How much more F'ed up can we get?

[RightIsWrong]

From his father serving in Iraq!

And worse yet, this happened in Texas? I thought that we were supposed to be the champions of family values and supporting the troops (or anyone else that carries a weapon)?

It was a story you only saw on News Channel 25. A student, suspended for answering a cell phone call from his father in Iraq, while at school.

Copperas Cove I.S.D. did not comment when News Channel 25's story originally ran on April 4.

The mother of the suspended student says the school still hasn't called her back. But Wednesday, News Channel 25 was able get in touch with the school and speak with the student's father who is stationed in Iraq.

"I want them to respond to me. I want them to change it," said Patricia Hill, the student's mother.

"They haven't called my wife back. I don't know why they haven't emailed or whatever. They probably don't know how to respond," said Master Sergeant Morris Hill.

Copperas Cove High School Principal Dr. Carol Saxenian told News Channel 25 she couldn't comment on any particular student but did say they have procedures in place. Parents are to call the front desk and the school will retrieve the student from class. But the Hills say by that time, the phone call from Iraq will be disconnected, so they opted for the cell phone.

"Some people say it's disruptive. Well that's fine. All he has to do is walk by the teacher's desk and say it's my dad in Iraq and walk out the door," said Patricia.

"The first time I call him, he gets suspended? It just seems absolutely ridiculous," said Morris.

Dr. Saxenian says it's school policy; There are to be no cell phones allowed during instructional time. She also says in no way would the school keep a student from talking to a parent during an emergency situation.

Patricia Hill says she's written letters to Congressmen, Senators and even the Vice President.

She says she's still waiting on a return phone call from the school.

News Channel 25 spoke with the superintendents office Wednesday who said they did not have any comment.

 

[MrChad]

Dr. Saxenian says it's school policy; There are to be no cell phones allowed during instructional time.

Seems pretty clear to me. No cell phones allowed in class. If it is an emergency, there are ways via which a parent can get in touch with his/her child. The fact that his dad was in Iraq when he called is irrelevant.

EDIT: Why are you trying to stir this up into a political issue? What does this have to do with Texas or "supporting the troops"?

 

[Baked]

Rules are rules. Just 'cause your daddy's invading some country for Darth Cheney doesn't exempt you from the rules. You're not really that special.

Patricia Hill says she's written letters to Congressmen, Senators and even the Vice President.

Why skip the president? Oh that's right, he can't read.

 

[Ika]

I'm not sure I understand. Was the student being an idiot and sitting in his desk while talking to his father? Most people would get up and leave the classroom or tell the teacher if they were going to make the point of staying on the phone, even if it is the student's dad in Iraq.

 

[zoiks]

Originally posted by: MrChad

Dr. Saxenian says it's school policy; There are to be no cell phones allowed during instructional time.

Seems pretty clear to me. No cell phones allowed in class. If it is an emergency, there are ways via which a parent can get in touch with his/her child. The fact that his dad was in Iraq when he called is irrelevant.

Exactly. Regardless if his father was in Iraq or at the North Pole is irrelevant.

 

[MrChad]

Originally posted by: Aflac
I'm not sure I understand. Was the student being an idiot and sitting in his desk while talking to his father? Most people would get up and leave the classroom or tell the teacher if they were going to make the point of staying on the phone, even if it is the student's dad in Iraq.

It sounds like the parents and kids decided to circumvent school rules (which likely would not have given dad and son much time to talk) and had dad call son directly on son's cell phone during class. It also sounds like this was done without first clearing it with the school, and now they're upset that the school disciplined the student according to policy.

 

[Cuda1447]

It doesn't say this is in the class, or does it? If its in the hallway between classes or something like that I can understand it. If its actually during class then I think thats a little out of line. Also what age is this kid?

 

[Gooberlx2]

Well, the school doesn't really get a good face either way (from the media). On one hand they can allow the kid to take the call, therefore exempting him from a rule enforced on every other kid (who'll then start claiming it's their parent, sibling, uncle from Iraq calling). Or they can be hard asses, stick to the rules and tell him no calls allowed during classtime, and punish him when he breaks the rules.

The student, OTOH, can ask himself if it's worth it and take the call anyway. It's just highschool, it's not going to stick with him forever.

 

[shocksyde]

The school is correct. The parents are idiots. Tell your friends.

 

[BigJ]

Suspended? Throw his ass in detention with all the other kids.

 

[mitchel]

It sound like that moran just sat in the middle of class and talked.

Teach him some respect.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: MrChad

Dr. Saxenian says it's school policy; There are to be no cell phones allowed during instructional time.

Seems pretty clear to me. No cell phones allowed in class. If it is an emergency, there are ways via which a parent can get in touch with his/her child. The fact that his dad was in Iraq when he called is irrelevant.

EDIT: Why are you trying to stir this up into a political issue? What does this have to do with Texas or "supporting the troops"?

yeah i agree. student broke the rules he got punished. Where his father is really does not matter.


but if it was my dad damn right i would have taken the call and accepted the punishment.

 

[jonks]

I think detention would cover such an infraction, not suspension, but as long as they suspend all such offenders that's fair enough. School better hope nothing happens to dada though or they are in for a media circus.

 

[bctbct]

I sympathize that his dad is in iraq but if you made any exceptions to this rule it would be abused. Next time keep the kid home.

 

[rivan]

Originally posted by: MrChad

Dr. Saxenian says it's school policy; There are to be no cell phones allowed during instructional time.

Seems pretty clear to me. No cell phones allowed in class. If it is an emergency, there are ways via which a parent can get in touch with his/her child. The fact that his dad was in Iraq when he called is irrelevant.

EDIT: Why are you trying to stir this up into a political issue? What does this have to do with Texas or "supporting the troops"?

:thumbsup:

 

[AMDZen]

I think its messed up depending on how the kid went about it. I would of just said I was going to the bathroom and then went out to the hall and taken the call.

Chances are the kid got belligerent or something. Regardless of if its a rule or not, its a bad rule and I personally would of found a way to break the rule without getting into trouble.

 

[Deadtrees]

:thumbsup:

Originally posted by: rivan

Originally posted by: MrChad

Dr. Saxenian says it's school policy; There are to be no cell phones allowed during instructional time.

Seems pretty clear to me. No cell phones allowed in class. If it is an emergency, there are ways via which a parent can get in touch with his/her child. The fact that his dad was in Iraq when he called is irrelevant.

EDIT: Why are you trying to stir this up into a political issue? What does this have to do with Texas or "supporting the troops"?

:thumbsup:

 

[Baked]

WOULD HAVE

 

[ThePresence]

Originally posted by: Baked
Rules are rules. Just 'cause your daddy's invading some country for Darth Cheney doesn't exempt you from the rules. You're not really that special.

Patricia Hill says she's written letters to Congressmen, Senators and even the Vice President.

Why skip the president? Oh that's right, he can't read.

:roll:

 

[Venix]

Suspension would be extreme even if the kid were taking a call from his crack dealer. Warn him, take his phone away, or give him detention after school at worst.

I agree that "All he has to do is walk by the teacher's desk and say it's my dad in Iraq and walk out the door," but I wonder if that's what actually happened.

 

[Farang]

It's news like this that makes domestic journalism in America such shit.

 

[hanoverphist]

Originally posted by: BigJ
Suspended? Throw his ass in detention with all the other kids.

ya i thought suspension was a bit steep for a phone call. if my oldest even shows her phone in class the teachers/ staff will take it away and i have to go down and pick it up from the office staff. more than 3 times and they get a bit terse about the punishments on her. detention is a given tho.


i think the school was far more strict than it needed to be, but in the right. calling from iraq or not, the parents knew it would be during school. if they thought it was that important to talk to dad, they should have kept him home from school that day and taken him in after the call.

 

[RapidSnail]

Originally posted by: ThePresence

Originally posted by: Baked
Rules are rules. Just 'cause your daddy's invading some country for Darth Cheney doesn't exempt you from the rules. You're not really that special.

Patricia Hill says she's written letters to Congressmen, Senators and even the Vice President.

Why skip the president? Oh that's right, he can't read.

:roll:

Ditto.

By the way, I can't believe people actually think that the president is illiterate because of his issues with articulation. Watch Late Night a bit too much?

 

[Chaotic42]

Welcome to the world of zero tolerance.

 

[Eeezee]

Originally posted by: MrChad

Dr. Saxenian says it's school policy; There are to be no cell phones allowed during instructional time.

Seems pretty clear to me. No cell phones allowed in class. If it is an emergency, there are ways via which a parent can get in touch with his/her child. The fact that his dad was in Iraq when he called is irrelevant.

EDIT: Why are you trying to stir this up into a political issue? What does this have to do with Texas or "supporting the troops"?

I'd say THIS QUALIFIES AS AN EMERGENCY. It sounds like they don't exactly talk every day.

Having taught classes, I can completely understand wanting to suspend students for answering their phones in class except in exceptional circumstances. THIS IS ONE OF THEM.

Unless, however, the kid stayed in the room to talk. In that case, yeah, he's disrupting class by talking in class. Take that shit to the hallway or get suspended