My child got detention for walking out

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I think you're missing a big opportunity here to teach your child about constructive civic action. The decision not to excuse students who walk out from detention was not made by the individual school administrators, it was made at the superintendent level and the individual school administrators don't have the authority to override that. So crow all you want about how the kids have made those administrators' lives more difficult, but you're targeting the wrong people here. If you daughter really wants to take this issue on, I would encourage her to sit down this afternoon and write a well-reasoned email to the superintendent's office explaining why she feels an exception should be made this event (as a way to guide her, you could point out that the superintendent's office has issued a statement explaining the decision, so a well-reasoned email would be one that responds directly to that statement).

If that doesn't change their minds on the detention, she could then decide to speak at the next school board meeting, explaining why she feels this situation warrants an exception and asking that the detention be removed from the students' permanent records. Sure, this doesn't change that they had to serve the detention and one detention isn't going to make or break anyone's record, but it would be a way of continuing to stand up on the issue, and if the administration were to agree to remove this incident from students' records, it would be significant precedent for responding to future demonstrations.

Teach your child how to make a difference, not just how to send mommy running to the school to get him/her out of trouble.

Does it? Why?

That’s exactly the point. If you want to effect change, you need to be able to articulate why the change should happen. If you can’t articulate a reason, you need the reevaluate the premise that the change is appropriate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it a one day detention? Just let the kid serve it proudly. Get home work done. Like you said, civil disobedience has consequences and that is okay. Your kid did the right thing and he or she knows that.

Yeah, I'm torn between the lessons. On the one hand, yeah, civil disobedience has consequences. On the other hand, I genuinely don't recognize the authority of the school to detain my child for this. Maybe not a hill worth dying on.

She missed class. Completely within their authority IMO.

Stay out of it, Mom.

[Anonymous]

Your child should be learning reading, writing, and arithmetic and steering clear of this time waste.

[Anonymous]

School should have empowered the kids, not tried to suppress them. It was a bad move. Everyone is on the same side with this -- restrict guns.

You really believe that?

[Anonymous]

OP - Move out of Redneckistan into Fairfax county!

[Anonymous]

I fully support that consequence. Taking a stand for what you believe in comes with consequences if you do so in a manner that goes against the rules. I have zero problems with peaceful and non disruptive protests like this, but they are against the rules. I think it waters down these protests when you expect not to have any consequences. Look at all the protests demanding civil rights, etc. They were all prepared to face face far worse consequences and did so because the cause was that important to them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I fully support that consequence. Taking a stand for what you believe in comes with consequences if you do so in a manner that goes against the rules. I have zero problems with peaceful and non disruptive protests like this, but they are against the rules. I think it waters down these protests when you expect not to have any consequences. Look at all the protests demanding civil rights, etc. They were all prepared to face face far worse consequences and did so because the cause was that important to them.

Exactly.

[Anonymous]

Wow. I'm really surprised to read this. Our private school had the upper school organize a walkout that incorporated age appropriate activities for the middle school as well. Anyone that did not want to participate in the walk out or commemoration of the victims had an organized alternate activity they were able to attend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The protests today mean more if students are disciplined.

Most colleges are accepting of it. Don't fight your kid's battles.

Why do you think this? The students aren't protesting against the schools. This isn't "us" vs. "them". Teachers and administrators are at risk from gun violence too!

ACLU has said that legally students can receive the same consequences they would receive if they walked out for a non-political reason but not more, or schools can waive the consequence. Many schools have waived the consequence, and have even helped students figure out a plan to safely walk out.

I would have my kid serve the detention, and then I'd pick him up from school and do something to communicate how proud of him I was.

[Anonymous]

So what, she made a choice, got a consequence and as a parent you support it. I would be fine if the protests were not during school hours, I'd even go with them, but if they choose to skip class and get detention, they are serving it or getting in bigger trouble at home. You don't send the message that you can override school authority when the school had a policy and your child ignored it. They cannot keep your child safe if they are not in school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow. I'm really surprised to read this. Our private school had the upper school organize a walkout that incorporated age appropriate activities for the middle school as well. Anyone that did not want to participate in the walk out or commemoration of the victims had an organized alternate activity they were able to attend.

An "organized walkout" is not a walkout.

[Anonymous]

I'm in the so what camp. If your child felt strongly about protesting, good for her. Let her accept the consequences. It was obvious that this would be the price to pay, and she should have weighed that price before protesting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

School should have empowered the kids, not tried to suppress them. It was a bad move. Everyone is on the same side with this -- restrict guns.

You really believe that?

Yes, absolutely.

[Anonymous]

School should have empowered the kids, not tried to suppress them. It was a bad move. Everyone is on the same side with this -- restrict guns.


You really believe that?


Yes, absolutely.

Um. Do you read the newspapers? Watch the news? Ever?

[Anonymous]

So evidently the school had so many kids get detention to this that they had to let the students CHOOSE between three lunch detentions, one after-school detention or one Saturday school. And they're going to stagger them.

It's dumb. Whatever.

Also, and apparently the kids who did NOT participate are all running around declaring how cool the walkout is. LOL.