Christmas Music Banned In Jersey School District

Story: Christmas Music Banned In Jersey School District

"I must stop this whole thing! Why, for fifty-three years I've put up with it now. I must stop Christmas from coming... but how?" -The Grinch

Rudolph and Frosty might get the year off in these New Jersey schools. It's actually not beginning to look a lot like Christmas because they are banning all music after a recent parent complaint. The annual holiday musical program is sure to interesting this year.


1,500 students disciplined for not wearing uniforms

Story: 1,500 students disciplined for not wearing uniforms

Pop Quiz: Which causes more of a disruption to the learning process? Students not strictly following a dress code, or the entire student body organizing protests against a dress code they feel is absurd? Even many of the parents are opposed to the uniforms. Some argue that it's hard to afford BOTH school clothes and regular clothes. We'll see how long these students can keep this up!


Spokane elementary schools switch to number grades

Story: Spokane elementary schools switch to number grades

Instead of A-B-C-D, these schools are now using 4-3-2-1. The woman who headed up this change wants to give parents a "clearer picture of where their child stands." Apparently the families in Spokane have been struggling for years to decipher the universal grading system of A's and B's. Of the pointless ideas I've heard, I'd rank this a 4.


Student assaulted during 'Kick A Jew Day'


Story: Student assaulted during 'Kick A Jew Day'

Hallmark employees must be driving themselves crazy trying to keep up with all these holidays. You would think Thanksgiving and Christmas would be a busy enough time of the year, but with the recent additions of "Kick a Ginger Day" and "Kick a Jew Day," who has time to rest?! I wonder when we will read about "Kick a Middle-Class White Student Day?"


Teen Skipped School To Rob Bank

Story: Teen Skipped School To Rob Bank

The note he handed the teller was "riddled with misspellings." We can only hope he was planning on using the stolen money to buy and donate some dictionaries to his school.


Red-haired boy beat up on "Kick a Ginger Day"


Story: Attack on Calabasas boy probed for tie to Facebook group

The cartoon South Park inspired teens and preteens to start a Facebook page targeting redheads. November 20th was the official "Kick a Ginger Day." It resulted in red-haired school children getting beat up, punched, kicked and harassed all day. Something this silly was able to spread so fast and inspire kids everywhere to inflict random violence on innocent classmates. If only educators could capture the power that social networking holds over our youth...


Teacher tells seven-year-olds: Imagine your dad died in 9/11 attacks

Story: Teacher tells seven-year-olds: Imagine your dad died in 9/11 attacks

Nothing seems more productive than asking a group of first graders to picture their dad dying in a terrorist attack. I wonder how many family members of the close to 3,000 victims would be interested in reading the completed assignments? I find it hard to believe that this teacher ran out of positive topics and thought this would be a really great brain exercise.


Indiana student newspaper runs white-supremacist ad

Story: Carmel student newspaper runs white-supremacist ad

5,000 students at this high school are left wondering if their school supports the Neo-Nazi movement after a white-supremacist group was able to run an ad in their newspaper. This is when a faculty adviser needs to do their job and proofread everything before it goes into print. The same thing happened a week ago in San Fransisco. Who knew that hate groups got their news from high school journalists?


Book Review: Youth in a Suspect Society

In the past week alone, we've seen students arrested for a food fight. We've seen over 200 suspended for dress code violations at one school. We've even seen students suspended for bringing in McDonald's to lunch. In a new book by Henry A Giroux, the author explores how our youth seem to be constantly under attack and criminalized. Youth in a Suspect Society argues that school children are no longer viewed as an investment, but rather disposable. As the title suggests, our students have in fact become "suspects." One chapter explores some of the side effects since Zero-Tolerance has been instituted. "One major effect can be seen in the increasingly popular practice of organizing schools through disciplinary practices that closely resemble the culture of prisons." Dr. Giroux uses examples of many of the same stories we've brought to you on DetentionSlip.org to enlighten his readers about how ridiculous some of these discipline cases have been. He sums it up perfectly by stating, "forms of punishment that were once applied to adults now apply to first graders." We've had to begin splurging on safety and security measures, and rather than having the Principal handle discipline, we send kids off to juvenile correction centers for minor infractions. The book digs deep into the ways our youth are being affected by current political and economic situations and is a recommended read for anyone interested in examining what has happened to our schools.

To read more about some of the author's outlook on our schools, click here for an exclusive interview Dr. Giroux did with DetentionSlip.org.



Teacher’s aide fired for surfing Web while students engaged in sex act

Story: Teacher’s aide fired for surfing Web while students engaged in sex act

The irony would be if the teacher was looking up porn, when he could have witnessed his own private show had he been paying attention to the classroom. Maybe it'd be a good idea to stay away from a computer at his next job?


Skinny pants banned from schools in Texas

Story: Odds of wearing skinny pants in Mesquite ISD: slim to none

While baggy pants are a problem in some parts of the country, skinny pants are causing principals' heads to roll in others. I'm thinking that these pants are so tight, and so hard to put on, that maybe students are arriving tardy everyday because it takes them longer to get ready in the morning. Oh, and they look ridiculous...especially on teenage boys.


Wis. teacher's aide accused of having sex with 12-year-old boy

Story: Wis. teacher's aide accused of having sex with 12-year-old boy

Who needs the Make-a-Wish Foundation when there are teachers willing to put out to pre-teens? Looking back, I wonder if her little fling with a 12-year old will be worth 60 years in prison?


Teacher Accused of Using a Jump Rope to Tie Up Misbehaving Students

Story: Hickory Substitute Teacher Accused of Using a Jump Rope to Tie Up Misbehaving Student

What is troubling about this story, is that while bound, the teacher told the children, "This is what it’s going to be like when you’re in jail." The nerve of this lady to give out such inaccurate information to our youth! Even though jails are over-crowded, I don't think it's ever been common practice to tie up prisoners with a jump rope when they are causing trouble in the yard. Either they get shanked by another inmate or they're put in solitary confinement. No wonder kids haven't been scoring well on tests!


Student sues school over dodgeball injury

If you can dodge a ball, you can dodge a lawsuit!

Story:
Injured kid hits school in dim gym lawsuit after dodgeball accident

Dodgeball was unofficially banned from schools about three years ago. That left gym teachers to be creative. That's why this class decided to use harder, less-giving soccer balls to launch at kids. The result? Busted teeth and a trip to court. Haven't schools learned that anything that was fun 10 years ago is now considered a dangerous threat to child safety? Who would have thought a game that encourages athletic kids to whip balls as hard as they can at the faces of nonathletic kids gets frowned upon?


Teacher Accused of Showing Nude Photos

Story: Teacher Accused of Showing Nude Photos

"What's your bra size?" Usually when your after-school tutoring session begins with that question, you're not gonna be getting a lot of calculus done.


Students Suspended for Bringing Fast Food for Lunch

Story: Students Suspended for Bringing Fast Food for Lunch

Parents have been caught smuggling hamburgers from McDonald's and Wendy's inside the brown lunch bags of their children. According to the school, this type of contraband is strictly prohibited. Students found with the illegal fast food have been suspended. The warden is considering random locker shake-downs if this problem persists.


Board considers texting ban for school bus drivers

Story: Board considers texting ban for school bus drivers

Miami schools are "considering" banning bus drivers from texting. Considering! What the F do school bus drivers need to text message for?! When you're behind the wheel and your cargo is 40 school children, texting should be the LAST thing you're allowed to do. Hey Miami- way to be proactive with these ground-breaking decisions.


Schools in the dark about tainted lunches

Story: Schools in the dark about tainted lunches

Del Ray taco shells have been making kids sick for years. But why would a school have any knowledge of this when they are ordering and serving lunches? Better yet, at what point will some nutrition agency step in and regulate the crap kids are forced to eat? And we wonder why parents are sending their kids in with fast food.


Chelmsford school bans holiday items at gift shop

Story: Chelmsford school bans holiday items at gift shop

Anything that has any resemblance to either Christmas or religion was scratched off the inventory list at this elementary school. This includes Santa, candy canes, stockings, basically anything green or red. We've already accepted that we can't call it "Christmas" in schools anymore, but now we're stripping away all holiday spirit? At this pace, I give it about ten years until children don't even get this day off from school.


166 middle-schoolers suspended for dress code violations

Story: 166 middle-schoolers suspended for dress code violations

Everyone knows that one of biggest problems facing our education system has been shirts not being tucked in. When the day comes that all of our students look neat and proper, teachers will again be able to concentrate during instructional time.


Clayton teacher charged with putting "hit" on student


Story: Clayton teacher charged with putting "hit" on student

It's common knowledge that if you don't like having a student in your class, or don't agree with him being gay, that easiest way to resolve this predicament is by hiring someone to kill him. Sometimes when you've seen the Godfather movies a few too many times, it becomes challenging to grasp reality again.


Teacher broke law by posting top test scores

Story: Teacher broke law by posting top test scores

If you're a teacher in Minnesota, pay close attention. This teacher used a motivational technique he learned by posting the names of the top test scores for everyone to see. In the process he violated the privacy of the students, which is protected under state law. Next time, he should encrypt the message with a code that only the smart students can decipher.


Overdue books returned 51 years later

Story: Overdue books returned 51 years later

Finally! Now the 69-year old student can receive his/her high school diploma. I feel bad for the kid who reserved the books next.


Teacher quits after stealing from colleagues

Story: Redding woman resigns $95,000-a-year teaching job after being charged with stealing from colleague

A group if wise men once said, "If you're not greedy you will go far...you will live in happiness too." It is important to note that she banks almost $100k a year, because she was caught on videotape stealing $20 bills from other teachers. Well thank goodness she's gone! This oughta open up about $70,000 in cap space for this schools budget to hire a teacher who won't root through people's purses.


Boy, 7, fires gun at car while waiting for school bus

Story: Boy, 7, fires gun at car while waiting for school bus

Any 7-year old that has been through a hunters safety course should know that you don't use parked cars for shooting practice. Conveniently, Nevada law states you have to be at least 8 years old to be charged with a crime. So even though this boy can keep firing away, I'll bet not too many classmates are lining up to sleepover at his house on the weekends.


Teen breaks into school, surfs Internet for pornography

Story: Teen breaks into Storm Grove school, surfs Internet for pornography

What?! This school doesn't put a block on porn sites?! He also caused $1,200 damage to an office door. Although I haven't seen the footage, I can only assume the door was made of gold and encrusted with 10-carat diamonds.


Indiana Principal Arrested for Drunk Driving...While Wearing Dress

Story: Indiana Principal on Leave After He Allegedly Drove Drunk Wearing Dress

After getting arrested for a DUI and having your mugshot taken with a pink dress and high heels (they made him take the wig off), I honestly don't know if you're ever gonna be able to regain the respect of your students or parents. Is it too late to retire and get a gig at the 801 Cabaret Club in Key West?


Teacher fired for comment about shape of Florida

Story: Shawnee Mission teacher says comment led to his firing

When Rand McNally started making maps, he never would have guessed the shape of Florida was going to get a teacher fired. But when you loosely explain to a class of eighth graders that it looks like an excited penis, you're gonna find some backlash. FACT: Every 14-year old knows what a penis looks like. Inappropriate comment? Maybe. Fire the guy? Well the whole town of students and parents seem to think the opposite. All I know is that if I were a boy in his class, I would be counting down the days until the Grand Tetons showed up in my geography book.


8th-grader suspended for wild Bengals haircut


Story: 8th-grader suspended for wild Bengals haircut

Usually when a local pro sports team is playing well, everyone supports their success. That's what this boy was doing when he decided to shave a 'B' for Bengals into his hair. But without fail, the principal deemed this to be "extreme" and "distracting," and now he can't come to school. We can only assume the principal is a Steelers fan.


25 Chicago Students Arrested for a Middle-School Food Fight

Story: 25 Chicago Students Arrested for a Middle-School Food Fight

It had all the elements of a real arrest: handcuffs, mugshots, eight hours in jail, and a future court hearing. The only thing missing was real criminals. When you hear that 25 were arrested in Chicago, you assume some sort of gang fight broke out at a downtown nightclub. But no, it was a FOOD FIGHT involving 12-year-olds! Now I'm not saying to let everyone off the hook, but why are we so quick to criminalize kids? I'd love to see some research that correlates data from the emergence of 'zero-tolerance' with graduation rates.


District nixes cash-for-grades fundraiser

Story: District nixes cash-for-grades fundraiser

The principal approved an idea that allowed students to pay for better grades. This is not a made up story. To off-set budget problems (and presumably poor grades), students could buy extra points on their tests. $20 can increase your score by 20 points! It was also learned that the district scratched "Morals and Ethics" from their lesson plans and replaced it with "The Art of Bribery." After hearing this story, I can only hope that our schools have finally reached rock bottom.


Mandarin High coach charged in 'prank'

Story: Mandarin High coach charged in 'prank'

What did we learn here? The next time you try to rob a convenience store with a mask on and a shotgun pointed at the clerk (only to realize you're not getting into the safe), you CAN'T just go back in a couple minutes later and claim you were joking. If that were true I don't think over-crowding in prisons would be a problem.


School's 'You're Failing' Message Sent To All Students

Story: School's 'You're Failing' Message Sent To All Students

Nothing lets parents know that their kids' school has their act together better than an automated message going out to the entire student body warning them they are failing. I wonder how many kids got whooped by mom or dad before they realized it was a mistake.


High school bans 'Meep' from student vocabulary


Story: What's wrong with 'meep'? It's all in how you say it

According to Merriam-Webster, the word 'meep' has absolutely no meaning. According to the principal at Danvers High, it stands for complete disrespect and disruption of the education process. Leave it to high school kids to find a creative way to have innocent fun around the hallways (and then get in trouble for it). Don't worry though, the English language is full of millions of non-words that will soon replace 'meep." Keep us updated Danvers!


Girl gets $25,000 for kickball injury


Story: $25k payout after girl hurt playing kickball in North Mankato

Her teacher used a folder for a base and the girl broke her ankle sliding on it. Rather than "walking it off" or "rubbing some dirt on it," her family decided the best way to nurse this injury back to health was suing the district for $25,000. Great! Now the school will never be able to afford real bases!


Polk County teacher suing state over fingerprinting

Story: Polk County teacher suing state over fingerprinting

As part of a background check, teachers are required to get their fingerprints screened. This woman is claiming that (according to the book of Revelation in the Bible), letting the state fingerprint her would "bear her the mark of the beast and she would be tormented in burning sulfur." Well that certainly seems like a reasonable argument in today's day and age. It makes me wonder if Texas has been covering up all their sulfur-fire deaths over the years. Maybe this is why it's hard to find good teachers?


22-year old man posed as high school student


Story: Yuma High School Duped By 22-Year-Old Man Posing as Student So He Could Play Basketball

Four months into the school year, it was finally discovered that this old man walking the halls was not the spring chicken he claimed to be. A lot of us have always said "If I could do high school over again..." Well, this guy got his wish. (Including having sex with high school girls). I guess it's easy for an 18-year old kid to enroll himself into high school with a birth certificate chalk-full of typo's in Arizona. I wonder if he has a real job he needs to get back to?


Florida teacher makes girl clean up classmates pee


Story: Florida Teacher Reportedly Suspended for Coercing 6-Year-Old Student to Clean Another's Urine

I know 1000's of kids are missing school every day because of swine flu symptoms. I don't all the safest ways to prevent the spread of germs, but I have a hunch getting on your hands and knees and wiping up someones urine doesn't fall into that category. The girl was rewarded for her act by receiving fake classroom dollars though! It's probably a safe bet that if this teacher loses her job, 'janitorial services' won't be high on her potential careers list.


Teenager Shot on School Bus in West Philadelphia

Story: Teenager Shot on School Bus in West Philadelphia

School shooting stories have been popping up everywhere recently, but it doesn't seem like the national media has caught on yet. Maybe we have all just come to terms with teens carrying a firearm. But since this one was on a school bus, it begs the question- Where is Kaleb Eulls when you need him?


Fla. school district restricts athletes' clothing

Story: Fla. school district restricts athletes' clothing

In Florida, it regularly reaches 100 degrees outside. That is hot. As a tradition, the athletes don't practice wearing extra layers. In fact, it's common to see the girls running in sports bras and the boys with their shirts off. As awesome of a sight that might be for classmates and pedophiles alike, a couple parents recently complained so of course a stricter dress code is now being enforced. I anticipate these same parents will be the first ones pointing fingers at the school when a student dies of heat exhaustion.

This post featured here!


Teacher accused of pushing boy's head into desk

Story: Aberdeen teacher accused of pushing boy's head

When you don't know how to deal with kids, you tell them to put their heads down. When they don't listen to that, you slam their head into the desk. Problem solved, right?


Patriotic photo refused in yearbook

Story: Patriotic photo refused

When he graduates, the young man will be entering the Army and fighting a war against Iraq. He is currently fighting a battle against his school for the right to wear his uniform for his senior picture in the yearbook. The principal says- No way. For the record, his school practices the Pledge of Allegiance and will also be closed this Veteran's Day. Go figure.


Oviedo High teacher resigns over student DUI arrest


Story: Oviedo High teacher resigns over student DUI arrest

Mistake #1- Teacher invites high school students to hang out at her house
Mistake #2- She starts to get liquored up with the teens
Mistake #3- She gives the drunk students keys to her SUV to drive home
Mistake #4- The kids crash the vehicle and get arrested for underage drinking, leaving the scene of a crime and a DUI

Somewhere along this time-line you would hope that common sense would kick in.


Illinois Teacher Suspended After Assignment Involving Homosexuality

Story: Illinois Teacher Suspended After Assignment Involving Homosexuality

If the teacher was forcing kids to be gay and read graphic stories about homosexual encounters, I could see why some parents might protest. The fact is, it was an OPTIONAL reading assignment from a science magazine about homosexuality in the animal kingdom. Homophobic parents threw their arms up trying to get this guy out of the classroom. It always nice to know some moms and dads want to make sure their kids grow up being close-minded.


Student Made Blow Torch, Set Fire In School Bathroom

Story: Student Made Blow Torch, Set Fire In School Bathroom

You would think at a Science and Technology school, they would have plenty of labs to test out experiments. Fans of the game Contra argue he should have used "spread."


Teacher dares student to eat dead fly for good grade

Story: Dead Fly + Dare - 'A' Grade = Angry Student

I didn't know some schools were modeling education reform off of the show Fear Factor. Next time this teacher dares kids to eat dead bugs for an A on a test, maybe he should tell them he was joking before he actually grades the test.


School Employee Accused Of Forcing Student To Eat Pizza

Story: School Employee Accused Of Forcing Student To Eat Pizza

Public schools have gotten so bad that they are forcing kids to eat pizza. What's next? Recess instead of homework? Ice cream parties instead of tests? But seriously, by the time you're in middle school, I'm pretty sure you are capable of eating lunch without adult assistance.


Drunken man reportedly rams stolen lawnmower into school bus


Story: Drunken man reportedly rams stolen lawnmower into school bus

When you're drunk, sometimes a big yellow bus takes the appearance of a thick, grassy lawn. Not until a bunch of middle school kids are pointing and laughing at you because you crashed and fell to the ground do you realize your mistake. Who would have thought that getting hammered and joyriding with your girlfriend on a stolen John Deere wouldn't pay off?


 
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