At the St. Louis, MO school’s request, Veronica Williams must sit with her 4th grade son all day or he will be suspended if she can not find another adult to supervise him. The school sites behavioral problems and class disruptions as reasons for this odd request.
Normandy School District’s Barack Obama Elementary School recently suspended the 10-year-old after Williams found it impossible to attend class with him and maintain her daytime job after a two week attempt. She and partner, Tiara Newlon, who has also accompanied him in school, say that they have no issues with his behavior at home.
“I was willing to do anything with the school. Whatever type of help they were trying to give and I’m still trying to do it, but as far as someone having to sit in school with him is ridiculous,” Williams said.
Chief Administrative Officer, Phillip Boyd, stated that it’s the school’s “responsibility to ensure that the entire learning community is safe for all parties” and they are “committed to providing students with the most productive and safe learning environment possible.” Williams’ son has yet to be let back into school without an adult after his last suspension.
Read the full article on the Inquisitr’s website.
BMWK — What are your thoughts on this punishment? Is it necessary or too harsh?
Shynell says
I support the school. I wish more schools would practice holding parents accountable. As a parent, I can assure you that the child’s behavior at school is a reflection of his behavior at home. The mother’s attitude is obvious in her comment that sitting at the school is ” ridiculous”. Ridiculous is your child disrupting the class enough that the staff is concerned about the safety of the other children. Given the name of the school, I am sure it is in an inner city so please don’t try to blame this on suburban white teachers.
Natalie B. says
I support the school, and I wish more schools would follow suit. How are children supposed to be prepared for standardized test and achieve academically when teachers have to spend most of their time disciplining children who should know how to behave even if they are unable to grasp the material that is being taught. We never want to place the blame for behavior problems where it lies– with the parents. Maybe by placing these conditions on parents complaints about their children’s behavior will make parents more engaged and active in their children’s behavior and development.
Amber says
I think the school is out of line. Yes, it is up to the parents to ensure that their child behaves in school so as not to cause a disruption to others. But forcing a parent to miss work, which may or may not impede on their ability to provide for their family financially depending on their employment situation. There has to be other ways. Why doesn’t the school sit down with the parent and discuss a possible behavioral assessment, talking to the child to try to understand why he is being disruptive and take that information to a qualified, therapist, counselor, specialist etc. We are not that’s child parent and to automatically assume that the parent is doing something wrong is not our place to judge. The school should try to work with the parent and child instead of against them.