P.C. outcry again......will they ever shut up

[TexasF355F1]

Give me a fucking break. If anything it should make kids work harder. Damn this political correctness, damn it to hell
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http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/nation/2402171

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The school honor roll, a time-honored system for rewarding A-students, has become an apparent source of embarrassment for some underachievers.

As a result, all Nashville schools have stopped posting honor rolls, and some also are considering a ban on hanging good work in the hallways -- all at the advice of school lawyers.

After a few parents complained their children might be ridiculed for not making the list, Nashville school system lawyers warned that state privacy laws forbid releasing any academic information, good or bad, without permission.

Some schools have since put a stop to academic pep rallies. Others think they may have to cancel spelling bees. And now schools across the state may follow Nashville's lead.

The change has upset many parents who want their children recognized for hard work.

"This is as backward as it gets," said Miriam Mimms, who has a son at Meigs Magnet School and helps run the Parent Teacher Association. "There has to be a way to come back from the rigidity."

The problem appears unique to Tennessee, since most states follow federal student privacy guidelines, which allow the release of such things as honor rolls, U.S. Department of Education officials said.

"It's the first time I've heard of schools doing that," said department spokesman Jim Bradshaw.

But Nashville school lawyers based their decision last month on a state privacy law dating back to the 1970s -- a law that's not always followed because no one challenged the honor roll status quo.

School officials are developing permission slips to give parents of the Nashville district's 69,000 students the option of having their children's work recognized. They hope to get clearance before the next grading cycle.

Until then, school principals are left trying to figure out what they can and can't do.

Sandy Johnson, chief instructional officer for the Nashville schools, says the restrictions go "far beyond the honor roll."

"It's for anything having to do with grades and attendance or anything normally reserved just for the student or parent," she said.

Getting parents to sign permission slips won't help protect students from being left out, but at least it will comply with the law, school officials said.

Christy Ballard, general counsel for the state Education Department, said she's "getting a lot of calls" since the Nashville decision and will recommend that all Tennessee public schools get honor roll permission slips from parents.

In Knoxville, school district spokesman Russ Oaks said they do not think posting good information about a student violates state law. He said they put such information in the same category as sports statistics.

But some school systems already get parents to sign a release before student information is made public. Others think it might be a good idea to get rid of the honor roll altogether, as Principal Steven Baum did at Julia Green Elementary in Nashville.

"The rationale was, if there are some children that always make it and others that always don't make it, there is a very subtle message that was sent," he said. "I also understand right to privacy is the legal issue for the new century."

Baum thinks spelling bees and other publicly graded events are leftovers from the days of ranking and sorting students.

"I discourage competitive games at school," he said. "They just don't fit my world view of what a school should be."

Parents at most schools, though, have been close to outrage over the new rule.

"So far, what we've heard parents say is, `This is crazy; spend your time doing other things,' " said Teresa Dennis, principal at Percy Priest Elementary School. "It does seem really silly."

A similar issue over student privacy went to the U.S. Supreme Court two years ago, when some parents objected to students grading each other's work. The court sided with tradition in that case, ruling the long-standing practice of teachers asking students to swap papers and grade them in class does not violate federal privacy law.

"It's not always clear what falls into (the privacy laws)," says Naomi Gittins, an attorney with the National School Boards Association. "Schools often take a more cautious route."

[Pick]

This hits home for me. I'm from Knoxville. This shit is ridiculous. These are the same people that teach kids winning doesn't matter and if you screw up everything is okay because "at least you tried". No kid is ever gonna learn to take some damn initiative or be motivated when people tell them all their life its okay to suck and the kids that actually do well are the real losers. This is so damn stupid. These loser kids and teachers actually believe the real villain is the successful kid. Its a damn shame. I remember in middle school they wouldn't play dodgeball because it belittled the weak-armed kids. They also wouldn't let us keep score in whiffle-ball because "everybody is a winner". Its the same thing.

These teachers need to recognize that they are teaching these kids that its okay to lose in the game of life. They're saying its okay to be non-competitive. These poor kids are gonna be in for a real surprise come graduation and college and then into the real world. Life is and will always be competitve Lord-willing. I love it.

[Ace$nyper]

well all i can say is when then are starving in the street do to not pushing/applying them selves who is going to help them. I know i love being honor roll and when i dont make it thats my goal do well no matter how hard i have to work. Its only fair we reward those who try hard.

[TexasF355F1]

Originally Posted by Ace$nyper

Its only fair we reward those who try hard.

Very true. And that's real life. The people who get promoted and get raises are the ones who work hard. Well its the case most of the time, my dad on the other hand worked his ass off for one company and ended up getting less than those who hardly sold shit. That's real life for you too though.

[2strokebloke]

Life's not fair, if lazy, bad, students are embarassed - who give's a rats ass? They ought to be! And if they don't like it, they can always work harder.

[justacruiser]

Originally Posted by TexasF355F1

Very true. And that's real life. The people who get promoted and get raises are the ones who work hard. Well its the case most of the time, my dad on the other hand worked his ass off for one company and ended up getting less than those who hardly sold shit. That's real life for you too though.

Yup! Don't forget that it's also who you know and how well you can bullshit with the bosses that gets you places!

[TexasF355F1]

Originally Posted by justacruiser

Yup! Don't forget that it's also who you know and how well you can bullshit with the bosses that gets you places!

Yep. That's why my parents don't really worry about where I'll be in the future. They know that I'll be able to get along with the bosses and 'play the game' if their assholes.

[YogsVR4]

I feel sorry for kids in public schools. They are no benefits for excellence anymore. Everyone is pushed to the lowest common denominator. Instead of trying to bring kids up and make them want to do better, officials are deciding that its easier to cut from the top.

If I have any kids, they will NOT be going to a public school.

[TexasF355F1]

I just thought about this. The people having a hissy-fit about this are the abnormal and ovbiously mentally unstable parents who have the bumper stickers that say 'My kid beat up your honor roll student'. I always wanted to take a bat to their car and to their head b/c they don't deserve to be a parent.

[jinushaun]

Fuckin hell! PC = catering to the stupids.

Abolishing a practise the promotes success = This action is detrimental to society and progress. Let's make being smart is MORE uncool. And while we're at it, let's promote the cheerleaders and athletes.