I'm not sure how things are done in NC, but I assume an election is held to determine the officials that serve on the local board of education that oversees the day-to-day operations of the schools in a district. If NC is anything like the rest of the country then that election will have the lowest voter turnout of any election. Hell, last I heard some districts here in San Diego were having trouble getting enough candidates to even trigger an election. So when a school does something stupid or ****s up, lets just blame the big evil "government", even though the vast majority of the public decided not to participate in the democratic process that determines the rules and regulations that govern a school district. Its so much easier than informing yourself about the candidates and then going out to vote.
Do any of you public school experts ever stop to wonder WHY zero-tolerance policies are in place? Do you think schools enjoy policing their students like it was a maximum security prison? Do you think teachers want to treat kids like criminals when they make the slightest mistake? There's a reason these policies exist: The reason is YOU. Yes, YOU, Mr. and Mrs. John Q. Taxpayer. The reason is YOU, and your litigious ways. The reason is YOU, and your tendency to sue, not only the parents of the kids who commit assault, but schools who didn't protect your child. Well, here's the protection: a 100% knife-less environment. Schools can't afford to be lax in these situations, because they really, REALLY can't afford the $100 million lawsuit should Ms. Smithwick decide to use the paring knife to cut the obnoxious girl behind her in science lab instead of her granny smith apple. She brought a knife to school. From the school's perspective, her reasons for doing so become entirely inconsequential, because the presence of the knife puts students at risk of injury and opens the school up to liability. And they can't have that. Period. So, if you want to know why these policies are in place, find the closest mirror to locate the culprit.
Yes, I'm sure he'll be very responsive to feedback from non-parents and non-students who live nowhere near his district. And even if he isn't, at least you'll prevent him from getting correspondences from teachers, district adminstrators or other students who might have actual school business to take care of. Really not sure we need anymore of these public school outrages. And honestly, I don't give a rat's ass if she's an honor student. College isn't like the opera, you can show up late and they'll still take your cash and give you a seat.
I don't care either... Don't understand what there is to debate on this topic. A girl brought a knife to school... WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?! OP using forum as a giant conservative vent-fest.
I think the point isn't 'A girl brought a knife to school' but that 'A girl unknowingly brought a knife to school and is suspended because of it'. That's the problem.
"Unknowingly" can't be proven, and doesn't change the fact that a dangerous, prohibited item was brought on campus, putting student safety at risk, as well as making the school liable for any injury caused by the knife.
She was also charged with a misdemeanor and will have a criminal record. Let's just be thankful she didn't unknowingly bring another dangerous item such as a Little Debbie Swiss Roll. But thanks to security warriors like ChievousFTFace and BetterThanI, these threats are being neutralized during the daily drug searches. Praise be to the state.
So, just for the record, you're okay with kids bringing these to school: Got it. I'd never want to teach in your district: sounds like a dangerous place to work.
