What Happens to a Students after the Police are Notified
I remember when children either admired or were in fear of the police. I remember a time children respected their parents. I remember a time—well, you get the idea and if you don’t, I guess you don’t remember.
A boy hit a girl on the face with a metal broom in the classroom. He busted her face open and the paramedics and police were called. (See blog entitled A Week to go and Now This below.) The girl’s mother refused to have her daughter hospitalized for stitches. The police were willing to make a police report. The school suspended him for the rest of the year—all of four days.
School ended at 2:45. The boy was taken home by his grandmother. At 3:00 he was outside playing basketball.
I don’t understand this.
I can’t understand this.
But I don’t know what to do.
A boy hit a girl on the face with a metal broom in the classroom. He busted her face open and the paramedics and police were called. (See blog entitled A Week to go and Now This below.) The girl’s mother refused to have her daughter hospitalized for stitches. The police were willing to make a police report. The school suspended him for the rest of the year—all of four days.
School ended at 2:45. The boy was taken home by his grandmother. At 3:00 he was outside playing basketball.
I don’t understand this.
I can’t understand this.
But I don’t know what to do.
posted by A Teacher's Log | 12:49 PM
5 Comments:
I can't stop shaking my head. What does this show the kids? There are no consequences for violent acts which perpetuates more violent acts. Not only that it models the negative behavior for younger students and siblings.
My guess is the girl and her family are "illegally" in the United States or afraid of some kind of retaliation. I can't imagine too many reasons a parent would refuse stitches for a child but I remember 24 years of teaching in deprived areas of the city without much support - physical or emotional - walking wounded, post traumatic stress more rampant than in veterans returning from Iraq...right here - teachers, students, families, communities.
While I am too stunned by the girl's parents response (although the possiblity exists that they do not have insurance, though I do not accept that as an excuse), I am not at all surprised by what you found with the boy.
After all, if he was raised by anybody that had taught him anything in life, perhaps he wouldn't be the type of person he is.
what is it w/anonymous commenters? are you so afraid to even put your name up there/ what are you afraid of? show yourself! be human! get into the world! stop hiding!
Thanks for the comments.
The girl in question is not an illegal immigrant. She comes from a very fine family--a very large family--thirteen kids and counting, but also a very successful family. So far all of the children but the two remaining in high school and the one still in middle school have finished college.
Nonetheless, the family has insurance issues, no health benefits and they are still live at the poverty level.
What has surprised me so far is how so many of the comments have focused on the girl and no one has focused on the boy and his family. During his second day in suspension, his grandmother waited for school to let out and then told him to go outside and play. What did he dop during te school day? He played his video games, watched TV, and generally laid around the house.
He has still to suffer any consequences at all.
This is why I am amazed.
He lives with his extended family--but his father does not live in his house. It's true his mother drinks to much and takes too many drugs, but his grandmother does not nor does the aunt who lives there too.
Oh, by the way, every classroom I have ever taught in has a broom and dust pan so the children can sweep the floor and keep the room clean. Just so you know, my room is a room of tables--not one single desk. We're a science/reading/writing lab. It's not always easy to keep everything stacked on the tables. Paper and things do make it to the floor. So we have a broom to sweep. I never in a million years thought someone would use a broom to hurt someone--especially after that someone apologized four times.
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