"They"

[cabinetman]

In a local story here about a 7 yr old that used a knife to rob a 6 yr old (see story here), some of the parents were interviewed on TV and stated "When are they (the school) going to do something about it". In the same article is mentioned about a high school girl shooting and killing another girl.

Every time I see something like this on TV, it's never the parents that are at fault. Parents think all discipline happens at the school. The parents should be plastered all over the TV news. When I was a kid, parents were held liable for the actions of their children. Where has society gone wrong?

Rant over for now.
.

[os1kne]

I agree. People are quick to blame and slow to accept responsibility.

[jackellis]

My sister-in-law works for a Southern California school system and has to deal with this stuff all the time. It's no wonder so many parents either want to home school their kids or put them in private schools.

Needless to say, when I was a young lad in the middle of the last century , any crap I even though of pulling at school would be severely punished at home!

[Uncle Cracker]

Sign of the times, methinks... Typical interaction between kids in school and 2 working parents is maybe 20 minutes/day. Hard to teach them much about how to act in 20 minutes. Although school is a social setting, too much is expected of them in the way of life lessons. They are all undermanned and underfunded. There is only so much they can do. Parents gotta take ownership of their kids...

[Russianwolf]

Sign of the times, methinks... Typical interaction between kids in school and 2 working parents is maybe 20 minutes/day. Hard to teach them much about how to act in 20 minutes. Although school is a social setting, too much is expected of them in the way of life lessons. They are all undermanned and underfunded. There is only so much they can do. Parents gotta take ownership of their kids...

Add to that that the schools have a hand tied behind their back when it comes to discipline. A Jr High Teacher in SC was fired for tapping a student on the shoulder and asking them to go to the office.

Parents expect the schools to raise their kids, but pitch a fit if they actually try to do it.

[DaveS]

From a different perspective though... even if my parenting skills were the best in the world, it would not prevent my kids from getting robbed/beaten/killed by some lunatic - regardless of their age.

Unless I teach them all my ULTIMATE FIGHTER moves... then they might be ok

[gsmittle]

Needless to say, when I was a young lad in the middle of the last century , any crap I even though of pulling at school would be severely punished at home!

Indeed! Not only was I dealt with at school, I got more of the same when I got home.

I'm routinely accused of being the "R" word when I attempt to discipline my students. Yesterday I documented a kid suspending herself, and I know mom's going to say it's my fault her darling daughter cut class to go smoke and then lied to me about it.

g.

[paintandbodtman]

From a different perspective though... even if my parenting skills were the best in the world, it would not prevent my kids from getting robbed/beaten/killed by some lunatic - regardless of their age.

Unless I teach them all my ULTIMATE FIGHTER moves... then they might be ok

I think you're missing the point here, this is'nt as much about a kid getting beaten, robbed or whatever as it is about the kid that did it and the parents blameing everyone but their self for the children turning out the way they do.

Wayne

[DaveS]

I think you're missing the point here, this is'nt as much about a kid getting beaten, robbed or whatever as it is about the kid that did it and the parents blameing everyone but their self for the children turning out the way they do.

No... I get the point.

I believe you missed mine: if my child gets robbed at school, I will not blame myself and say "boy, I sure am a bad parent".

Certainly I would blame the robber's parents, and partly, I would expect the school to take some action.

Suppose the robber was not another child, suppose it was an adult. Does the school not have any responsibility for the safety of the children?

This discussion is skewed a bit, as this type of stuff isn't usually a problem with first graders.

[DaveS]

In general, I agree with the spirit of this post... however, in the story provided, I didn't hear any parents blaming the schools.

One woman said "they need to do something about it", and she ended with "I don't know where the parents are".

Personally, I too would expect schools to do something about it.

I wouldn't blame them, but I would expect them to take some action.

[crokett]

Dave, the school has responsibility for the safety of the children. However before that all parents' have the responsibility of teaching their kids not rob other people at knifepoint. The school should not be expected to have to worry about that. Unfortunately that seems to be the world we live in now I guess.

[Uncle Cracker]

Exactly how is the school supposed to spot larcenous/murderous intent in a 6 or 7 year-old?? "Now, Johnny, murder is baaaaad... Go stand in the corner..." Sorry... Can't see the school taking the fall for this one...

[radhak]

Indeed! Not only was I dealt with at school, I got more of the same when I got home.

I'm routinely accused of being the "R" word when I attempt to discipline my students. Yesterday I documented a kid suspending herself, and I know mom's going to say it's my fault her darling daughter cut class to go smoke and then lied to me about it.

g.

Curious - what R word?

I believe teachers (and almost at same levels, schools) have one of the most thankless jobs in this country. Low pay is just an indicative symptom. The accepted thought seems to be that bad students, bad grades, indiscipline, rowdy (or worse) behavior is because the teacher is lazy, incompetent, apathetic or an idiot, while a high achiever, open thinker, manner-full, empathizing kid is because of good parenting. All this despite the fact that teachers operate with their hands tied, under all sorts of threats (job cuts, liability for the kids' safety, adolescent violence) and with no rewards. The pay they get is a joke, the recognition they get is negligible.

With my own daughters, I believe many of their good habits ( responsibility for their own work; respectful of others, time management) are because of their teachers, while all their bad habits are because of their parents (yelling across the house, me; wagging a finger to emphasize a point, their mom; lazy about cleaning up their work/study area, me; lemme stop there...).
We recognize that's also because most kids take parents for granted but seek to impress their teachers, but we are thankful for the good coming out of it.

Any time I hear somebody say something like 'why don't they do something ...', I make it a point to challenge the speaker - what do you think they could do? Does not go far, that conversation !

LOML wanted to try for a teacher's job; I told her not unless the fed education budget hikes from $65 billion to $165 billion (by taking some money out of the $700 billion defence budget, maybe?). While careless attitude as displayed by CM's post cannot be fixed, at least a better funding would ensure better working conditions for teachers.

Anyway, I like how you said 'a kid suspending herself' - puts the blame where it belongs !

[DaveS]

Exactly how is the school supposed to spot larcenous/murderous intent in a 6 or 7 year-old?? "Now, Johnny, murder is baaaaad... Go stand in the corner..." Sorry... Can't see the school taking the fall for this one...

I am still trying to figure out who you all think is blaming the schools in this story?

Is there some other video I didn't see, or article I didn't read?

[radhak]

I am still trying to figure out who you all think is blaming the schools in this story?

Is there some other video I didn't see, or article I didn't read?

A parent was shown on a local TV news-piece here, blaming the school.