Originally Posted by
nextcommercial 
That's really the problem. It isn't the school or the teacher, or the administrator. It's the fact that every other possible consequence has been taken away from the school. In past years, kids could help clean up the school grounds as a repayment. But, now things they might come in contact with are more dangerous. Plus, parents have had so many fits about little precious having to work, that the only thing left is suspension.
Kids here to cleanup detail, but it's usually for being late or absent (that makes no sense to me, either, but I'm used to that).
There's a "no tolerance, no exception" rule now. The teachers can't see a kid with a Tylenol in their backpack without it being an automatic suspension. Because the administration and teachers are no longer allowed to use common sense. It's just one sweeping punishment. If you bring a Motrin, or bag of Oxycontin. The punishment is all the same. If a kid defends himself, and there are tapes to prove the kid was defending himself, both kids are still suspended. Nobody uses common sense anymore because they aren't allowed to.
I don't think we have very many "no tolerance" policies at ds1's school...maybe drugs (although I've seen drunk kids at school events, and the principal had her eye on at least one of them, who wasn't suspended or anything).
The teacher is mad because he risked hurting himself before a big show. She's put most of the semester into this, and all the students have worked hard on this... so, of course she's upset that he would do something to hurt himself before the program. I don't blame her.
First of all, my issues with the teachers involved with the musical go back to before this incident. They seem to think that wanting to be in the musical means you're not allowed to have any other life...right down to one kid getting flack for requesting that she be allowed to skip rehearsal to go to a loved one's funeral. Another was refused permission to skip rehearsal to go home and say goodbye to a pet that was being put down. They lack perspective in a big way.
Secondly...ds1 wasn't taking a risk, any more than a kid who steps into a puddle and discovers that the puddle was hiding a super deep pothole. He took what was, for him, a big jump. That's it. The only reason there was an issue was because he didn't know it was drywall, not wood. If it had been a solid surface, he'd have landed, jumped down, and that would have been that. If they're that serious about risk, then they should be just as angry at a member of the cast who jumps two stairs on their way home, because they could break an ankle if they land badly. DS1 is a super fit, competitive gymnast and he knows his capabilities down to a pretty fine margin.
You can say "he knows his limits". But, the next kid doesn't. So, if he's allowed to jump through walls, the next kid will try to jump through a brick wall, because teenagers don't THINK. They just don't. There is scientific proof that they don't think. There are hours and hours of Youtube to prove they don't think. There are ENTIRE websites full of videos that prove teenagers don't think ahead. So, just because YOUR teenager can think ahead, there are 900 students in his school who can't.
Allowed to jump through walls? What are you talking about? He's not allowed to jump through walls...hence the imminent outlay of several hundred dollars (at a guess) and potential school service. If you think that watching him get a few days off school is going to dissuade future daredevils, you're very mistaken. In addition, if a kid doesn't think, they don't think. DS1's jump isn't going to change that, one way or another. However, this is all moot, as he wasn't trying to jump through a freaking wall. He was trying to (and did) land on a ceiling.
Adults think of a suspension as a punishment. Kids, ime, don't tend to. (I only ever got one, and I very much enjoyed the two days off school, even though I was also grounded.) DS1 will be pissed off that he can't see his friends for a few days, more convinced than ever that the school doesn't have a clue (they've been trying hard to convince us for the last couple of years), and...yeah - that's about it. He already feels like crap about the ceiling. He's already got bloody scratches up the underside of both arms. He's already going to be laying out cold hard cash that he's been conscientiously working for and saving since September. The suspension is just irritating nonsense...and the whole "Mr. H (Vice-Principal) has been instructed to stay right by him on today's field trip" thing is just...wow...I have no words.
Glad he's ok, and hope that the school administration comes to their senses and rescinds the suspension.
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