Editor:
I am writing this letter to try to enlist a response around the community for discussion about behavior of our children – or should I say the lack of proper behavior, in our school system.
Students cannot get studying done because of just a handful of students that are so disruptive and disrespectful that communication just shuts down. If a child acts up, a behavior specialist is called to come and calm a disruptive child … but the specialist is busy with other such children, so it takes awhile.
In the meantime, other children in the classroom are under their desk in fear for their safety, or a “room clear” is called for and all the properly behaved children leave the room until the misbehaving child is dealt with.
The teachers cannot touch the child to remove them from the classroom; they must ask the child to leave. Fat chance of that happening.
Well, over 50 years ago the Bible was removed from schools. The USA was founded on the Bible, but the powers that be decided it’s no longer allowed in our schools.
Then, to follow that, some time in the 1970s the “paddle” was removed – henceforth, no motivation to correct behavior.
Needless to say, most parenting today is negotiating with a 3-year-old … even the federal government refuses to negotiate with terrorists! And we parents want to take on our children without a paddle?
Whatever side of the fence we come down on that debate, the plain fact of the matter is our children are NOT getting the education they were in years too far gone by, for the simple reason that there’s disorder in the classroom and well-meaning teacher is not to blame.
Parents …. whatever your field of employment is, try being productive in a state of chaos and see how long it takes until you are in total frustration! Unless your business is subsidized by the government, see how long it is until it’s bankrupt – just like our school system is!
Jarrod Brown
Lebanon