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School board to keep paddling policy
Published Friday, September 18, 2009
The Decatur County Board of Education has opted to keep its existing corporal punishment policy, ending a seven-month suspension of the practice in local public schools.
Board of Education Chairman Sydney Cochran announced the board’s decision during the board’s regular meeting on Thursday night, following a discussion of the issue during its earlier dinner meeting.
Jones-Wheat Elementary School Principal Larry Clark spoke in favor of continuing the policy during that meeting, following similar comments made by Hutto Middle School Principal Steven Dupree in August.
School Superintendent Ralph Jones had suspended the use of corporal punishment, or paddling, in schools after a Feb. 6 incident in which an assistant principal was judged to have used excessive force in disciplining a student. According to Jones, the board did not have to take a formal vote to reinstitute corporal punishment as the policy was still in place.
Jones said that paddling is just one of the options that can be used in disciplining a child and said he believed some principals would probably choose not to paddle from now on. While the board did not change the policy, Jones said he has recommended to principals two procedural changes: foremost, that parents are notified before the paddling occurs, even if they have previously given written permission; and additionally, that no student should be paddled more than once in a school day.
In the February incident, an elementary school student was paddled three times in one day, and the assistant principal involved was eventually disciplined following an investigation by the school board.
Paddling’s effectiveness discussed
During Principal Clark’s presentation of his school’s disciplinary policies to the board, member Clarissa Kendrick asked him if he believed paddling was truly effective in modifying children’s behavior.
Clark replied he believed it is effective, that sometimes just a serious look from an administrator or the idea that paddling could occur gets children’s attention.
With a small percentage of students who misbehave, paddling does not work and tribunals have to be held to determine their future status in school, Jones said. However, Jones stressed that paddling was not the primary form of school discipline.
Clark said making individual children go to timeout or stay with their teacher during recess instead of getting to play with their classmates are options.
“We don’t just paddle the kids the first time they are in the principal’s office,” Jones said. “There are some tough kids in the elementary school level who are disrupting class. Before we even get to paddling, we consider in-school suspension and talk to their parents to let them know what’s going on.”
Clark said he agreed that communication with parents is essential. Jones-Wheat sends out weekly progress reports that let parents know about the quality of their child’s schoolwork and behavior, so “there is no surprise what’s going on.” Clark said he welcomes parents with concerns to come to school and observe their child’s behavior first-hand, which in addition to being informative, often results in the child receiving appropriate discipline at home.
“We want the students to make the most of their day,” Clark said. “We don’t want them out of school … it’s all about academics.”
Comments
Posted by Kids_First (anonymous) on September 18, 2009 at 11:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Research on toddlers and other studies following children into adolescence found physical punishment was bad for children and made them more likely to show anti-social behaviour. Dr Jennifer Lansford, associate research professor with the Social Science Research Institute and Center for Child and Family Policy at Duke University, who led the study, said children who were exposed to physical discipline most frequently were two to three times more likely to show anti-social behaviour as an adolescent, including things like getting into fights, being disobedient at home or at school, general delinquency and being in trouble with teachers. "It seems highly likely that children exposed to violence would themselves use violence in reaction to situations. Violence begets violence is a lesson from history not just child psychology." What a sad testament in American society when studies find hitting children is harmful to their development and already ILLEGAL FOR A REASON IN SCHOOLS IN 30 STATES, yet we have fearful, ill-equipped “educators” who would rather take the “easy” way out when it comes to “Discipline”, rather than teaching children responsibility and compassion based on MUTUAL RESPECT! U.S. Congress is currently holding hearings on Abusive and DEADLY practices in schools and MUST ABOLISH Physical/Corporal Punishment of ALL Children in ALL SCHOOLS!
Posted by Kids_First (anonymous) on September 18, 2009 at 11:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Academics are important, but let's not lose sight of what really matter, our children, they are MORE THAN TEST SCORES AND FUNDING, they are our FUTURE!
Posted by Kathy108 (anonymous) on September 18, 2009 at 11:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
OK, first of all. If there was a 7 month moratorium or suspension like the writer posts....then why is the Georgia Department of Education's Legal Analyst, Pat Mills receiving information from Decatur County's school district superintendent that there were 1,212 incidents of spanking documented for FY08? This district has a 52% black population and a 62% poor population, which is why the affluent who are the most likely are the decision makers decided to continue to hit the aforementioned groups, which will continue the status quo and ascribed status. Fact is, Georgia collects the data as to the number of hits a school gives a student, but Georgia does not know if hitting kids makes them do better on the CRCTs or increases the graduation rates, which is data measured and how local schools, districts, and State Education agencies are held accountable.... for federal dollars for the poor, minority, and disadvantaged students. Since only 21 states in the union spank, I don't think the Federal Govt. should give Title I money to schools that are not following Best practices in the education process. Let these decisionmakers fully fund the poor, minority, and disadvantaged children's education. Georgia ranks 47 in the Nation according to SAT rankings....
Posted by rcox (anonymous) on September 19, 2009 at 12:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
If Principal Clark was educated in the United States, he would not have been able to study corporal punishment as a classroom management technique. It's not taught in U.S. colleges. He can never have taken a continuing education course in corporal punishment. The odds are pretty good that he incorporated myths and folklore about the effectiveness of corporal punishment when he was but a child. Since then, he has experimented with the antiquated and inhumane practice while on the job. Any elementary science teacher would tell him that any evidence he has collected is worthless; that the results he thinks he sees are pretty much what he expects to see. What doesn't match his expectations is discounted and quickly forgotten. Legitimate studies of corporal punishment have never shown it to be more effective than several positive alternatives. Shame on the superintendent and shame on the school board for accepting an amateur's guesses when what they are paying for is an expert. Educators whose practice is knowledge based know that hitting a child in the name of correction or control is not safe, is not as effective as positive alternatives and is not efficacious. Clark is a lazy administrator. Any brute with an arm can hit a child. It takes some brain work to manage children effectively. If he's not up to the task the board should find someone who is.
Posted by georgiamom (anonymous) on September 21, 2009 at 8:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I am curious why there was not a formal vote as stated in the article. A lot of districts have moved away from this practice in Georgia because they realize it doesn't work. I live in a district that does not paddle...they respect the kids and they really do try to have a healthy and safe school environment. I thank God everyday that I don't have to feel pressured to have my child paddled. I have a great school system by the way.
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