Corporal Punishment in Tenn schools-East part?

[mbmouse]

Again, my children are in the TN school system in East TN. My oldest son has Auditory Processing Disorder and is on the hyper side, His Dr sees him on what is called a "ADHD" appointment schedule. He could not sit still for circle time when in 1st grade and heck most days has to sit on his leg and "wiggle" during tests. Now he is in High school and doing very well, good grades and involved with sports and clubs in the school. He has NEVER been paddled. I think you are picturing the school systems in TN as something out of the 1800's. We are in the year 2006. NO school will allow any kind of sexual abuse, harassment, touching or anything inappropriate in the schools. I'm sorry but even thinking that is taking this conversation a bit to far. The only kids I have any knowledge of them getting paddled are the kids that everything else has been tried and they are still problem causers. They have a warning system of "marks" ie: talk out in class, get a mark. chewing gum, get a mark. You get 3 marks in a day, you get detention, 2 detention in a week, you get sent to talk to the principle, if the priciple sees you several times a week, yea, there is a problem. But the schools are very good at looking to the root of the problem and trying to help. But sometimes a paddling is the only thing some kids respond to.

[Mrs.Bewitched]

I don't think I took anything too far. I am only commenting on what I have read from Tennessee teachers have commented on regarding their corporal punishment. And this wasn't in 1800, this was last month, two months ago, and so on. One teacher was even comparing a child to a dog and that she shouldn't have to deal with a child in her classroom acting like an "idiot"!! Some of these teachers were gung ho on the idea.
I am glad to hear that your child had a successful time in schools, but i hope you understand why I feel scared: coming from PA and FL where we wouldn't even think to lay a pinky on the children; and then reading all of the comments from teachers coming from schools who do paddle for apparently any and all reasons; and then having a child that if a teacher doesn't know how to work with him...I could see him being paddled.

[chester's]

If , mbmouse ,you were referring to what I said a couple posts ago about corporal punishment being called child abuse/sexual abuse by some people, some really do refer to it in that way. I wasn't saying that.Just repeating other thoughts. I apologize if I wasn't clear.

[insanesmooch]

I guess it could depend on where the school is. Maybe more rural schools still paddle. I grew up in the Knox County school system and political correctness didn't really start until I was in high school. I never knew anyone who was paddled. In about 4th grade or so we even had a kid who had this big outburst and shoved his desk across the room, hit things, and I think ended up in a fight (I know he had fights later on). He was never paddled. And like I said, it hadn't become so 'taboo' at that point to have corporal punishment.

[GrannyLois]

I work at a school in east TN, and it's an individual school decision, whether or not to paddle, even though it may be a distict policy. Often, the high school student chooses to be paddled (3 pops) rather than spend a day in In School Suspension. You sometimes hear the kids bragging about their paddling. (I know - it sounds very weird.)

The principal or asst. principal does it, if it is done. The parent has to sign that form mentioned above if they don't want paddling. That takes care of it.

If your child has something like ADD or ADHD, bring a note from the doctor, asking for accommodations for a '504'. The accommodations are up to the doctor, but you can express your concerns and give input to the doctor. Sometimes a 504 lists things like extra time for tests, no forced public speaking - in agorphobic or tourettes, extra bathroom breaks for overactive bladders, for an older student with a reading disability: tests read aloud. Stuff like that.

Hope this helps.