School systems, War, and Cell Phone debates

[Cavalry]

http://www.parentdish.com/2008/04/16/dad-calls-from-iraq-son-gets-suspended/

Master Sgt. Morris Hill is serving his country in Iraq, a long way away from his beloved sons back in Texas. Luckily, these days, we have the means for people on opposite sides of the planet to talk to each other in real time, almost without regard to where they actually are. We have cell phones.

Unfortunately, the only time Hill could call his son Brandon was during the school day -- a time when students are generally forbidden from using their cell phones. It would seem, however, that this situation would count as extraordinary circumstances and an exception could be made, but administrators disagree. Brandon was suspended for taking the call.

What?!?
Ok, if your parent(s) were fighting in a foreign country and could only call you during school hours, isn't a tad extreme to be suspended for taking the call?

The odd part is that the father had apparently made an arrangement in advance with the assistant principal to allow his sons to receive calls from him

EDIT- different link to KXAN (news site/channel in Texas) http://www.kxan.com/Global/story.asp?S=8165144

 

[Raziaar]

Wow... if that is true, the people who made the decision should be shot in the head... with a tennis ball of course... launched from a potato gun.

Because real gun violence is bad mmkay?

 

[Crash]

Why do they gotta be so fu*cking stupid? Wait, I'm gonna make that part of my sig...

 

[Tollbooth Willie]

Wow... if that is true, the people who made the decision should be shot in the head... with a tennis ball of course... launched from a potato gun.

Because real gun violence is bad mmkay?

Why not use a potato? That would be more painful right? That's pretty ****ed though.

 

[Raziaar]

Why not use a potato? That would be more painful right? That's pretty ****ed though.

A potato used as ammunition in a potato gun?

What the **** kind of crazy thinking ideologies do you subscribe to?

 

[Tollbooth Willie]

Those of a madman apparently. Fine, we'll use common vampire bats.

 

[theotherguy]

This exact same thing happened at my school as well.

100% with the school district on this one. Either the kid leaves class altogether to take the call or he doesn't take the call at all. And he certainly shouldn't have been acting defiant with the administrators. I don't give a shit that his dad is in Iraq. His dad could be the ****ing pope for all I care.

 

[Cavalry]

According to the article, he was on his way out the door and had planned with the principle that he could take the call.

D: theotherguy, perhaps you go to the same school?

 

[theotherguy]

According to the article, he was on his way out the door and had planned with the principle that he could take the call.

D: theotherguy, perhaps you go to the same school?

Oh, I was thinking about the one at or near my school last year, where there were no previous arrangements made, and when the kid got the call, he said something to the effect of "**** you." to the teacher when he told him to put it up, and got suspended.

In this case, there was a special previous arrangement with the school, so the kid shouldn't have been suspended. In the case last year, the school had every right to suspend the kid.

 

[Sulkdodds]

Yeah, there's an exercise in point-missing here. The real issue is that the family made a prior arrangement and the school didn't honour it. That is, indeed, the only issue.

But of course let's focus on the patriotism angle!

 

[Acepilotf14]

Why doesn't he just call him during lunch? My school lets us do that.

 

[Kula Meenur]

Yeah, there's an exercise in point-missing here. The real issue is that the family made a prior arrangement and the school didn't honour it. That is, indeed, the only issue.

But of course let's focus on the patriotism angle!

i concur with this man

 

[Nitre]

Rar, patriotism.

I don't understand the thing with some schools disallowing mobile phones at break/lunch. I mean, what's the point. Then again, if he got the call in a lesson, its disruptive, but you can still go outside.

Conclusion: The school sucks.

 

[VirusType2]

I think we are only getting the part of the story that supports an interesting plot

 

[DiSTuRbEd]

Why doesn't he just call him during lunch? My school lets us do that.

Yep, you go to iraq and try to call at the same time every call..

 

[Laivasse]

It is foolish of the boy and his family to believe that having made a mistake, a teacher or school will ever admit they were in the wrong.
That would show all the other pupils that their elders are fallible!!!