child's name violates schools weapons policy

[monovillage]

In a recent episode of public school fail a preschool wants a deaf child to change his name so he doesn't make a sign that resembles shooting a handgun with both hands.

To his family, friends and those who know the Signing Exact English (S.E.E.) language that the Grand Island, Neb., boy uses, that gesture uniquely means "Hunter Spanjer."

But to Hunter's school district, it might mean something else. The district claims that it violates a rule that forbids anything in the school that looks like a weapon, reports KOLN-TV.
And Hunter's parents claim that Grand Island Pubic Schools administrators have asked them to change their son's sign language name.

It seems the school officials are asking the parents of Hunter to work out a compromise.

I have a compromise in mind for those school officials.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout...oler-change-sign-language-name-191629255.html

http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/world/archives/2012/08/20120828-121108.html

A Nebraska preschool is asking a three-year-old deaf boy to change his name because it violates the school board's weapons policy.

Hunter Spanjer signs his first name by making what looks like shooting gestures with both hands. He crosses his fingers when he does it - a modification to show it's his proper name.

But the Grand Island Public Schools board says its "Weapons in Schools" policy bans "any instrument ... that looks like a weapon." The school wants him to change the sign, a request Hunter's family says is both unfair and silly.

"Anybody that I have talked to thinks this is absolutely ridiculous. This is not threatening in any way," Hunter's grandmother Janet Logue told local news station 1011.

"It's a symbol. It's an actual sign, a registered sign," said Hunter's father, Brian Spanjer.
The school board wants to work out a compromise.

"We are working with the parents to come to the best solution we can for the child," said school board spokesman Jack Sheard.

But the Spanjers say they aren't interested. They're bringing in lawyers from the National Association of the Deaf to fight for their son's right to sign his own name.

Meanwhile, local residents told the station the school is overreacting and that Hunter poses no danger.

 

[RocksteadyDotNet]

LOL. I love The Onion.

 

[jackstar7]

The school district has already backed down from their crazy.

http://www.1011now.com/home/headlin...nt-Not-Required-to-Change-Name-167784235.html

 

[monovillage]

LOL. I love The Onion.

You may be glad to learn that the school district has allowed the child to keep his name.
http://www.1011now.com/home/headlin...nt-Not-Required-to-Change-Name-167784235.html

Thanks Jack, as rockaussie can see, it's a real story about a school districts rules.

 

[jackschmittusa]

Glad they backed off. Their initial stance was beyond belief.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

LOL. I love The Onion.

And that's why you want to see the Onion become reality eh?

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Glad they backed off. Their initial stance was beyond belief.

They should have been ashamed to have suggested it at all. I suppose they can take over the utilities though.

 

[soulcougher73]

Glad they backed off. Their initial stance was beyond belief.

Yeah shows a lack of critical thinking. Whoever suggested the idea and those who agreed with it should all be fired. Probably put to death as well to help out the gene pool some.

 

[rudder]

Glad they backed off. Their initial stance was beyond belief.

Stupid crap like this happens all the time. You would think in the age of the internet a school administrator would stop to think and say to themselves... "you know I better not pursue this retarded rule against a three year old because in a week the whole world could be laughing at me."

 

[waggy]

no suprise they backed off. i figured they would. the stance they were taking was to idiotic to stand up to scrutiny.

Stupid crap like this happens all the time. You would think in the age of the internet a school administrator would stop to think and say to themselves... "you know I better not pursue this retarded rule against a three year old because in a week the whole world could be laughing at me."

fuck no. in my experience School Administration once they give there answer that is it. they won't back down unless it gets to hot

 

[Brainonska511]

Yeah shows a lack of critical thinking. Whoever suggested the idea and those who agreed with it should all be fired. Probably put to death as well to help out the gene pool some.

That might be a little extreme.

But this crap goes to show how important local elections can be. Don't vote idiots onto school boards or into county seats that make stupid decisions. If we keep voting for idiots at the local level, some of them end up trickling up to higher echelons of government.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

That might be a little extreme.

But this crap goes to show how important local elections can be. Don't vote idiots onto school boards or into county seats that make stupid decisions. If we keep voting for idiots at the local level, some of them end up trickling up to higher echelons of government.

This is stupid with a purpose. Since there is no legal relief given to school districts for just about anything these regulations come about from those who look at them as shark food, and they are hire legal sharks to eat them. Regulations have the legal effect of law, and sometimes stupid gets done with a fear that if they don't then they are in trouble if sued by someone. Willfully ignoring a legal policy is tantamount to guilt and they will lose in most cases. Hell, we know that in health care. Sometimes they require actions which defy logic and can result in a delay of care (or in the case of schools a seeming lack of common sense) but if the state or a lawyer comes in they will feed well indeed.

 

[CPA]

You may be glad to learn that the school district has allowed the child to keep his name.
http://www.1011now.com/home/headlin...nt-Not-Required-to-Change-Name-167784235.html

Thanks Jack, as rockaussie can see, it's a real story about a school districts rules.

Actually, this hasn't be resolved. The school says they follow ASL (American Sign Language), but the kid and parents have been using the SEE method. The school system has not conceded in allowing the boy to use the SEE method.

 

[waggy]

Actually, this hasn't be resolved. The school says that follow ASL (American Sign Language), but the kid and parents have been using the SEE method. The school system has not conceded in allowing the boy to use the SEE method.

even with ASL (or any other sign language used) his name is a personal thing and they try to be unique.

this has nothing to do with what type of sign language used.

 

[Smoblikat]

no suprise they backed off. i figured they would. the stance they were taking was to idiotic to stand up to scrutiny.




fuck no. in my experience School Administration once they give there answer that is it. they won't back down unless it gets to hot

Then how did obama get elected?

 

[CPA]

even with ASL (or any other sign language used) his name is a personal thing and they try to be unique.

this has nothing to do with what type of sign language used.

Yes it does. The SEE method uses the finger positioning that the school doesn't like. ASL doesn't. The school is basically saying "We aren't asking him to changes his name, we're saying he has to use ASL when saying his name."

 

[nehalem256]

even with ASL (or any other sign language used) his name is a personal thing and they try to be unique.

this has nothing to do with what type of sign language used.

What if some hearing child decided to go by the name AK47, so he could be unique . Do you think schools would allow that?

 

[Incorruptible]

And this is why we need less idiotic bureaucrats and political correctness which causes all this nonsense

 

[waggy]

Yes it does. The SEE method uses the finger positioning that the school doesn't like. ASL doesn't. The school is basically saying "We aren't asking him to changes his name, we're saying he has to use ASL when saying his name."

its a name. names are different then actual signing. Most are a variation of a first letter and something that is about you. His name is Hunter his name is a variation of the letter H using the alphabet.

they are not asking him to use a different language. they are asking him to change the sign of his name.

there are tons of different sign languages. but one thing they have in common is that a persons name is unique. why? its a bitch signing someones name all the time.

 

[CPA]

its a name. names are different then actual signing. Most are a variation of a first letter and something that is about you. His name is Hunter his name is a variation of the letter H using the alphabet.

they are not asking him to use a different language. they are asking him to change the sign of his name.

there are tons of different sign languages. but one thing they have in common is that a persons name is unique. why? its a bitch signing someones name all the time.

My understanding from the articles is that the SEE method (the method the parents taught him and he uses) uses unique hand signing for your name. In his case, it's clasping his hands together and extending his index fingers. ASL uses common denotations, including signing individual letters.

The school's most recent follow-up response was "The sign language techniques taught in the school district are consistent with the standards of the Nebraska Department of Education and ASL [American Sign Language]." (see monovillages' link)

So, the way I read this is that the school is saying, "you don't need to change your name, but you need to use ASL to sign it. You can't use SEE."

Maybe we're saying the same thing.

 

[waggy]

My understanding from the articles is that the SEE method (the method the parents taught him and he uses) uses unique hand signing for your name. In his case, it's clasping his hands together and extending his index fingers. ASL uses common denotations, including signing individual letters.

The school's most recent follow-up response was "The sign language techniques taught in the school district are consistent with the standards of the Nebraska Department of Education and ASL [American Sign Language]." (see monovillages' link)

So, the way I read this is that the school is saying, "you don't need to change your name, but you need to use ASL to sign it. You can't use SEE."

Maybe we're saying the same thing.

EVERY sign language uses unique signs for a name (again usually involving the first letter. in this case a H) from SEE, asl etc.

it not his hands classped togehter its his fingers crossing in a variation of letter H and wiggling it.

again this has NOTHING TO DO WITH SEE version of sign language at all even though the school keeps bringing it up


BTW nearly every (american) sign language uses the same sign. its how they say a sentence or something that is different

see is useing exact english. ASL and others shorten it.


edit: great now the school says it was never about it looking like a gun. they want him to spell out hunter via letters instead of useing a unique sign!? WTF are they stupid? ugh.

 

[cybrsage]

That will only fly if every student has to spell their name out letter by letter instead of saying the word. Stupid.

 

[PokerGuy]

.... and the unbelievable stupidity continues. Hopefully all the idiots running that school district will get fired over this.

If your name is "Bob", do you say "Bob", or "Bee Oh Bee" when saying your name? They want this kid to spell out each letter of his name instead of signing his name. The rampant stupidity never stops to amaze me.

 

[waggy]

.... and the unbelievable stupidity continues. Hopefully all the idiots running that school district will get fired over this.

If your name is "Bob", do you say "Bob", or "Bee Oh Bee" when saying your name? They want this kid to spell out each letter of his name instead of signing his name. The rampant stupidity never stops to amaze me.

That will only fly if every student has to spell their name out letter by letter instead of saying the word. Stupid.

EXACTLY!

Oh its not over yet. now the school is forcing him to use ASL instead of SEE. they are completely different languages (though they use the same signs).