Tell me how do we find these people to lead our educational system?  Were they this crazy before or is it a matter of after they were in a position of authority they got a little drunk on power and started abusing people?

Here is a 8 year old boy who brought a toy gun to school in his backpack.

www.nbcmiami.com/news/local-beat/Child-G...

We all know it is probably not a good idea to let your young children bring toy guns to school but at the same time kids like to play with toy guns at home and like to bring toys to school and will even hide them in the backpacks sometimes.    So this little guy broke the rules, rules he might or might not have understood before violating them.  I am all for reasonable consequences but DAYUM!!! 

"The 8-year-old boy hasn't been in school for a year and will likely miss another year if the Broward County School Board has its way.

Burgos was suspended from school in November after a teacher found a toy gun in his backpack. But when the boy went to register to go back to Pembroke Pines Charter School, he was told he will be expelled for this school year, too, as part of the county's zero tolerance weapons policy."

....

"

School board officials said the rules are quite clear and that the toy gun constituted a weapon. A school board report on the incident mentions that Samuel showed the toy gun to another student and it was capable of firing projectiles. (projectiles?  like bits of paper)

That's all it takes for it to be considered a weapon.(a weapon, really?)

"This is in his backpack and it's a toy. It's not a real gun. It's a toy," said Magdiel Burgos, twirling a plastic gun.

The school board said they would admit Samuel into a correctional school for problem children who have been expelled located in Hallandale Beach. 

The parents refused and believe their son has already paid for his mistake enough. Samuel has since been home-schooled, but his parents want him back in public school.  (I don't blame them)

"I can't sit here and allow them to send my kid to a school where students have committed actual crimes," Burgos said. "He hasn't committed a crime."

Then the father goes on to say that although they homeschooled the boy most of last school year he will probably have to repeat the 2nd grade. 

Really a 2 year suspension for a 8 year old boy bringing a plastic toy gun to school?

To call the penalty draconian seem like a severe understatement!  Zero tolerance has become a synonym for los of perspetive and common sense.

Don't think I'll get my knickers in a knot over this one. Too much we don't know.

Today who lets a young child have a toy gun that shoots any kind of projectiles?

Sep 17, 2010 -- 7:28PM, Guessses wrote:

Sep 17, 2010 -- 7:23PM, jane2 wrote:

Don't think I'll get my knickers in a knot over this one. Too much we don't know.

Today who lets a young child have a toy gun that shoots any kind of projectiles?

 

My Great Grandfather used to buy us cap-guns, and my Mom would promptly steal the caps!

I had a cap gun !! We all did. Kids could get burned. Mostly we just played cowboys and indians with them unloaded .

Sep 17, 2010 -- 7:42PM, 00_Sunset_00 wrote:

Sep 17, 2010 -- 7:23PM, jane2 wrote:

Don't think I'll get my knickers in a knot over this one. Too much we don't know.

Today who lets a young child have a toy gun that shoots any kind of projectiles?

 

My 6 year old has a nerf gun that shoots foam things with suctions cups on the ends. I don't see a problem.

 

Your choice.

When our son was 12 my dad and my husband bought my son a bb-gun at Sears. I had no problem with it because our son learned all the safety rules and was extremely concientous. My husband had been a junior NRA by training--I still have his very old card. Wouldn't recommend a bb-gun for most 12 y-os though.