Archive

Is anyone following the James Tate Prom saga?

  • georgemc80
    Its gone viral and I've seen rumors that Oprah will get involved.

    As an educator, I am constantly amazed how fellow colleagues must really hate students. If you are not in it to help kids...get out.

    http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2011/05/12/2011-05-12_connecticut_high_school_senior_banned_from_prom_because_of_sign_he_used_to_ask_d.html
  • Thread Bomber
    Is anyone following the James Tate Prom saga?

    No.
  • queencitybuckeye
    "Rules are rules" = "I'm too lazy and/or stupid and/or gutless to actually think and make sensible decisions".
  • Gblock
    while i get the schools point of view this seems like a total lack of common sense.
  • Fly4Fun
    I swear, people often forget that teenagers, especially guys tend to do some fairly innocent but dumb things sometimes. Some people who are involved with children are completely clueless.
  • justincredible
    Fly4Fun;767374 wrote:I swear, people often forget that teenagers, especially guys tend to do some fairly innocent but dumb things sometimes. Some people who are involved with children are completely clueless.

    Agreed. If this is the worst thing that kid has done then he's pretty much a saint as far as teenage boys go.
  • gorocks99
    It's prom. La dee da. He should use the time he would've gone to prom to do something more fun, like two chicks at the same time.
  • georgemc80
    ^^^^^

    You know, with the national attention and the "oh my god he is so sweet" responses....that may be possible.
  • Skyhook79
    I like this rant from the comments section:



    "Here is more proof that we have incompetents running our public schools. He are some facts: China is number one in math, America 17th in the world. China is number one in science, America is number 23rd. and China is number one in the world for reading skills...America? 31st. Enough said about why we must get the NEA out of our public schools and go to private charter schools like Indiana and Oregon....except 100% elimination of the public school system we have today..100% charter schools would be much better. Another thing...this ''zero tolerance' policy....bureaucrats do not have to make decisons anymore...little 1st grader draws a gun ( oh horror of horrors ) and is expelled. Some system...a bunch of incompetents for the most part make up the teaching class, especially on the administrative side. Most teachers cannot teach freely...and are hampered by administrations, state and federal."


    The ironic thing is he holds up China as a example yet something like this would have never happened in China Schools and if it did they would probally be dealt with more severely.
  • ernest_t_bass
    ^^^
    Ugh... While I agree with you, are you 100% sure that China tests EVERYONE like we do in the USA?
  • krambman
    I understand why the rules that the student is being punished for are in place, but they are really there to punish student who commit vandalism. This was not vandalism. This was asking a girl to the prom. People need to understand the difference between the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. They also need to understand that there's a reason why our court system doesn't use a "zero tolerance" or "one-size-fits-all" policy when enforcing laws. Not ever violation of a rule is the same, so not every violation warrants the same punishment. While ignorance is no defense I bet this kid had no idea that he was breaking the rules when he did this, and I also bet his parent's know about it and thought it was fine as well.

    I have no problem with them giving him and his friends who helped a day of ISS, but preventing him from attending the prom is extreme. Let him go to the prom, but then also let this be an example for future students that prom proposals like this are not allowed in the future.
  • fan_from_texas
    queencitybuckeye;767350 wrote:"Rules are rules" = "I'm too lazy and/or stupid and/or gutless to actually think and make sensible decisions".

    +1.

    Zero tolerance and "one-size-fits-all" polices are for people who don't want to be bothered with thinking.
  • Gblock
    krambman;767423 wrote:I understand why the rules that the student is being punished for are in place, but they are really there to punish student who commit vandalism. This was not vandalism. This was asking a girl to the prom. People need to understand the difference between the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. They also need to understand that there's a reason why our court system doesn't use a "zero tolerance" or "one-size-fits-all" policy when enforcing laws. Not ever violation of a rule is the same, so not every violation warrants the same punishment. While ignorance is no defense I bet this kid had no idea that he was breaking the rules when he did this, and I also bet his parent's know about it and thought it was fine as well.

    I have no problem with them giving him and his friends who helped a day of ISS, but preventing him from attending the prom is extreme. Let him go to the prom, but then also let this be an example for future students that prom proposals like this are not allowed in the future.

    was he suspended for vandilism or trespassing on school property after hours?
  • wildcats20
    Gblock;767451 wrote:was he suspended for vandilism or trespassing on school property after hours?

    Trespassing.




    I would be willing to bet he goes to his prom.
  • wildcats20
    And was he REALLY trespassing? The article makes no mention of him being in the school. Is just being on school grounds "after hours" really trespassing?
  • OneBuckeye
    wildcats20;767489 wrote:Trespassing.




    I would be willing to bet he goes to his prom.
    And that girl gives him a quickie between dinner and grand march.
  • Gblock
    if he doesnt get to go its not that big of a deal really, most kids dont even go into the prom anymore nowadays anyway. they go and get their pic taken and leave somwhere where they can go drink and do drugs/have sex. a lot of schools now have lock in proms so that you cant leave, or breathlyzers to enter etc...even in the 90's when i went to prom no one stayed for more than 1 hr....
  • wkfan
    fan_from_texas;767438 wrote:+1.

    Zero tolerance and "one-size-fits-all" polices are for people who don't want to be bothered with thinking.
    + eleventy quadgazillsands
  • Steel Valley Football
    That's what he gets. He shouldve thought about the consequences before he acted maliciously w/the scissors, paste, and cardboard. I'll bet he won't do THAT again.
  • justincredible
    Steel Valley Football;767528 wrote:That's what he gets. He shouldve thought about the consequences before he acted maliciously w/the scissors, paste, and cardboard. I'll bet he won't do THAT again.

    lol
  • I Wear Pants
    queencitybuckeye;767350 wrote:"Rules are rules" = "I'm too lazy and/or stupid and/or gutless to actually think and make sensible decisions".

    +94
  • Websurfinbird
    I Wear Pants;767532 wrote:+94

    This.

    I had something a bit similar happen to me at my junior high school graduation. Having had just attended my brother's high school graduation, and seeing the various logos, designs etc. displayed on several students caps, I thought it would be fun to do the same myself. So I got some puffy paint and drew a smiley face (nothing too radical). My parents had no issue with it. When I was lining up for the actual graduation processional, a teacher saw me and made me take it off. I almost had to walk down without a cap, but luckily my mom was able to somehow secure me a plain one. To this day I never thought this made any sense, especially at a public school (I can understand such a policy at a private school.) Still even if it was a "rule" was it really worth signaling me out?

    I think this prom thing is the same issue. I can understand that he was trespassing and can even understand the one-day suspension, but to not let him go to prom is just not understanding the spirit of being young.
  • georgemc80
    Gblock;767504 wrote:if he doesnt get to go its not that big of a deal really, most kids dont even go into the prom anymore nowadays anyway. they go and get their pic taken and leave somwhere where they can go drink and do drugs/have sex. a lot of schools now have lock in proms so that you cant leave, or breathlyzers to enter etc...even in the 90's when i went to prom no one stayed for more than 1 hr....


    I know there are schools that have this problem. I chalk that up to a bad school culture. Our school spends roughly $25-30k for this event. It is down on Galveston Island right on the beach. It lasts from 8-12 and at midnight we still had roughly 200 kids still on the dance floor. The dance didn't start to truly thin out till about 10:45. Up to that point we had easily 800 kids running around the facility. Of course, following that most go to a hotel, or a beach house they have rented. They spend all day Sunday and Monday at the beach. I hope this school never has the attitude of just go for pics then bolt.
  • DeyDurkie5
    Websurfinbird;767563 wrote:This.

    I had something a bit similar happen to me at my junior high school graduation. Having had just attended my brother's high school graduation, and seeing the various logos, designs etc. displayed on several students caps, I thought it would be fun to do the same myself. So I got some puffy paint and drew a smiley face (nothing too radical). My parents had no issue with it. When I was lining up for the actual graduation processional, a teacher saw me and made me take it off. I almost had to walk down without a cap, but luckily my mom was able to somehow secure me a plain one. To this day I never thought this made any sense, especially at a public school (I can understand such a policy at a private school.) Still even if it was a "rule" was it really worth signaling me out?

    I think this prom thing is the same issue. I can understand that he was trespassing and can even understand the one-day suspension, but to not let him go to prom is just not understanding the spirit of being young.

    it seems you broke a school rule..i'm guessing you were rich?
  • O-Trap
    Are the grounds of a public school "public property?" I'm genuinely curious.

    Moreover, does this mean that anyone coming to decorate the football stadium for some "spirit day" would also be trespassing?