Texas School Suspends Student for Answering Call in Class From Dad in Iraq

reply to post by capgrup

You also believe that no war has been fought that gives you this freedom, I do believe that the American Revolution was for that exact reason.

I have to say Jedi, as much as I respect you standing your ground on what you believe, to say that no war has been fought for freedom is just not correct. As quoted above....The American Revolution. I would recommend to you to watch the HBO series John Adams. The very freedoms that are continually being stripped from us were brought about due to the American Revolution against the British. I would really check out the series. It will give everyone the true sense of what this country was truly meant to be. Because we have strayed, over time, from the initial ideas of John Adams, we find ourselves in the ridiculous world we live in today.

Originally posted by pavlovsdog




It still boils down to inconsiderate actions on the fathers behalf. To read some of the responses here you would think this father was trapped in a foxhole in the middle of the desert totally cut off from communications for weeks. A messanger breaks thru the lines, dodging enemy fire to deliver a message and a government satellite phone to the father with instructions that he is to call his son asap.

The reality of the matter is that the father probably lives in the green zone, has internet access, has telephone access and probably had been too distracted by his life in Iraq to call home in a few days. When his wife IM"d him that he should call his son, he picked up the phone and called without giving a thought to what time it was stateside.

In reality, the father probably got back from patrol, waited in line for two hours to use the phone, and had to be back out in the suck early the next AM. Please ask someone who has been in the field about these things before posting. These mini comm centers are set up as a comfort for the men and women serving, and most rarely get to pick when they call home.

[edit on 16-4-2008 by jasonjnelson]

[edit on 16-4-2008 by jasonjnelson]

Just some stuff to ponder and add into the mix here.

You can't join an armed service and expect not to go to war. In a non-conscripted army you make the personal choice as to whether or not you are willing to risk your own life as a part of your job.

If you don't want to get shot at as part of your job, being in the Military really isn't an option, is it? As such a soldier in a professional military has made that choice.

The reason for making that choice is irrelevant, its one of the hazards of the job - just as a truck driver risks being killed if their rig flips over in a pile-up.

Therefore, are we saying that all of the kids in the school, regardless of what their parents do, should be allowed to take calls as and when they feel like it?

reply to post by neformore


the decision of the school was right .....

after all this war is a imperialist one , and not for freedom of USA blalalal

Originally posted by palehorse23


I know this is from faux news, but a story nonetheless.

www.foxnews.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I hate when people make fun of FOX News for being run by the Bush Administration and don't acknowledge the possibility that CNN and all the other major media outlets have also been compromised by those running things to be used as a way to distribute propaganda non-stop to the clueless public. If anyone has any clever derogatory nicknames for these other cable news channels I'd love to hear them, since it seems like the only bashing I've seen has been directed at FOX.

Originally posted by neformore

Therefore, are we saying that all of the kids in the school, regardless of what their parents do, should be allowed to take calls as and when they feel like it?

Yes, that seems to be what that side of the argument boils down to. They hem and haw about 'supporting the troops', 'being patriotic' and 'what a truck driver does' but they fail to answer the real question about the policy of taking calls in class. They fail to address what 'the proper actions of the father' should have been (i.e calling the school office or waiting until after school). No blame is laid at the feet of the father, since we 'must support the troops' - this argument is direct from the Fox News talking points.

I have been promoting these issues since early in the thread, but by and large they are indefensible, thus they are ignored.

Well by that argument, you're saying the kid should be suspended because his father used the wrong method to get a hold of him. That's just stupid. Suspend his dad if that's your gripe.

I can see if maybe the teacher would have told the kid to have his dad call the school first next time, and sent the kid out into the hall.

But this kid was suspended. Don't you think that's a bit harsh? When I was in school you got suspended for beating somebody up or skipping too many classes. For a cell phone you got yelled at.

I guess now we're teaching kids that answering phone calls from their parents is as bad as beating people up. Great line of thought to be raising people on, isn't it?

Originally posted by mattifikation
Well by that argument, you're saying the kid should be suspended because his father used the wrong method to get a hold of him. That's just stupid. Suspend his dad if that's your gripe.

No, the child
1. Had his cell phone on while in class,
2. CHOSE to answer the phone during class.
Those are both DECISIONS that the child made which were BREAKING THE RULES. For too long in this country we have coddled people and wanted to make excuses for them breaking the rules. This was not an 'exceptional circumstance' - it was just a father who picked a bad time to call. And unless I'm mistaken, the school rules apply to the child, not his father - so the father cannot be suspended. The child who broke the rules however, is subject to those rules and can be punished

With suspension?

You know what, nevermind. I've better things to do than try to explain to somebody who won't listen why making a kid miss several days of class and fall behind on his school work is an irrational punishment for having a cell phone turned on.

Forgive me for not reading the entire thread, I got about six pages in and started seeing a lot of the same back and forth.

The problem was the fact that the kid was carrying his cell phone in school which is against the rules. Cell phones are banned from a lot of schools for many reasons, cheating, texting, disruptions, ect... The simple fact that this kid had his cell phone with him is what earned the suspension, not the fact that he took a call from his dad. That's just what got him caught.

From where I'm sitting, it seems like this could have been avoided and handled much better. The article says that the student has been stressed out (I would be too if one of my parents was overseas fighting in this war) and he requested that his dad call him. His mom sent dad an e-mail and his dad called the kids cell phone during class which could have been the only chance dad had to call.

My question is why didn't dad call the school? Instead of the kid taking his cell phone in with him which is against the rules, couldn't he have just gone to the office and told them he was expecting a call from his dad? The office could have then pulled the kid from class when he called so he could speak with his father and everyone would be happy.

I think the dad should be allowed to talk to his kid, it sounds like this call was more for the kids sake than the fathers. I don't think the school would have objected if the father would have just called the school office in the first place instead of the cell phone. My parents did that a few times when I was young (pre cell phone days) and the school never once objected. And my parents weren't in a war zone even.

my $.02

Jesse

We've had a lot of questions about why did or didn't the dad do this or that. My question is:

Is there anyone here that has been in combat? possibly in Iraq or Afganistan that can explain how communications like that work? We can speculate and blame all we want but until we know for sure how the military handles calls to family, we can't really have a credible discussion.

So once again, is there anyone in the military that can help us out here???

You guys arguing for the school on this are killing me. Why do you insist on saying that the dad "picked" the wrong time. You act like these soldiers can just pick up a phone anytime they want and call home.
How many times do you have to be told that they do not get to "pick" when they call. Damn you guys. What obstacle in your heads prevent you from understanding that. It is getting really frustrating that you keep saying those of us arguing against the school are ignoring you. Well that is because you keep talking nonsense on why you feel the way you do. You really need to think before you post. How many times are ya going to say the same thing when you know that it isn't the case?
Since the wife contacted her husband through yahoo about hm contacting his son because he was feeling down and out and missed his dad, my guess is that he was worried about him. If it were me, I wouldn't be saying..."Oh I guess I will wait until he is out of school. If I had the opportunity given to me I would be calling right away. Seeing as how the soldiers are LIMITED AS TO WHEN THEY CAN CALL....the father had to address the issue at first opportunity. Just because he is fighting in a war, he is still a father. It is his duty to ensure his family is alright. Family, at least in my book, comes first and foremost before anything else. You guys really need to let go. I would love to see the reaction if you guys were put in this FATHER's shoes. It is easy to say over the computer that rules are rules, but I would bet the farm that all of you guys would whine if this situation were put over your heads.

One more thing...it is so easy to play Monday morning quarterback with all these woulda, coulda, shoulda ideas. Tell me this. Can you with all honesty say that each and every one of you thinks rationally in every situation presented to you? If you say yes, I would call you a liar because that would mean you have never made a mistake or a wrong decision. I believe someone once said...."Let he who has never sinned cast the first stone." This I repeat to those who place blame on a concerned father whose family is number one in his life.

[edit on 4/16/2008 by palehorse23]

Originally posted by jfj123
We've had a lot of questions about why did or didn't the dad do this or that. My question is:

Is there anyone here that has been in combat? possibly in Iraq or Afganistan that can explain how communications like that work? We can speculate and blame all we want but until we know for sure how the military handles calls to family, we can't really have a credible discussion.

So once again, is there anyone in the military that can help us out here???

That has been explained numerous times here.

There is NO set protocol. Every squadron, shop, unit, etc is different.

However, they can not just go and pick up a phone and call home anytime. It depends on where they are, what they are doing, the lines for the phones, whether or not the phone lines are even working....and so on and so on.

And when they can get on the phone.......it sometimes takes FOREVER just to get the call routed through to the number you are calling. Its not just a direct call most of the time!! And sometimes you make the call and due to all the connections, you get dropped then have to try again. And you are only allowed to talk for 15min !!

So, if a parent calls the school principal...then gets put on hold while the secretary looks for the principal....his entire alloted time could EASILY be used up just trying to get the principal on the phone.

I know this first hand...as someone who receives the calls. I have NUMEROUS stories of phone call issues. I answer, disconnect. I answer and am told...it took me 15min to get through, I have to go now.

THIS IS NOT A RESORT THESE MILITARY MEMBERS ARE STAYING AT. They are in a war zone in the middle of the freaking desert! There is not a payphone on every corner. They do not have cell phones that they can pick up and chat all day long. They share a few phones with thousands of others. They work 18+ hrs a day, sometimes 7+ days on end with NO BREAK. Phone calls are very rare and very precious! It is a matter of making a call whenever the hell you get lucky!



The ignorance here is amazing....even when we are trying to educated the ignorant, they just ignore it.



Oh, and everyone crying about rule breaking. Give me a big fat break Next time I see any of you crying about it complain about a cop pulling you over for you breaking a rule.....I will be the one to remind you.................Or crying about a cop being soooooo mean to some stupid citizen breaking a rule...I will be the one to remind you....A RULE IS A RULE \

Give me a break.



[edit on 16-4-2008 by greeneyedleo]

Greeneyedleo is right.

When you're over there, things are handled differently by each squadron and the location that they are at. I was lucky, we had sat phones so I could call home when I wanted to and didn't have to wait in line like a lot of guys did.

Still, there was a time limit and these phones were primarily used for official use, like calling back to the unit for one thing or another. We were limited to 15 minutes each week.

The only thing I can think that the kid should have done is spoken to each teacher that he had class with just prior to class starting and explaining what might happen. I think most would have been understanding that he might be getting a call from Iraq in the middle of lecture.

Originally posted by pavlovsdog
Instead, an inconsiderate father decided to call direct and disrupt class. The son took the call, broke the rule and was punished as per the rules.

Yeah, you're right. How dare the father call his son and not first check what time it might be in the States before he dialed the number.

Life in the AOR isn't the same as in the states. We don't keep normal banker's hours like you might. I've flown some odd hours while I was there and I called home whenever, knowing my family would understand when I called home.

I've read into this thread up to the first 10 pages and I have a few things to add. My opinions of course, your mileage may vary.

First, to clear up the "pay" issue; soldiers in the U.S. were paid for their service at least as far back as the Revolutionary War (late 1700s for the non-history majors).

Having been both an officer in the military (Army), and an elementary school teacher, I can and do sympathize with both. I recall times when I was out in the field for over a week and a half without a shower (we bird-bathed out of our helmets and used baby wipes), let alone access to a phone. On the rare occasions we did have phone access, it was usually a pay phone with bad reception, a long waiting line, and you had a limited time to speak with anyone. What I did was phone one person who had a call list and could pass any pertinent information on to whomever needed to know.

I understand the teachers' frustrations as well, can't have everyone in the class taking calls from parents all day. While I was a student, the closest thing we had to cell phones were toy Star Trek communicators, LOL! Back then, if a parent had to phone, they called the school office and the student was called out of class to take the call. But, who knows what kind of plan the father has, if he has one at all? Free mobile-to-mobile? Maybe free minutes at a certain time of day? Perhaps he was taking advantage of his plan and not intentionally calling his son in the middle of his school day.

Still, I think suspension was a bit on the harsh side, rules or no rules. Perhaps detention for a day for a day or two. Circumstances should figure into it, it's not like the father phones his son every day at school.

Reason # 2178 why I cyber school our kids, in addition to the "no indoctrination" issue. :-)

Wow, the beginning of this thread disappointed me right when I read "jedimiller"s comment about the troops. Geez man, you are heartless.

Let's look at the basics here. Lets get REAL, you all live in a fantasy for some reason.

Point 1:

Even if the kid didn't have a cell phone, that parents ARE allowed to call the school, and request that they speak with their children. They are allowed to call and speak to their children, emergency or not. What would be the point of going through the school when you can just call his cell phone directly?? The fact that is was the kids PARENTS that called should totally free him from the rules. If not, DONT PUNISH THE KID. Punish the PARENTS (which they cant) so there shouldn't even be a rule about it. Or the rule should be changed instantly to:

"No cell phone calls in school, unless its your parents."


Point 2:

Most troops joined the military to protect the country. Honor them for that. They don't just join to kill people. The joined to help protect the country from REAL enemies when the need arises. Just because their commander/intelligence is letting them down, making them fight a false enemy, doesn't mean you shouldn't support the troops. They need all the support they can get, they are trapped in a job. They joined to protect the country, instead they are being used as a tool for some money/oil hungry corporations. They need all the support they can get, they can't just fly home you know. They don't want war either, only fking bush and his family want that.

reply to post by greeneyedleo


Thanks for the post. It's greatly appreciated !!!

School was in the right.

Should all parents call their kids during school hours when there is ample possibilities that injury or death may occur at any given time or place?

A system is in place to govern the majority so that there is some resemblance of order. Remove that and we open up a can of worms.

Death is a part of our life cycle.. we all die.. it’s just a question of when and how.

Removed some comments uncalled for.. just personal views..

Anyhow.. Job is a job.. should all parents be allowed to phone their kids any time they wish? Should students phone their parents while they are at work?

I have no sympathy for those who willing go and fight a wrong cause. We all have choices.. what we do with those choices speak volumes about what we each believe as indivduals.

One parent should not dictate when to distupt a class of with other students who are there to learn. Do you honestly believe that after a phone call from mom/dad that the other students are intune with what the teacher is teaching at the time or are they in tune with what the call is about?



[edit on 17-4-2008 by Willbert]

reply to post by Willbert



Parents are allowed to call their student during any time of the school day. No questions asked. They can call the school, and the school will transfer the call over to the right classroom. There ARE more important things than school you know?

To say that all parents are going to start calling their kids is a joke. Yeah right, just because its allowed, all the parents are going to be calling their kids all day at school. GET REAL PEOPLE. Thats not going to happen.

I really think anyone who is negative about this subject is just not worthy of living on this planet.

It's simple, that dad needed to talk to the child. No stupid classroom school is going to stand in the way of a parent and a child. School is really not that important. You can learn # outside of school, grades from school don't mean crap. All you brainwashed idiots think if kids miss a second of school they will be dumb and not go to college and be successful but I have a news flash for you...

85% of all millionaires are high school dropouts, that DIDN'T even go to college.

If you think the parent and kid should be punished and the school was in the right, well I think you should go to prison. I really do. SCHOOL IS VOLUNATARY... dummys these days.