Help responding to my 9 year old's teacher...

Status
Not open for further replies.
The question you have to ask yourself is -- how much time and energy do you want to use making a teacher or administrator's position untenable? And how hard will it be?

Or are you better off "keeping it low" or choosing another schooling option?
 
Can anyone think of a reason that would make the OP not post an update?

The OP has no posts since May 5. Maybe he's been busy. Or maybe he consulted a lawyer who told him not to make any comments until the issue is resolved.
 
OP here, sorry for the delay in responding, I should have provided an update once this was resolved, I have been on the road for months and then forgot about it.
First and foremost, thank you all for excellent advice. I had a hard time deciding how to proceed after an experience with our older son turned into a witch hunt by several teachers. This was different on several levels but mostly because they termed it an “Honor Code” violation. I may have mentioned it, but like most people on the board, a violation of honor actually means something more than a clever turn of phrase.
After taking the conversation off line with a fellow THR School Board Member and PhD Teacher for advice, I scheduled a face to face with the school principal. This is no small feat for me. I work for DoD and at the time of the incident I was on the road more than home. I allowed enough time to calm down, and went in with a plan and agenda after reading the school code three times.
I need to say, the principle was more than accommodating in her time and willingness to let me get my point across. We did not agree at first, but eventually she came around to our point of view. He had already done his punishment by this time, but agreed to remove all reference to a violation of honor code, and even agreed to a possible renaming of the school rules as most do not have anything to do with honor!
All things considered it was a good experience as Alex got a taste of intolerance, and learned a lesson on how to counter it. Not with screams of outrage mind you, but with reason and preparedness.

Thanks again for all the great advice.

mk
 
Wow, what a shock. I still have my 3rd grade attempt at a Tom Clancy novel at home. Complete with explosions, rifle fire, and grenades maiming people. How sad.
 
I don’t think your situation could have been resolved any better than it was. The principal having an intelligent discussion with you about the occurrence shows a remarkable level of professionalism on her part. It is good to hear that the situation had a positive outcome.

I was in high school in the mid 90's, I know guys that would go turkey hunting before school and bring their weapons and equipment onto school property afterwards. Hell I remember on huge kill a guy made, he brought the bird, his shotgun, and all into the school parking lot and even showed it to some of the male teachers. Now a child cant even draw a picture of a gun in a non-violent way? Time changes everything . .
 
You may want to consider following up with the principal at some point, and periodically after that. It will let her know you were serious about the discussion, and not allow her off the hook. You sound satisfied by your reaction, but like many politicians, she may have realized half way through the discussion she would have to placate you with "Yes, Yes" type answers to diffuse things. My wifes a teacher, and I've been around administrators, and the like for many years, and wouldn't be surprised if that was her motive in the end. Either way, glad to hear your son is being cleared of any false wrong doing.
 
Congratulations on fighting the good fight in an adult way. It sounds like a good resolution.

I agree with the recommended follow-up (if you can afford the time) either
(1) for the (more cynical) reason discussed by drivadesl or
(2) perhaps because you can do some good in educating these people

Not to imply that I am not skeptical of admins and policies. Just that sometimes people are simply ignorant, not bad.
 
here is how you get back at the system.
On the day of the "grade level incentive" that your child is no longer invited to, asked to be a part of... take the kid to do something awesome. take him hunting, camping, or an awesome day at the range.
the next day, when all the kids are talking about the previous days activity when they got to eat pizza and watch barney, he will tell them stories of field dressing a deer or blowing up stuff at the range with dear old dad.
the system is trying to punish him for drawing a picture (censorship). The system is now disenfranchising him by kicking him out of the "grade incentive". I say disenfranchise the rest of the kids, make them wish they were doing what your kid was doing. Make them wish they werent sucking on soda and playing their reindeer games but actually doing something awesome.
Psyops.
 
I would tell them to take a flying leap.
Here are the larger issues.
1. No child under the age of 18 can sign any contract. Even if they do, it is not binding and any effort on the part of the school to do so is coercion.
2. Drawing a picture of a gun is not against any law that I know of. If the school presses that it is disturbing, I would turn around and point out something in the school that is disturbing to you.
3. Inform them that they just made you into a watch dog for the school. I would be there every day, giving my opinion on anything that I can.
4. Have them show you where in the rules that it says that child can't draw a person holding a firearm.
5. I would run for PTA and let them know who you are and where you come from.
 
Join Date: June 14, 2009
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 432 I don’t think your situation could have been resolved any better than it was. The principal having an intelligent discussion with you about the occurrence shows a remarkable level of professionalism on her part. It is good to hear that the situation had a positive outcome.

I was in high school in the mid 90's, I know guys that would go turkey hunting before school and bring their weapons and equipment onto school property afterwards. Hell I remember on huge kill a guy made, he brought the bird, his shotgun, and all into the school parking lot and even showed it to some of the male teachers. Now a child cant even draw a picture of a gun in a non-violent way? Time changes everything . .

In the mid 90's you are lucky that you were not hauled off to jail. They had the 1000 ft no firearms exclusion zones around schools, at least in my state, Texas then. In rural Kentucky, I can see you doing that, no problems personally, but just thinking about the times. When I was in high school in very early 60's it was definetly no problem. Guns were occasionally brought to school to show. In college, in N Louisiana we even "open carried" on western day, try that now!

Times are different, and places are definetly different in outlook.
 
I am glad the situation was resolved and I think I would let this incident be over unless the school does something else silly.

Blame it on liberal schools if you like, but let's look at some facts. Columbine wasn't a single incident. In addition to the multiple killings, there has been a rash of shootings at schools and what seems to be an increase in the number of kids caught with guns on school grounds. I don't think that a week goes by without hearing about some young idiot that came to school with a gun. And who knows how many don't get caught?

In Chicago, a city with some of the strictest handgun laws in the nation, 348 school-age children have been shot this year. Fourteen of them died (not to be glib, but thank heavens they are apparently really bad shots). Almost all of the shootings were done by other students.

Yes, we all know that gun control laws seldom work, but that's not the point.

The result is parents screaming at the school system "What are you going to do about it?" Mind you, they are not asking themselves what they can do about it, like educating their children about firearms or keeping their own guns locked up; they're demanding the school and government do something about it. So schools erect metal detectors and start hiring armed police forces and adopt "zero-tolerance" policies and states enact strict regulations that say even persons licensed to carry cannot have a firearm on school grounds. Why? Because that's all they can do. When it's not enough, they try the "guns are bad" indoctrination. I don't like it, but I can understand it. They're hoping to raise a generation of students who won't bring guns to school.

When I was a nine years old (and Eisenhower was President), my classmates and I drew guns all the time. Mostly machine guns shooting Nazis or something like that. We all knew about guns and some of us owned them (or had parents who owned them for us). But I never recall anyone ever bringing a handgun to school, not even for "show and tell." The only time I remember anyone bringing a gun of any sort to school was in in high school was a fellow who brought in his dad's shotgun, with permission, for use in a school play. The student gave the gun to his teacher who had it locked up in the principal's office. After the play, the gun was returned to the student who took it home.

We didn't have uniformed and armed police officers in our hallways. In high school, the assistant principal had a a piece of paper on his door that said "NCHS Police" because he was in charge of school discipline. It was a joke (though he wasn't: he was very strict). That was as close as we came.

I am not trying to excuse what the teacher did or say that public schools don't go overboard with the political correctness thing. But before we shoot from the hip, perhaps we ought to ask ourselves what could be done instead of what's being done? Schools don't have infinite resources and sometimes one size does have to fit all.

So, what would you do to curb school violence (at least the lethal kind), satisfy parents and make sure no kid has to suffer through what Winter Borne's son endured?
 
Last edited:
Times have definitely changed. When I was in kindergarten, I drew a Frosty the Snowman complete with a pair of mini Uzis and two bandoliers of grenades.

My kindergarten teacher called it "... interesting," but I never got in any trouble.

My parents dubbed it "Frosty the Hit Man."
 
I don't get it either. When I was a kid I drew all kinds of war scenes, guns, weapons, violence, etc. . . yet somehow I've never been involved in more than a schoolyard brawl, have a spotless record, and a CHL permit. Kids are kids, the "war" phase is completely normal. Life isn't all kittens and rainbows.
 
Be polite and ask the teacher to show you a copy of the school code, and where in that code is the section that your son supposedly violated.
 
+1 for Crash Test, I did take a day off when he was home and took him to the NRA Museum here in Virginia.

I am now the Assistant Cub Master of the PTA sponcered Cub Scout Pack and see the principal every week. I let her know last week we are planning a "Night at the Museum" sleep over @ the NRA Museum and Shooting Range for 82 of the 2nd through 5th graders at her school who are in our Pack.

mk
 
I let her know last week we are planning a "Night at the Museum" sleep over @ the NRA Museum and Shooting Range for 82 of the 2nd through 5th graders at her school who are in our Pack.
That might be the coolest camp out I've ever heard of! :D
 
I let her know last week we are planning a "Night at the Museum" sleep over @ the NRA Museum and Shooting Range for 82 of the 2nd through 5th graders at her school who are in our Pack.

Wish I could sign up for that!!
 
Guess being here in the south makes a big difference about the whole no guns at school thing. The school I teach at has had art posted outside classrooms depicting hunting scenes. Drawing a gun is certainly not seen as a threat, unless it is pointed at somebody in the picture. And most teachers (including myself) encourage our students to write about things they like, and so hunting and shooting are very common topics, of both boys and girls.
 
I took my 6 year old out to the desert and let him fire a gun (Ruger .22) for the first time. He was so excited! The next day when he got on the bus he was telling the bus driver that he and his dad went shooting and bragged about hitting a pop can with the .22 pistol. The bus driver said "Good job!" My son then went on to explain to the bus driver gun safety, in particular to make sure you have the gun pointed in a safe direction and finger off the trigger until you are ready to fire. The bus driver just smiled.

I am so proud of my son!

No offense Winter Borne, but look at the part of the country you live in. NOT a very gun friendly area.
 
Just getting to this thread. Didn't even read all of it: just page 1 then this one to see how it turned out.

Congratulations and job well done to Winter Born for standing up for your principles.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top