Walton County Schools' Corporal Punishment Policy

Thanks, I appreciate your opinion. I doubt corporal punishiment would be effective in every school in our district or for every family in our district. I understand you concerns about having the policy in place.

So, educators feel that corporal punishment has its place and is still effective in today's schools? is it really effective in some schools but not others?

Believe it or not, there are places in this county where those attitudes about corporal punishment have not changed. I would venture to say that the more north you go in the county, the stronger those feeliings and attitudes are held. It is an incredibly diverse county. That is brought home to me every time I run. What you observe in Rosemary Beach is wholly different that what you observe in Darlington, at least in terms of attitudes about certain issues, i.e., corporal punishment among others. So, to answer your question, when parents support the use of corporal punishment, and use it in their homes, it is effective as both a deterrent and behavior modification technique. At least, that has been my observation and what some educatiors have related to me.

My biggest surprise about the policy is that in this day of lawyers and constant lawsuits, the school still allows it.

Is it because the signed permission slip is a waiver?

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:

Thanks Sunspot, you seem to be the only one on the site that I agree with. Teachers can barely control the chaos now. If you make your children act like humans at home they should be fine at school. But most of the kids I run across, I want to beat the crap out of. Act like idiots, and parents watch and smile at their little darlings. Glad mine are grown.

Thanks Sunspot, you seem to be the only one on the site that I agree with. Teachers can barely control the chaos now. If you make your children act like humans at home they should be fine at school. But most of the kids I run across, I want to beat the crap out of. Act like idiots, and parents watch and smile at their little darlings. Glad mine are grown.

you have a point about parents not being parents, more and more these days. but that is not the issue. having teachers spank their children at school is not going to result in any improvement in the parent-child situation.

Guys, it is not like you are paddled in front of the class. Back when I took my licks, it was in the office, by the principal, with a witness to make sure that no more force was used than necessary. It stung, and hurt my pride, but I was guilty of the offense. And I moved on and graduated with honors.

I simply do not see that we are backward in any shape, form or fashion because we have a policy that you can opt out of. And Mark is right...we are a huge county with much cultural diversity, and this does not mean that any one group is better than the other. Trust me, cancelling corporal punishment as an option would be just as horrifying, if not more so, to many parents as allowing it is to the parents on this board who are against it.

i would thank you SN or give you some rep. but, alas...it is not to be.

That was well said.

i would thank you SN or give you some rep. but, alas...it is not to be.

That was well said.

that was an extra good thanks - better than a button!

and I understand the thinking on all sides. We all have something valuable to contribute - based on our own experiences, our own perspectives.

I remain unconvinced that this policy is the best we can do for children in this day and age. I would like to see a more up to date disciplinary policy in place - one that will support schools, teachers, children and families. I just think we can do better.

Sorry to weigh in on this so late but I am new to the forum.

I remember an incident several years ago, in which an Asst. Principal in NoWal severely bruised the backside of a small boy in a corporal punishment incident that resulted in the Asst. Principal being removed from his position and transfered to the bus barn. What makes this event noteworthy is that the police later showed up at the grandmothers home (she cared for the boy) and threatened that if she went to authorities the child would be removed from her home and she would be accused of child abuse. Despite being threatened, she did go public, hence the removal of the Asst. Principal. The story along with a picture of the boys backside were also published in the Defuniak Herald and the bruises did in fact cover the boys butt cheeks. Fast foward...that X Asst. Principal is now a member of the City Council for Defuniak Springs. Aww, how quickly we forget.

This policy is typical of Walton County Institutions, out-dated and laughable. Maybe the school board should focus on the real problems at hand like drugs in school and bullying incidents.

Misty:

I believe you are referring to Paul "Mac" Work. I too am fimilar with that incident and glad you have not forgotten it. Kudos to the one that reported it, let's just not forget about it. Its not everyday you can beat a kid and get a financial promotion for it. I believe the bus barn job paid some big bucks $$$.

Misty:

I believe you are referring to Paul "Mac" Work. I too am fimilar with that incident and glad you have not forgotten it. Kudos to the one that reported it, let's just not forget about it. Its not everyday you can beat a kid and get a financial promotion for it. I believe the bus barn job paid some big bucks $$$.

You are correct.

Are you serious?

They beat a child, got caught, evidence was produced, AND they got a promotion?

Well, "that's just the way they do things round here".

I found this article the other day from the Miami Herald. I'll grant you the article is from 1993 but as is typical around here, things don't change much. This is still pretty much the attitude...at least in NoWal.

http://www.corpun.com/ussc9306.htm

When I was in school and received a paddling, my mother and father knew I probably did something to deserve it. And backed the teachers decision for corporal punishment on me. I believe that's what is wrong with some kids nowadays. Never have received any type of "butt whipping" from parents as well as teachers for some kind of disruptive behavior. My parents spanked me when I was growing up and I deserved every one of them. Students should learn when they act disruptly that there are conseqences besides detention or a time out. They need what my father called "an attention getter". Personally if my child was in the wrong, then corporal punishment within means is fine with me. I remember Moses saying in the bible "spare the rod and spoil the child".

I am a product of Okaloosa Walton schools having moved to the area with my military family decades ago when I was 12 years old. After leaving the area after graduating and returning recently I could not believe that this school violence was still going on in the 21st century (Thankfully Okaloosa county has progressed and no longer allows the beating of school students). I was the recipient of these assaults and witnessed much abuse of boys by bully coaches and school administrators (criminals would be a better term). In my Junior high school they had a demerit system and the beatings and the threats of violence against students (again mainly boys) for one contrived infraction or the other was an almost every day occurrence, I vividly remember a fat pig of a coach of mine in the 7th grade beating every boy in my class for something one person did, or we could run around the track field around and around for the entire one hour class period in the 90 degree heat under the Florida sun. That was my welcome to this wonderful state's public schools. School violence continued right on through high school and soon I began to recognize which male school officials "enjoyed" assaulting boys, in part by "gaydar." Yes I am gay, but it wasn't that much of a gay issue but for me it was a sexually sadistic and violent one. As I approached puberty I found that sticking my butt out at a male and having him hit it sexually arousing and stimulating,,, and I am NOT alone.

This is not an okaalossa issue, not a male or female issue. I come from GA, straight A student, but, one class I needed to take...I was a girl, no girls, no matter how smart, C, was our top grade. So I went to summer school just for that class. I told my parents , and everyone about my teacher, no one would listen.it took years but now they know and my sick teacher is in jail!

It is unbelievable that this still goes on in Walton county schools. At least Okaloosa schools outlawed this crap a couple of years ago.

So hypocritical schools preach against bullying on the one hand, and then promote this school violence on the other.

As a product of Okaloosa Walton schools decades ago I experienced much abuse and witnessed it from bully educators (criminals is a better term) who should have been arrested for child abuse.

So sad. There is no Okaloosa Walton School district - did you attend schools in each county? Which ones?

Sounds like they need a new code of conduct policy for faculty against driving while intoxicated and using drugs.

The State of Florida allows corporal punishment. That said every school district is required by that same law to allow for an opt out. Every year the parent(s) must submit in writing that their child is not eligible for this type of punishment.

"Most districts do not paddle students, and the ones that do are largely located in Northern Florida. Click on the map for more detail."

http://stateimpact.npr.org/florida/tag/school-corporal-punishment/

Don't know why the school system here won't just revise and update the policy! Come on!

Spare the whip, spoil the child.