Saturday, April 21, 2012

Handcuffed Kindergartner - symptom?

(By the way I hate the new Blogger format) Salecia Johnson is a kindergartner in Milledgeville, former capital of Georgia and home to the state lunatic asylum. Salecia, according to the police and administrators, went berserk at school - throwing things, biting doorknobs, trying to break the copy machine, pushing a bookcase into a teacher.

Police were called (which would indicate this wasn't the first time) when the mother could not be reached. She was handcuffed (because they couldn't calm her down) and taken to the police station and put in an interview room while they continued to try to reach the mother. Finally they reached an aunt, who called the mother and brought her to the police station to get her daughter(notice that the aunt got through?). 1) Salecia's name was released in the paper. That means the mother released it first. 2) The mother initially said she didn't answer the phone because she had no minutes - then she said there were no calls. 3) The mother, the aunt, the NAACP, everyone is furious with the police and the principal.

There has been no comment on her behavior at the school from her family. Just "she is a little girl."

This week I have 5 students refuse to take a test because I hadn't taught the material. I had taught it for over a week. They never did any work. Another told me, when I refused to let him have a third hour for a 1 hour test, that it was my fault if he failed. Again no work in class. Another charming student went into my desk and took out a manipulative. I asked him to put it up - he proceeded to destroy it. Another came in with his hat on, cussing. I asked him to step outside, take off his hat, and return appropriately. He stepped out and did not return.

None of these are special ed, all are 18. Somehow I am to make them college and career ready but they accept no responsibility for anything. Not what they do, nothing. The school is turning them into babies who need to be cared for - and then I get judged on how they preform on a test they know does not count.

4 comments:

Ricochet said...

I wrote this blocked into paragraphs. I hate you, Blogger.

ChiTown Girl said...

Posts like this (I'm referring to the topic) are the reason I'm moving closer and closer to changing careers. Sadly, this story in no way shocked me, I see crap like this every single freakin' day in the ghetto. I've had enough, that's for damn sure.

Elaine said...

It sounds like it's been a tough week for you. I despair sometimes about the attitudes I see, and the pupils I deal with are only 7 - 10 yr olds.

21 Wits said...

this new Blogger thing gets better as you use it and there are some better (I know hard to believe) ways of doing things. It's just biting the bullet to stumble along and learn the various twists! as for your said post, it just breaks my heart....these are the moments in life when we can help pick up the pieces around us, the better. If and when we can.