Here's another story of a female vice-principal strip-searching a boy. This one was ten. And it was over a "stolen" $20 bill that was later found in the cafeteria.
He'd dived under a table to retrieve money that a classmate had dropped, and returned it to her. Then he was accused of stealing the $20 bill. The vice principal didn't believe the kid that he didn't have it, despite forcing him to turn all his pockets inside out and show that he didn't. So, what's next? Believe him and look elsewhere? No, not for a bureaucrat. That makes sense. Strip the kid and search him? Brilliant!
Except...the kid really was telling the truth. He didn't have the twenty.
Honestly, I wonder what the girl was doing carrying that much cash in the first place. Was she the local drug provider to the elementary/middle school?
Oh, wait...girls don't do stuff like that.
I have a son. A brilliant, loud, energetic, funny, protective, chivalrous boy. I will not permit society to vilify him for not having the characteristics of a girl. Nor will I permit society to mock my daughter for being, and enjoying being, a girl who has very few boy characteristics.
My children are almost stereotypes of their gender. They're happy. They're healthy. And they will be home schooled so that that doesn't change because someone thinks they should both be more androgynous.
1 hour ago
Even without stereotypical behavior, was she really "within her constitutional rights"? And a strip search? Really? Did the boy say nothing else in his own defense? "I gave the twenty to ____. Ask her about it" No doubt he was confused and didn't know better than to not trust a supposedly trustable individual. What do we do now when we raise our kids to be cautious of strangers? "Don't let anyone in authority strip search you"?
ReplyDeleteMy kids will be home-schooled for such reasons as well, but that decision was made independent of knowledge of these events. I just want my kids to be able to learn at their own speed, and not be under threat of bullying or abuse like I was. My kindergarten teacher hated me so much, and only based on how intelligent my brother was. He was very obstinate and self-aware at a young age. I was the day-dreamer. School bored me. I was almost held back in kindergarten because I didn't conform to the teacher's ideal of a student. Or something. Maybe it was lack of appropriate participation.
My kids are going to be home schooled for these reasons (which doesn't even count the teachers that molest their students), for the reasons you mentioned, and so that I can make sure that they are literate, and numerate. Michigan is a particularly egregious example, but they only have about 32% proficient at reading at grade level, and 28% proficient at math. Detroit is worse: the numbers are 7% and 4%.
DeleteI also don't want to have my son or daughter drugged because the class is moving too slow, and they get bored and act up, and wind up with a diagnosis of ADHD or worse from someone with no medical training.