Comments on: Zero Tolerance Drug Policies: No Tolerance, Pleny of Punishment

By: barelyknittogether

barelyknittogether — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 20:50:02 +0000

No need to apologize – I’m nearly always nak’ing. I think I’ll be glad when I can finally type with two hands instead of one (or four!).

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 19:15:34 +0000

sorry, nak

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 19:14:33 +0000

The rules are fairly simple. The schools are serious about enforcing them. What;s truly terrible is how the judiciary system babies juveniles along giving them very few REAL consequences for escalating behavior until they 18, then WHAM, serious adult, permanent record felony time.

By: barelyknittogether

barelyknittogether — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 19:06:57 +0000

If only all teachers could be that way. I can imagine that David is an incredible source of direction and good sense to the kids lucky enough to have him. It is funny that the kids who need the best teachers often get the worst. And by funny, I mean incredibly sad and pathetic.

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 19:03:14 +0000

My husband is an alternative school teacher. He is amazing, thoughtful, and gifted at what he does. He teaches the kids who need the best teachers, for a variety of reasons.
the world is a lot less elastic and forgiving than it once was.

By: everythinginorder

everythinginorder — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 00:35:21 +0000

All I can say is phewwww! Glad they didn’t have this kind of harsh punishment when I was a teenager. I was a very naughty girl in high school. That’s all I’ll say. – Carole

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 23:35:52 +0000

Mom Blogs – Blogs for Moms…

…

By: fundamentaljelly

fundamentaljelly — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 05:16:02 +0000

Punishments like this are draconian and idiotic. I got caught doing the same thing when I was in high school in the late 70s. I got a 3 day suspension, parents were brought in, and I cleaned up my act. Frankly most of these kind of problems are parental in nature and policies like this are like treating a broken arm with a hammer. And don’t get me started on the drinking thing.

When our son got into some trouble in high school, I jerked him out and home schooled him for a year and a half. Through that experience we learned he had some serious learning problems. Parents need to man up and school districts need to adopt rules that work. One punishment does not fit all.

By: Beth

Beth — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 17:48:29 +0000

Ok, here is my .02. Unfortuately, it is from person experience. My daughter attended public school in Bedford, VA. Yes, I will put it out there after this experience. She lived with her dad and she decided to give pot a try with her step-brother. They got caught and ended up being tested at home to make sure they didn’t do it anymore. I totaly supported that. She had tested clean and promised me that she wasn’t using. I trust her and took her word for it. She was going to move from Bedford back to Indiana, where I live, after graduation. She and her dad had “personal differences” and led to me going down there the week before graduation. I end up receiving a call from the school telling me they had an “anonymous” tip to check my daughter’s purse. They pull her from class, during exams, and “check it out”. They found an ounce of pot on the inside of her purse that was zipped. They tested her and she was clean. They called me and released her into my custody, but she was not allowed back on school ground. She, also, was not allowed to be with her graduating class for the graduation march. Later that day the superintendent called me. She would still get her diploma, but they would mail it to her. I believe in my heart and in my daughter that it wasn’t hers. She was so close to what she had worked hard for to just throw it away over something like dope. Irregardless, the officer at the high shcool ended up pressing charges against her. She ended up having to do 48 hours community service once she moved to Indiana. She is a great kid and is now in college. I know this experience is unique and I hope no parent has to go through this, ever.

Even when I was in high school most of the “good kids” were the biggest dope users! Zero tolerance should be for the knives and things that are an immediate harm. Discipline for the marijuana, but to treat them the way there are now is not what I consider “fair”.

Communication with our children is the biggest “key” we hold. Without that our children are lost. We can tell them what we have learned through life and hope they make the right decisions. If they fall, be there for them to help pick them up. These are just things I’ve learned with our blended family. We have five great kids ages 22, 21, 18, 17 & 8. The three oldest are in college, I am proud to say. Overall, I think we’re doing alright with the obstacles we have delt with.

By: Coachmom

Coachmom — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 17:41:41 +0000

I do want to be clear that I do not believe that any drug use is valuable to it’s user. I just meant that I believe the system is failing on all sides of this issue when it comes to the education of these students.