Student Suspended For Answering Call In Class From Dad In Iraq

[curious1]

Ah, but what if the dad is a federal prison many states away and the family cannot afford to travel to see him and the only contact he has is via phone? Then what?

I am just tossing ideas out there because I am still processing this one myself. I can tell you what my first impulse is.....screw the school. But then I start analyzing it and things just, well get confusing.

 

[MsRusty]

Yeah, I like that idea. You take the chance, you break the rules, you accept the consequences.

Here's where things get hinky....suppose Jrs dad was in prison instead of the miltary and he only got a 5 min window to makes calls and Jr really really needed to talk to his dad. Dad calls, Jr takes the call and gets suspended. Would we be so angry about it? I mean the kid was having a bad day he should have known he was just going to be adding to it. I don't fault him for taking the call, but he knew the rules and he broke them so just take the punishment like a man.

This is my point too. If it was a prisoner's son this wouldn't have even made headlines. If there was a no cell phone policy than obviously he violated it. He thought answering the phone was worth the consequences so just accept the punishment.

 

[curious1]

This is my point too. If it was a prisoner's son this wouldn't have even made headlines. If there was a no cell phone policy than obviously he violated it. He thought answering the phone was worth the consequences so just accept the punishment.

Yep. I have no problem with him taking the call, just take your medicine along with it. We all have times in our life where we are damned it we don't and damned if we do. I have done things I knew were against the rules, but I also took my punishment. It's the old ....you do what you gotta do and I'll do what I gotta do.

 

[ceeaura]

Still being in a federal prison they have more chance of seeing their loved than say someone who is in another country...specially a very dangerous country.

You do make a good point

But comparing prison even federal prison to a military parent is like comparing apples and oranges to me.One a person is doing their job in the other a person is doing time for something they got convicted of.

 

[absinthe]

Still being in a federal prison they have more chance of seeing their loved than say someone who is in another country...specially a very dangerous country.

You do make a good point

But comparing prison even federal prison to a military parent is like comparing apples and oranges to me.One a person is doing their job in the other a person is doing time for something they got convicted of.

Is this more about the parent's worthiness, or the child's?

 

[curious1]

Right, but do you punish the kid who really really needs to talk to his dad in prison, just because the dad is an idiot? :waitasec: GAAAH!!! The more I think about this the more confused I get. But I still say I am fine with the kid taking the call, but he should take his suspension and suck it up. This is one of those situations where they are both right and they are both wrong.

 

[ceeaura]

Missing my point.
The child who is still in the same country as the parent has a better chance of getting to talk to and see their parent.

My point is not about who is worthy ect.

I do agree he should take his punishment.Well worth it IMO
I was just commenting on the prison vs military issue that you brought up.I thought it was a good thought and it made me think.

 

[curious1]

I knew a family who's dad was in federal prison 2 states away and the family would not take the kids to see him. So they had about as much chance of seeing his dad as this kid who's dad was in Iraq. The dad died in prison from cancer and the family still would not take the kids to see him after he was diagnosed.

 

[absinthe]

Missing my point.
The child who is still in the same country as the parent has a better chance of getting to talk to and see their parent.

My point is not about who is worthy ect.

I do agree he should take his punishment.Well worth it IMO
I was just commenting on the prison vs military issue that you brought up.I thought it was a good thought and it made me think.

If the child is young, he/she really has no say in going to visit a parent in prison. Children can't drive or take the bus alone. I think you'd be surprised at how many kids never see incarcerated parents.

 

[ceeaura]

I knew a family who's dad was in federal prison 2 states away and the family would not take the kids to see him. So they had about as much chance of seeing his dad as this kid who's dad was in Iraq. The dad died in prison from cancer and the family still would not take the kids to see him after he was diagnosed.

That there could be a whole new topic somewhere curious That was wrong of the family to do.Way wrong.Not knowing the circumstances though or what that person had done to be put in prison I really can't form a good solid opinion about that situation.

I on the other hand no of people who are in jail/prisons and gets the family time.I also know and understand the plight of a military family.For I am in one.Have been for 18 years now...yikes.

 

[curious1]

Half of my family is now active or retired miltary and I get it. I can also tell you that most of them would tell their kids to obey the rules and don't expect to get special treatment. In fact most of them would be down right pi$$ed at their kids if they went around and expected special treatment. DH grew up in Jacksonville, NC surrounded by miltary families, his father retired from teaching and coaching and the parents would tell him directly that if their kid got out of line to treat him/her like any other student, don't coddle them. Bottom line is....I have no problem with the kid taking the call, but he should accept his punishment. His Mom should have been the adult in the situation and gone to the principal to give him a heads up instead of assuming that a special compensation would have been allowed for her son.

My whole point was if he bend the rules for this kid then that opens up a whole new can of worms. And IIRC the article stated that over half the school were kids whose parents were military and stationed abroad, but he seems to be the only one who cannot live by the rules. To me that says more about the Mom than the kid. She seems to be teaching him that since Daddy is away fighting for his country the rules don't apply to him.

 

[ceeaura]

If the child is young, he/she really has no say in going to visit a parent in prison. Children can't drive or take the bus alone. I think you'd be surprised at how many kids never see incarcerated parents.

No I would not be surprised.But there is a very big difference still between a person doing time for a crime and a person doing their job.

I really feel for those kids whos parents get sent to jail and they can't see or talk to that parent anymore.(In some cases that is a good thing though)I have also heard of prisoners fighting for vistation with their children too. whoever had custody was not bring the child(ren) in for visits.

 

[ceeaura]

His Mom should have been the adult in the situation and gone to the principal to give him a heads up instead of assuming that a special compensation would have been allowed for her son.

I agree curious.I myself would have called the school and informed the pricipal and the teachers of the situation.My kids do not expect or get special treatment.All of their schools know their dad is deployed,only so they can be aware of the situation at home and seeing as they spend 8 hours a day with my kids they have a right to know when the situation at home could cause some stress in a child.Also we are living in a town that like only 2 or 3 kids parents are in the military.

 

[RainbowsAndGumdrops]

I agree with those that have said that rules are rules. They are there for the greater good. The rules are so that teachers can be educators and keep the kids focused. Sure, there are exeptions to almost every rule. This should have been addressed up front. Permission could have been requested. Who knows if that request would have been granted.

There is also something to be said for kids learning that they have to do things at the right time and the right place. If the father could call as soon as the mom sent him an IM, the father may have been able to call later too.

I'm not trying to take compassion out of this. Instead i am wondering why we cheer you go kid for this kid but ignore the fact that he disrupted class, probably made a bunch of kids mad because they didn't get to talk to their fathers during school, etc.

To be honest, I think it was ok for the kid to choose to take the phone call. But with that choice, he also chose to accept the punishment. I have no problem with how the school acted.