Friday, September 12, 2008

Freedom of "no speech"?

This has been a bad week where my kids are concerned. Two of them got In House detention this week. One offense went to Hayden for tapping his pencil on the leg of a chair of a classmate (those are the principal's words) and the teacher sent him to the office for bullying where he was told he got detention for 3 days. What can a parent say? If he's annoying another student, then there are consequences. We've never had this happen and have always been told that our kids are well behaved, sweet and just really great kids. The prinicipal even said that he knew this was not like Hayden at all.

The other offender was Caitlin who after standing up and putting her hand across her heart for the pledge of allegiance, was reprimanded because she didn't recite the words. Caitlin got upset and left the classroom. And before you ask, no we are not communist!! She just didn't say the pledge at this particular time just like I've probably done on occasion. Her teacher then told her that her parents must not be teaching her very good values at home and said that she was not a good citizen.

I've never heard anyone speak of teaching their children the pledge of allegiance at home. We have never taught our kids to disrespect our country or the flag. The pledge of allegiance was taught to me at school and this is where my children have learned the pledge. The fact that this teacher decided to reprimand her in front of the class is just ridiculous. I can understand if she was talking during or being disruptive but this wasn't the case. We always stand facing the flag when being instructed and recite the pledge most of the time, but if for some reason, we don't, it doesn't mean that we are any less respectful of our country. Maybe we are just thinking of the words or listening to how it sounds as the others around us make the pledge.

We are seeing the principal over the pledge of allegiance matter. No matter what happened, a teacher should not be insulting a student or their parents, especially over a matter that was not done with any kind of ill-intent.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry that this week has been a bad week hopefully next week will better. In my opinion, the teacher was out of line saying that your daughter is not being taught good values at home and that she is not a good citizen because she did not recite the pledge. I would go see the principal too. I hope you work everything out.

Dawn said...

I can't wait to hear how all this gets resolved.

You are justified in being upset. Sounds to me like that school does a whole lot of knit-pickin'!

DeeBee said...

After talking to others, they said that they were told by their children that hardly anyone in the classrooms recite the pledge. Probably because they do this everyday and it's become such a ho-hum task that it's lost it's meaning. I'm mostly mad about the teacher insulting our parental skills.

Angie said...

If you read my blog you will see that m kids are in trouble for the same minor things ofen. Last week the lunch lady told my boy that he was irresponsible for not wiping down the tables good enough. Ok, he's 13! Stick to your guns (did I say that? That's right we have the right to bear arrms, too). I work in a Catholic school where we say the pledge and pray everyday, however, if a kid is sitting/standing quietly, so be it. It's not my job to judge WHY they are not reciting along. Kids are fluid, they might have something on their minds at that moment, or just caught up in another thought. That teacher does not have the right to JUDGE her/you. Good luck and keep us posted.