Mommage

Homeschooling

There were many times I considered homeschooling my son, not because I thought it was better, but only because I felt he wasn't learning enough in the classroom due to his behavioral problems.  Every time I came close to making a final decision, however, things would improve at school causing me to change my mind.  Two things bothered me about the idea of homeschooling.  One was the lack of social interaction, and the other was the fact that I am not a teacher and am not qualified to teach.

Apparently I'm not the only one concerned about a parent's lack of teaching expertise.

Sticks and Stones

Kindergarten is supposed to be one of the least stress-related times in a child's school life. Unfortunately for five-year-old Alex Barton, it will be remembered as one of the most.

This is by no means a new story. As many of you probably know, in April of this year, Wendy Portillo, a kindergarten teacher in Port St. Lucie Florida decided to punish Alex Barton for behavioral issues by having him stand in front of the class while his classmates systematically told him what they don't like about him (one called him "disgusting") then voted him out of the class "Survivor"-style by a 14-2 margin. The one friend Alex had made in the class was also forced to participate. What may be even worse is that Portillo apparently knew Alex Barton was undergoing testing for Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism.

Handcuffed at School

A five year old kindergartener at a public school in Queens, New York, was put on a chair and handcuffed behind his back by a school safety agent.  According to this report, he allegedly threw a tantrum and was taken to the principal's office where he apparently knocked items off a desk.  The police report says the child was "punching his teacher and swinging wildly at school aides, that he smacked the assistant principal in the face, ran into a corner, and began to throw things on the floor."  The boy suffers from asthma, has speech problems, and may have attention deficit disorder.  He had two other tantrums the previous week and was transported by EMS to a hospital for psychiatric evaluation.

The Union representing the safety officer said cuffing the child was the last resort, because this particular child could not be controlled.  The New York Civil Liberties Union calls this an example of "criminalization of the classroom" and says that school officers have a history of going too far, and that the situation with school discipline is out of control.

No one ever wants to witness a child in handcuffs, but I definitely see two sides to this issue.