Inciting a riot

[MPGGPM 0]

I'm not sure where to post this, so am starting here. My son, who is as new to the whole gang thing as I am, was suspended from his school today because he alerted other kids, his friends, to the fact that a fight had broken out between two gang members. The principal's reasoning was that he, basically, 'incited a riot', because he alerted other kids to the fight and turned a crowd of 15 into a crowd of around 100+.

I don't know the US school system well enough... but think this is really unfair. Any thoughts?

This may not make you happy, but I agree with the principal. This student (your son) saw that a fight broke out. Sure, he's a kid etc.......but you have to look at the facts.

Instead of alerting the authorities in charge (the adults at the school), he fell into peer pressure, and decided to alert his friends instead.

That could have magnified the situation. The other kids he told, could have themselves decided to retaliate, make an even larger fight and incident, and have made the problem much worse.

From the school's point of view, they are trying to diffuse this kind of situation. Schools are NOT what they were 20-30 years ago. Just here in florida, in Orlando, a week or 2 ago, a student stabbed and killed another student by cutting him in the neck with a pocket knife. It was just over an argument with a girlfriend.

This is unfortunately, where schools are today.

The FIRST thing your son should have done was to alert adults in charge. Instead he gave into peer pressure, and made things worse.

That is the school's point of view, and given the atmosphere of schools today, I agree that they should have taken strong action.

[MichelleandCraig 1]

Sounds over the top to me, but really difficult to know how it actually all went down. Dalegg, on the other hand, IMO that is freaking *ridiculous*. M.

[mmb 0]

This doesn't sound that unusual to me though I know next to nothing about the American school system.

I remember way back when I was at school any kids in the vicinity of a fight were punished as the Headmaster rightly assumed the kids fighting were more likely to fight longer if they had an audience. It's harder to run away from a fight and look like a coward when there are witnesses.

His system worked pretty well, there were very few fights in the school even though there were three different gangs among the pupils.

[Peggy 1]

I find the laws here very different from home when it comes to a minor.

If your child gets in trouble and gets a fine, the parent also gets ####### for it.

I have talked to parents here that had to go to court becasue their child was out past curfew, (they have a cerfew on week nights of 9 and 11 on the weekends. If your caught out past that time, you are arrested and have to go to court. Also if you can't pay back restitution that your child owes, they put the parent in jail till its paid.

The school system where I am sucks bad too.

[sjoefl01 1]

There are 2 sides to every story. I have 4 kids and I lean toward the authorities. Most likely there is a reason for them to chastize your kids.

When I was young they were allowed to spank a kid that made a mistake. Now they have to encounter all sorts of angry parents. Work with the school. They have your kids best interest at heart. Their hands are tied. We have given them an impossible task.

Listen carefully. They are trying to tell you what is wrong with your child.

[ursy 0]

I'm not saying this is the case here but from my experience the parents never really know what exactly happened. The child is probably going to play innocent and tell the parent that they didn't do anything bad to a certain extent. No one likes to get into trouble but really the parent doesn't know what happened.

I don't think it's good to call kids attention to a fight and as someone stated above it draws an even bigger crowd of people that administrators have to squeeze through to stop the fight.

Yes, I too agree with others here. As a teacher in a school and a parent myself, it is not impossible to think that the child is sharing their version of the event. Also, I think that in todays world any child who alerts or encourages a fight in any way should be suspended. It is no longer harmless to watch violece in todays schools as it was 10 or 20 years ago. That message should be made clear to our kids. Because the results of a fight these can be quite different than it used to be. I think Alerters and participators should all be suspended. Violence including fighting can no longer be a spectator's sport. I think the person who watches and alerts other to watch a crime at the local store is also just as guilty.

Well, that is my extreme opinion but I think America's schools have become EXTREME !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jenn! 918]

Wow, a lot of moral parsimony in here!

[choji 0]

There are 2 sides to every story. I have 4 kids and I lean toward the authorities. Most likely there is a reason for them to chastize your kids.

When I was young they were allowed to spank a kid that made a mistake. Now they have to encounter all sorts of angry parents. Work with the school. They have your kids best interest at heart. Their hands are tied. We have given them an impossible task.

Listen carefully. They are trying to tell you what is wrong with your child.

Sorry, no. I have to disagree.

To a large extent school personnel up to the highest level have only one interest at heart - their own. They try to cover their backsides to the nth degree.

Unfortunately these guys have forgotten that kids are just that - kids. They have also forgotten that their job is to educate kids, in more ways than just teaching them what's on the curriculum.

"Education" is the key word here. Education is more than to train children like dogs and to punish them like dogs.

Disclaimer: I apologize to all teachers on this board who do a good and effective job, who are true teachers, not trainers. They are not included in this statement.

[Veiled Princess 1]

When I was in school this would have been unusual.

Like others have mentioned it was common practice in the past to alert your friends to a fight and even watch it play out BUT then again we were not shooting at each other in school then either.

I completely agree with having harsher restrictions in school today because I don't want to have to go claim my child's body at his school any time soon.

I hope you talk to your son and explain what part he may have played in this and how he can avoid the same thing happening again in the future and I hope everything works out for you.

[ursy 0]

There are 2 sides to every story. I have 4 kids and I lean toward the authorities. Most likely there is a reason for them to chastize your kids.

When I was young they were allowed to spank a kid that made a mistake. Now they have to encounter all sorts of angry parents. Work with the school. They have your kids best interest at heart. Their hands are tied. We have given them an impossible task.

Listen carefully. They are trying to tell you what is wrong with your child.

Sorry, no. I have to disagree.

To a large extent school personnel up to the highest level have only one interest at heart - their own. They try to cover their backsides to the nth degree.

Unfortunately these guys have forgotten that kids are just that - kids. They have also forgotten that their job is to educate kids, in more ways than just teaching them what's on the curriculum.

"Education" is the key word here. Education is more than to train children like dogs and to punish them like dogs.

Disclaimer: I apologize to all teachers on this board who do a good and effective job, who are true teachers, not trainers. They are not included in this statement.

ACTUALLY THE JOBS OF THE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM SHOULD BE ONLY TO TEACH THE CURRICULUM . I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE PARENTS AND TRAIN BEHAVIOR, BREAK UP FIGHT, TEACH MORALITY ETC. THE SCHOOLS SHOULD ONLY BE FOR EDUCATION AND KNOWLEDGE RELATED ACADEMICS NOT RAISING KIDS. LAST I CHECK THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE PARENTS' JOB.

JUST LIKE THE HOSPITAL IS FOR CARE TAKING OF THE SICK.

[sarah and hicham 3]

There are 2 sides to every story. I have 4 kids and I lean toward the authorities. Most likely there is a reason for them to chastize your kids.

When I was young they were allowed to spank a kid that made a mistake. Now they have to encounter all sorts of angry parents. Work with the school. They have your kids best interest at heart. Their hands are tied. We have given them an impossible task.

Listen carefully. They are trying to tell you what is wrong with your child.

Sorry, no. I have to disagree.

To a large extent school personnel up to the highest level have only one interest at heart - their own. They try to cover their backsides to the nth degree.

Unfortunately these guys have forgotten that kids are just that - kids. They have also forgotten that their job is to educate kids, in more ways than just teaching them what's on the curriculum.

"Education" is the key word here. Education is more than to train children like dogs and to punish them like dogs.

Disclaimer: I apologize to all teachers on this board who do a good and effective job, who are true teachers, not trainers. They are not included in this statement.

ACTUALLY THE JOBS OF THE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM SHOULD BE ONLY TO TEACH THE CURRICULUM . I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE PARENTS AND TRAIN BEHAVIOR, BREAK UP FIGHT, TEACH MORALITY ETC. THE SCHOOLS SHOULD ONLY BE FOR EDUCATION AND KNOWLEDGE RELATED ACADEMICS NOT RAISING KIDS. LAST I CHECK THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE PARENTS' JOB.

JUST LIKE THE HOSPITAL IS FOR CARE TAKING OF THE SICK.

don't bring that tone of voice in here hahaha

[ursy 0]

There are 2 sides to every story. I have 4 kids and I lean toward the authorities. Most likely there is a reason for them to chastize your kids.

When I was young they were allowed to spank a kid that made a mistake. Now they have to encounter all sorts of angry parents. Work with the school. They have your kids best interest at heart. Their hands are tied. We have given them an impossible task.

Listen carefully. They are trying to tell you what is wrong with your child.

Sorry, no. I have to disagree.

To a large extent school personnel up to the highest level have only one interest at heart - their own. They try to cover their backsides to the nth degree.

Unfortunately these guys have forgotten that kids are just that - kids. They have also forgotten that their job is to educate kids, in more ways than just teaching them what's on the curriculum.

"Education" is the key word here. Education is more than to train children like dogs and to punish them like dogs.

Disclaimer: I apologize to all teachers on this board who do a good and effective job, who are true teachers, not trainers. They are not included in this statement.

ACTUALLY THE JOBS OF THE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM SHOULD BE ONLY TO TEACH THE CURRICULUM . I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE PARENTS AND TRAIN BEHAVIOR, BREAK UP FIGHT, TEACH MORALITY ETC. THE SCHOOLS SHOULD ONLY BE FOR EDUCATION AND KNOWLEDGE RELATED ACADEMICS NOT RAISING KIDS. LAST I CHECK THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE PARENTS' JOB.

JUST LIKE THE HOSPITAL IS FOR CARE TAKING OF THE SICK.

don't bring that tone of voice in here hahaha

Maybe we should start raising our voices!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have you seen the statistics on school violence lately. It makes life in the school during the 80's ancient history. PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT IS TIME TO RAISE OUR VOICES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Joel Halfwassen 0]

When I went to the principal I would use my 'one call' to call a lawyer (my best friend's dad who hated the school system) or the news (my girlfriend's mom was a reporter who hated the school system). The school started to call my parents directly after that. Most of my trips to his office were for civil disobediance so my parents were supportive as long as I was willing to take the punishment (my parents wouldn't punish me for what they saw as 'political' or 'policy' things). But it is where I learned that the legal and media system were normally on my side. And the school system was on their own side. They don't have education in their hearts...the have their own butts in mind.

However...what was the school system to do with a kid like me? An 'A' student in college level courses who spoke his mind on injustice and hypocrisy in the school system.

Joel

Edited October 29, 2006 by Joel Halfwassen

[ursy 0]

When I went to the principal I would use my 'one call' to call a lawyer (my best friend's dad who hated the school system) or the news (my girlfriend's mom was a reporter who hated the school system). The school started to call my parents directly after that. Most of my trips to his office were for civil disobediance so my parents were supportive as long as I was willing to take the punishment (my parents wouldn't punish me for what they saw as 'political' or 'policy' things). But it is where I learned that the legal and media system were normally on my side. And the school system was on their own side. They don't have education in their hearts...the have their own butts in mind.

Joel

obviously your parents were selfish too. They kept sending you there. Or is it be because it was just easier for them.

[rebeccajo 14]

Sounds like a load of ####### to me. I'd be in that principals office and he'd be having to explain quite a lot to me.

Why are so many assuming that the boy is being less than forthcoming with the truth? I figure his mom knows whether or not she can take his word.....