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Teresa

SoWal Guide
Staff member
Nov 15, 2004
30,250
9,279
South Walton, FL
sowal.com
And I'd love to hear what grade you give to the Walton County schools for that test!

As in most families, the child's success in college is dependent on many things including the schools attended but mostly the love, support and teaching provided by parents throughout the years... and then above all - the student's inner motivation to learn, excel and succeed in many ways in his/her life. Yes, our teachers help instill these things over the years. The FCAT does nothing but evaluate the teacher and the school and it now is sadly used to replace all educational curriculum and philosophy and best teaching practice....
 
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Jdarg

SoWal Expert
Feb 15, 2005
18,068
1,973
Stuff like this just makes me sad. We want so much for our kids and their education, and I see improvements every year in our schools, but then we have disappointing setbacks (which have been covered in other threads), or I am reminded that the educational culture here has miles to go when I realize I am in a school system that keeps an archaic policy of corporal punishment. It makes me want to just sigh and go back in my hole.
 

bluemtnrunner

Beach Fanatic
Dec 31, 2007
1,502
144
My kids have been in schools in three states and we have always had to sign a corporal punishment policy. It brings back memories of a 2nd grade teacher I had who was very feeble and could barely hold up the ruler she was about to swat my best friend with. He was not hurt, but he was humiliated. I don't think whipping kids works but each parent has the right to do as they see fit. Some decide to live by the "spare the rod, spoil the child" philosophy. I always check NO and put a note saying, if my kid is out of line, call me and I will be at the school in five minutes to straighten him/her out. The pleasure of jerking a knot in their tail is reserved for me and me alone.
 

Jdarg

SoWal Expert
Feb 15, 2005
18,068
1,973
From the Florida Dept. of Education report on trends in corporal punishment- a little food for thought at dinnertime. Scroll through the report and there is a table showing the incidences of corporal punishment by county. Anyone want to guess which region of Florida has the highest number of reported incidences? The stats are from 2006-2007- wonder if any current stats are available. I did get any encouraging note from someone who would know today- paddling does not happen in South Walton from what they know. Is this a cultural battle here, and if so, what culture promotes kitting kids in 2011?

From the report-

Corporal punishment is defined by Florida Statutes as the moderate use of physical force or physical contact by a teacher or principal to maintain discipline or to enforce school rules. The school board shall have the authority to prohibit the use of corporal punishment, provided that the school board adopts or has adopted a written program of alternative control or discipline (s. 1006.07(1), Florida Statutes).
Over the past fifteen years, the use of corporal punishment by Florida school districts has drastically decreased (see table below). For the 2006-07 school year, there were 5,245 incidents of corporal punishment, compared to 24,198 in 1991-92. This represents a cumulative decrease of over 78 percent.
In 2006-07, 29 school districts reported students receiving corporal punishment. In 1988-89, all 67 school districts administered corporal punishment. (Note that these figures reflect how many times discipline was administered, not the number of students receiving the discipline). In 1989-90, seven districts (Broward, Charlotte, Dade, Martin, Monroe, Palm Beach, and Sarasota) reported no use of corporal punishment. This was the first year that any district reported no use of corporal punishment at all. Since then, districts have steadily reported fewer incidences of corporal punishment. The most significant decrease in the last 15 years occurred between 2004-05 and 2005-06 with 29.9 percent fewer incidents of corporal punishment reported.


http://www.fldoe.org/eias/eiaspubs/pdf/discipline.pdf
 

Jdarg

SoWal Expert
Feb 15, 2005
18,068
1,973
My kids have been in schools in three states and we have always had to sign a corporal punishment policy. It brings back memories of a 2nd grade teacher I had who was very feeble and could barely hold up the ruler she was about to swat my best friend with. He was not hurt, but he was humiliated. I don't think whipping kids works but each parent has the right to do as they see fit. Some decide to live by the "spare the rod, spoil the child" philosophy. I always check NO and put a note saying, if my kid is out of line, call me and I will be at the school in five minutes to straighten him/her out. The pleasure of jerking a knot in their tail is reserved for me and me alone.

I don't know whether to feel relieved that Florida is not the only state to have this or outraged that there is still so many adults who think it is OK to hit a kid!
 

Tigertail

Beach Crab
Mar 29, 2007
4
1
A majority of folks in the Paxton area prefer corporal punishment. That is their culture, although much different than many of us in the south end. Our school district serves a variety of schools/cultures, corporal punishment is not used in our area but serves its' purpose elsewhere
 

Teresa

SoWal Guide
Staff member
Nov 15, 2004
30,250
9,279
South Walton, FL
sowal.com
I would think the school system would NOT want the responsibility or the liability for hitting a child. Any educator has studied child development, and in those studies have found that hitting is not an effective way of teaching children (for a huge long list of reasons), so why would a school ever embrace this technique? parents can make that choice, but it is hard for me to believe that any educators today would agree with this action as part of an effective disciplinary policy.
 

sunspotbaby

SoWal Insider
Mar 31, 2006
5,010
739
Santa Rosa Beach
I don't get this. Ya'll act like kids are being taken in a dungeon and whipped with straps. Give me a break. I had a teacher in the 7th grade that would give you a pop in front of the class if you didn't do your homework. She only had to do it once and everyone did their homework on time the rest of the year.
One pop on the butt with a paddle is not going to leave everlasting physical, mental or emotional scars. (well, not for the student anyway) :roll:
 
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