Sep 11 2008
When Retarded Primates Run Your School
HILTON HEAD ISLAND — A 10-year-old South Carolina student has been suspended from school after his pencil sharpener broke and he didn’t immediately get rid of the blade inside.
Authorities tell The Island Packet of Hilton Head that a teacher at Hilton Head Island International Baccalaureate Elementary School found a small razor blade on the boy in class Tuesday.
A police report says it was obvious the blade came from a pencil sharpener. The report says the boy is a well-behaved, good student and cried when he was suspended for at least two days. He could face further punishment.
School district spokesman Randy Wall says the district has a zero-tolerance policy on weapons, but wanted to be reasonable. He says they needed to make sure the student understood the seriousness of having the blade.
Yet another example of why zero tolerance policies are not only the products of mental midgets, but defeat the entire purpose of their existence. No gain will be made by suspending this child. It also doesn’t help that the people running the school are by-the-book drones who have never held a single job outside the shell of academia, thus denying them valuable life lessons of common sense. If I was this child’s father, I would probably have to go to the school, punch somebody out for satisfaction, and then begin the home schooling.
Ms. McAden,
I read, with horror, the story regarding the young fourth grader at your school who was expelled for having a broken pencil sharpener and actually tried to use it to sharpen his pencil! My horror is based on my belief that the result is wrong on so many levels and it is hard to conceive that the consequence was expulsion! The statement that follows comes directly from your web site: “The school is organized to insure a family friendly environment.â€. I don’t know how you define “family friendlyâ€, but I know I would never have been kicked out of school or admonished by my family for using a broken pencil sharpener! I have to admit that I am fifty seven years old and things have changed since I was in grammar school when young boys were expected to carry a small pocket knife for utility purposes.
The article from the Island Packet stated that the 10 year old cried when he met with an assistant principal, his mom and a deputy sheriff. I can remember when I was 10, and I’m sure you can also, I would have learned immediately, during a terrifying meeting like this, not to have a broken pencil sharpener at school ever again! How far does the District need to go with a 10 year old to make a point? Randy Wall (District spokesman) stated: “We are always going to do something to make sure the child understands the seriousness of having something that could potentially harm another student, but we’re going to be reasonable.â€. Does he define reasonable as: a meeting with authorities, at least two day suspension and possibly further disciplinary action?
I am quite certain that students at your school have access to scissors, sharp pencils, sharp paper clips, sharp dining utensils and any number of other implements that could potentially cause harm to fellow students. I have no “beef†with you, the District or the Sherriff’s department for doing your job because I believe this is a societal problem that is rapidly “snowballing†out of control. Your web site indicates you have a very respectable and highly acclaimed staff and mission. I would only hope that the use of common sense and reason would be part of the learning experience your students would depart with. Where does this stop?
Regards,
Arthur D. Suggs
I wrote them as well, but not quite as cordially as you did.