public schools

Chris Knight's avatar

How it transpired is something that a LOT of people have thought I’m making up.  But it really happened.

I was on my first day of substitute teaching.  And I went into that school all shiny and shaved, shirt tail tucked into my khakis, best boots… I was going to make an impression on the students and faculty alike (say, why don’t most men seem to tuck their shirt tails in anymore?).

Most of all, I went in bearing in mind all that my own teachers, and substitute teachers especially, had handled us as students when I was in school.  Yes even the subs, many of whom are still burned into my memory.  They knew they only had a day or two to make their mark upon their students’ educations, but they were determined to make the most of it.  That’s precisely the mindset that I was going to emulate. ...

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Several years ago as a college student, I was minoring in secondary education.  The intended plan was since I couldn’t hack it in computer programming (with visions of being a millionaire like the guys who made Doom in my head) that I should focus on something I was actually good at: history, and teaching it.

The discussion in class one day turned to student discipline and keeping order in the classroom.  Naturally it went on a tangent about school shootings.  And I suggested arming the teachers with taser weapons.

It’s a wonder I didn’t get banished from Elon University right then and there, the notion was so radical and attacked.  But this was before Columbine.  Now?  The thought of a non-lethal stun device seems almost quaint.

Under no circumstance is the Second Amendment to be violated.  Some may not like it, but the right to keep and bear arms is ...

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Photo: Gerry Broome, AP
Apparently following the recent examples of others throughout the country, today thousands of teachers from across North Carolina descended upon the streets of Raleigh to demand more money, resources, and… well, what exactly?
Many and perhaps even most school systems in North Carolina cancelled classes entirely.  There were not enough substitutes to fill in for the full-time teachers who had declared their intent to be absent.  Effectively abandoning their students while they themselves, festooned in new red t-shirts, took bus caravans to the state capital.
How much in scarce financial resource got burned up for today’s exercise in political activism?  And why couldn’t it have been done on a Saturday, when school was out and even more teachers would be free to make the trip and show solidarity?
“Yes Miss Loudermilk, I can spell ‘hypocrisy’.  H, I, P, P, O…”
Fine.  Let’s look at the facts:
...
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Chris Knight's avatar

I’ll be damned if (Lord willing) I get blessed with children and I put them in a government-run school.

They’re not here yet.  But I already love them too much than to subject them to the insanity of a modern public school.  And few things exemplify that madness more than do zero-tolerance policies.

(Hey, I ran for school board once.  It can’t be said that I never tried to make the public schools better.  But things won’t going to get better until more people get up the gumption to tell the bureaucrats “ENOUGH!“)

Two stories demonstrating my point.  The first is about seven-year old Christopher Marshall of Suffolk, Virginia.  He was suspended from his elementary school last week per a policy of “zero tolerance”.

What was his crime?  Pointing a pencil as if were a gun at another student and making “bang! bang!” noises with it.

Yeah, ...

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At last night’s monthly work meeting of the Rockingham County Board of Education, the proposal was put forth that the board should begin each session with prayer.  It’s been a longstanding custom to have a moment of silence.  If the board approves of it at the May 13th meeting, that would be replaced with a public prayer before an official function of government.

Here’s the story from today’s News & Record…

Board members spent nearly an hour talking
through the finer points of whether they should open meetings with
prayer. It was discussion that at times became tense but never
contentious.

The school board currently opens its
meetings with a moment of silence. Board member Ron Price asked the
board to consider adding prayers during the last meeting.

The members will vote on the issue May 13

The possibility of a lawsuit was brought
up Monday night by

...
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Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Will Smith

A 19-year old’s voice-mail rendition of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song caused the entire public school system where he lived to go on lockdown because a receptionist interpreted it as a threat.

Travis Clawson of Economy, Pennsylvania has a recording of himself singing the theme from the popular Nineties sitcom starring Will Smith (right).  The receptionist at his eye doctor’s office called Clawson to confirm an upcoming appointment.  Instead of Clawson answering it went to his voice-mail greeting.  And the receptionist thought she heard Clawson singing “shooting people outside of the school.”

The actual line is “And all shooting some b-ball outside of the school”.

The receptionist then called Ambridge Area High School where Clawson is a student.  The officials then dialed 911.  That contacted the police and put out an alert to all the schools in the system.  The cops finally located Clawson in a ...

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Michael McIntyre, t-shirt, Marines, school

Genoa-Kingston Middle School student Michael McIntyre is a young supporter of the men and women serving in the armed forces.  So much so that he has taken to show his enthusiasm for the United States Marine Corps by wearing this t-shirt (left).

But in spite of wearing it many times to school, Michael has now been threatened with suspension by his school’s faculty and administration unless he removed or “covered up” his Marines shirt.  It was deemed inappropriate and against school policy to have an image of a gun.

It’s the sort of story that we’re hearing too much of lately: public school students either threatened with suspension or suspended outright because they draw pictures of guns, or point their fingers like guns on the playground, or even go “bang bang!” at each other.

Now it’s a t-shirt that says “Marines” and features two military rifles crossed.  As if Marines ...

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