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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, IndianValley Local Schools' Superintendent Randy Cadle gets aletter from a state or national organization, asking the districtto consider changing its policy for using paddling as a form ofdiscipline.

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

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

Since 1994, Ohio law has imposed a limited ban on corporalpunishment in its public schools. A loophole in the restrictionspermitted paddling to continue if boards of education followedcertain guidelines like forming a task force to study whethercorporal punishment is appropriate for the school district.

According to Cadle, in 1994 and when he was assistantprincipal at Indian Valley High, the board of education surveyedthe community and was surprised to find nearly 85 percent of thedistrict's parents said they wanted to keep corporalpunishment as part of a discipline policy. With input frommedical professionals, psychologists, social workers, parents,administrators and teachers, Indian Valley's board adopted apolicy that would do just that.

Principals at the district's schools say the majority ofparents still approve of having the option - with about 85percent of Port Washington Elementary parents, 50 percent ofTuscarawas Elementary parents and 60 percent of high schoolparents 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 willor will not be paddled.”

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

“The way we handle paddling isn't like it used to beback when I was in school, where if you talked back the teacherwould take you out into the hallway and you'd get it rightthere,” Love said. “Now it's considered a lastresort, and we've already gone through several other typesof consequences that just haven't worked.”

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

Only school administrators are permitted to administercorporal punishment, which takes place in front of a witness.According to board policy, corporal punishment is not to beadministered in anger, and students learn why they are beingpunished and about behavior and consequences. At the high schoollevel, only female administrators will administer corporalpunishment 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 enoughfor students to change their behavior.”

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

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

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.

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 CountyMiddle School involving a seventh grader who was paddled so hardhe was unable to sit down.

Capt. Wayne Scott, security chief at Burke County Jail, saidthat when he came home from work last Monday night, his13year-old son was in a great deal of pain and having troublesitting down.

That morning, he'd received a call from the school about hisson 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. Scottsaid, holding up a photograph of bright red and purple bruisesthat covered his son's buttocks. "This is a beating ... if aparent did this to his own child, he'd be arrested."

According to a report filed at the Burke County Sheriff'sOffice, the seventh grader was disciplined for actingdisrespectful toward a teacher. He received four licks with awooden paddle from assistant principal Kaveous Preston.

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

According to investigator Dedric Smith, the file has been sentto the district attorney's office. If DA investigators findevidence that a crime has been committed, they, in turn, willpresent that evidence to a grand jury who will decide if anindictment is in order.

Daily Dunklin Democrat, Kennett, Missouri, 26 May 2006

KHS graduates 96

By Deanna Coronado

(extracts)

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

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

Superintendent Jerry Noble provided the introduction ofspeakers, including Alicia Bridges, Jarrod Dye, Paul Harris andSally McVey.

[...]

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

"Everyone's high school experience is different. Somelove it, some hate it, and some slept through the wholething," McVey said. "Regardless of that, we were allalong the ride together never dreaming graduation would come sosoon."

McVey reflected on the past four years and shared personalstories that all of her classmates seemed to share in. Shedescribed sitting in the auditorium as seniors at the beginningof the school year and said that they had all began to evaluatetheir options and began planning the next step in their futures.

"This year, everything we did was our last: Our lasthomecoming, last season in a sport, last dances, last concerts,last time to choose between andAEP, and last birthdays at home," McVey said. "We begannoticing the small stuff in the hallways and classrooms and thatwe were going to miss how 'beautiful' everything started tofeel."

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

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

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

Kennett High School Principal Ed Siebenhuener introduced theclass 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, thesalutatorian was Bobby Hrissikos, and the best all around studentwas Sally McVey.

Following the awards to valedictorian, salutatorian and bestall around, presented by Johnny Dalton, several scholarships wereprovided.

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

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