So my daughter was suspended for surfing skin care websites at school

[Anonymous]

You really need to challenge this. Can’t see her search history? She was searching for skin care tools and not weapons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s not really about the scalpel. It’s about using a school issued device for a non-school related purpose. In every school system that is not allowed. I can’t believe how many people are defending this. OP even said that other people are looking at similar things on their personal phones. Well, yeah, because that’s allowed.

Agree with this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not really about the scalpel. It’s about using a school issued device for a non-school related purpose. In every school system that is not allowed. I can’t believe how many people are defending this. OP even said that other people are looking at similar things on their personal phones. Well, yeah, because that’s allowed.

Agree with this.

Except the school described the scalpel as a weapon. If the school had merely disciplined her for misuse of a school computer, I don’t think anybody would be objecting (although I would have been highly surprised for a first offense to have resulted in a suspension). Disciplining her for a “search for weapons” is not only misleading, but in today’s highly charged climate of zero-tolerance policies, can have serious, long-lasting effects on her future. If it wasn’t about the scalpel, the school wouldn’t have brought it up.

[Anonymous]

Didn't you have to sign a technology use agreement that school devices are for school work only or something to that effect? Why is she surfing the web on the school computer? Pimple popping doesn't sound like it's related to school work. She broke the rules.

[Anonymous]

you need to contest this because it’s not accurate. She was looking up medical procedures, not weapons. You don’t want your kid to have something on her record about looking up weapons at school. You need to contest this

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Didn't you have to sign a technology use agreement that school devices are for school work only or something to that effect? Why is she surfing the web on the school computer? Pimple popping doesn't sound like it's related to school work. She broke the rules.

Read the op. She was allowed to surf the web when she finished her work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn't you have to sign a technology use agreement that school devices are for school work only or something to that effect? Why is she surfing the web on the school computer? Pimple popping doesn't sound like it's related to school work. She broke the rules.

Read the op. She was allowed to surf the web when she finished her work.

But not without restrictions. Hence the problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not really about the scalpel. It’s about using a school issued device for a non-school related purpose. In every school system that is not allowed. I can’t believe how many people are defending this. OP even said that other people are looking at similar things on their personal phones. Well, yeah, because that’s allowed.

Agree with this.

Except the school described the scalpel as a weapon. If the school had merely disciplined her for misuse of a school computer, I don’t think anybody would be objecting (although I would have been highly surprised for a first offense to have resulted in a suspension). Disciplining her for a “search for weapons” is not only misleading, but in today’s highly charged climate of zero-tolerance policies, can have serious, long-lasting effects on her future. If it wasn’t about the scalpel, the school wouldn’t have brought it up.

+1

[Anonymous]

Was she searching scalpels or was she searching pimple popping? If she was searching scalpels, maybe the school has a point but I still think it’s ridiculous. You’re paying for your child to go to this uncaring and unthinking school? Yikes. It doesn’t seem like they are capable of teaching critical thinking if this is the way they apply the rule.

[Anonymous]

Why are you worried about 10 suspensions? This is just 1 and she's 17 so probably in her last year. How many other suspensions has she had?

[Anonymous]

I would raise a stink.

My daughter is at Westland MS (MCPS), and the teachers are always on the prowl to close tabs on school computers: she found out she was not allowed to access the ONLINE SCHOOL-APPROVED LIBRARY to read a book, but that bringing a physical book to class was fine... massive eyeroll.

So yes, some rules are ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Didn't you have to sign a technology use agreement that school devices are for school work only or something to that effect? Why is she surfing the web on the school computer? Pimple popping doesn't sound like it's related to school work. She broke the rules.

I would contest OP because as others have pointed out context matters and she does not deserve that on her record. For the people who are being really literal about school tech agreements I get it but you should know there's a real equity issue.

Children who have home computers (and many of them bring it to their schools during the school day) aren't usually doing those kinds of searches on their school issued devices. It's kids who cannot afford a separate home computer or kids with special needs who have impulsive or compulsive issues that end up doing this.

I work at a school that recently found a number of kids using the computer for non-school related searches, and it was striking how every single name I saw of a child I knew either had special needs or is from an area in our boundaries that is public housing. We need to educate, not punish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have told my anxious, ADD-afflicted daughter not to use her phone at school. Just put it away....So when she finished her work early, she was allowed to surf the web. She likes skin care (pimple popper, anyone?) and scalpels came up. Teacher saw this and noted it could be used as a weapon.
Counselor called, my DD, age 17, was suspended. If she'd surfed on her phone, as some other students were doing during this downtime, there would have been no problem. But using the school's computer "to search for weapons" is forbidden.
I'd really hoped this school would have more emotional support and flexibility when it came to enforcing these rules. Of course they have to be vigilant, but my DD has no history of violence; she explained what she doing, but the clincher was that she was doing it on the school computer.
I don't think a student learns much from being suspended for a day, except to use her phone and to be wary of the school's counselor, who I think is quick to suspend students.
I'm upset. DD was out with covid for a week and was just catching up. Now she's behind again, and discouraged and a bit afraid. So am I. Ten suspensions and she would have to leave the school. I chose not to contest the suspension because it would just anger the counselor, who might retaliate, and my DD was using the school's computer.
Silver linings: Her day off was beautiful and she used it well, spent a lot of time outside.
It's only the counselor who is this nuts. The other teachers (so far) seem reasonable and kind.

You know, you’re putting a lot of blame on the counselor when it was the teacher who had enough concerns to report it in the first place. The fact that two staff members concurred that your daughters conduct was concerning does give me pause. I wasn’t there and don’t know what she searched up exactly. But it doesn’t sound as innocent as you’re portraying to us.

[Anonymous]

I agree with others that you should contest this, if the facts are exactly as you describe. You don’t want on your daughter’s record that she was suspended for using school computers to search for weapons.

[Anonymous]

This does sound ridiculous, but just weighing in to say I would NOT contest it if your DD has asked you not to.