For the Children…

Dear Editor,

If you have ever volunteered in an elementary school or worked in a classroom you might be impressed with the responsibility on teachers these days. If you have not spent time in a classroom and you have elementary age kids and feel teachers are not doing enough then please get into your kid’s class and observe; even for one hour. You will likely come away exhausted just watching your kid’s teacher and all that they do.

With more and more kids being raised by violent video games while parents attend to their Facebook pages or play their own video games it makes sense that attention spans, playground play and classroom conduct are all in decline. I work in a local elementary school and see defensive reactions by many parents when they get called about the poor decisions their children are making.

One local kid who had almost no parental supervision recently made a weapon and stabbed a classmate in class at a local elementary school. There is a large sign on the outside of the school which says -No weapons or drugs and that the use of either will not be tolerated in school. The child was expelled and I fully support the principal for following through on the pledge of no tolerance for violence.

Unfortunately and all too common these days, the seldom seen parents are teaching their child to take no responsibility as they have decided to sue the school for expelling their child. Never mind that the parents of the stabbed child could press charges on the attacker but have chosen not to. They know the behavior transcends the child.

If you choose to spend most of your free time on a computer or go out late to bars while your kids raise themselves, researching how to make weapons or exploring porn… Then that’s on you as a parent ; not teachers, not cops, not your neighbors. That’s on you.

Justin Henney
Sandpoint