Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

Elitist Attitudes

Right off the bat, let me say that in no way, shape or form do I condone bring any type of weapon onto school grounds. Next, if this student is expelled and not readmitted to school next year, and we as parents condone this action what are we teaching our children? I'm sure in YOUR house when YOUR child breaks the rules he or she is punished 'to the extent of the crime' and then forgiven and is returned any priviledges lost during the punishment.

Isn't the American justice system based on serving your time and being allowed to have a second chance to contribute in a positive manner to society? The last time I checked that's how it was. What is the future for a child that breaks the rules and punished more severely than we adults? Don't we have an obligation to teach the youth? If this student is not admitted back to school in the fall, what will he or she be doing instead? Prowling the streets waiting for the school day to end and harrass other students from which he has been ostricised? I don't know the exact answer to this, but I do know that an adolesent with too much time on his hands (I.e. not in school) NEVER leads to anything good. You would rather let a child loose in society after giving him a reason to posess even more rage (expelled from school and never to return) than to admit him back to school, under close monitor, provide counciling, etc and give him a second chance? Before you crucify me and scream bloody protection for our children and scream that schools must be safe...pause for a moment...did you ever make a mistake, receive severe punishment and actually learn your lesson? Oh that's right seeing your elightest attitude, I must be one of the few.

I just don't understand and plead for an explantion...if this student is booted and banished forever, please tell me what he is going to do with his time? It seems to me the close supervision of schools is not only the best choice but the only choice.

Yup

I agree with you. That's why I was wondering what the severity of the crime was? Threating or showing off?

I guess we're in a strike one and you're out society now.

Should the kid get watched more closely when he eventually returns to school - YES absolutely - banished for life? I don't think so.

Safety

An elitist? Hardly. The crime of bringing a weapon into a school is a big one. It is something that is preached against at many levels, and is known to the students from early on that you are not permitted to do this.

You must think that a student expelled from Pickerington schools is not allowed to attend any other school ever. By that logic, these two are probably roaming the streets right now. Where do you think they will be going to school for the rest of the year? There are schools enough close by, some private, that may take the students in. That is an option to be explored.

Your belief that I have never made a mistake in my life and been punished for it is absurd. I don't know how you would even imagine something like that.

Nevertheless, press the point with the schools and find out what is and is not possible. If it is possible for them to not return, maybe that should be part of their punishment.

You can monitor a student closely should he return, but that's no guarantee he won't do it again, short of a metal detector, which no one really wants to see in our schools.

Simple choice

There seems to be a strange lack of any kind of common sense here in Pickerington. Especially when it comes to our schools.

I do not endorse any one coming to school with a gun. However a few weeks back we had a incident with a student at the North High school that took a beer bottle and broke off the end of it and actually attacked another student.

So my question here is knowing what we know and if we had to chose one of these two students to allow them to return to school which one would it be?

Do we take the boy back that was either high on drugs and not acting in his right mind or is he just as aggressive when not on drugs? If you think a broken off beer bottle is not a serious and deadly weapon then I will tell you are dead wrong and it will kill you or your kid just as quickly. Yet we had mothers saying we should check this kids back pack and fathers saying the incident was handled correctly by the school administration. I don't remember anyone saying that this kid should be expelled from school for good. If we expel the junior high student for life then we should expel the high student for life also. Both carried deadly weapons into school. But only one choose to become aggressive.

By Concerned Dad