The Arizona Republic, Phoenix, 18 March 2006

'Walkout' steps up for Latino history lesson

By Bill Goodykoontz
The Arizona Republic

(extracts)

Near the beginning of Walkout, which chronicles the Chicanostudent walkouts of 1968, you notice a sign in Sal Castro'sclassroom. It reads, "If it's not worth saying in English,it's not worth saying at all."

You get the idea sometimes that there might be a few of thosesigns hidden in desk drawers down at the Arizona Legislature, ifnot displayed right on top of the desk. But the words and thesentiment are even more menacing here: The sign holds which teachers use onstudents who speak Spanish in class, even though the student bodyis almost entirely Latino.

That's just one of the degrading facts of life Latino studentssuffered in East Los Angeles at the time. Worse: They weren'tallowed to use restrooms during lunch. Worse still: Theirheritage largely ignored or denied, they were steered towardmenial labor and away from college by counselors and schoolofficials, no matter how good their grades.

[...]

Like many Latino contributions to U.S. history, the walkouts arelittle known and seldom mentioned. At the very least, Walkoutshould help change that.

Crisostomo in the film seems an unlikely leader of a protestmovement. Smart but shy, she looks away when two classmates for speakingSpanish. But, fed up with mistreatment and inspired by theChicano Youth Leadership Conference, she begins to meet withstudents from other high schools as well as college students,trying to figure out a way to improve their circumstances.

Crisostomo has an added hurdle: a father (Yancey Arias) andmother (Laura Harring) who just want their daughter to stay quietfor the last few months before she graduates.

Vega and Arias share a couple of good scenes that center onboxing. But there's never any doubt that, like in allinspirational films, they'll come around in the end.

Aided by Castro, the schools organize the walkouts. The first daygoes smoothly. The second day does not, when police beat studentstrying to leave school. This serves not to intimidate thestudents, but to inspire them. Crisostomo's growth as a leader isimmediate. The first day, she can barely muster the courage tocall on fellow students to exit. By the third day it's an order,not a request.

[...]

The Bakersfield Californian, 22 March 2006

Move stirs bad memories for Spanish speakers

By Leonel Martinez

(extracts)

In a California classroom almost 30 years ago, a white teacherpaddles a Latino student in front of his classmates. Thestudent's crime? Not joining a gang, starting a fight or usingdrugs, but speaking Spanish.

The paddling scene was from the HBO movie "Walkout,"which chronicles the 1968 efforts of a group of students whoorganized a walkout to protest injustices in the East Los Angelespublic school system.

Many people my age may have a hard time believing that only afew decades ago, some schools prohibited students from speakingSpanish. For my children, it seems impossible. But it happened.

So I took my wife, two children and 66-year-old mother to seethe movie, which was screened for about 1,500 people at the FoxTheatre recently by the nonprofit Heritage of America Educationaland Cultural Foundation. The movie was directed by actor/directorEdward James Olmos.

For me, the movie was a glimpse into a strange past. Nobodyever warned me not to speak Spanish in school, and beingbilingual always helped my career. But to catch a glimpse of aworld where you could be punished for a friendly "Buenosdías," I didn't have to look far.

"What did that scene remind you of?" I asked mymother, Consuelo Rodriguez, as she fixed herself a breakfast ofscrambled eggs and potatoes the next morning. My mom, who worksas a cafeteria aide, glanced at the stove and literallyshuddered.

"If they heard anybody speak Spanish, they would take youto the office, and you would be in trouble," she said, asshe remembered going to class at a south Texas elementary school."They would either paddle us or they would take away ourrecess."

[...]

This hidden part of American history still doesn't show up inmany textbooks, but it is well covered by "Walkout,"which is scheduled to be broadcast on HBO for the next severalweeks. It would be a good movie to watch with the family.

But be prepared. After the movie, your children may ask: Didschools really punish students for speaking another language inAmerica?

They did.
Leonel Martinez's column appears every other Thursday.

The News Journal, New Castle/Wilmington, Delaware, 24 March 2006

Bill would allow spanking in schools

Measure introduced in House calls for parents to consent

By J.L. Miller and Patrick Jackson
The News Journal

DOVER -- Legislation that would allow school districts topermit corporal punishment if authorized by parents wasintroduced Thursday in the state House, but if it passes there itcould take a licking in the Senate.

House Bill 376, sponsored by Millsboro Republican Rep. John C.Atkins, would allow local districts to decide whether toauthorize spanking, which was outlawed by the General Assembly in2003. Parents would have to provide written consent.

"It's a good idea because the local districts were askingfor it," Atkins said, citing the Indian River SchoolDistrict as one that has expressed an interest.

Handing that option to local districts, Atkins said, "islocal government at its best."

Atkins said he already has 18 yes votes in the House, where 21votes would be needed to pass it. "We're working toward 11over there," he said, referring to the majority needed topass a bill in the Senate.

If the bill does pass the House, Sen. David Sokola, D-NewarkNorth, has the power to impose a "desk drawer veto" bynever bringing the measure before his Senate Education Committee.

But Sokola, who opposes corporal punishment, said he has noproblem having his committee debate the bill.

"I think it would be defeated," he said. Thelegislation that banned corporal punishment is "a bill thatpassed both houses not so long ago by fairly comfortable margins,and I don't think things have changed that much since we didthat," Sokola said.

The bill also faces opposition from the Delaware StateEducation Association, which represents the state's teachers.

"DSEA has a resolution opposing what people call corporalpunishment ... as a way to effect discipline," associationspokeswoman Pam Nichols said.

Nichols stressed that the teachers union appreciateslegislators' willingness to address the issue of discipliningdisruptive students, but that the association feels corporalpunishment is the wrong method.

Copyright ©, The NewsJournal.

Cape Gazette, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, 24 March 2006

Corporal punishment not likely in Cape schools

By Bridin Reynolds
Special to the Cape Gazette

The "spanking bill," legislation to allow the returnof corporal punishment to Delaware schools, is headed to theHouse Education Committee for consideration this week.

As prime sponsor, Rep. John Atkins, R-Millsboro, has a frontrow seat for the debate

"I am taking heat on this, but I am willing to take it.It is a mandate my district believes in," said Atkins, whosedistrict is Indian River School District.

Atkins attributes his motivation for penning the controversialbill to a recent dinner with school board officials andlegislators. "It was said that the worst thing ever done wasremoving paddling from schools," said Atkins. "Therewere enough nods all around for me to draft thislegislation," he said.

The bill, HB 376, is evoking emotion across the state, butAtkins said he intends to pursue its passage and asserts thatDelaware public schools will benefit if teachers andadministrators could invoke physical punishment to discipline.

"I have an 11-year-old son in school and if he weredisrupting the learning process or disrespecting his teachers, Iwould not have a problem with him being paddled," saidAtkins.

In Cape Henlopen School District, Superintendent George Stonesaid even if the law permitted corporal punishment, he doubtsthat the Cape school board would vote in favor ofreinstating it.

In 2003, Gov. Ruth Ann Minner signed legislation barringcorporal punishment.

Stone said most parents are responsible and when a school hasa problem, school staff members appropriately discipline thechild without physical contact.

"Just from a legal standpoint, I just cannot recommendit," said Stone.

"A lot of the students that would fall under theconsequence of corporal punishment are kids that have a lot ofother issues going on," said Stone.

Under the tenets of the bill, parents or guardians would haveto give permission to individual school districts for children tobe subjected to corporal punishment.

Allowing corporal punishment runs counter to the views oflawmakers in most states as 22 states legalize some form ofcorporal punishment while 28 have banned the practice. Atkins,however, said many teachers and administrators feel just thethreat of paddling is a deterrent.

"Now the kids who continuously misbehave get suspensionand are out of the classroom for three days - that is exactlywhat they want," he said.

Clarion-Ledger, Jackson, Mississippi, 25 March 2006

The P-word best sums up Rebels' new coach

By Rick Cleveland

(extract)

OXFORD — "Passion" was theword of the day here Friday when Ole Miss named Andy Kennedy asthe school's 20th head basketball coach.

We'll get to that, but first a story from24 years ago. Andy Kennedy was a 14-year-old at Winston Academyin his first year of high school basketball. Les Triplett, nowthe activities director of the Mississippi Private SchoolsAssociation, was 26 years old and in his first year as a headbasketball coach.

"Andy was already 6 feet, 4 inchestall and he knew how to play," Triplett remembered Friday."Man oh man, could he shoot the basketball."

With Triplett coaching and Kennedyshooting, Winston went on to win a state championship - not thatthere weren't some trying times on the way there.

Once, Triplett disciplined Kennedy forbeing disrespectful. Triplett actually told the gangly kid, wholived for basketball, that he had to turn in his uniform, that hewas off the team.

Kennedy "cried his eyes out,"Triplett said. "He'd have just as soon died as give up thatuniform. He told me he'd do anything for a second chance."

Triplett'spunishment was a paddling."I broke my paddle on that young'un," Triplett said.

Then, he gave Kennedy his uniform back.Then, he put him in the lineup that night.

"And then," Triplett said,laughing, "he went out and put up 48 points. I have neverseen an athlete more inspired than Andy was that night. He was anincredible competitor. I'm telling you, that boy loved basketballwith a passion that is hard to describe."

[...]

Texarkana Gazette, Texas, 26 March 2006

Schools moving away from use of corporal punishment

By Ashley Gardner
Texarkana Gazette

(extract)

The days of school discipline being limited to a choicebetween five licks or expulsion are long gone.

Schools, whether private, Christian or public, are no longerleaning toward corporal punishment as the end-all-be-all indiscipline.

School officials from both sides of the state line and TrinityChristian School say they have found more inventive concepts toteach right from wrong instead of just punishing mistakes.

"I don't think it's effective," Becky Kesler, ahuman resource manager at Texarkana, Ark., School District, saidof corporal punishment. "Most of the principals do not usethat. We try to stay away from that as much as possible."

Her experience in the classroom and in school administrationhas given her a unique perspective.

"I for one do not believe in corporal punishment. I was aclassroom teacher for years and principal for the last two yearsat Union (School)," Kesler said. "I am one of the fewyou'll find that's strictly opposed to corporal punishment. Ijust don't think it works."

TASD discipline follows a well-outlined progression of stepsthat take the guesswork out of what a child's punishment will be.

"We follow the progression. It might be for younger kidsa time-out during recess or fun activities," Kesler said."We may make them write sentences or write definitions. Theywould rather be spanked than write definitions any day.

"If it were something that was very severe, I would sendthem to ISS (In-School Suspension) a lot of times."

Kesler said counseling is an alternative.

"Here's the thing. If you can counsel with someone andtalk to them and figure out why they did it ... I stronglybelieve if you can make them stop and talk about it and thinkabout what the consequences might be, it really makes a strongerimpact," she said.

Dr. Larry Sullivan, superintendent at Texarkana, Texas,Independent School District, said corporal punishment still has aplace in school discipline. But he said it doesn't work for thekids with the most severe behavioral issues.

"When I'm working with a child, I'm trying to teach thema better concept. With most kids, chances are a pop on the bottomwas all it took for a child to do what they already knew theyshould do ... it's a reminder," he said. "But somechildren may not have those skills. They may not know how to actaround people ... and corporal punishment won't help them.

"Corporal punishment works good for good kids but itdoesn't work well with non-compliant kids. The investment indiscipline takes more time," Sullivan said.

As for how often corporal punishment is used on the Texasside, it varies from campus to campus.

"I have principals who use it more than others and I havesome who don't use it at all because they've found a betterway," Sullivan said.

There's another method of discipline Sullivan prefers.

"Isolation is a very powerful discipline tool but it onlyworks if you take the time to teach," he said.

Trinity Christian School, a private school, doesn't have amuch different concept for discipline.

"Corporal punishment is a discipline alternative from thefirst grade up, but it's rarely utilized ... If it's utilized athome, parents prefer it to be consistent with the way they'reraising their child," said Greg Jones, Trinity'ssuperintendent. "For our purposes, if there is another wayof modifying behavior we would prefer to use that instead ofcorporal punishment.

"In education, in all ages, if you can start off with asystem of rewards and discipline alternatives, the rewards helpsolve a lot of problems. ... An organized system of consequencesfor behaviors often keeps it (bad behavior) fromescalating," Jones said. "In the classroom wherediscipline is managed well, there is going to be a rewardssystem. That's preventative and redirects behavior before there'sa problem."

[...]

Sweetwater Reporter, Texas, 27 March 2006

Roscoe teacher contracts renewed

By Kimberly Gray
Special to the Reporter

(extract)

Upon a recommendation from Principal Frank Young, the RoscoeISD Board of Trustees voted to renew professional contracts forteachers for the 2006-07 school year. This would give allteachers on the list a new one-year contract.

[...]

The board also unanimously agreed to update the studenthandbook to include a notification of parents after administeringcorporal punishment. That means school administration, staff orfaculty involved in the situation will attempt to contact aparent or guardian either in person, by phone or by mail whencorporal punishment is administered to their child.

Young stated that he would have no problem contacting a parentwhen a child is given corporal punishment and agreed thatcontacting the parent or guardian as soon as possible might helpdeter similar future discipline problems with the same studentdue to more parental involvement.

[...]

Hood County News, Granbury, Texas, 27 March 2006

'He was a man among men'

(extracts)

Jim Best, 78, died Friday

"He was a man among men, and all who knew and worked withJim Best looked up to him" is how John Brawner, a retiredGranbury school administrator, described Jim Best. Jim Best, 78,Christian, teacher, disciplinarian, bus driver and family man,died Friday, March 24, 2006 in Fort Worth.

[...]

Best was a native of Mexia, born there Dec. 11, 1927, the sonof Charles Randolph and Margaret Best.

He was a teacher, disciplinarian, and lead bus driver for theGranbury Independent School District. He taught shop andmechanical drawing for 31 years and drove buses 38 years.

The big man demanded and got discipline in the classroom, onhis buses and in his home. He and Mrs. Best were parents of threesons who knew the same discipline as students. He was alsoinvolved as an adult leader in activities with his boys.

One ex-student told Best's son, Gary, "Your dad touchedme three ways in school -- with his head, his heart andhis board."

[...]

Brawner recalled that Best was so good at bringing rowdychildren under control on daily bus routes, that he became thetrouble shooter driver, switching to any problem route.

As the years go by, the stories grow, but Crossland said in his 12 years as principal he never paddled a boy who didnot say, "Mr. Best's was better."

Best played football one semester at Texas Tech, then earned abachelor's degree from Northeastern, Okla., where he also playedfootball. He received his master's degree at Sam Houston StateUniversity.

He served in the Navy 1950-1954. He played on the San DiegoNavy team and later coached a boxing team and basketball team toSeventh Fleet championships.

[...]

wwaytv3.com (WWAY-TV NewsChannel 3), Wilmington, N. Carolina, 30 March 2006

Parents ask for school paddling to stop

(extract)

NORTH CAROLINA --It's a little known fact,but corporal punishment in North Carolina public schools is stillalive and well. Thousands of students a year are paddled formisbehaving and a growing number of parents and teachers say thepractice needs to stop.

He's a 12-year-old boy who was paddled for misbehaving atRowland Middle School in Robeson County. The child was literallyblack and blue after his teacher was finished, and because ofcases like his, a growing number of parents are asking forpaddling in schools to stop.

Peggy Dean said, "A parent who takes an open handand swats their child's backside -- that's a spanking. When anadult in the schools picks up a wooden plank and hits a child,that is such a different action.

Describing paddling as antiquated, demeaning and ineffective,Peggy Dean recently accompanied the student to speak before NorthCarolina legislatures, asking for a statewide ban on paddling inpublic schools. About 70 percent of the state school districtsstill allow it, including Columbus, Onslow and Robeson County.Brunswick and New Hanover Counties do not.

New Hanover County School Board member Steve Bilzisaid, "I think it's stone age. It absolutely has noplace whatsoever in a modern society -- that we think we can useviolence to teach nonviolence."

Legislation introduced last year didn't pass. There's still alot of resistance from people who say paddling went on whenthey were coming up, and they turned out just fine.

[...]