6th Grader Suspended For Four Months For Grafitti

[Jules]

Wouldn't a sufficient punishment be making her pay for the damage and perhaps clean it up herself?

This is a bit over the top.

I also think the dad of this girl is an idiot for thinking that only people in gangs tag.

Katy is about 20 minutes outside of Houston - so close to me. Every news station has said the same thing - make her pay for the materials to repair the damage and have her do the painting herself.

That would have made more of a statement than making her go to an alternative school for 4 months. In the alternative school, she will be placed with gang members. Not a good thing.

I think the school district is making a huge mistake here. This girl had never been in trouble before and they are going to throw her in with long-time offenders at the alternative school.

 

[rayray]

Just clarifying. she was NOT suspended for 4 months. She was placed in an alternative setting, which happens quite frequently in situations such as this.

 

[rayray]

I guess I'm alone in saying that I think the school is correct in their punishment. I've seen posters say that she didn't deface school property. Then what does that mean? Because I take it to mean that she in some way wrote on or caused damage to something belonging to the school (a gymnasium wall). Am I correct? I went to a zero tolerance high school, and I'll tell you this.. I wouldn't have changed it for the world. I learned the value of RESPECT for myself, others, and others property. I would not have dared to do anything so stupid. This child was old enough to know right from wrong. She could have written this "sentiment" on a notebook or something belonging to her. Anyways, I hope the school district sticks to its guns on this one.

 

[Paladin]

I guess I'm alone in saying that I think the school is correct in their punishment. I've seen posters say that she didn't deface school property. Then what does that mean? Because I take it to mean that she in some way wrote on or caused damage to something belonging to the school (a gymnasium wall). Am I correct? I went to a zero tolerance high school, and I'll tell you this.. I wouldn't have changed it for the world. I learned the value of RESPECT for myself, others, and others property. I would not have dared to do anything so stupid. This child was old enough to know right from wrong. She could have written this "sentiment" on a notebook or something belonging to her. Anyways, I hope the school district sticks to its guns on this one.

I very much respect your opposing opinion. Helps to keep things fresh around here.

 

[rayray]

Thanks Paladin.

I just think that children, especially children in our ever evolving society, need to understand the ramifications of their actions. The educational theorist, Lickona, advises that we incorporate our children into MORAL communities. Make them responsible for the actions they CHOOSE to pursue.

 

[sherri79]

i want my child to understand morals and justice and fairness. did the child break the rules? yes. should she be punished? yes. is it wrong to damage some1 elses property even if it is already damaged? yes. would it be moral to ignore what the child did? no. would it be moral to give her the DP? of course not. how bout a year in jail? will that teach her a lesson? what lesson? that rules are rules or that you can not trust adults to be fair. she is a child that broke a rule. the punishment should fit the crime. 4 months with gang members will not bring this child back to school as a better student.

 

[scuseme]

KISD is my school district. It is one of the best in the state, if not the country. My son is a student in another junior high and this area is upper middle class (I don't mean to sound snobby). We don't have alot of gangs. It's not like downtown Houston.

While I agree that A-School is way too harsh a punishment she wouldn't be with gang members. I just wanted to clarify.

 

[JBean]

KISD is my school district. It is one of the best in the state, if not the country. My son is a student in another junior high and this area is upper middle class (I don't mean to sound snobby). We don't have alot of gangs. It's not like downtown Houston.

While I agree that A-School is way too harsh a punishment she wouldn't be with gang members. I just wanted to clarify.

I am so glad you clarified this. I have been scratching my head as to why the alt school is full of gang members. I know that our local alt -school is not the cream of the crop at this point in their lives ,but they are certainly not gang members.
ETA: I have also been wondering about the school district itself. this has been a very helpful post.

ETA: but I should add that even in our most affluent areas there is gang activity.

 

[Jules]

JBean, having lived in Katy for a number of years I can tell you there are some "gang-types" around there. There are also a lot of drugs (friends in the Sheriff's Dept). While my post earlier said the Alt-school was a bad idea as she'd be in the gang members, etc. - which she would - she will also be with the drug kids and just generally bad troublemaker-type kids.

I should add that we haven't lived in Katy for a while now and I suppose it could have changed, but nowdays you'd be hard pressed to find an area without some type of gang activity or drugs.

 

[Paladin]

JBean, having lived in Katy for a number of years I can tell you there are some "gang-types" around there. There are also a lot of drugs (friends in the Sheriff's Dept). While my post earlier said the Alt-school was a bad idea as she'd be in the gang members, etc. - which she would - she will also be with the drug kids and just generally bad troublemaker-type kids.

I should add that we haven't lived in Katy for a while now and I suppose it could have changed, but nowdays you'd be hard pressed to find an area without some type of gang activity or drugs.

I believe it. There's always a wrong side of town.

 

[scuseme]

I'm not saying that the kids here are perfect!! There are drugs and bad kids for sure. There's alot of money in this area (this is home to most of the major oil companies) and with that comes spoiled kids with money to buy lots of things, drugs included. I'm just saying that this is not the ghetto. We also had a large influx of Katrina evacuees and that brought an increase in crime but out here in the 'burbs it was mostly families that came from New Orleans.

 

[Jules]

I'm not saying that the kids here are perfect!! There are drugs and bad kids for sure. There's alot of money in this area (this is home to most of the major oil companies) and with that comes spoiled kids with money to buy lots of things, drugs included. I'm just saying that this is not the ghetto. We also had a large influx of Katrina evacuees and that brought an increase in crime but out here in the 'burbs it was mostly families that came from New Orleans.

Yep, exactly. We're in Cypress and it's the same way. Lots of money and spoiled kids... and lots of Katrina evacuees.

 

[Jules]

A Katy school principal and parents of a 12-year-old girl who wrote "I love Alex" on a gymnasium wall have agreed to terms of her punishment.

Shelby Sendelbach, who was originally ordered to attend alternative school for four months in a decision largely criticized as too harsh, will write a letter of apology to the district's maintenance director and thank him for cleaning up the wall, her father Stu Sendelbach said Monday.

She will also make posters with the theme "Let's Keep Our School Clean" and will write letters to legislators explaining her case and asking them to clarify school discipline laws, Sendelbach said.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5013070.html

 

[Paladin]

A Katy school principal and parents of a 12-year-old girl who wrote "I love Alex" on a gymnasium wall have agreed to terms of her punishment.

Shelby Sendelbach, who was originally ordered to attend alternative school for four months in a decision largely criticized as too harsh, will write a letter of apology to the district's maintenance director and thank him for cleaning up the wall, her father Stu Sendelbach said Monday.

She will also make posters with the theme "Let's Keep Our School Clean" and will write letters to legislators explaining her case and asking them to clarify school discipline laws, Sendelbach said.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5013070.html

Well, I guess that settles that. Would have liked to see her clean it up herself. But at least she hopefully learned from this.

 

[txsvicki]

Some of the richer troubled kids have more money to spend on drugs and booze,partying, and getting out driving crazy. I'd hate to have kids mingle with them almost as much as a gang member because they might be more likely to take up the behavior where they could be afraid of gang members.

 

[capps]

Well, I guess that settles that. Would have liked to see her clean it up herself. But at least she hopefully learned from this.

I agree with you Paladin. Don't want to stir the pot,but I think it went from too harsh,to too lenient. Thanking maintenance for cleaning her mess? She should be doing that. Writing letters to legislators to clarify school discipline? Where's the lesson there? She should be out there for at least a month or so mowing elderly peoples lawns .... something constructive.

 

[Paladin]

I think it went from too harsh,to too lenient.

Yeah, that's what I meant to say. You just put it in better words than I could.