The current case in Christina School District where a 6 year brought in a “Camping utensil” has many deep concerns. Bit strange there was no emphasis on the knife part and the News Journal’s photo showed the knife closed.
”This has gotten really crazy. It’s ridiculous,” said state Rep. Terry Schooley, D-Newark, who sponsored a bill in the spring that gives districts more flexibility around their zero-tolerance policies. “There are going to be hundreds of people at the school board meeting. It’s going to be a circus.”
With all due respects Rep. Schooley, I see your point but you’ve said it all about the rights and alienation of parental and community involvement in public education. The “people” have questions about the law and fucking right it’s going to be a circus. It’s OK to rally the people in support of your pet legislations and I guess that’s being good responsible citizens. It goes to show you that local control involving all stakeholders especially the ones that count such as parents and the community is the right way.
However, Rep Schooley thank you for the willingness to adjust the Zero Tolerance legislation to give some room for discretion but then again Pandora’s Box may be opening.
Looking at the situation from an objective distance I can tell you I dislike the fact that this young boy’s photo has been used in the media. He wanted to go back to school and not be made fun of. However, now that his picture has been plaster in newspapers, the internet and local TV news shows he may have a problem with his peers. He now kind of has celebrity status and it will attract the negative and positive response.
Mom is on the PTA and says she support zero tolerance and already there are comments that, sure as long as it’s not my kid. She agrees a consequences is in order and I agree with her the one the district imposed is quite harsh in this situation. My opinion, one to three days suspension would be in order. Now I am just being objective here and I think it needs to be said. Don’t you think and active PTA parent would know better than to allow their child to take a obviously questionable object to school? Also, it’s sad that the Delaware State PTA Association didn’t publicly engage this issues and I mean not for the boy’s sake but for policy sake. Sure other PTA members most likely worked in the background but this was a time for the PTA organization to take a position.
There are many saying if the child was black there wouldn’t be all this attention but let’s not forget the incident with the young black girl and the cake knife issue. If it wasn’t for that case there would have been no adjustment to the law.
Now for the law!
Are we suggesting that 6 year old first grade students aren’t capable of committing a crime in school? Are we saying if a good 6 year old first grade student harmlessly brings an object such as a “Camping utensil” with a sharp knife attachment to school another student won’t take it and threaten are harm someone?
The Christina boy is a victim of a stringent law driven by paranoia but the media attention with seems totally negative towards zero tolerance may be victimizing the law.
The violation of the zero tolerance law has nothing to do with criminal intent but with rules that were meant to protect students and staff.
New Castle County Councilman Jea Street has raised concerned about school discipline and the inequities in consequences but apparently not worthy of such media attention.
http://www.co.new-castle.de.us/countycouncil/home/fileuploads/images/street-%20evans.pdf
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