Home > Gwinnett > Rick Badie / My Opinion > Archives > 2008 > January > 29 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USTeacher speaking out about beating
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The swelling has subsided, but her head still throbs.
Her nerves are shot. She feels hot and cold sensations in her mouth. She needs new glasses. Her old ones got broken in the attack.
Janie Fair says she was standing in the hallway of Lilburn Middle School. She didn’t see the 12-year-old girl approach her side. The seventh-grader yelled insults and called the teacher names. She punched Fair four or five times.
It was a beatdown.
“I had a ballpoint pen in my right hand,” Fair told me Monday. “I took my left hand and pushed her away from me and tried to restrain her. Another teacher jumped in, grabbed her and took her to the office.”
Last Wednesday, Fair became the county’s poster child for teachers who get assaulted by students. Physical attacks against teachers, or school employees, apparently are rare in Gwinnett.
One incident, though, is too many.
County records show that the assault at Lilburn Middle marked the only case this year in which an employee suffered injuries. Additionally, there have been 15 incidents in which students made physical contact with a school employee but didn’t cause injuries, according to school records.
I suspect that violence against teachers happens more than we realize, more than gets documented. Teachers and campus officials probably shun police reports and prosecution. They don’t want to hurt the child or taint the school.
Fair, though, has chosen to talk about her traumatic ordeal.
“I’m the sacrificial lamb,” the Tucker resident said. “More stuff like this goes on than you would imagine. I have given a face to abused teachers. They can be young, old and of any race.”
Her credentials impress.
She earned her undergrad degree from Benedict College in Columbia, where Hillary Clinton stumped last week. She has a master’s degree from the University of South Carolina and is working on her doctorate. She’s taught in public schools in New York and South Carolina, her native state. She’s taught in Gwinnett the past four years, all at Lilburn Middle.
I first called her on Sunday. She sounded depressed. She asked that I call back Monday morning when she might feel better. She didn’t. She had several doctors’ appointments scheduled, all for ailments related to the attack.
“Right now, I have to get healed,” she told me. “My head hasn’t stopped pounding. I got punched in the mouth. I feel hot and cold sensations in my teeth.”
Naturally, Fair has strong opinions as to what did and didn’t happen as it relates to her attacker prior to the beating. I won’t share details. It would be unfair to the student. Her name has not been released. Her disciplinary record won’t be made public because she’s a juvenile. And school officials keep facts close to the vest in ongoing investigations like this one. The incident was captured on hallway cameras. The images are part of the inquiry.
The girl has been charged with simple battery and disruption of public schools, according to the report from Gwinnett County School Police. She’ll face disciplinary action of some sort. Maybe she’ll be placed in an alternative program that addresses her behavior.
Fair disliked the way a school district spokesman framed the relationship between her and the girl in an AJC Gwinnett News story that ran Saturday. She told me there was no “history of a difficult relationship” between the two. Fair said the student had been removed from one teacher’s classroom and put in Fair’s science class. She’d been disruptive, hostile and defiant. The child was transferred to another class.
There’s a twist to this whole affair. About four years ago, Fair and a colleague conducted discipline workshops at the school for new teachers. They used a highly touted method of classroom management and discipline developed by Harry K. Wong, a noted educator.
‘It makes students feel valued,” she said.
When Fair compares the students of yesteryear with contemporary charges, she sees little difference. Kids aren’t amoral, she said, but their environments can be.
“The ills of society have a way of being in the school,” she told me. “We have a lot of parents who brought children into this world who were on drugs. We got children who are born into incest, who are abused at home. They bring this to school with them.”
Fair hasn’t returned to Lilburn Middle since the beating. She probably never will. Too traumatized. But the attack won’t stop her from doing what she loves to do.
“I have too much to give to not teach,” she said. “I have too much to offer, and I don’t intend to let this stop me.”
Rick Badie’s column appears on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Contact him at 770-263-3875 or e-mail: rbadie@ajc.com.
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Comments
By WFC
January 29, 2008 8:21 AM | Link to this
Good article, Rick. None of us went into teaching to experience this. Based upon what I’ve heard, I bet quite a few people at the school saw this coming a mile away. What is the family situation? No, don’t tell me. I can figure it out.
By concerned citizen
January 29, 2008 8:28 AM | Link to this
This student obviously has some mental problems. She is lucky the teacher didn’t beat her down.
By Just a hunch
January 29, 2008 8:44 AM | Link to this
Let’s see, Lilburn Middle School. Female Gang Banger? $10 says the “student” is of hispanic descent, and is more than likely involved in a gang…..
By Camille
January 29, 2008 8:52 AM | Link to this
Even worse is that if the teacher had hit the girl, she (the teacher) would be in more trouble than the girl. The parents would more than likely try to sue her, the school and the district, and probably win.
I have to say that I admire teachers, especially middle and high school. I couldn’t do it. I cannot imagine either of my boys (ages 2 and 9) being so disrespectful to a teacher, much less another adult. The oldest boy very well knows the consequences of inappropriate behavior, and we have not had any disciplinary problems from him in school (his biggest problem is trying to be too social in class and talking a lot). I would have come to school and beat the living daylights out of him, in front of the administration, for attacking a teacher like that.
It’s sad to say, there are too many kids just like the girl that beat up this teacher. I really feel sad for the teacher and hope that she is on her feet soon. No teacher should have to endure such behavior, and especially not be able to defend themselves. I just shudder to think what could have happened had the girl had some type of weapon on her.
By Todd
January 29, 2008 8:52 AM | Link to this
I was attacked when I taught at one of Savannah’s schools. Let’s call it Thugville High. Complete penal system. The administartion would call “Code Z, Code Z, Teachers shut and lock your doors.” We had to walk our students to lunch and then we would shut them in (literally locking them in the cafeteria). We were then required to stand at the doors like bouncers. After school each day, the admin would announce: “Good afternoon students, the time is 3:45 and the school day is now over. You must now leave campus or you will be arrested.”
Student would say “F- you,” walk out and the admin would send them right back. It must be the teacher’s fault was their logic. “No behavior or classroom managements skills,” they would say. (This school has now gone through 3 principals in 4 years. Savannah itself has gone through 3 superintendents in 5 years—go figure).
We would expel or suspend for 1 year kids caught in the bathroom practicing babymaking, same with student caught with pot. But if they merely bashed each other’s heads in and splattered blood on the wall and ripped each other hair out or threatened a teacher, they would get 5 days at max in-school suspension.
Pure thugs wasting $6,000 a year each. Amazing we spent more on them than it cost me to go to undergrad.
By HP
January 29, 2008 9:07 AM | Link to this
I am in my early thirties, so I am not that far removed from high school. When did this stuff ever start to happen? This is not “being disrespectful to a teacher,” this “student” beat a teacher down like she was some chick on the street. This “student” should never be allowed back in any school system and she should be put in some juvenile detention center for a long time. I know some bleeding heart is going to criticize me for this, but know this, I have family members who are teachers at schools with at risk students, and I am a parent. I know some kids go through hell, things no one should ever have to experience. But this girl is dangerous and at middle school age, there is probably not much that can be done for her. She is headed for prison, probably for murder.
By Andrea
January 29, 2008 9:16 AM | Link to this
After reading this, is the consensus that I should send my homeschooled middle school aged kids into these schools to be socialized?
By DLA
January 29, 2008 9:19 AM | Link to this
There should be a test for people before they procreate. Children are often reflective of their enviroment. No child is born with violence, regardless of what gene therapy or DNA testing shows. I know in my day (wow, I’m finally turning into my father…) teachers, and adults, were shown respect, regardless of what I thought internally about them. They paddled when I was in school, maybe they should bring that back… I know we didnt worry about trenchcoat mafia or students whippin up on teachers. If the teachers used that pen on the student beating her up she’d probably be brought up on charges, which is ridiculous. Bring back the paddle, give the teachers a fighting chance against some on these punks!
By Mary
January 29, 2008 9:30 AM | Link to this
Andrea You should send your home schooled kids to public school, so they will have social skills to SURVIVE in the real world. Keeping them home, under your wing, is not helping them prepare for the real world…..
I truly believe the only reason parents home school their kids is because they are terrified that their precious little baby might get hurt.
My child is a junior in high school. There is no way I would want her to miss that. The football games and other sporting events, the parties, the friends they make, the experiences they have, etc. Home schoolers are denied all of this…..
By decaturparent
January 29, 2008 9:37 AM | Link to this
Hey! I have an idea!!! Why don’t we follow Fulton County’s excellent example and just start paying kids $8 per hour that they don’t kick some teacher’s behind. We can just buy good behavior just like some counties appear to be buying passing grades!!
Problem solved. ;)
By GC Parent
January 29, 2008 9:39 AM | Link to this
Just an observation. A student last week was assaulted in a bathroom in Gwinnett County and “pushed” in self defense. He is sitting with a suspension..neither assault appears to be instigated, but don’t students and teachers have the same right to defend themselves ? It seems hard to believe that the teacher is going to be disciplined for defending herself.
By decaturparent
January 29, 2008 9:46 AM | Link to this
Andrea, not all schools are like Lilburn Middle. They have a challenging demographic to say the least with close to 85% of kids getting free/reduced lunch assistance. A lot of these kids grow up in single family households and/or in unstable family situations.
There are lots of fantastic middle schools in the Atlanta area. My daughter attends one. Granted, every day is not perfect and she has been exposed to some things that ideally I would rather she not experience (mostly language and general obnoxious behavior at this point). However, she talks to me about a lot of it and has learned a lot by watching others make mistakes. I have offered to home school her before but she looks at me like I’m about to shoot her or something so I back off. If she is happy and excelling and is making good friends with good kids I would not want to deny her of her experiences just because of a few bad eggs.
By Sara
January 29, 2008 9:55 AM | Link to this
It’s a shame that someone who actually agrees to risk life and limb for so little money to teach some of the out of control products of horrible parenting skills has this happen to them. Andrea, I do not blame you to wwant to homeschool your kids. So many kids today are from single parent homes or from homes where the parents spend little or no time raising their crazy offspring to be able to live in a law abidding society. This monster of a kid should be in prison. Hopefully the next person she hits will do the same right back to her and beat her to a bloody pulp. If she is a gang banger, hang in there…she’ll be dead soon.
By JJ
January 29, 2008 10:04 AM | Link to this
Not all kids from single parent homes are bad, please don’t put me into that category.
This single parent is highly involved in her child’s life, activities, school, etc……knows not just the friends, but their parents also……and spends ALOT of time with her child.
By The Headmaster
January 29, 2008 10:27 AM | Link to this
I get a kick of the clueless individuals who accuse home school parents of “sheltering” their children.
FYI, the overwhelming majority of home school kids get PLENTY of social interaction with their peers through the rec department, clubs and organizations, etc. Did you know there are several sports leagues in metro Atlanta that cater specifically to home school kids, who, obviously, aren’t eligible to play for their neighborhood high school teams? Home school kids also “hang out” with the other children in their neighborhoods.
Judging by their comments, I think that some members of the anti-home school crowd must socialize with thieves, drug dealers, and child molesters … you know, just so they can expose their kids to “the real world”.
By Truth Hurts
January 29, 2008 10:30 AM | Link to this
Mary, you’re comments about homeschooling are retarded. Social skills to survive in the future? WTF are you talking about? Education and hard work help you survive. Not going to football games? Homeschooling and Private school kids are far advanced than public school kids. No one cares what school your kid goes to. Every parent has the right to put their kids where they think they’ll get the best education and you have no right to tell her otherwise. I was in private, public and home school. I turned out great and loved private schools way more than public.
By Truth Hurts
January 29, 2008 10:42 AM | Link to this
Kids like this should be banned from any school. Period. Teachers can not teach in public schools because students and parents make it impossible. We have idiot parents who are more of a child than their children are and government that can’t govern well. Look at all the wonderful government schools in Clayton county where blacks took over because they played the race card. That school system almost lost it’s accreditation because of them.
By Buddy El
January 29, 2008 10:51 AM | Link to this
I am not a fan of lawsuits but this apparently could be a candidate. Her only recourse may be to sue the school for not providing a safe work envirinment. This type behavior must not be tolerated from ANY student including college.
By Julie
January 29, 2008 10:53 AM | Link to this
@JJ-Thanks for sticking up for us single parents. I know I work hard every day to raise my son to be a productive citizen. I do without so that I can keep him in a private school that is conducive to his needs. (He has some disablilties.)I do not receive goverment aid, nor do I wish to. I own my own home and have worked for every little thing that we have. Not all single parents are single parenting by choice. Life happens.
By Mary
January 29, 2008 10:54 AM | Link to this
Truth How many kids to you have?
By Charles
January 29, 2008 10:55 AM | Link to this
We all remember the well-known photo taken by Hubert van Es that shows South Vietnamese civilians scrambling to board a CIA Air America helicopter during the U.S. evacuation of Saigon in October 1975. Collaborators, Uncle Tom, Sell out, integrationist South Vietnamese citizens were making a mad dash to the shores of The United States of America. Those who could not escape fell into the hands of their communist brothers and sisters. They were worked to death in rice fields, others were forced into reeducation camps, and some were summarily executed…
Marcus Garvey understood that the integrationist, W. E. B. Dubois,” purely and simply a white man’s n****” and “a little Dutch, a little French, a little Negro … a mulatto … a monstrosity had joined forces with the CIA; consequently, the masses of ordinary Negroes had been betrayed by so-called integrationist black people…
In 1927, Marcus Garvey said to the masses of black men and women, “you are on your own now”. The Universal Negro Improvement Association had been destroyed by the CIA with the support of integrationist Negroes. And the average Negro had no genuine organizations that supported his or her real interest…
Today, 2008, there has been little or no change. African Americans have no highly visible genuine organizations, or institutions that support the interest of average Negroes in the 21st century…
Should a reasonable person take a cursory review of history, it’s easily understood that we can’t condemn or criticize an African American child who strikes out against an adverse enemy reeducation system and/or employees. It’s definitely not wise or advisable; we are surrounded primarily by enemies who are part of and secondarily not part of our ethnic group…
By Charles
January 29, 2008 10:57 AM | Link to this
We all remember the well-known photo taken by Hubert van Es that shows South Vietnamese civilians scrambling to board a CIA Air America helicopter during the U.S. evacuation of Saigon in October 1975. Collaborators, Uncle Tom, Sell out, integrationist South Vietnamese citizens were making a mad dash to the shores of The United States of America. Those who could not escape fell into the hands of their communist brothers and sisters. They were worked to death in rice fields, others were forced into reeducation camps, and some were summarily executed…
Marcus Garvey understood that the integrationist, W. E. B. Dubois,” purely and simply a white man’s n****” and “a little Dutch, a little French, a little Negro … a mulatto … a monstrosity had joined forces with the CIA; consequently, the masses of ordinary Negroes had been betrayed by so-called integrationist black people…
In 1927, Marcus Garvey said to the masses of black men and women, “you are on your own now”. The Universal Negro Improvement Association had been destroyed by the CIA with the support of integrationist Negroes. And the average Negro had no genuine organizations that supported his or her real interest…
Today, 2008, there has been little or no change. African Americans have no highly visible genuine organizations, or institutions that support the interest of average Negroes in the 21st century…
Should a reasonable person take a cursory review of history, it’s easily understood that we can’t condemn or criticize an African American child who strikes out against an adverse enemy reeducation system and/or employees. It’s definitely not wise or advisable; we are surrounded primarily by enemies who are part of and secondarily not part of our ethnic group…
By Sara
January 29, 2008 11:01 AM | Link to this
The last two kids that aced the SAT test were home schooled as was the kid that won the national spelling bee competition. If you follow your ‘typical’ high school kid and one that was home schooled through their college days, I’d bet in most cases the home school kid far exceeds the product of a bad public school education. Who wants their kids to socializw with a bunch of kids with pins stuck through their faces, pants to their knees…no goals. Kids can play organized sports and socialize in other ways besides school. Come on up to the times.
By Eyez
January 29, 2008 11:07 AM | Link to this
I am a man in my mid 20’s….I am only nine years out of high school and this type of thing never happened while I was there. I take that back, it happened once and the kid got the beat down of his life by the administrator he assaulted. I say bring back corporal punishment…..they stopped schools from dishing out corporal punishment when I was in second grade and I wish it would have stayed. Of course my Mother also had a deal with my school administrators that if I acted up they would call her immediately. So it didn’t matter how much trouble I got in at school b/c once I got home….I paid the piper in some form or another. That’s the issue with kids/schools/parents today, there is no cooperative education being reinforced by not only the parents and schools but the kids have no idea what it means to be a student with true academic merit. School is looked at as a glorified day care with the police as the true educators.
Kids like this young girl and others with issues similar need to have an old fashioned a$$ whippin. Nothing more or less…..$10 says if given discipline in a proper manner every one of them would be model children.
-A reformed bad kid.
By Mike B
January 29, 2008 11:21 AM | Link to this
* The Bottom Line* 1.Teachers should not be touched by any student period 2.Parents need to be held accountable for the actions of their children over and above punishing the student- Zero tollerance in this regard. 3.School administrators need to get away from the spreadsheets and statistical analysis that guide the programs/methodologies that they push as “education” it obviosly is not working. Georgia public schools are a disgrace in when compared to other states.These administrators do not get paid $70-110K/yr. to look at spreadsheets they need to be more supportive of their staff in the face of parents who don’t accept their responsibilities. They need to be more involved…Sitting in on classes, walking hallways, being after school ect. Teachers teach what the administration tells them too. Its not their fault.
4.Georgia needs to get back to teaching dicipline, and respect for authority in the classroom (It sure as hell is not being taught in the home for the most part)and they need to empower teachers to be something more than zookeepers for the out of control.
5.Teachers need to be able to enforce their will on reckless/defiant children who hold everyone else back by their actions.
6.The school system should be able to expose the parents of the juvenille offenders to the public. Shame these people into controlling their children.
We have gone way too soft on problems like these. It has to begin at home, then the neighborhood, and on to the schools to be corrected. This is a shame and we all shoulder some of the blame.
By Becky
January 29, 2008 11:21 AM | Link to this
Amen JJ. Not all single parent kids are bad..I have custody of my nieces & they get reduced lunches..They qualify for them because their Dad lost his life at a very young age while in the Navy..If I had done something like that, I would of had false teeth at an early age..I would of never disrespected my Mother enought to have done that..
By Greg
January 29, 2008 11:35 AM | Link to this
Hey….”Just a hunch” I think you called it…she probably is a female gang member. People in the south are slow to recognize signs gang membership.
By ab
January 29, 2008 11:36 AM | Link to this
are you kidding me. with all that goes on in the world is it that much of a surprise that kids are emulating what adults are doing. right or wrong it is happening. as for the homeschooled vs. public school debate, any kid that i taught that was a great student brought that to school with them (it was not what i brought to the table), and if you proposing that your home schooled or private schooled child is far more advanced than every other child just because of homeschooling or private schooling, then there is the solution to all the worlds evils. send all kids to private school and the worlds problems disappear.
By Jim
January 29, 2008 11:37 AM | Link to this
A twelve year old student is in between being a child and an adult.
Anyone in this age group that would attack an adult needs to learn there are consequences for such actions. This student also needs help.
My greatest fear is the kind of adult this student will become. Dangerous now, how dangerous will she be in five or six years?
In my years of teaching, I was only attacked once. I caught a student smoking in the restroom and was walking him to the assistant principal’s office.
I did not know this student.
While walking across the Commons Area, he took off running and I took off right behind him.
Since he smoked and I do not, I not only kept up with him, I was gaining ground.
Just as I got behind him, he spun around with his fist raised. I was sure he was going to cold c** me so I kept running and rolled him off his feet.
With him on the ground, I managed to get his hands behind his back and then lifted him up on this feet. Controlling him like that, I walked him to the office.
Reading about this teacher’s situation, I wonder what would have happened to me if that student had managed to swing his fist forward as I ran towards him. I’m sure I would have shed more than one tear.
The student I caught, it turned out, came from a good home with loving parents. The girl who attacked the teacher may come from a good home too.
The student I dealt with was just breaking the no smoking rule and tried to get out of trouble by running.
I assume he is a good adult and I hope successful. I wonder if he still smokes. If he does, I bet I could still our run him.
By doggirl
January 29, 2008 11:49 AM | Link to this
I was hit while teaching in Walton County and the end result was that I ended up in more trouble than the girl. Apparently I was supposed to ignore all of her discipline problems and that would make her behave. Failure to do so was then my fault. To say that it doesn’t happen often is hopefully true, but I think it is more likely that schools just hush it up. I know mine was. Simple battery charges weren’t filed and anything beyond alternative school would have to be something I pursued because the school system certainly wouldn’t.
By Jana
January 29, 2008 11:54 AM | Link to this
Charles you sound like a conspiracy theory nut.
History does not give a child a right to strike out at a teacher. And yes, we can criticize and condemn her for it, its inexcusable behavior, no matter what excuse you think history gives her.
It is thinking like yours, one that refuses to hold people accountable for their actions, that promotes the system of violence prevalent in today’s society.
By GaConservative
January 29, 2008 12:10 PM | Link to this
I say find tha parents and give them the beat down their daughter so richly deserves.
And then, when she’s 18, beat her down too.
By LB
January 29, 2008 12:18 PM | Link to this
As a mom of independent school until high school children, I know the difficulties that my child had going into the public school environment. His number one complaint about the school was the way some students addressed and spoke to the teachers and other adults. He was really bothered by this and actually confronted several kids about their behavior toward adults. I think that it is wise to acclimate our children to the real world and allow them to deal with these situations in high school but we need to equip them and educate them at home first. Independent/private/home schooling in the early years can really help them through the tough stuff as they grow and mature into contributing, successful adults.
By Malone
January 29, 2008 12:23 PM | Link to this
Take 4 kids from two different families:
Family A - Father is a prominent doctor in the community, mother is former beauty queen. Two beautiful sons, two years apart. Both sons are educated in Private School, and are basically given any and everything they ever wanted. Nice big home, very popular kids, tons of money, parents bought each kid a car when they turned 16. Oldest kid totals out three cars before 17, and Daddy continues to purchase vehicles. Youngest kid, two cars purchased before 18. Didn’t like the first one, so Daddy bought the one he wanted.
Family B - Middle class, father a prominent doctor also, mother is a Nurse, both work 40 hour weeks, father travels alot. Two children, daughter and son, two years apart. Public education. Daughter had to work and earn money for down payment on first car. If it’s wrecked, daughter has to pay for repairs with after school job. Son gets a car to go to college, as parents are moving out of town.
Family A - Oldest son dead of drug overdose at age 23. Youngest son, deadbeat, cannot hold down a job for longer than 2 months…….is now unemployed, lives in a government assisted home, gets food vouchers, etc. Has two kids, but never sees them or pays any kind of support. How can he, he doesn’t have a job.
Family B - Daughter highly educated on her own dime. Been in current job 20+ years. Son, went into law enforcement, has been with same department for 20+ years also. Both kids, independant, hard working, raising their own kids, paying their own way in the world.
What makes this story interesting, is all the kids are cousins. Their mothers are sisters……..the kids educated in Private school - one is dead and the other cannot hold down a job. The kids with the Public education - very alive and thriving and taking care of responsibility.
I’ll take my public education thank you very much!!!!!!!
By heal quickly
January 29, 2008 12:35 PM | Link to this
Janie and all others,
Please heal quickly, and good luck.
I was injured severely in Atlanta Public Schools and will never physically be the same. I can barely walk some days, in fact.
Yes, Rick, many instances aren’t reported.
Mine wasn’t. My attackers were suspended for a couple of days.
It’s so sad. One instance like this changes our lives, our families lives, …and so on. Kids lose a good teacher, and the bad kids remain in school. Until central offices actually care about discipline, an attack will happen every day. It’s depressing, actually.
By Charles
January 29, 2008 12:44 PM | Link to this
@1159 Marcus Garvey said that he and his supporters are full blooded black people.
African Americans and others are employed into an enemy educational system organized to brainwash, (educate), the masses of black people into the ways and ideology of W. E. B. Dubois, integration.
If we were able to adequately defend ourselves, an African American who decides to teach the garbage of W. E. B. Dubois, integration, should be punched in the nose.
African American children must not resort to any form of violence because these black integrationist Negroes and mainly white liberal supporters will happily incarcerate most of us or worse.
By Todd
January 29, 2008 12:45 PM | Link to this
Well, when Georgia allows kids to stay in school until they are 21, when the middle school I teach at now has two 17 year olds, and countless 16/15 year olds, something should tell you we have a SCREWED UP SYSTEM.
Just got back from lunch, where a boy wearing his military field jacket (so much for school uniforms when shoes and jackets do not count) knocked a girl out. We had to call 911. Girl was laying cold on the ground. All over french fries.
As I said before, I will say now. Nothing is going to happen to this kid. Oh, he might get in-school suspension (which does not count against you), but no legal action will be taken. I can guarantee it.
We encourage thugs.
By Anita
January 29, 2008 12:58 PM | Link to this
I refuse to believe that “the real world” some people favorably call the environment at public schools, is the same real world this homeschooler chooses to believe in. Maybe if you’re satisfied with and settle for less-than-civil, then you can have it. We, on the other hand, will continue homeschooling and contributing to what we consider to be the real world - where people communicate, vote, live calmly among each other, and practice the teachings of MLK, Jesus, and a host of others whom you’d probably say were unrealistic. Sure, crud exists - but that is not what we choose to see when we look at the world, or else we’re (you’re) likely to fit right in and become crud yourself.
By jim d
January 29, 2008 12:58 PM | Link to this
Rick,
I’m reading a fare amount of parent bashing in the blog today. Perhaps because it is the easy way to explain what happened.
I think we need to understand that responsibility and control go together. For decades now, our laws and our educational system have consistently undermined parental authority. Yet when bad things like this happen society attempts to lay the responsibilities off on parents after parental control has been eroded.
Preschoolers are taught that their parents have no right to spank them. All sorts of propaganda programs in the schools — from so-called “drug prevention” to “sex education” — stress that each individual makes his or her own decisions, independently of parental or societal values.
Most people have no idea how pervasive and unremitting are the efforts to drive a wedge between children and their parents and to replace parental influence with the influence of teachers, counselors and even the children’s similarly immature peers.
Many of the books, movies, and other materials used in the public schools mock parents as old windbags who are behind the times. “Trust-building” exercises teach students to rely on their classmates.
Is it any wonder that kids are out of control when parents must fight to constantly re-educate their children who are being taught by the system, that parents have no control?
Perhaps at times like these we should set up and take notice of the three headed monster we have created and work towards giving control back to parents.
By Todd
January 29, 2008 1:07 PM | Link to this
Let me amend what I said earlier. I stated we had two 17-year olds in my middle school. I just looked at the database: we have TWO 18 year olds and NINE 17 year olds.
This is how screwed up we are. Welcome to public school.
By Nat Turner
January 29, 2008 1:12 PM | Link to this
Let’s be real here, Charles. Black people have let their children slide through the cracks, and settle for complacency. Not to mention that there is a huge gap between the middle class black people and the working class and the rich. That sense of community is gone.
Our black children idolize thuggish, roguish culture, and not learning.
And Americans glorify violence. Scarface is one of the movies that goes down in history. So does the Godfather. There is a new Rambo. There are the Terminator movies. Look at how popular the Saw franchise has been.
So is it any surprise that the student attacked the teacher?
By joyce
January 29, 2008 1:22 PM | Link to this
MARY: KEEP YOUR PRUDISH COMMENTS TO YOUR SELF. HOMESCHOOLED CHILDREN ARE TAUGHT CLASSES AND MANNERS AND RESPECT FOR OTHERS. THEY SOCIALIZE WITH OTHER HOMESCHOOLED KIDS AND ALSO THROUGH THEIR CHURCH. KEEP PATTING YOURSELF GRANDIOSE SELF ON THE BACK, BUT YOUR BRAGGING IS DISGUSTING…….
By melvinowens
January 29, 2008 1:29 PM | Link to this
the teacher had it right. so many of these children today are products of drug abusing parents, and it shows
By Charles
January 29, 2008 1:37 PM | Link to this
Nat Turner,
I don’t believe the hype. These people know or should know they are destroying African American children. Compare the African American child of the 1960s to the African American child of today. No contest! The black child of the 1960s wins hands down.
They are destroying white children too, but responsible white people don’t need me to intelligently solve their problems. They have people who are more capable me.
White people were organized around racism during the 1960s and earlier. The New World Order system made them ashamed of racism, consequently, destroying a unifying, organizing, principle. The only glue left to hold white people together is nationalism; and that’s being replaced by internationalism or globalism.
Nat, like most African Americans and white people, I bet you have no Idea what I’m talking about. Lol
The New World Order crowd and German scientist through operation paper clip have successfully removed most Americans from reality to fantasy.
By Katie
January 29, 2008 1:39 PM | Link to this
People who use violence to solve conflicts are and always will be losers. We must teach our children to use words and to discuss issues in an intelligent manor. We must also teach our children that not everybody shares the same opinions as our own and that this world is a diverse one. Violence will get you nothing.
By Nat Turner
January 29, 2008 1:50 PM | Link to this
And Charles, you don’t have a clue. The reason that black kids in the 1960s were better off and smarter was because the black community was strong and not so divided with the haves and have-nots. We supported black businesses, and taught our children the value of an education that you do not disgrace your family name by being vulgar, girls acting boisterous, and getting to big for your britches.
It is time that the black community unified and realized that we need to value an education and not to yell, scream, and curse somebody out because they may have accidentally looked at you the wrong way.
How many black women do you see a day that look routinely p** off and it would kill them to be nice and smile?
Additionally, why are so many of our kids coming to school not prepared? You can take a minute to teach your kid the alphabet, to count, to write their name, and basic motor skills.
By Mary
January 29, 2008 2:05 PM | Link to this
Joyce My public school child is taught class and manners AT HOME. I don’t expect the school to do that.
Also, if you are homeschooling your kids, you may need to go back for some schooling yourself. Let me point out your home-schooled errors:
MARY: KEEP YOUR PRUDISH COMMENTS TO YOUR SELF (Mistake #1, yourself is one word, not two. I leared that in public school). HOMESCHOOLED CHILDREN ARE TAUGHT CLASSES (I sure hope they are teaching classes, as the public school teaches classes too. I believe you meant CLASS)AND MANNERS AND RESPECT FOR OTHERS. THEY SOCIALIZE WITH OTHER HOMESCHOOLED KIDS AND ALSO THROUGH THEIR CHURCH. KEEP PATTING YOURSELF (you got it right this time) GRANDIOSE SELF (did we need a second self?) ON THE BACK, BUT YOUR BRAGGING IS DISGUSTING……
And you seem to be one of those who, if I don’t agree with YOU, I MUST be wrong. My way or the highway.
Looser!!!!
By Camille
January 29, 2008 2:19 PM | Link to this
LOL, now the above response is comical. It’s loser not *looser
PS. I also would have commented on the typing of the post in all caps, but that’s just me.
By Charles
January 29, 2008 2:42 PM | Link to this
And Charles, you don’t have a clue. The reason that black kids in the 1960s were better off and smarter was because the black community was strong and not so divided with the haves and have-nots. We supported black businesses, and taught our children the value of an education that you do not disgrace your family name by being vulgar, girls acting boisterous, and getting to big for your britches, wrote Nat Turner.
But Nat, we were nationalist during that era. We were expected to educate ourselves and be morally sound to overcome oppression and slavery; and to improve our separate institutions to the point of adequately meeting our basic needs.
Unfortunately, we decided to integrate! So you who have integrated with others are getting what you deserve; you sell-out integrationist cowards.
By Charles
January 29, 2008 2:42 PM | Link to this
And Charles, you don’t have a clue. The reason that black kids in the 1960s were better off and smarter was because the black community was strong and not so divided with the haves and have-nots. We supported black businesses, and taught our children the value of an education that you do not disgrace your family name by being vulgar, girls acting boisterous, and getting to big for your britches, wrote Nat Turner.
But Nat, we were nationalist during that era. We were expected to educate ourselves and be morally sound to overcome oppression and slavery; and to improve our separate institutions to the point of adequately meeting our basic needs.
Unfortunately, we decided to integrate! So you who have integrated with others are getting what you deserve; you sell-out integrationist cowards.
By Truth Hurts
January 29, 2008 2:55 PM | Link to this
MARY, why don’t you apply those same writing standards to YOURSELF!
LOOSER??? It’s LOSER.
You are the M-O-R-O-N!!
Why don’t you go back to school! Keep your pro-government socialist views to yourself! Got it troglodyte? Do you know what that means? Maybe you should go to your local library and research the word.
By AC
January 29, 2008 3:06 PM | Link to this
It is easy to put all single parents in the same category when something like this happens. I raised two girls alone and they will tell you they wouldn’t have even dared think about doing something like this. Their mommy, as much as she loves them, would not have spared the rod…at the school. My oldest is graduating in May with a MSc in Speech Pathology and the youngest is a second year HOPE scholar at Georgia State. So, there are some of us who are doing it right.
By JJ
January 29, 2008 3:22 PM | Link to this
AC Yes, and all married couples are perfect parents!!!!!
Let’s blame the single parents for all the bad kids, as married parents have perfect little angels. And be sure to blame the one parent that stayed behind to actually raise the child. Let’s not blame the absent parent. Oh no, can’t have that.
And Truth If don’t have anything to contribute, other than attacking fellow bloggers about their OPINION, please go find another blog to spew your venom!!!!!
There will always be a debate over Public vs. Private schools. There will always be debates about working moms vs stay at home moms……We all have our own opinions, and if they don’t agree with YOUR opinion, well then we will have to live with each other. Your way is not right for me and my way may not be right for you. But to attack someone just because they don’t think like you, is disgusting!!!!!! And I also believe is prejudiced. You are pre-judging someone based soley on a newspaper blog…….
By Charles
January 29, 2008 3:24 PM | Link to this
Good talking to you Nat Turner. I wasn’t one of the integrationist n**** who betrayed you to ole masser. I didn’t see anything or hear anything about your goings and comings.
But I did hear some of the integrationist Negroes saying at the big house, “oh masser, oh masser don’t worry bout us. Oh masser, Oh masser, don’t worry bout us; we gone be here wit you like we’ve always been.”
Seriously, I’ve got to sign off today. I look forward to talking with everybody in the future.
We will see you all tomorrow; God willing
By Atico
January 29, 2008 4:23 PM | Link to this
In my world there can be very few social grouping things worse that a twelve year old beating a teacher in the head.
We know that the secular culture, at some low level, creates these litle monsters. How the system handles these brats in another side of the story.
The school system hides most of the discipline problems from the public as it affects their rating, however this horrid and stupid act by some illiterate twelve year old was just too violent to hide.
The fault lies with the culture these little maniacs are reared into, but the real culprit is the “Public School” system and it’ ADMINSTRATORS.
This should have never happened. This terrible child was passed from pillar to post, and the school administration did the passing, and in the end caused the molestatin of a fine teacher. Nothing more needs to be said….
By CE
January 29, 2008 6:53 PM | Link to this
After having been employed with GCPS for over 10 years, I’ve seen so many incidents that have gone unreported to the public. I am appalled with this brutal attack on a dedicated teacher. This teacher’s life will never be the same. She will deal with this trauma for the rest of her life. This teacher seems to love teaching, which I’ve witnessed to be true for some teachers, but not all. This girl apparently just lost control and exploded or did she plan it? If the teacher had fought back, she would be the one in trouble. Since this was caught on camera, it will be presented at the student’s County Discipline Hearing. The student was probably arrested by GCPS Resource Officiers and detained in the Juvenile Facilities. I hope this teacher presses charges and takes this case as far as possible. This would show students and parents that there are consequences for this type of behavior. Lilburn MS is known as a “gang” school. The demographics of that area indicate this to be true. School Administration should have dealt with this student more severely to prevent this from ever happening, but again the ball was dropped. The school system needs to back this teacher up instead of trying to sweep it under the carpet, like it does in so many cases. May this teacher recover from her physical and emotional injuries inflicted by this “criminal in the making”. This girl needs to be punished for her actions. The School Discipline panel will determine that for the school system, but the law is the law so she should go through the juvenile system and be punished for assaulting and causing injury physical & emotional) to this teacher.
By GC Parent
January 29, 2008 7:11 PM | Link to this
So CE - I am interested in your thoughts. What about the student who was assaulted and defended himself in the bathroom at the high school in GC ? Can a student in GC have a case of self defense like the teacher did ?
By Linda D. Montalbano
January 29, 2008 8:46 PM | Link to this
Teachers can’t teach in mainstreamclasses when inclusion disregards students functioning abilities. “…violence against teachers happens more than we realize…” and what are they doing to stop the violance? They are crimilazing childrens behaviors and placing them on the pipe line to prision program. Child Find of IDEA is not used by school staff to refer children to be evaluated to determin what is their Least Restritive Enviorment. School staff spend time and money on “…discipline workshops at the school” and “highly touted method of classroom management and discipline…” Teachers have three monkey syndrom. They don’t see, hear or speak of any child who they suspect my have a disability and/or behavior’s that will cost the school district money. This news article states:“she was disruptive, hostile and defiant.” in school. Was a referal made under Child Find? What they did was “…removed from one teacher’s classroom and put in Fair’s science class…” Pass the problem on and not do a Functional Behavior Assessment. The claim: “Teachers and campus officials probably shun police reports and prosecution because they don’t want to hurt the child or taint the school.” School districts don’t want to pay for day treatment and/or residentral treatiment schools. Children as young as 5 years old are taken out of schools in handcuffs and put in the criminal justice system. Children who are classified under IDEA are denied manfastation determintion hearings and the focus is probation and criminilazation. Teachers don’t want to get hurt then comply with IDEA law and refer children to special education for evaluation, classification and placement. Linda D. Montalbano
By Katie
January 30, 2008 8:28 AM | Link to this
A few of you, above, mentioned that the girl was lucky that the teacher didn’t beat her down. What part of NO violence don’t you understand? A few of you also got very upset with a simple spelling error (loser vs. looser). If you get that upset with someone over a simple spelling error, how quick would you use violence as a means of expressing your anger?—my guess is that you’re a loaded weapon ready to shoot. Calm down people!! If kids see parents and adults ‘flying off the handle’ and using violence they will think it’s acceptable behavior for them. We need to teach that violence is NOT acceptable under any circumstances—period!! Whether people misuse the English language or can’t spell properly, neither is a reason to verbally assault someone, grow up. Not everyone shares the same opinions and this is a blog for all to submit their opinions—just as I have done. Showing violence, teaches violence and this isn’t a race issue. There are just as many violent white kids as there are black or hispanic. And it isn’t a wealth issue either, rich kids are just as violent as poor kids.
By Katie
January 30, 2008 8:30 AM | Link to this
A few of you, above, mentioned that the girl was lucky that the teacher didn’t beat her down. What part of NO violence don’t you understand? A few of you also got very upset with a simple spelling error (loser vs. looser). If you get that upset with someone over a simple spelling error, how quick would you use violence as a means of expressing your anger?—my guess is that you’re a loaded weapon ready to shoot. Calm down people!! If kids see parents and adults ‘flying off the handle’ and using violence they will think it’s acceptable behavior for them. We need to teach that violence is NOT acceptable under any circumstances—period!! Whether people misuse the English language or can’t spell properly, neither is a reason to verbally assault someone, grow up. Not everyone shares the same opinions and this is a blog for all to submit their opinions—just as I have done. Showing violence, teaches violence and this isn’t a race issue. There are just as many violent white kids as there are black or hispanic. And it isn’t a wealth issue either, rich kids are just as violent as poor kids.
By Katie
January 30, 2008 8:30 AM | Link to this
A few of you, above, mentioned that the girl was lucky that the teacher didn’t beat her down. What part of NO violence don’t you understand? A few of you also got very upset with a simple spelling error (loser vs. looser). If you get that upset with someone over a simple spelling error, how quick would you use violence as a means of expressing your anger?—my guess is that you’re a loaded weapon ready to shoot. Calm down people!! If kids see parents and adults ‘flying off the handle’ and using violence they will think it’s acceptable behavior for them. We need to teach that violence is NOT acceptable under any circumstances—period!! Whether people misuse the English language or can’t spell properly, neither is a reason to verbally assault someone, grow up. Not everyone shares the same opinions and this is a blog for all to submit their opinions—just as I have done. Showing violence, teaches violence and this isn’t a race issue. There are just as many violent white kids as there are black or hispanic. And it isn’t a wealth issue either, rich kids are just as violent as poor kids.
By GC Parent
January 30, 2008 9:25 AM | Link to this
Linda D. Montalbano is 100% correct. I am comfortable betting money that a million opportunities were missed by both the parent and the school(s) to focus on the right services for this student. And the prison pipeline will continue for this young lady unless someone in GCPS says “no longer”. Mr. Badie - you say the outcome might be that she attends an “alternative school” to address her behavior. Don’t settle for that answer, I am confident that unless the child gets legal, or serious advocate assistance, or the courts demand the services she will not get any service that “addresses her behavior”. I would be very surprised that any of the alternative programs (schools) in Gwinnett County have even a shred of data to prove that their alternative programs address anything other than increased rates of student drop outs - which only increase the county rate for unemployment, poverty and prison…and give a 12 year old little reason to believe she can turn the corner.
By faye
January 30, 2008 6:10 PM | Link to this
Actually, GC Parent, Linda D. Motalbano is probably 100% wrong in blaming teachers for not “wanting” to put this child in special ed (although without knowing all the details, I’ve heard this was a gang thing, not a SPED thing).
Teachers know what’s going on - they see and hear, they just can’t speak - they are told by those higher up not to say anything because “they are not diagnoticians” and it makes the school system liable - it’s risk management, not the teachers. Trust me, teachers don’t want this kind of problem in their classrooms.
BTW, “disruptive, hostile, and defiant” aren’t symptoms of a learning disability.
By GC parent
January 30, 2008 10:08 PM | Link to this
Faye,
We don’t want teachers to diagnose, just follow the federal law - child find. Let the experts decide. To heck with liability, we are talking about kids lives.
By faye
January 30, 2008 11:26 PM | Link to this
GC parent - teachers are following the letter of the law - the law is just so convoluted - the state wants to keep kids OUT of SPED. Teachers can’t recommend a child be tested - even if in their heart of hearts they feel that is the right course of action. Talk to some teachers- they’ll tell you how their hands are tied.
By Jane
February 2, 2008 10:34 PM | Link to this
When you’ve heard all the facts then make a judgement. Remember there was a video camera that recorded the whole incident. You’re listening to one side of the story.
By bless her heart
February 5, 2008 3:23 PM | Link to this
Oh poor, poor Mary! She tried to call someone w/ poor grammar a loser and called her a looser! I saw other people laughed at that too………I will be laughing ALL day. I was with her until she did that!!! Poor girl.
By Gina
February 8, 2008 10:55 AM | Link to this
I wasn’t going to respond to this article. Now, that I have read what everyone is posting, I think I should. I am not going to get into all the little arguments that are going on. What I have to say is about the student. At the age of 12 you have known right from wrong for years. She (the child)should be punished for the assault as if she were an adult(if she needs mental help they can get it for her). I don’t care to hear anymore about race,single parents,how much money people make. It isn’t always that easy to pin point what is going on. My daughter is 10, she is suspended from school as of today for being disrespectful to her teacher. She isn’t poor, she isn’t in a gang, she goes to private school, she is not abused in any way. I have to figure out what her issue is. I will but, if all schools did what her school does just for being disrespectful a lot of children would straighten up. By the way there are children who are just uncontrollable and it is not their parents fault. Quit trying to make them pay for things they may not be able to control themselves.