Pope Flick Posted May 13, 2007 Share Posted May 13, 2007 http://tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/articl...NTY07/705130406 Should we resurrect the public school debate? What were the people thinking? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Majoris Posted May 13, 2007 Share Posted May 13, 2007 Seriously, you can't make this chit up. What could possibly possess these people? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spain Posted May 13, 2007 Share Posted May 13, 2007 Wow! Have we really been Oprahized so much that a little prank tramautizes everyone? What a joke! Cant wait to see the lawsuits by the parents who claim their little darlings have been irreparably harmed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chavez Posted May 13, 2007 Share Posted May 13, 2007 Funny, the furor seems to stem from the conflict over which way to best protect The Children... - do we put them in plastic-bubble wrap and keep them innocent of all notions of bad things until they're 18, when we let them loose into a real world they are THOROUGHLY unprepared for? - or do we put a scare into them and try to use it as a learning experience? Inappropriate, but people make mistakes with the best of intentions. And this appears to be a case of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiegie Posted May 13, 2007 Share Posted May 13, 2007 The teacher is lucky that he/she didn't end up dead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Majoris Posted May 13, 2007 Share Posted May 13, 2007 Wow! Have we really been Oprahized so much that a little prank tramautizes everyone? What a joke! Cant wait to see the lawsuits by the parents who claim their little darlings have been irreparably harmed! You don't set fire to the school to practice a fire drill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliaz Posted May 13, 2007 Share Posted May 13, 2007 Gotta love this world we live in now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chavez Posted May 13, 2007 Share Posted May 13, 2007 You don't set fire to the school to practice a fire drill. Flawed analogy - someone wasn't ACTUALLY running around the school with a gun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detlef Posted May 13, 2007 Share Posted May 13, 2007 OK, straight up. The teachers acted like idiots. No two ways about it. How to deal with teaching our kids about gun attacks: 1) Announce that you will be conducting a drill 2) Tell the parents of said children what is going to happen How not do deal with teaching our kids about gun attacks: 1) Scare the holy hell out of them unannounced. I think there is a chasm between keeping our kids in a bubble and completely freaking them out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chavez Posted May 13, 2007 Share Posted May 13, 2007 I think there is a chasm between keeping our kids in a bubble and completely freaking them out. I'm pretty sure the kids will remember this lesson, however. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detlef Posted May 13, 2007 Share Posted May 13, 2007 I'm pretty sure the kids will remember this lesson, however. Do you truly think that this experience makes them any more prepared to deal with a real gunman situation? If that ever happens, do you think those not exposed to this will be freaking out while those who were will be cool? I think it would be hard to make a very compelling argument in that regard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chavez Posted May 13, 2007 Share Posted May 13, 2007 Do you truly think that this experience makes them any more prepared to deal with a real gunman situation? If that ever happens, do you think those not exposed to this will be freaking out while those who were will be cool? I think it would be hard to make a very compelling argument in that regard. It's hard to make an argument on that either way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detlef Posted May 13, 2007 Share Posted May 13, 2007 It's hard to make an argument on that either way. Well, the burden of proof is not on those who think that teachers shouldn't freak kids out like that. I can't prove that smacking them repeatedly in the head won't make them better students either but that doesn't mean it's OK to give it a shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Holy Roller Posted May 13, 2007 Share Posted May 13, 2007 I keep a sawed off 12 guage tethered under my desk a la Wyatt Earp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewer Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 Surprised that one of the kids didn't pull a gun and shoot the retard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperBalla Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 I am not sure what the kids were to learn? Were they suppose to be trained to remain calm when someone is trying to shoot them? Wow...I am dumbfounded at the stupidity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azazello1313 Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 do we put them in plastic-bubble wrap and keep them innocent of all notions of bad things until they're 18, when we let them loose into a real world they are THOROUGHLY unprepared for?his appears to be a case of that. yeah, but this isn't quite the kind of "exposure" i was arguing for in the home-schooling thread. seriously, i agree with chavez....this is probably kinda poor judgment on some level, but cripes, people ARE way oversensitized to this kinda thing. getting all worked up over it is stupid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spain Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 yeah, but this isn't quite the kind of "exposure" i was arguing for in the home-schooling thread. seriously, i agree with chavez....this is probably kinda poor judgment on some level, but cripes, people ARE way oversensitized to this kinda thing. getting all worked up over it is stupid. +1 The Oprahization and Feminizing of America is complete. Now, let the lawsuits begin because little Suzy has been permanently damaged from this traumatizing experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skylive5 Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 Gee whiz but we have become a country of cry babies and wimps. I view this situation as no different than being forced to hide under my desk at school to protect myself from the bombs sent by Russia. LOL Maybe a bit more intense...but not by much. I despair for America's future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spain Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 Oh wait my liberal limp wristed friends. They were told about the prank BEFORE it was done: Monday, 05/14/07 School system says students told to expect prank Murfreesboro board members don’t want overreaction By JAIME SARRIO Staff Writer Elementary students on a school field trip had been told to expect a “campfire prank” by the teachers, but a tale of a gunman on the loose went too far, Murfreesboro’s city school system said in a statement Sunday. Sixty-nine sixth-grade students from Scales Elementary were told Thursday during a field trip to Fall Creek Falls that someone was shooting in the park and they should lie on the floor or crawl underneath tables and keep quiet. Parents met at the school over the weekend to discuss the incident, which frightened many of the children and brought some to tears. According to a statement released late Sunday by the district, the students had been anticipating a prank such as had been done to previous sixth-grade campers. Most of the students, the statement said, stood up after the trick, exchanged high fives and said, “That was a good one. Yeah, you got me.”But some parents were outraged, especially in light of the April 16 shootings at Virginia Tech. The district conceded that the prank crossed the line in light of recent incidents but stated that there were many versions of the story and news coverage of the hoax had been sensationalized. Several Murfreesboro City Schools board members said Sunday that the phony attack was foolish and an error in judgment. But they said they trust the director of schools, Marilyn Mathis, to decide what action — if any — should be taken against teachers and an assistant principal who staged the prank. “I’m not sure punishment is even the right word,” said Nancy Phillips, a board member who knows the assistant principal involved. “I think they need to take the appropriate action, but I don’t think they need to overreact.” Board member Lon Nuell agrees. He said the incident was very unfortunate and immature, but he will leave it to Mathis to make the call on how those involved should be dealt with. “It was a very foolish thing for adults to do to children,” he said. “Telling ghost stories is one thing, but carrying it as far as they did was a pretty big error in judgment.” Scales Elementary Principal Catherine Stephens did not return calls made to her home Sunday. She held a meeting Saturday afternoon at the school to discuss the matter with a handful of concerned parents. She said that she was saddened by the situation and that the school was handling it, though she declined to elaborate Saturday on whether the teachers involved would face disciplinary action. Board member Patrick McCarthy said that the incident should be handled with care and sensitivity and that the administration should work hard to get all sides of the story. “You have to hire the right people and them let them do their job,” he said. http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar...40348/1018/NEWS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detlef Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 Oh wait my liberal limp wristed friends. They were told about the prank BEFORE it was done: Monday, 05/14/07 School system says students told to expect prank Murfreesboro board members don’t want overreaction By JAIME SARRIO Staff Writer Elementary students on a school field trip had been told to expect a “campfire prank” by the teachers, but a tale of a gunman on the loose went too far, Murfreesboro’s city school system said in a statement Sunday. Sixty-nine sixth-grade students from Scales Elementary were told Thursday during a field trip to Fall Creek Falls that someone was shooting in the park and they should lie on the floor or crawl underneath tables and keep quiet. Parents met at the school over the weekend to discuss the incident, which frightened many of the children and brought some to tears. According to a statement released late Sunday by the district, the students had been anticipating a prank such as had been done to previous sixth-grade campers. Most of the students, the statement said, stood up after the trick, exchanged high fives and said, “That was a good one. Yeah, you got me.”But some parents were outraged, especially in light of the April 16 shootings at Virginia Tech. The district conceded that the prank crossed the line in light of recent incidents but stated that there were many versions of the story and news coverage of the hoax had been sensationalized. Several Murfreesboro City Schools board members said Sunday that the phony attack was foolish and an error in judgment. But they said they trust the director of schools, Marilyn Mathis, to decide what action — if any — should be taken against teachers and an assistant principal who staged the prank. “I’m not sure punishment is even the right word,” said Nancy Phillips, a board member who knows the assistant principal involved. “I think they need to take the appropriate action, but I don’t think they need to overreact.” Board member Lon Nuell agrees. He said the incident was very unfortunate and immature, but he will leave it to Mathis to make the call on how those involved should be dealt with. “It was a very foolish thing for adults to do to children,” he said. “Telling ghost stories is one thing, but carrying it as far as they did was a pretty big error in judgment.” Scales Elementary Principal Catherine Stephens did not return calls made to her home Sunday. She held a meeting Saturday afternoon at the school to discuss the matter with a handful of concerned parents. She said that she was saddened by the situation and that the school was handling it, though she declined to elaborate Saturday on whether the teachers involved would face disciplinary action. Board member Patrick McCarthy said that the incident should be handled with care and sensitivity and that the administration should work hard to get all sides of the story. “You have to hire the right people and them let them do their job,” he said. http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar...40348/1018/NEWS 1) The very fact that this is being referred to a "prank" rather than a "drill" concerns me and sort invalidates anyone's claims that it was not a completely stupid thing to do. While I do think there are better ways to usher in a discussion on what to do in this situation, at least staging such a drill is an arguable stance. However, a "prank" by definition is intended to be a joke at someone else's expense. Teachers who think this is a good joke need to have their heads examined. 2) So you're a kid who's been told to expect a "prank". It's entirely possible not to connect the dots when the teachers tell you there's a gunman loose and "this is not a drill". In fact, I'm guessing that at least one kid expecting the prank asked, "Is this the prank?" and that was answered with, "No, get under the desk, this is the real thing!" 3) In the wake of the VT shootings, I really don't think the timing was all that great. Again, someone needs to prove that these kids are any better off for this having happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azazello1313 Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 Again, someone needs to prove that these kids are any better off for this having happened. i'm not going to try to prove that the prank was done for the kids' benefit. it may or may not have had that particular effect, i dunno. i just think anyone making a hubub about this is totally overreacting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detlef Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 i'm not going to try to prove that the prank was done for the kids' benefit. it may or may not have had that particular effect, i dunno. i just think anyone making a hubub about this is totally overreacting. You know, if it had been older kids doing it, I would completely blow it off as "kids will be kids." It's just not the sort of "prank" that you'd expect adults, especially teachers of young children to think is a good idea to do. I don't think these kids will be forever damaged and I don't think these people should be fired but that doesn't change the fact that it was a completely stupid idea and I'm surprised that one of them didn't have the sense to see that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Cid Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 I tend to agree with Sky on this one. Is this really any different from "duck and cover" drills that used to be run? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimC Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 Wait, there are schools in Tennessee? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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