Oswego school rules & kids' accountability???

Is there some unwritten rule that no child in District 308 shall be held personally accountable for his or her actions, i.e. bad behavior?

2 kids misbehave on the bus...bus drivers tells students if it happens again "everyone will be taken back to school, will get off the bus and go to the office"

2 kids misbehave in class....and all the kids lose recess.

A kid unravels the tp in the restroom...no more bathroom breaks for the entire class.

A kid makes a disgusting mess with his lunch...all the kids at the table are reprimanded.

What ever happened to disciplining the PROBLEM KIDS?

This absolutely boggles my mind....and bugs the hell out of me!

Of course the little darlings from Oswego should NOT be held accountable for their actions.

What do you think this is real life??

oswegoanne,
I am not sure if what you described was a typical way for other schools handling misbehavior, since my children were only in Oswego 308 before. But I could say with confidence that it had happened to my children when they were in Oswego 308 and it also bothered me. I understand that it would take time and effort to sort out every single "who did what" on school ground, given that teachers have to watch over thirty-odd kids in class. But it sends a very negative message to the rest of the class whenever a few misbehave, all must be punished to save time. I would think most families are not raising their kids this way; I wonder why parents are letting teachers or principals making this a acceptable disciplinary method? I no longer send my kids to school because I have found very little fairness in school. Many things happened because they said so. I was tired of trying to understand why. I now home school.

Yea, this happens at the elementary and junior-high levels. At this age, peer pressure from all the other kids toward the "bad" kids who get them all in trouble is much better punishment than administrators trying to sort out the mess.

At the high school level, the "bad" kids are found and punished. Group punishment ends in high school.

Hope this explanation helps!

I understand the rationale you mentioned, Nope. I've also read the student handbook my kids brought home each year, cover to cover. Nowhere in it said group punishment or guilt-by-association would be the standard, typical, and acceptable disciplinary action. As I recall, it too stressed personal responsibility and accountability. So I guess mission statement, rules and policies are made to be bent or broken. And more disgustingly, they are bent or broken for convenience sake.

This is not an Oswego phenomenon. My Mother in law was an elementary teacher for years in New Jersey and fought this same battle. She hated the group punishment method of classroom management. SHe felt it was the lazy teachers way of controlling her class. Unfortunately, this is what is taught as a valid discipline method in teacher training programs.

It is indeed sad that this is not an isolated mentality. When I think of this, I see bullying from the top down.

monty wrote:

It is indeed sad that this is not an isolated mentality. When I think of this, I see bullying from the top down.

"Bullying"...the schools respond very well to bullying! I have learned from experience that the schools respond to bullies, zero tolerance my a$$! Parents of spoiled trouble making brats are the biggest bullies around. It is time we ALL bullied back :)

I would not want to bully back the schools. That is not what works, if only in short term. Parents who feel strongly against group punishment can make a choice to say and do something about it, or to stand by and fume. I took my kids out of school setting because I would not fight them. I rather save that energy take care of my kids. If you feel school environment is worth anything, then do something to save it and improve it. Otherwise, it is your kids who have to endure it.

yes another mom..... bullies come from bully parents, if there is a complaint about students it should be mandatory that the entire family goes in to see a doc....

fed up too wrote:

...if there is a complaint about students (bullying others) it should be mandatory that the entire family goes in to see a doc....

For the 1st time, I agree with you and I think this would be an useful idea.