Corpun file 17672

Times Reporter, New Philadelphia, Ohio, 8 May 2006

Indian Valley: Thanks, but no thanks

District balks after being asked by group to stop paddling students

By J. Ann Tipton
T-R Staff Writer

GNADENHUTTEN – Once every five or six months, Indian Valley Local Schools' Superintendent Randy Cadle gets a letter from a state or national organization, asking the district to consider changing its policy for using paddling as a form of discipline.

One such organization is The Center for Effective Discipline, a Columbus-based group that provides educational information on the effects of corporal punishment and alternatives to its use. The non-profit organization recently held SpankOut Day USA where it encouraged schools in the 22 states that permit corporal punishment to lay down the paddle.

“It's interesting because any concerns we receive are from well outside the community,” Cadle said. “We've never heard complaints or concerns within the district.”

Since 1994, Ohio law has imposed a limited ban on corporal punishment in its public schools. A loophole in the restrictions permitted paddling to continue if boards of education followed certain guidelines like forming a task force to study whether corporal punishment is appropriate for the school district.

According to Cadle, in 1994 and when he was assistant principal at Indian Valley High, the board of education surveyed the community and was surprised to find nearly 85 percent of the district's parents said they wanted to keep corporal punishment as part of a discipline policy. With input from medical professionals, psychologists, social workers, parents, administrators and teachers, Indian Valley's board adopted a policy that would do just that.

Principals at the district's schools say the majority of parents still approve of having the option - with about 85 percent of Port Washington Elementary parents, 50 percent of Tuscarawas Elementary parents and 60 percent of high school parents giving their consent.

“I don't see the policy changing anytime soon,” said Bill Love, dean of students at Indian Valley High. “Parents have complete control over whether their child will or will not be paddled.”

Although protocol varies slightly from building to building, one aspect remains the same: If a student's actions warrant corporal punishment, parents are notified and are given the choice between a paddling or an alternative punishment, which often is suspension.

“The way we handle paddling isn't like it used to be back when I was in school, where if you talked back the teacher would take you out into the hallway and you'd get it right there,” Love said. “Now it's considered a last resort, and we've already gone through several other types of consequences that just haven't worked.”

Indian Valley is one of only 17 Ohio school systems that still has a corporal punishment policy - a list that includes East Guernsey Schools in Guernsey County and Canton City Schools. During 2004-2005, Indian Valley reported 14 paddlings to the Ohio Board of Education. This year, Love said, the district has executed 13 paddlings, six each at the two elementaries and one at the high school.

Only school administrators are permitted to administer corporal punishment, which takes place in front of a witness. According to board policy, corporal punishment is not to be administered in anger, and students learn why they are being punished and about behavior and consequences. At the high school level, only female administrators will administer corporal punishment to girls and male administrators for boys.

“We rarely have repeat offenders,” Love said. “And especially at the elementary and junior high level, just knowing the options of a paddling is there is often enough for students to change their behavior.”

Barring any drastic change in public opinion or evidence of abuse of the policy, the paddling option is here to stay at Indian Valley, Cadle said.

“We're still a pretty conservative district, and the majority of our people seem to feel discipline is a key to education,” Cadle said.

Copyright ©2006 The Times Reporter

Corpun file 17689

The Town Talk, Alexandria, Louisiana, 22 May 2006

Many principals spare the paddle

By Mandy M. Goodnight

Some principals keep paddles locked away in a cabinet; some keep them in another office locked up and many don't have one at all. Corporal punishment is an accepted policy in Rapides Parish, but many middle school principals choose instead to use other methods of discipline. Paddling is seen more in the elementary schools, district officials said, though Superintendent Gary Jones said paddling is never a first-line measure for discipline. According to the National Center for the Study of Corporal Punishment and Alternatives, 27 states have outlawed corporal punishment in schools. In Europe, most countries have banned corporal punishment in schools, while about half have banned its use by parents. Alexandria Middle Magnet School Principal Michael Vercher doesn't use a paddle, and neither does Scott M. Brame Middle School Principal Wally Fall. Vercher said he does have some parents call and ask him to paddle their children, but he refuses. Fall said he chooses to get parents involved and sends students home rather than using a paddle. He said middle school students are going through a lot -- the biology of their bodies changing, emotions, pressure from the standardized tests they are required to pass. "They will try you," Fall said. Fall doesn't have any illusions. He suspects his junior high, which is one of the largest schools in parish, has more suspensions than some high schools. He said he tries to talk with students and their parents, modify their behavior or use detention and suspensions. In addition, Fall said he encourages his teachers and parents to show the students they care by attending awards events and activities in which the students are involved. The Rapides Parish School Board policy allows paddling -- but under certain guidelines. "If such punishment is required, it shall be administered with extreme care, tact and caution, and then only by the principal, assistant principal, or the principal's designated representative in the presence of another adult school employee," the policy states. "At no time shall corporal punishment be administered in the presence of another student. All school personnel and parents shall be fully informed of these provisions at the beginning of each school year." The district has lost at least one lawsuit involving corporal punishment. In 2003, 9th Judicial Judge George Metoyer ruled that a school should not have paddled a student after his parents asked the school that he not be paddled. Jones said corporal punishment typically works best not on the child it is applied to but others thinking of getting in trouble. Corporal punishment does have some limited use, he said, but is risky and not as effective as it formerly was. Jones said his personal philosophy is the message you teach should be in the method. He said he has reservations about corporal punishment but supports the board's policy on paddling.

Wally Fall A paddle used years ago to discipline students now sits on a shelf in an office at Scott M. Brame Middle School. Corporal punishment is an accepted policy in Rapides Parish, but many middle school principals choose other methods of discipline. Copyright ©2006 The Town Talk All rights reserved.

Corpun file 17733

The True Citizen, Waynesboro, Georgia, 24 May 2006

For The Record

District attorney investigating paddling incident at middle school

By Elizabeth Billips
True Citizen Associated Editor

Investigators are looking into an incident at Burke County Middle School involving a seventh grader who was paddled so hard he was unable to sit down.

Capt. Wayne Scott, security chief at Burke County Jail, said that when he came home from work last Monday night, his 13year-old son was in a great deal of pain and having trouble sitting down.

That morning, he'd received a call from the school about his son misbehaving and agreed that he should be paddled.

"I don't have a problem at all with them paddling him. It's the excessiveness I have a problem with," Capt. Scott said, holding up a photograph of bright red and purple bruises that covered his son's buttocks. "This is a beating ... if a parent did this to his own child, he'd be arrested."

According to a report filed at the Burke County Sheriff's Office, the seventh grader was disciplined for acting disrespectful toward a teacher. He received four licks with a wooden paddle from assistant principal Kaveous Preston.

The boy was taken to the emergency room that night when the pain still hadn't subsided.

According to investigator Dedric Smith, the file has been sent to the district attorney's office. If DA investigators find evidence that a crime has been committed, they, in turn, will present that evidence to a grand jury who will decide if an indictment is in order.

Corpun file 17704

Daily Dunklin Democrat, Kennett, Missouri, 26 May 2006

KHS graduates 96

By Deanna Coronado

(extracts)

Kennett High School held its 2006 commencement ceremony on Thursday evening honoring 96 graduates.

The ceremony began with the processional Grand March from "Aida" and was followed by an invocation by Chad Howard.

Superintendent Jerry Noble provided the introduction of speakers, including Alicia Bridges, Jarrod Dye, Paul Harris and Sally McVey.

[...]

Sally McVey began her speech by describing high school as the best of times and the worst of times.

"Everyone's high school experience is different. Some love it, some hate it, and some slept through the whole thing," McVey said. "Regardless of that, we were all along the ride together never dreaming graduation would come so soon."

McVey reflected on the past four years and shared personal stories that all of her classmates seemed to share in. She described sitting in the auditorium as seniors at the beginning of the school year and said that they had all began to evaluate their options and began planning the next step in their futures.

"This year, everything we did was our last: Our last homecoming, last season in a sport, last dances, last concerts, last time to choose between a paddling and AEP, and last birthdays at home," McVey said. "We began noticing the small stuff in the hallways and classrooms and that we were going to miss how 'beautiful' everything started to feel."

McVey brought up the age old saying, "All good things must come to an end," but added that some things are far too good to just let go.

"So keep your memories close to you and look around at your class because they are the only ones with whom you will remain forever young," McVey said to her classmates. "I like to think of the world as a stage, and I like to think of our class as a cast. We've been rehearsing for 13 years with teachers, coaches, and parents so we can put on an awesome show for the world."

With that, McVey ended her speech by encouraging her classmates to "break a leg."

Kennett High School Principal Ed Siebenhuener introduced the class of 2006 and the president of the board of education, Matthew R. Shetley provided the presentation of diplomas.

[...]

The 2006 class valedictorian was Alayna Palmer, the salutatorian was Bobby Hrissikos, and the best all around student was Sally McVey.

Following the awards to valedictorian, salutatorian and best all around, presented by Johnny Dalton, several scholarships were provided.

To close the ceremony, Brittney Robison provided the benediction, which was followed by the traditional throwing of the cap into the air.