Rachael Greer, Martin Bell and the untouchable
Rachael Greer said it happened on Feb. 23 during fifth period gym class at River Valley Middle School when a girl walked into the locker room with a bag of pills.
“She was talking to another girl and me about them and she put one in my hand and I was like, ‘I don’t want this,’ so I put it back in the bag and I went to gym class,” said Rachael. The pills were the prescription ADHD drug, Adderall. Patty Greer, Rachael’s mother, said she and her husband are proud of their daughter for turning down drugs, just like she’s been taught for years by DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) instructors at school.
[…]
But just saying no didn’t end the trouble for Rachael. During the next period, an assistant principal came and took Rachael out of class. It turned out the girl who originally had the pills and a few other students got caught. That’s when the assistant principal gave Rachael a decision.“We’re suspending you for five days because it was in your hand,” said Rachael.
[…]
We wanted to know what would have happened if Rachael had told a teacher right away. Bell said the punishment would not have been any different. District officials say if they’re not strict about drug policies no one will take them seriously.“That’s not a good policy,” said Patty Greer. “We’re teaching our kids if you say no to drugs you’re going to get punished, it’s not right.”
Although he got who wrote White Rabbit wrong, here’s what law professor Jonathan Turley said about this.
So now students know an easy way to get an enemy kicked out of school. I wonder if you put a pill into a teacher’s hand if she would … Nah. Who am I kidding. As if the teacher’s union would allow that.
Lots of rules in their student handbook (pdf), but oddly, no mention of expulsion for drug touching. Interesting that the two main goals of the school are not to impart knowledge and wisdom, but to ensure the inmates.. er, um… students pass tests. BTW, today is Domino’s Pizza Day (pdf)! Hooray!
Finally, out of idle curiosity, I’m wondering how you’re able to send “sensitive information to school officials” (i.e., rat out someone) anonymously when the “Anonymous Alert’ web form found at the bottom of every page reports your computer’s IP?
This is sort of like getting stoned for being raped. Good job educators!
Take a society where black and white morality is considered the ideal. Add to it a school system where following the rules and passing standardized tests are the goals. Voila, you have stupidity.
BTW, will anyone be attending the River Valley Middle School “Enchantment Under The Sea” dance?
Violation of hipaa ?
I wish I was a lawyer… I might have a job .
Sad. But thousands of blog comments should help.
It is now all about teaching the test, getting students to score well on standardized test so you’ll get your bonus. No critical thinking skills, just spoon feed information. For the most part administrators were dissatisfied teachers that would have done anything to get out the classroom. I know, because I tried it myself and got a masters in school administration instead of a teaching masters. The last year I taught a $2500 bonus was tied to the schools over all end of course testing. The poor bastards that failed to produce scores were out right verbally attacked during a faculty meeting. It got so heated the principal just got up and left. Didn’t really matter, the kids were still dumb as shit, just regurgitating facts, but there was accountability.
Okay, this is stupid. Whoever made this policy needs to be fired.
These zero tolerance policies take the place of common sense and judgement – apparently 2 things remarkably absent in American school systems. So what the students at this school have learned is you might as well take the pill as you will be punished whether you do or not. Maybe they should force this girl to embroider a scarlet “P” on her gym suit.
This is the way I remember school. You had to be careful which teacher you told what. There is no guilty by association in school.
Association=Guilt.
It reminds me of the school principal/administrator in Mr. Hollands Opus. What a jerk.
Makes me wonder what I would do if my son/daughter was in the same situation? Any of you parents had a similar happening? What do you/did you do?
If its a small school district you could try and get the person fired. The squeeky wheel method usually seems to work.
How do you make this a good teachable lesson for your child?
The more shit like this I see the more I understand why we don’t have a bill of rights anymore. It’s not just the government that’s broken, it’s society. So now we get to choose between the Evil Overlords and their one world government or idiocracy.
#1 Improbus: chilling.
When the kids grow up, they’ll know how to write bonus checks to themselves, just like today’s bankers. Another proud tradition.
I wonder if there’s any penalty to the admins for being in possession of pron or viruses or scam emails … and whether they have email inboxes. I’m also with #7 Benj.
“If thine eye offend thee, pluck it out.” This is the secular version of bible madness.
“Home of the Steamers”
Apparently so!
I agree, being an Admin, I’ve told people with virus issues (computer that is) that its not a case of going to the red light district, its much like catching a cold.
I’m not liking these Zero Tolerance Polices at all.
Someone should hand that ass-istant principal a pill.
I actually think it is time to applaud such measures. Although they are reprehensible on the surface, they instill a healthy distrust of authority in the children.
In the grand scheme of life, that just might turn out to be the most valuable piece of knowledge they get from the school. It certainly will make them better voters and citizens. Sometimes the hard lessons are the best.
Oh, and the administrators should be taken out and shot. But that was probably true before this particular incident.
Education in this country is a joke! Can’t wait to see the retards that were products of this environment when they are someday running this country.
Schools are full of idiot administrators. Teachers are good people, but I have yet to find an assistant principal ANYWHERE who wasn’t a self-serving idiot with delusions of grandeur. His or her only purpose is to show you in the book why you can’t do anything interesting, instructive, or useful.
Think positive. These kids are going to grow up with a healthy distrust for authority.