Althouse: The new school "no tolerance" policy: no touching!

March 28, 2009

The new school "no tolerance" policy: no touching!

"They said the new policy means no high-fives and hugs, as well as horseplay of any kind."

35 comments:

Jennifer said...: The elementary school across the street from our house in Hawaii had the same policy. I was appalled! And am so happy that my son's school here doesn't.; 3/28/09, 5:16 PM
Jason (the commenter) said...: This is where we need some civil disobedience. Perhaps a hand-shake-in is required?

Then the students involved can sue the school for civil rights abuses and include the story in their college applications.

Imagine if the two students were of different races. "During middle school our principal expelled me for shaking hands with someone of a different race. This experience opened my eyes..."; 3/28/09, 5:21 PM
Darcy said...: Insanity. Makes me so mad that I could spit. They have a similar policy in my son's school.; 3/28/09, 5:27 PM
Joan said...: Jason, that's a great idea.

What's truly appalling is that this would also ban any contact between students and teachers. I frequently sub in middle school grades, and the kids are always giving me hugs or high-fives. (I've known some of them since they were in kindergarten.)

Obviously, kids can be hurt by accidental physical contact or by intentional contact meant to harm. But banning all physical contact is absurd: what, no games of tag? How can you tag someone out during a kickball game? How can you guard or block someone while playing basketball?

The principal sounds like she's in over her head and doesn't know what else to do. This kind of desperation move doesn't reflect well on her at all. Parents should challenge the policy and insist that miscreants are punished, not the entire student body.; 3/28/09, 5:28 PM
Robin Goodfellow said...: Thus finally eroding the polite fiction that public school is anything other than daycare / prison for children.; 3/28/09, 5:31 PM
I'm Full of Soup said...: Few want to do the job they are paid to do so let's sit around and make up dumb rules.

[pre-emptive defense of myself- I am not focusing my criticism on teachers just the educrats]. Are you considered an educrat Althouse?; 3/28/09, 5:43 PM
I'm Full of Soup said...: Darcy:

Is your son allowed to spit in his school yard? Or is it outlawed because one's spittle may hit another kid? Heh.

GO VILLANOVA!; 3/28/09, 5:45 PM
Jason (the commenter) said...: Joan : The principal sounds like she's in over her head and doesn't know what else to do.

What if someone wrote something inappropriate, would they ban all writing? Grade school is supposed to teach children, among other things, acceptable behavior. This principal is shirking their job, through incompetence or a hatred of students.

Either way, all the children are now being taught inappropriate behavior. If you think the principal is acting strangely, think of what these kids will end up doing in their adult years. Will they be developmentally retarded in some way? Having problems forming emotional attachments and acting out in strange ways? I'm sure many wont be affected, but some are bound to be.; 3/28/09, 5:46 PM
Darcy said...: AJ Lynch said...
Darcy:

Is your son allowed to spit in his school yard? Or is it outlawed because one's spittle may hit another kid? Heh.

GO VILLANOVA!

I'm pretty sure spitting is a major crime at his school. :)

GO MICHIGAN STATE!; 3/28/09, 5:54 PM
Roy Lofquist said...: When I was a kid we didn't do high fives. Nobody was tall enough.; 3/28/09, 6:07 PM
Automatic_Wing said...: Every child should be issued a personal plastic bubble.; 3/28/09, 6:21 PM
former law student said...: I have the feeling the bullies were exploiting a loophole in the previous policy. After all, a kick in the groin is not exactly a hug. A "no touching" policy eliminates any principal's office lawyering.; 3/28/09, 6:41 PM
Joe M. said...: @Jason: hahahaha. Brilliant.; 3/28/09, 7:14 PM
rhhardin said...: Schools attract handwringers, busybodies and hysterics.

The problem is that they get public funds and so can't go bankrupt and disappear like other insane companies.; 3/28/09, 7:18 PM
Peter V. Bella said...: Ah, more nonsense from a principal brainwashed by the NEA and Department of so called education.

She has no common sense, no critical thinking skills, and probably bought her credentials.; 3/28/09, 7:27 PM
Ernesto Ariel Suárez said...: Next, not looking and not breathing!; 3/28/09, 8:01 PM
TMink said...: The ninny is obviously a feminist.

Someone needs to slap her on the ass.

Trey; 3/28/09, 8:28 PM
David said...: Sounds like Principal Catherine Williams needs to get laid once or twice. Try it, Ms. Williams, you'll like it.; 3/28/09, 8:51 PM
The Dude said...: How about terrorist fist bumps? Are they allowed?; 3/28/09, 9:04 PM
Jeff with one 'f' said...: I blame feminism.

And the lawsuit-ization of American society.

But mostly feminism.; 3/28/09, 9:41 PM
Anonymous said...: Oh, but they're educators (pronounced ed.dew.kators) donch'a know? They know what's best.

Same mind set as making it illegal for anyone to own a gun. Then no one will use one, right? Friggin' idiots.

Laws don't stop incidents and were never meant to. Only morons think words on paper have that magical ability. And this excess is where that idiot thinking always leads... Sala bim, sala bam, no one will ever be hurt again!; 3/28/09, 10:26 PM
Joe R. said...: This article made me think of two things: First, I got home last week and started watching Judge Judy as I was cooking dinner. One of the cases had to do with kid "sack tapping" another kid. Apparently it was a fun new game that had been spreading throughout the school where one boy "taps" another boy's balls. This fun game resulted in the kid whose family was suing taking a trip to the hospital and major medical expenses.
Second, last year there were these groups of crazy people outside of the university I am at, giving people "free hugs".
Both of these things make me think that the Principal was absolutely right in outlawing touching. We don't want the kids hurting someone playing stupid games, or, worse, turning into hippies.; 3/28/09, 10:31 PM
Away From The Brink said...: I graduated from a fundamentalist Bible College in 1988. But their policy on touching was more liberal than this.; 3/28/09, 10:37 PM
Peter Hoh said...: Next thing you know, they won't let the kids do fun experiments this.; 3/28/09, 10:37 PM
Donna B. said...: I'm so glad my children are out of school, but now I have my grandchildren to worry about and I'm pushing for homeschooling, or at least private school.; 3/29/09, 1:02 AM
blake said...: Remember: Homeschoolers are crazy!; 3/29/09, 3:36 AM
Joe M. said...: If this is sane, I'll take crazy.; 3/29/09, 5:04 AM
Henry said...: Next on the agenda: No scornful expressions.; 3/29/09, 7:30 AM
traditionalguy said...: This is sabotage by the school Administrators who don't want to have to work or to take any risks. The message to the children is that they are worthless people, and that everything that happens to them is their fault. Welcome to Government run life.; 3/29/09, 8:16 AM
Jason said...: I think all the kids should join hands in a great big circle around the flagpole and dare the principal to suspend them all.

Twit.; 3/29/09, 8:21 AM
TMink said...: Jason, I like the way you think.

Trey; 3/29/09, 10:59 AM
Joe said...: The irony is that this will result in increased cynicism and disrespect for authority and the rule of law. Kids aren't stupid; they see right through this crap.

So, if these kids grow up believing that socialist, nanny-state government is bullshit, this may be a good thing.; 3/29/09, 12:46 PM
veni vidi vici said...: Here's to private school. No wonder Clinton, Gore and Obama all avoided sending their kids to public schools.

By contrast, it's somewhat interesting that the notorious bogeyman of the teachers' unions, W Bush, sent his twins through the public school system though, isn't it?; 3/29/09, 6:23 PM
former law student said...: it's somewhat interesting that the notorious bogeyman of the teachers' unions, W Bush, sent his twins through the public school system

The Bush twins attended both public and private schools. I presume their mother selected each of them for the best interest of her daughters.; 3/29/09, 6:49 PM
Alex said...: FLS - what we need is more tort reform to reign in your class of scumbags who like to litigate everything in society.; 3/29/09, 8:28 PM