and your doing well, but not quite the same scenario discussed in the article.  At 10 years old, I imagine it was more your parent(s) decision to homeschool you vs your own though.

[JohnKachenmeister]

When I was a working copper, I got a call to a school.

Background:  the school nickname, in the SOUTH of Toledo, was the "Rebels."  The school opened in 1961, and, capitalizing on the 100th anniversary of the Civil War, the rebels adopted "Dixie" as their fight song, and a Confederate Battle Flag as their emblem.  (see where this is going?)

The blacks, of course, whined, and the school, of course, caved.  They outlawed the display of the Stars and Bars and the playing of "Dixie."

One senior took umbrage at this, and painted a Battle Flag on the roof of his car, then parked it under the principal's office window.  The principal wanted me to arrest the kid for a violation of the "Safe Schools Act." 

Not only did I not arrest the kid, I told the principal that any effort to interfere with the kid's First Amendment rights to petition the government for redress of grievances would result in HIM being arrested for "Interference With Civil Rights."

Once word got around about that, I couldn't buy a beer in the South End for about 6 months.  It isn't often that a district cop ends up a local folk hero! 

[cap235629]

My kids go to Southside High School and the schools fight song is still Dixie. The battle flag isn't allowed anymore because of Athletic Association rules but they even play Dixie when they play Little Rock Central High School.

[AngelWings]

It is ridiculous, really. I am in favor for all school systems to be FORCED to have test for sanity checks and to evaluate the staff. It isn't like a kid is going to KILL someone with a a few airsoft rounds. I've done worse than this kid. I've brought a paintball to school and I threw it at a wall in class. Luckily enough nobody noticed, so I was in the clear. In my particular school, the school has have expelled a bunch of idiots with bomb threats. 4-5 bomb threats last year. None of them real, either. I can see a kid being expelled for a detailed bomb threat. For blowing a few plastic airsoft rounds out of a pen, I would have to be put in a mental instution because I'd go crazy over that.

[LTC Don]

The real head-banging frustration here is; even though the father has started home-schooling, and indicates he will not return his son to the public school system, his property taxes will not be reduced as a result.  The school system is going to get their money from county government no matter what.  This is the case in most if not all the country.  Parents who home-school still pay taxes to the school system no matter what.

The end result is mediocrity, apathy, idiocy, and stupidity because there is no incentive to excel.

This is along the same lines as the student who had the parade rifles in the back of his vehicle, and got busted because of it.

Sad. 


Cheers,

[JayT]

The blacks, of course, whined, and the school, of course, caved.  They outlawed the display of the Stars and Bars and the playing of "Dixie."

Yeah, gotta watch up for those darned uppity blacks. Who would of guessed that attending a school who sported a symbol of four hundred years of cultural oppression would rile them up?

Statements like that should make every good American sick to their stomachs.

[AngelWings]

The real head-banging frustration here is; even though the father has started home-schooling, and indicates he will not return his son to the public school system, his property taxes will not be reduced as a result.  The school system is going to get their money from county government no matter what.  This is the case in most if not all the country.  Parents who home-school still pay taxes to the school system no matter what.

The end result is mediocrity, apathy, idiocy, and stupidity because there is no incentive to excel.

This is along the same lines as the student who had the parade rifles in the back of his vehicle, and got busted because of it.

Sad. 


Cheers,

Good point  :clap: . I think we should all petition this over the top tax, the overly stupid and quite frankly we should protest some of the rule's, or change them to include common sense and fairness. This is in a sense the reason why left Britan. We wanted freedoms and we wanted common sense. We had that until some stupid people came along. I'd be compelled to start a protest over this. Ionly fear that my freedom of speech wouldn't be taken away from me by some stupid princibal and his opinion's.

[NCRblues]

I went to high school in a solid 'blue" (read liberal) area. When i joined CAP, on veterans day, the cap cadets (i.e. me) helped out the veterans put on a display about veterans day. They would have a helo from one of the local guard units or some from Scott AFB fly in and land on the football field. The veterans loved when i would help out. I could explain to the local kids the "military way of things" in a manner the kids could understand.

Anyway, my junior year we had a new head principle come in. He would not let the veterans put on the display, would not allow the helo to come in, and banned me from wearing my uniform to school (or any military style uniforms for that manner).

My grandfather (a ww2 combat vet) got a lawyer and filed suit against the school district. We won, turns out they cant limit military style uniform in schools, or a veterans day display in the great state of Missouri. 

It is so sad that we have come to this in America....sometimes it makes me almost ill to hear about the things our public brainwashing...i mean.... schools do.....

[caphornbuckle]

A great line I got from a bumper sticker YEARS ago:

  "ANUDER MINED DISTROID BI DUH PUBLIK EDUKASHUN SISTM!"

Thought it would fit in here!   

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

I remember back in grade school in the '70s, if two kids got caught fighting, they took them down to the gym, put boxing gloves on them and let them fight it out, with the school nurse there as supervision.

[Major Carrales]

You people need to lay off public schools.  We do the best job we can with our hands tied in may cases.

We spend most of our time dealing with classroom discipline instead of focusing on the education of the student.  We teach everyone from cases of severe disability to those needing of a challenge IN THE SAME CLASS AT THE SAME TIME.

Be tolerant...really, some of you are making statements as if all public school teachers are some crazy idiot type.  If you don't want to participate...home school.  See how easy it is to stay home and teach a child to read, write, cipher and do social studies and science.  Keep in mind, you will have only your children...extraordinary rights to discipline and no administration to pressure you form every angle.

You probably won't have 30 at a time in desks too small for them, unreasonable parents, transfer students with criminal records (that you won't be told about until you are assaulted or threatened) or disrespectful students mouthing off to you.

While the actions of the above school's admin was questionable...remember that public school teachers are subject matter experts in their field that only want to teach students about that subject.

[caphornbuckle]

You people need to lay off public schools.  We do the best job we can with our hands tied in may cases.

We spend most of our time dealing with classroom discipline instead of focusing on the education of the student.  We teach everyone from cases of severe disability to those needing of a challenge IN THE SAME CLASS AT THE SAME TIME.

Be tolerant...really, some of you are making statements as if all public school teachers are some crazy idiot type.  If you don't want to participate...home school.  See how easy it is to stay home and teach a child to read, write, cipher and do social studies and science.  Keep in mind, you will have only your children...extraordinary rights to discipline and no administration to pressure you form every angle.

You probably won't have 30 at a time in desks too small for them, unreasonable parents, transfer students with criminal records (that you won't be told about until you are assaulted or threatened) or disrespectful students mouthing off to you.

While the actions of the above school's admin was questionable...remember that public school teachers are subject matter experts in their field that only want to teach students about that subject.

First of all:  Thank you for being a teacher!  :clap:
Teachers have the toughest job in the world...to teach our future's leaders.

I drove a school bus for 6 1/2 years.  I have seen these kids do just about everything. I've been kicked, punched, cussed at, spit on, threatened with bodily harm, you name it!  Most of it by the parents! Try doing that with 65 kids and alone with no immediate backup if something happens.

I don't think teachers are really related to this subject though.  It's the administrative side of things that are causing issues.

The school board in my town has adopted a "uniform policy" to help with discipline and education issues.  This has been going on for a few years now and (according to the newspaper) there are no changes with either.  My daughter was going to be sent home from school because she forgot to put on her belt.  I had to take it to the school.  This had me upset because the day before, she forgot her backpack with her homework in it and nothing was said.  Needless to say, the principal practically threw me out of the school because I was upset that they were worried more about what was on my child's body than what's going in her head.  She's in a charter school now.  Uniforms?  Yes...but it's voluntary now because we have her in the school!

Eventually, I believe we'll end up in grey coveralls and shaved heads to make sure our kids are learning.

Like I said...not the teacher's fault...they have to suffer with us, if not more.

[NCRblues]

You people need to lay off public schools.  We do the best job we can with our hands tied in may cases.

We spend most of our time dealing with classroom discipline instead of focusing on the education of the student.  We teach everyone from cases of severe disability to those needing of a challenge IN THE SAME CLASS AT THE SAME TIME.

Be tolerant...really, some of you are making statements as if all public school teachers are some crazy idiot type.  If you don't want to participate...home school.  See how easy it is to stay home and teach a child to read, write, cipher and do social studies and science.  Keep in mind, you will have only your children...extraordinary rights to discipline and no administration to pressure you form every angle.

You probably won't have 30 at a time in desks too small for them, unreasonable parents, transfer students with criminal records (that you won't be told about until you are assaulted or threatened) or disrespectful students mouthing off to you.

While the actions of the above school's admin was questionable...remember that public school teachers are subject matter experts in their field that only want to teach students about that subject.

First off, no i don't need to lay off public schools. I think i will take  my first amendment rights and complain about a failing system that i pay a LARGE amount of money into (taxes).

Second, subject matter experts? Really, your going to try that line on me. In the school districts around st Louis all you need to sub is an associates degree, and all you need to teach is a 4 year bachelor degree....experts? I think not.

Most teachers are anything BUT experts and simply read the materials. I know of teachers that have a bachelors degree in history, that are teaching English, art and American lit. Are you going to say that she is an "expert" on all of that as well. I have a degree in military history, does that make me a subject matter expert? No, more educated on those issues, sure, but no where near an "expert".

The teachers around me get paid 50k plus a year. They get 2 weeks vacation, sick leave, family emergency leave, "teacher professional development time", and all of June and July off. On top of all of that, the get holidays off as well, oh and when it snows they get snow days. I haven't had a snow day in years. They are in unions that cry foul when there tax money is cut, complain about the amount of work they have, and how they are underpaid. Underpaid?? give me a break, police officers around here make less.

American education if failing rapidly. Our test scores for our kids are below most of Europe and some Asian country's now. My tax money goes into this system of fail, i have a vested interest in this.

Could you imagine if A fire crew did not go into work because it was snowing? Or if the police force took a summer vacation all at once?

i know some teachers work very hard to educate our children, but the ones that don't, the ones that make up crazy rules and "zero tolerance" policy's are dragging everything down with them. You cant put all the blame on the "administration" because the teachers have the most contact with kids. A 17 year old high school student is still a human, has emotions, bad days, and good days. They (sometimes) hold jobs, an outside activity (CAP, BSA, ext..) and still go to school. Expecting perfect performance all the time, by every person in the school is impossible.

So thanks for teaching Major Carrales, i know it can be hard, and i wish it was not that way, but welcome to the world.

Life is a bi&^$ and then you die....

Rant over

[FARRIER]

Joe, sorry, but some of the schools have gone overboard. The high school in my area, which is in a town of 2,000, maybe 3,000 if you include the surrounding rual area, has made its goal education. But some make a name for themselves for nothing that has to do with education. A prime example below. This is just a snippet of the article:

"Jeremy Stoppel is a junior at Northglenn High School. On Sept. 3, he drove his pickup truck to school with two 3-foot-by-5-foot American flags flying from the back. He chose to display the flags as a way of honoring his cousin, who is serving in the United States Navy.

A school security guard confronted him and told him he'd have to remove the flags.

"She said that the school centers around diversity and she didn't want anyone feeling uncomfortable," says Stoppel. "


http://www.9news.com/rss/article.aspx?storyid=175943

[Major Carrales]

First off, no i don't need to lay off public schools. I think i will take  my first amendment rights and complain about a failing system that i pay a LARGE amount of money into (taxes).

Good, then respect mine when I tell you to lay off. 

Second, subject matter experts? Really, your going to try that line on me. In the school districts around st Louis all you need to sub is an associates degree, and all you need to teach is a 4 year bachelor degree....experts? I think not.

Yes, I'm gonna lay that on you because I am an historian first and a teacher second.  I teach American History and Texas History...I've studied it more than just what the certificate on the wall says.  A diploma no more makes a person a expert than a stamp actually delivers the mail.  Kindly refrain from lumping me or anyone else into the simplistic world you have developed.

Most teachers are anything BUT experts and simply read the materials. I know of teachers that have a bachelors degree in history, that are teaching English, art and American lit. Are you going to say that she is an "expert" on all of that as well. I have a degree in military history, does that make me a subject matter expert? No, more educated on those issues, sure, but no where near an "expert".

Some administrators force teachers from one subject to teach other subjects.  The justification is that we have some skill in the area of presenting materials.  The idea of a University is that a person gets a "universal" education with a major area of study.  I do not agree with the practice, however, would you have some person of the street as a sub covering the class until a person could be found to teach?  In the REAL WORLD, where school is mandated, that is the only solution possible.

The teachers around me get paid 50k plus a year. They get 2 weeks vacation, sick leave, family emergency leave, "teacher professional development time", and all of June and July off. On top of all of that, the get holidays off as well, oh and when it snows they get snow days. I haven't had a snow day in years. They are in unions that cry foul when there tax money is cut, complain about the amount of work they have, and how they are underpaid. Underpaid?? give me a break, police officers around here make less.

Good for them, I won't break 50,000 dollars a year until I am entering my 60s...if ever.  Regretful of your work...become a teacher.  Try it...I dare you.  Well see how long you last.  As for Unions, Texas is a right to work state and teacher unions have no power whatsoever.  I laugh when even people around here bring up unions...as if.

American education if failing rapidly. Our test scores for our kids are below most of Europe and some Asian country's now. My tax money goes into this system of fail, i have a vested interest in this.

You know why?  Because we teach EVERYONE, not just the select.  In China, Korea and many of these European nations you mention, when you hit the 8th Grade a choice is made.  College or work.  We, here in the Republic, educate EVERYONE.  The disabled, the mentally "special," the thug, the person who would rather be elsewhere.  It is illegal to be "selective" in the United States, with compulsory education, and we track everyone to college.  Kind of levels the playing field a bit.

Could you imagine if A fire crew did not go into work because it was snowing? Or if the police force took a summer vacation all at once?

They chose their lot in life, and I am glad for what they do...they also, many time, get 24 on and 24 off.  Get paid for overtime and aren't judged by the work others do.  They only have to fight fires and apprehend criminals (some of which they can use deadly force to comply).

i know some teachers work very hard to educate our children, but the ones that don't, the ones that make up crazy rules and "zero tolerance" policy's are dragging everything down with them. You cant put all the blame on the "administration" because the teachers have the most contact with kids.

Teachers have little power.  You are misinformed.  The administration has full control, teachers don't make policy.

A 17 year old high school student is still a human, has emotions, bad days, and good days. They (sometimes) hold jobs, an outside activity (CAP, BSA, ext..) and still go to school. Expecting perfect performance all the time, by every person in the school is impossible.

Yet you are calling for teachers to be perfect...to save every child...to MAKE THEM LEARN.  Impossible?  I agree...let's see you do better.

So thanks for teaching Major Carrales, i know it can be hard, and i wish it was not that way, but welcome to the world.

I teach by choice.  I could be an engineer if I wanted to, but I want to make a difference. AI want to teach students how to think about their world, how to solve problems free from brainwashing and agendism...I want them to learn about the history of our great NATION, NORTH AND SOUTH, EAST AND WEST.  Remember, a teacher is still a human,  we have emotions, bad days, and good days. We hold our jobs, an outside activity (CAP, BSA, FAMILYext..) and still go to school to do our best. Expecting perfect performance all the time, by every teacher in the school system is MANDATED.  Those that don't make the grade eventually leave.

Life is a bi&^$ and then you die....

Might be so, but its more about the journey than the destination.

[Major Carrales]

Joe, sorry, but some of the schools have gone overboard. The high school in my area, which is in a town of 2,000, maybe 3,000 if you include the surrounding rual area, has made its goal education. But some make a name for themselves for nothing that has to do with education. A prime example below. This is just a snippet of the article:

"Jeremy Stoppel is a junior at Northglenn High School. On Sept. 3, he drove his pickup truck to school with two 3-foot-by-5-foot American flags flying from the back. He chose to display the flags as a way of honoring his cousin, who is serving in the United States Navy.

A school security guard confronted him and told him he'd have to remove the flags.

"She said that the school centers around diversity and she didn't want anyone feeling uncomfortable," says Stoppel. "


http://www.9news.com/rss/article.aspx?storyid=175943

And the "front line" teachers were responsible for this how?