School discipline

[Rebecca 0]

Maybe I'm just becoming a stodgy grown-up, but I don't see anything wrong with this

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Scott Allison told the Concord School Board earlier this month that his 12-year-old son, Spencer, was ordered by a teacher to lift his shirt after she noticed the boy's underwear was showing above his pants, a violation of Concord Junior High School's dress code.
She sent him to Assistant Principal Patricia Walters, who told Spencer to pull up his pants and tuck in his shirt, Allison said.
"She then proceeded to duct tape his waist, three times around the waist," said Allison. "Then she sent him back to class, in front of his peers."

This guy is ticked off because his son was disciplined for breaking the rules.

Sounds to me like the Asst. Principal fixed the problem so that it won't be happening again anytime soon. Good for her.

Any thoughts on discipline in schools?

you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel loquacious?' -- well do you, punk?

[PhillyKev 0]

I'm wondering how it was a problem if they had to get him to lift his shirt to see his underwear in the first place?

[Rebecca 0]

Assuming for the sake of discussion that the reporting in this instance was accurate, according to the quote, a teacher noticed the underwear first, then asked the student to lift his shirt. If she saw it first, it was visible.

Regardless, unless he's a very poor child with only poorly fitting hand-me-downs because his family couldn't afford a pair of pants his size, he broke the rules.

you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel loquacious?' -- well do you, punk?

[wmw999 2,527]

I'm against the duct-taping simply because that stuff hurts when you take it off, and can leave marks.

But if they were to get some rope and use it to tuck the shirt in and then tie the pants, I'd have no problem at all
And that's the mother of a former teenager speaking...

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[crozby 0]

at my school if the boys got caught with their shirt hanging out the school nurse would sew a big white lacy extension to the bottom of the shirt and they'd have to wear the shirt hanging out for the rest of the day.

Don't think it did me any harm (he says, adjusting his skirt)

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[Jib 0]

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Regardless, unless he's a very poor child with only poorly fitting hand-me-downs because his family couldn't afford a pair of pants his size, he broke the rules.

I haven't met anyone who couldn't fashion a belt out of something or find one at a second hand store, if that is the case.

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the depth of his depravity sickens me.
-- Jerry Falwell, People v. Larry Flynt

[Rebecca 0]

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Regardless, unless he's a very poor child with only poorly fitting hand-me-downs because his family couldn't afford a pair of pants his size, he broke the rules.

I haven't met anyone who couldn't fashion a belt out of something or find one at a second hand store, if that is the case.

Exactly.

you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel loquacious?' -- well do you, punk?

[Rebecca 0]

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I'm against the duct-taping simply because that stuff hurts when you take it off, and can leave marks.

Unless I read it wrong, she taped the outside of his clothes, belt-wise.

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Of course, I think that as long as the shirt hangs down to your knees it doesn't really matter that you have to keep hitching your pants up. The phase doesn't last forever, and the bigger the deal you make of it, the more important a rule it becomes to challenge.

And that's the mother of a former teenager speaking...

As a former teenager myself, in most cases, if you give an inch, they'll take a couple of miles. I think if the teacher could see the underwear, which prompted the call-out, his shirt wasn't that long. Rules are rules, and if you don't enforce them when they're broken, well, then the whole inch-mile thing happens.

you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel loquacious?' -- well do you, punk?

[kallend 2,106]

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Assuming for the sake of discussion that the reporting in this instance was accurate, according to the quote, a teacher noticed the underwear first, then asked the student to lift his shirt. If she saw it first, it was visible.

.

In that case, what was the point of making him lift his shirt?

Something about this story doesn't compute.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[Nightingale 0]

getting duct tape off of clothes is damn near impossible. Once you get the silver tape part off, the adhesive stays forever. I'd be pissed if I had to buy my kid new clothes. They should've called the parent and made them bring their kid a belt.

[Rebecca 0]

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Assuming for the sake of discussion that the reporting in this instance was accurate, according to the quote, a teacher noticed the underwear first, then asked the student to lift his shirt. If she saw it first, it was visible.

.

In that case, what was the point of making him lift his shirt?

Something about this story doesn't compute.

I dunno. Maybe to see if the underwear were riding out all the way around, or if it was simply sloppy post-potty pull-up.

Do you think a teacher AND an asst. principle would both discipline a kid who wasn't breaking the rules, or that maybe, just maybe they could recognize a kid trying to be punk?

Maybe it's just me, having seen some of the BS my mom had to put up with as a middle school teacher, but kids are just given way too mach slack by way too many parents these days. (Notice I didn't say all - there are always exceptions.)

you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel loquacious?' -- well do you, punk?

[happythoughts 0]

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I haven't met anyone who couldn't fashion a belt out of something or find one at a second hand store, if that is the case.

Not everyone has staple guns, but that would work.

[Rebecca 0]

Yeah, but that's inconvenient for the parents, especially if they both work, and it doesn't discipline the kid with a lesson.

There are probably hundreds of ways this could have been done differently, but I don't think it was handled badly, or anywhere near deserving the level of outrage expressed by the dad.

you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel loquacious?' -- well do you, punk?

[Nightingale 0]

If your kid is screwing up, expect to be inconvenienced. If a belt or pants at the waist was part of the uniform, that's how the parent should've sent the kid to school.

[rushmc 23]

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I'm wondering how it was a problem if they had to get him to lift his shirt to see his underwear in the first place?

Yea, I'm with you! Might that be called entrapment??

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[peregrinerose 0]

I'm all for this. Teacher's have to put up with so much crap in the schools now. It's nice to see one addressing the problem, even if the parents are too immature to send their kid to school properly clothed.

Jen

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[kelel01 1]

I agree. And I think this is just a small example of a larger problem-- parents nowadays are completely unwilling to accept responsibility for their children's behavior. Kid gets arrested for drinking underage? Well, sue the cops who arrested him! I'm not that old, and I remember when a friend's parent calling mine could get me in trouble. Seems like today, it would lead to one parent calling the other one a liar. It just gets on my nerves . . . personal responsibility is A LOST CONCEPT.

[misskriss 0]

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even if the parents are too immature to send their kid to school properly clothed.

I have three children and always send them to school appropriately dressed. I do have one issue though.. My youngest daughter (10) has the teeniest tiniest waist and long legs and it is nearly impossible to find jeans that fit her correctly. I know this because I have been with her in Gap Kids, Ltd. Too, department stores, etc. trying on no less than 20 pair. If they fit her waist they are too short on her legs. The ones that do fit her legs are looser in the waist and yes we've tried slimfits, etc. I have three daughters in all so I am well informed on the different jeans, styles, etc. She usually has to wear a belt but sometimes she just wears a longer shirt. Even with the belt on sometimes when she plays you can see her little power puff girl underwear peeking out. I would be FURIOUS if a teacher put duct tape around my child to keep her pants up. Granted this kid was probably shirking the rules and dressing the way he liked but I still disagree with the duct taping. Parents should have been called and if they could not come right away he should have been made to sit in the office until they could come.

** I'd personally be in favor of school uniforms for public schools

[gemini 0]

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personal responsibility is A LOST CONCEPT

Amen.

Blue skies,

Jim

[Ladybug 0]

Some of you seem a little confused.

I have been teacher in the public school system for the last eight years, and this is a daily problem that teachers deal with.

1. The underwear was visible to begin with, and the student was told to lift the shirt for "confirmation" of the dress code violation.

2. Drop pants (you know, the pants 15 sizes too large that hang completely below the boy's bottom, with the crotch of the pants hanging near the student's knees) are not allowed in the school.

3. Students are informed of the school rules on the first day of every new school year. One point emphazised is the dress code. Schools that will require a parent to bring a belt, supply a piece of rope, or in this case - use duct tape - warn the students of the consequences from the start.

4. The students CHOOSE to risk embarassment when they CHOOSE to break the rules.

5. Parents of daughters - don't get yourselves too wound up. These kind of drop pants are not worn by girls. The hip hugger pants is the female issue, and if the young lady is wearing a shirt long enough to cover her hips - then there isn't a problem.

6. The problems with girls occur when they break the dress code by wearing a combination of hip hugger pants and a short shirt that exposes the midriff. These girls then complicate the problem (when in high school) by wearing thong underwear that is extremely visible when they sit down.

7. Why is this a problem? None of the boys within viewing distance can focus on the lesson at hand.

8. Parents need to be aware of the school's dress codes and punishments. These can be found in the student handbook sent home on the first day of school - every year - every school. If not a handbook, then a pamphlet, flyer etc. If you didn't get one, it wasn't because one wasn't sent home.

***** Most importantly, teach your children to follow the rules, and support the people enforcing them. Everyone will get along better in the long run.

Dawn

[white_falcon 0]

Well said.

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[misskriss 0]

I'm not confused. In fact, I agree with what you are saying.. however, I will reiterate

I also said:

"Granted this kid was probably shirking the rules and dressing the way he liked but I still disagree with the duct taping."

[wmw999 2,527]

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disagree with the duct taping

I do too. BUT: if it's in the school rules book as a penalty if the parents don't provide a belt or rope, and the parents didn't bother to read the rules book, then that is the penalty.

Personally, I still think they should make sure the shirt is tucked in when they do that -- it's just SO UNCOOL to have your shirt tucked in

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[misskriss 0]

hehehehe..

Rule #12 If your undies are showing and you do not have a belt the teacher has the right to duct tape yo ass..

I think the shirts should be tucked in and belted as well.. There was nothing more heavenly than when my kids wore uniforms in Catholic school. God, I miss that.

[Sheenster303 0]

At my high school, they gave the boys ropes to wear around their waist. It never did much good because the boys would end up just loosening the rope. By the end of the day, the pants would be right back down again.

If girls didn't adhere to the dress code, they wore a huge t-shirt that came down to their knees that said "I violated OHS's dress code". Sometimes they gave the same shirt to the boys. The problem with that was the boys would end up just walking around with their pants to their knees. I see this with guys at my university. I don't see the point in it. It's got to be annoying to have to constantly hold your pants up.

I'm so funny I crack my head open!

P.M.S. #102