Division I regional track finals
Fenwick graduation 2012
Ponitz graduation 2012
Dayton Daily News education reporter Scott Elliott writes about schools, kids, teaching and learning.
Home > Blogs > Get on the Bus > Archives > 2006 > September > 30
Saturday, September 30, 2006
A little whack on the butt
(Texas principal Anthony Price)
Sometimes you hear old-timers talk about their youthful days, and the terrifying principals who enforced discipline with an iron hand — or just as likely with a wooden stick. My father has a story from high school about a teacher who struck a kid so hard he knocked a tooth out.
Thank goodness those days are gone, right?
Think again.
In today’s New York Times they write about one principal who paddles kids with pride in Texas and notes that corporal punishment is alive in well in more than a dozen states, including Ohio.
About a decade ago, Ohio made it much more difficult for school districts to allow corporal punishment. In order to keep the policy allowing paddling, districts were required to form committees to study the issue and conduct a public vote. That was more than most school boards wanted to do and all but a few dumped whatever paddling they still allowed. (At the time I covered Milton-Union’s effort to keep paddling, jumping through all the hoops to maintain the policy.)
For my own kids, I strongly oppose paddling, spanking or whatever you want to call it. I’ve never struck my own children. To me, that’s the easy way out. Correcting them without violence takes a bit more work but I think it’s far more effective. I absolutely wouldn’t want a school official paddling them.
What’s your view of corporal punishment at schools?
(Image credit: www.nytimes.com)
Permalink | Comments (7) | Categories: My Favorite Posts, School Violence
