I’ll start with the bullshit story:
It is so shameful that schools right now only REACT to public outrage over their brainless rules, rather than do a little thinking exercise to see if a rule is smart, or just an invitation for trouble. I can understand zero tolerance for behavior that is 100% unexceptionable, such as behaviors that are a crime like bringing illegal drugs to school, or carrying illegal weapons.
We can argue about the justness of these laws, but for the time being a 14 year old kid can’t be sipping a beer in class without his parents present, and there is no legal justification for possessing cocaine ect.
Still things like a child handling a razor blade, or carrying a pocket knife, or fighting MIGHT be a sign of bad behavior, or might not be. Zero tolerance ignores the good intentions of a student who may have done nothing wrong and simply blindly punishes.
This is almost justifiable for a massive employer like McDonalds where blanket rules just keep the company out of hot water, but schools aren’t some burger joint that hires anybody who can raise the air temperature around them. They’re institutes of learning. You’d think they’d ENCOURAGE thought process rather than stifle it.
Further, Zero tolerance at this level isn’t encouraged for parenting. I mean you don’t tell a child they can’t yell in the house, and then ground them when they yell to you that your forgotten dinner plans are now on fire in the oven.
God help the school that tries to level this shit on my child.
Ok let’s end on a happy note. Remember that young Brony who got slapped down by both the bullies AND the administration? Well the school has backed down.
Grayson Bruce’s My Little Pony backpack will return, and with it may come new initiatives to prevent bullying in local schools.
Buncombe County Schools administrators met Thursday with the mother of Grayson Bruce, the 9-year-old boy who was propelled into the national spotlight this week after saying he was prevented from carrying his “My Little Pony” backpack to school because administrators told him it “triggered bullying.”…
Buncombe County Schools administrators released a joint statement Thursday, saying they would work with Bruce to make “a safety transition plan and an allowance for Grayson to bring the bookbag to school.”
“We have appreciated the opportunity to meet with the Bruce family and discuss the issues. We sincerely regret that the issue of being told to leave the bookbag at home was perceived as blaming Grayson. While that was not the intent, the perception became reality. We support Grayson bringing the bookbag to school.” the statement said.
Of course again, the school is likely only backing down because they drew national media attention, still I’m glad they themselves have stopped being the bully.
Over at the Hot Air coverage they talk about the “catalyst” for bullying. Frankly I call BS, its not like the girl who had head-gear braces in my elementary school was told to forgo her corrective dentistry because little monsters (myself included) made fun of the odd looking appliance. No, we got punished for being little assholes, and because of that I do note with shame that I derided that girl.
The school simply was doing all it could to do as little actual teaching as possible. That shouldn’t come as a surprise, as it IS a union job.
