Author Topic: Discipline policy for 2nd graders...  (Read 1168 times)

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Offline DannyB II

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Discipline policy for 2nd graders...
« on: March 13, 2010, 04:15:51 PM »
Discipline policy stirs concern in Sulphur
Sulphur school’s punishment policy allowed peers to name ‘bad kids’
BY MICHAEL BAKER | Oklahoman     2 Comments Published: March 13, 2010

SULPHUR — Second-grade students were told to put the names of misbehaving classmates into a bucket. If a child’s name appeared 10 times or more, the child was kept from recess and placed in a roped-off area.

AdvertisementSchool district officials ended the disciplinary practice after parents of students at Sulphur Elementary School complained the tactic turned discipline into a popularity contest and unfairly labeled children as "bad kids.”

"I don’t really know what the school was thinking doing that,” said Amanda Jones, the mother of an 8-year-old girl. "The whole situation is ridiculous.”

The number of times a name appeared was not the only criteria used to determine who would sit out at recess, Sulphur School District Superintendent Paula Crawford said. Observations by the principal and teachers were also used, she said.

"It was just a one-time strategy that was used,” Crawford said. "It’s not going to be used again.”

The discipline strategy was discussed at the school board meeting Monday in this city of about 4,800 in southern Oklahoma. About 425 students attend Sulphur Elementary, a pre-kindergarten through second-grade school.

Jones said her daughter was the only girl to be punished. The children removed from recess had to sit on concrete in a separate area.

Missy Vandever, the mother of an 8-year-old girl in second grade, didn’t like how the method singled out children.

"They’re allowing kids that don’t even need to be in trouble, they’re allowing them to be put out for all to see,” she said.

Elementary Principal Cathryn Harmon said the school tried a different type of punishment in February but wouldn’t elaborate.

"We did try a few things the parents got upset about,” Harmon said. "They don’t have all the facts, but that’s fine.”

Crawford said after hearing the parents’ complaints, she discussed the matter with school board members.

She then put an end to the practice and spoke to several concerned parents.

"I have visited with a number of those parents, and they have been very positive visits,” she said.

"They have indicated that they feel secure that I have taken care of the situation.”

Harmon said the school will "absolutely not” try the same type of punishment again.

"The only thing I’d really like to say is that no one enjoys punishing children, ever,” Harmon said. "We just prefer it when kids make good choices.”



Read more: http://www.newsok.com/article/3446134?s ... z0i5qq985U
 :shamrock:  :shamrock:
What happens when you don't like someone????
Danny
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
Stand and fight, till there is no more.

Joel

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Edited: Wednesday, October 06, 2010
« Reply #1 on: March 13, 2010, 05:58:27 PM »
Edited: Wednesday, October 06, 2010
« Last Edit: October 07, 2010, 07:49:16 AM by Joel »

Offline Ursus

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Re: Discipline policy for 2nd graders...
« Reply #2 on: March 13, 2010, 06:37:36 PM »
I'm aware of another insane variation on that theme.

    The second-graders' desks were grouped in clusters of four. Each group got a basket with a defined number of slips/tickets in it at the beginning of the week.

    If a student wanted to alert the teacher about offensive or unsafe behavior of another student, s/he took a ticket, wrote the name of the offending student on it, and gave it to the teacher. Upon receipt of the ticket, and prompted
only by that ticket, the teacher would then hear out the ticket-bearer's story.

Meanwhile, at the end of the week, the group having the most amount of tickets still in their basket got a prize.[/list]

The idea was that it was supposed to cut down on whining and tattling.

The actual real-life effect was that group pressure was used to squelch even legitimate complaints. In particular, several cases of bullying, one of which even involved the sexual harassment of one of the kids. That classroom became a very unsafe place for not only those children, but all the children given the overriding competition for the prize at the end of the week. Kids who were being bullied or had legitimate complaints had no avenue for relief, without risking the enmity of their peers.

Needless to say, a number of parents complained and the practice was eventually discontinued.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
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Offline DannyB II

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Re: Discipline policy for 2nd graders...
« Reply #3 on: March 13, 2010, 06:48:49 PM »
Quote from: "Joel"
Quote
SULPHUR — Second-grade students were told to put the names of misbehaving classmates into a bucket. If a child’s name appeared 10 times or more, the child was kept from recess and placed in a roped-off area.

This sounds like tactics utilized by the NYPD IAB.
:shamrock:  :shamrock:
Isn't this bizarre. They were made to sit on concrete while all the other kids played. Now you know there is favoritism amongst kids especially and teachers at times. What is this THE SURVIVOR REALITY SHOW played out on a 2nd grade playground, at the end of class they vote off the weakest classmate.
Danny
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »
Stand and fight, till there is no more.