Spank him!

[Ghoulish Delight]

For the record, she KNEW the school had that policy. They make enrolees sign an agreement. The mother claims she didn't sign the agreement because she does not believe in spanking, but I highly doubt that. If she hadn't, either the school wouldn't have allowed them in, or they would have had to make some other deal as to how to handle it. There's no way they have that policy and then just kinda let someone not sign it.

[tracilicious]

I agree with GD. While I think it is an idiotic policy for a school to have, it is a private Christian school that appears to state it's policies plainly in the handbook. The article I read said that the mother claimed to know about the policy, but that it didn't say anything about suspension. My bet is that the mother knew the policy and disagreed with it, but like the academic program at the school and didn't figure she would ever have a problem. I would have done the same thing in her shoes though as far as withdrawing him. Not that you'd catch me enrolled in that school in the first place.

[Tref]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

For the record, she KNEW the school had that policy. They make enrolees sign an agreement. The mother claims she didn't sign the agreement ...

Hmm, this is interesting peek into the mind-set of a few of you. Well, she has to beat her child, I mean, she did sign the papers right? That's legal binding stuff, that is! Methinks I am not the only one here who has signed schoolastic entry forms without fully reading each clause ... Even still, I would have taken the administrator aside and told him what I was going to do with that contract is he ever asked me to hit my child again. Then again, I might not have been so polite.

She did the right thing.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Tref

Hmm, this is interesting peek into the mind-set of a few of you. Well, she has to beat her child, I mean, she did sign the papers right? That's legal binding stuff, that is! Methinks I am not the only one here who has signed schoolastic entry forms without fully reading each clause ... Even still, I would have taken the administrator aside and told him what I was going to do with that contract is he ever asked me to hit my child again. Then again, I might not have been so polite.

She did the right thing.

Sorry, but she knew the rules coming in. I'm not saying I agree with it, and I would never sign my child up for a school like that, but that's part of the agreement she made with the school. She can take it or leave it. She chose to leave it, and that's fine. I'm baffled why she would have signed up for that school in the first place. I don't care how good the education is, if they told me, "You are going to have to sign a paper that says you will do something that you completely disagree with," I wouldn't enroll my kid.

And spankin' ain't beatin'. Spanking has long been upheld in courts as not child abuse. So if a private entity wants to require a legal act part of their rules for entry, they have every right to.

[Tref]

GD, I think you'd make a fine office supervisor. Myself, I would have signed it anyway. I don't care. I'll deal with each issue as it is presented to me. Until then, the kid gets a good edu-macation.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Tref

GD, I think you'd make a fine office supervisor. Myself, I would have signed it anyway. I don't care. I'll deal with each issue as it is presented to me. Until then, the kid gets a good edu-macation.

But this lady never said, "I didn't know about the policy." She claims she never signed it. I'm not buying it. The spanking rule is part of the school's overall agreement, not a separate thing to sign. There's no WAY a school lets someone in without signing the agreement. And, according to administrators, they specifically mention the spanking thing and tell them that the other option is suspension. So she knew about it, and enrolled him anyway. I can't sympathize with her tears and outrage for dealing with exactly what she was told she would have to deal with.

[Tref]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

But this lady never said, "I didn't know about the policy." She claims she never signed it. I'm not buying it. The spanking rule is part of the school's overall agreement, not a separate thing to sign. There's no WAY a school lets someone in without signing the agreement. And, according to administrators, they specifically mention the spanking thing and tell them that the other option is suspension. So she knew about it, and enrolled him anyway. I can't sympathize with her tears and outrage for dealing with exactly what she was told she would have to deal with.

I shall rest on the eloquence of my previous statements.

[Eliza Hodgkins 1812]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

But this lady never said, "I didn't know about the policy." She claims she never signed it. I'm not buying it. The spanking rule is part of the school's overall agreement, not a separate thing to sign. There's no WAY a school lets someone in without signing the agreement. And, according to administrators, they specifically mention the spanking thing and tell them that the other option is suspension. So she knew about it, and enrolled him anyway. I can't sympathize with her tears and outrage for dealing with exactly what she was told she would have to deal with.

What is baffling to me about this being made into such a big deal is that spanking was not the only option. No one's free will has been threatened. This was not a spank or die situation. If the child went too far, in the school's eyes, the parent could either spank the child or accept suspension. It's elementary school. Not high school. So why not accept the suspension in lieu of the spanking, and have a discussion with your kid about why he's gotten into so much trouble. Treat the suspension like a severe grounding. It's not going on his permanent record.

Suspension or spanking. They're giving the parents a choice, yes? Am I just completely misunderstanding that part of the article?

I don't have a problem with a parent ocassionally spanking a child. But if I were a parent, I wouldn't sign up with a school that gave me those kinds of options. We might disagree with what kind of behavior merits what kind of discipline, and it's a battle I wouldn't feel like fighting. I'd rather go to a place that encourages parent/teacher conferences in which both parties can discuss what disciplinary measures need to be taken. I work in a program for juveniles who have gotten into some serious trouble, and part of the difficulty in working with them is that they're forced to accept rigid rules here and then they go home where it's a free for all. It's confusing and inconstant. To some degree it's necessary to keep rules at home and rules at school consistent. An almost impossible task. Obviously this school has tried to come up with a system that allows them to have more of a say in how discipline is dished out. They have a right to do that. And a parent has a right to say, "I'm sorry, I won't be signing any such nonsense." Or, taking a risk, signing it, and then down the line saying, "Uh, I signed it, but screw it. We're out of here. I don't agree with suspending a kid, and I don't agree with spanking. So, latah!"

This isn't a public school. This options were not forced down her throat.

I think the school is in the right here in terms of the actions they took. And she is, of course, free to do what she did, which is what's obviously best for her as a parent. So she's in the right, too.

I think she liked the school. Maybe it's terrific. And so she took a chance that she'd never have to deal with the option, but her kid turns out to have other plans. So it didn't work out for her. Sorry sister. You and the kid lose. She'll find another school that's a better fit for them both, I'm sure.

[tracilicious]

Originally Posted by Eliza Hodgkins 1812

What is baffling to me about this being made into such a big deal is that spanking was not the only option. No one's free will has been threatened. This was not a spank or die situation. If the child went too far, in the school's eyes, the parent could either spank the child or accept suspension. It's elementary school. Not high school. So why not accept the suspension in lieu of the spanking, and have a discussion with your kid about why he's gotten into so much trouble. Treat the suspension like a severe grounding. It's not going on his permanent record.

You're right. What's the big deal about a one day suspension? In the article I read though it made it sound like the school was really pressuring her. Telling her that a suspension would look terrible on his records. There are probably a bunch of private schools in the country that wouldn't call her at all. They'd just spank him at school. I disagree with the school, but I don't really get the media frenzy. Canada doesn't have these problems. Spanking isn't legal anywhere there.