Texas School District Preparing to Bring the Paddle Back

Most school districts in Texas DO have corporal punishment in the form of a wooden paddle, but you have to sign a permission slip at the beginning of the school year saying it is okay for them to whoop your kid if their behavior calls for it.

I signed them every year I had my kids in school in Texas, and showed them the forms. Coming from California, they were terrified of actually getting a swat as punishment. Needless to say, it was never necessary.

Some school districts do, some don't. I personally like the idea. Most high schools are dangerous zoos and the trouble makers don't get the punishment they deserve.

When I worked with kids with mental illness diagnoses in west Texas, there was an 'alternative school' (ie, the school you go to if you've been busted a lot at the regular school), and the man who ran it used to be a sergeant in the military. He had an impressive array of paddles behind his desk. Let me just say those kids were the most well behaved I've ever seen.

The proof is in the puddin. Some kids do not need corporal punishment, they can be reasoned with. Some need a whoopin from here to next Tuesday before it sinks in their head to behave.

Say all you want, but I lived there for 15 years. I believe in it.

a reply to: ketsuko

You're right. Will attempt to be a better parent(s) if their child can not go to school? I get some kids are just a holes *raises hand* and require special guidance and varying punishments to make it click.

To that I would have to say, why should someone like me disrupt 10,20,30 other students who have proper parenting and are learning, doing what they are supposed to etc?

originally posted by: Groot
a reply to: JinMI

Sounds like you need a good paddling yourself.

Are you threatening me with a good time?

originally posted by: JinMI
a reply to: TheScale

What I am saying is based upon the current social climate, regardless on how you feel about the direction, is that corporal punishment by schools is a bad thing. There are much better forms of punishment with most of it being the burden of the parent.

the "current" social climate maybe, but for things to change someone has to take the first step. ive talked to many people throughout my life who lived with corporal punishment dealt out by the schools and not one of them thinks it was a bad idea. they usually look back on those times fondly because they saw the benefits such a threat held if you were out of line.
today i have a few friends who are teachers and they say the biggest problem they have to deal with is the parents who believe every lie johnny tells them when he gets home from school. even when they are shown what their child did they still take the side of their child which leads to that child acting even worse in class cause there is zero consequences at school and at home. this could atleast cover one side of the equation. i wish they had had this while i was going to school in my district cause i had to deal with horrible kids in class day in and day out who constantly disrupted the class holding back everyone else.

a reply to: JinMI

The point is that if the kid isn't going to be able to hold up his or her end of the bargain and behave so that the actual mission of the school can be accomplished then the kid shouldn't be there, the same way you or I would swiftly be fired if we were disrupting everyone attempting to work while we were not doing the jobs we were supposed to be doing.

But the law prevents this from happening, so those kids are kept in an environment they are not suitable for and disrupt it for those kids who are ready to take care of their business.

Either we equip schools with the tools they need to enforce proper behavior in their own right or we let them decide who stays and who goes, but until we tackle that truth, education will continue to go down the crapper.

a reply to: JinMI

I agree with you.

If only more parents are like you.

Like i said. I would probably flip out if someone intentionally brought harm on my child, in a learning inviroment. Or any for that matter.
But i don't and can not have kids.

I will admit this subject is a bit touchy for me..

Going back to erase my origional post.. it does not comply.

Texas where everyone has a gun.

Some of those kids just might take sweet revenge or the parents. One principal get shot by some hot head or get his teeth knocked out...that paddling BS will come to an abrupt end....believe me.

You reap what you sow......Galatians 6.7 They should know this in Texas!

a reply to: TheScale

Maybe I'm not properly illustrating my point. Let me try it this way.

Could you point out anyone in public schooling that you would trust to accurately determine if your child (if you have) should be doled the punishment and take it upon themselves to responsibly do so?

a reply to: ketsuko

But the law prevents this from happening, so those kids are kept in an environment they are not suitable for and disrupt it for those kids who are ready to take care of their business.

If that is the main issue, then there are a few roads to be taken I suppose. Separate detention area. Forced chores. Longer school hours/year for them. Just a few off the top of my head. Admittedly , I don't have all the answers but the main idea is putting more responsibility back on the parent as opposed to the school and in effect, the rest of the students.

a reply to: JinMI

That is the rub isn't it?

originally posted by: JinMI

originally posted by: Groot
a reply to: JinMI

Sounds like you need a good paddling yourself.

Are you threatening me with a good time?

LOL ! My wife would not be happy with that.

a reply to: Bigburgh

Your a great fur papa BigB!

It's a discussion that needs to be had. It's a very valid topic and the possibility exits that I may not be correct.

a reply to: Groot

Mine (GF) would!

originally posted by: JinMI
a reply to: ketsuko

But the law prevents this from happening, so those kids are kept in an environment they are not suitable for and disrupt it for those kids who are ready to take care of their business.

If that is the main issue, then there are a few roads to be taken I suppose. Separate detention area. Forced chores. Longer school hours/year for them. Just a few off the top of my head. Admittedly , I don't have all the answers but the main idea is putting more responsibility back on the parent as opposed to the school and in effect, the rest of the students.

There are a few issues. One of them is that the last directive under Obama's education dept and dept of justice determined that school discipline was disproportionately targeting children of color, so in effect disciplinary quotas were established to prevent children of color from being targeted or suspended more than white children.

Imagine how well that goes down in some schools where the white kids are a very small minority.

There have been articles about what has been happening in the Minneapolis public schools where this policy was fully embraced and chaos quickly ensued once it become known among students that they could not be suspended.

a reply to: ketsuko

It is, certainly. How does corporal punishment help that end?

From my point of view, it puts more weight on the schools shoulders while creating a rather odd social aspect where some kids get spanked and some don't.

Paddle some Bandido's or Angel's kid and the whole administration better seek a safe place.

They don't Fu** around in Texas....

I don't think they gave that BS much thought...

a reply to: JinMI

there can be protocols setup for such an event. like others have stated, id want a phone call first to let me know my child had done something wrong (something that allready takes place), then id want to be there when the punishment was dealt out, preferably in front of the entire school during lunch or something. this way they not only suffer the punishment but also get to have all their friends see it. in a setting like that i have zero problems with it. now if they want to do it in a back office 1 on 1 id have a problem with that. theres allready guidelines u need to follow in school. u know what the rules are so dolling out the punishment shouldnt take a whole lot of deliberating. u break a rule u get the paddle.

a reply to: TheScale

Fair enough. Doesn't sound unreasonable. Now how about this. What if your child was the only one. Or one of ten, twenty out of a school of 1000?

originally posted by: JinMI
a reply to: ketsuko

It is, certainly. How does corporal punishment help that end?

From my point of view, it puts more weight on the schools shoulders while creating a rather odd social aspect where some kids get spanked and some don't.

I know this much about our own kid.

He went through a very brief phase in pre-school where he decided that throwing toys at the other kids was appropriate behavior. They disciplined him there and it made no dent, so they brought us into the loop. We told him that if he did it again, we'd spank him for every toy he threw. He threw one toy that day. We spanked him once for that toy and told him he better stop because he'd get another spank for each toy he threw.

The next day he doubled down and did two, so he got two spanks as promised.

He never threw another toy again, and for a long time after that, the mere hint of a spank was enough to bring him into line.

My reason for mentioning all this is to say that for many kids, the mere thought of a paddling would be enough. For others, it would only take once. Very few would be stubborn enough to go beyond that one time, and they're likely your toughest cases anyhow or their behavior is the product of something other than mere lack of discipline.

a reply to: ketsuko

To be crystal clear, I'm not against spanking. I spank my own (please, no one call the law, they are happy, trained demon spawn) because, well, some kids need it for reasons you provided.

I'm not arguing against that. I'm attempting to place my perspective into the discussion. When you say they disciplined him, was it physical or stand in a corner type stuff?