Wait, what?
A 6-year-old home-schooler who ran afoul of “zero tolerance” policies was suspended because he took a shotgun shell to his school.
The first-grader’s mother, Charlene Beattie, says the one-week suspension imposed by the Des Moines school district, lacked common sense.
January 31st, 2011 at 10:30 am
From the content of the article it looks like he was carrying a loaded shell not just an empty hull, yet the picture the article uses is of an empty hull *facepalm*
Either way it’s pretty harmless and suspending the kid will do more harm than him bringing in the shell.
January 31st, 2011 at 10:31 am
It was probably a “Home School Assisstance Program” which is what my kids attend as well in Iowa. One day a week they go to the public school for a half a day with other home schoolers. What this does is get us out of sending in reports to the state about the progress of our children.
I do wonder though, since I home school my kids am I constantly running afoul of the “No guns in schools” laws. Guess I’ll have to talk to the principal about that.
January 31st, 2011 at 11:07 am
If the kid only attends school once a week, then a one week suspension amounts to being kept home for a day. That seems an appropriate punishment for bringing live ammunition to school without permission.
January 31st, 2011 at 1:35 pm
Application of a “Zero Tolerance” policy automatically means that common sense has been dispensed with.
I’m all for reducing the salaries of school principals and other admin types by at least 25% anytime a zero tolerance policy is instituted. The reason the supposedly get paid more than teachers is the extra responsibility they have for making judgment calls. Zero tolerance means zero judgment and zero responsibility taken on their part, so they have no need for that extra pay.
January 31st, 2011 at 2:01 pm
This is more proof that we really do need more common sense gun laws, just like Alan said.
http://snarkybytes.com/2010/01/30/we-need-common-sense-gun-laws/
January 31st, 2011 at 2:12 pm
When we home schooled the teacher and principal were both armed. Sometimes classes were conducted at the range with Ruger 10/22s and Mini14s.
February 1st, 2011 at 9:26 am
It defies common sense until you realize that the objective of the program is to teach that humans are forbidden the tools or use of force under all circumstances.