Smokin' in the boys room ...

First, this child has been on "counseling suspension" for up to two weeks before. This is an excused absence allowed on the condition that the parents seek behavioral counseling, and document it, for their child. This latest incident is his proverbial "last strike", and by no means an overreaction... nor was he abandoned over a single event.

Furthermore the Principal informed me that out of 864 students in that student body about 5 take up 50% of his disciplinary time. Is it fair that the other 859 suffer from class disruptions throughout the school year? I think not, thus three to four incidents for elementary students (5 for Jr. high & high schoolers) in our county of Nevada constitutes a "Habitual Disciplinary Status." These "incidents" must be on the level of completely disrupting the education process, i.e. class. And those arriving at that status are deemed eligible for expulsion. Whether it be for that, or weapons (which is automatic, no incident record or status needed), etc, certain criteria must be in place that state "here and no further." And I find that the only reasonable approach to take for several reasons:

One, it's the reality of life - there ARE unreachable kids, whether nurtured to be that way or nature - "born bad." There are going to be a certain percentage that can not adapt to the social norms of a class room setting and there MUST be triggers in place that deal with them, and one of those MUST be the option of expulsion.

Also ... you wrote ... It may not be the PRIMARY role of the school district to discipline our children, but it is their primary role to assist the parents of these children in raising happy, healthy, well-adjusted citizens.

I disagree. Their function is not one of rearing or raising or happiness quotients. It is education. Proper education does indeed entail a certain level of discipline in order to facilitate the educating of young minds, but their primary role is to impart information in a healthy environment - PERIOD. I will do the raising, moral teaching, happiness, etc. I want them to teach, and refrain those student who interfere in that - PERIOD.

You also mentioned my concern (or lack thereof) for that child and the plight that he will just become somebody else's problem - you may not know how correct you are. On the middle and high school level out here there exists "alternative schools" with instructors that specialize in anti-social children. This is where the expelled students go. And this difference is critical - they are expelled from that specific school, not the school system. Thus they are not abandoned to roam the streets, they are simply "reassigned." However, on the grades 1-6 level there is no alternative education facility. The expelled student is simply placed in a different "normal" public school within the school's district. An imperfect system to say the least. My point here is two fold. 1.) The child is not "abandoned", he still receives an education. 2.) Harsh as as is to say, my responsibility is to MY CHILD. My duty is to make sure he is not in a classroom nor school for which that child attends. The offending child and the new classmates he may put in danger in another school are not my immediate duty. It may sound harsh but it is the reality of parenting. Needles to say I am not a fan of "it takes a village."

Now, the inevitable question arises, what if you have a particularly bad child and he goes through all the elementary schools in the district, what then? Restart at the top of the batting order? Well clearly an alternative school, where specialists in juvenile anti-social behavior, as exists on the upper school levels, is needed. Short of that a behavioral specialist/educator, as exists for children with "special needs" needs to be assigned to each elementary, or even half would cover it if the ratio on average is 5 out of 800. In the same way they march the elementary age mentally handicapped students into my son's school each day, after the rest are in their class,with specialist instructors directing and teaching them, they need one for the anti-social among them. A more isolated, controlled environment with special precautions taken for safety (bag checks, no sharp art instruments etc).

Clearly this county has not addressed this situation on the elementary level. Their answer is to simply ship the offending student from school to school until he reaches middle school and can be sent to a designated alternative school, with everyone hoping he doesn't slit a throat with a box cutter in the mean time. I would address it (as a superintendent or governor, mayors are really out of the loop on this policy) in the way I described above. There is already a highly functioning special needs program within the elementary school system, add an "anti-social behaviorists education professional" to that roster, and give him or her a room. In lieu of those educators and politicians becoming a smart as I, I have to take the only options available to me taking into consideration my first responsibility - protect my offspring ... and unfortunately for that student (and the classmates of his next school) that means expelling him.