|
"Danger Zones"
States in the U.S. that Permit Pupil-Beating
A Few Words of Caution to parents who are about to enroll their children into pupil-beating schools. They should anticipate disingenuousness on the part of educators and administrators who typically do not invite dialog with the public on this topic. When drawn into discussions with parents, school officials are apt to trot out those familiar, well-rehearsed, stock responses, the purpose of which is to convey the false impressions that:
- pupil-beating is rarely used, is used only after all other means have failed and is governed by strict guidelines,
- teachers' right to resort to it must be retained because certain students can't be controlled any other way,
- well-behaved children like yours will never be hit but in fact will have a better experience at school because those other children will be kept under control (by the threat of beating), and
- this method of pupil management has been in use for many years and parents overwhelmingly favor its continuation. It works. We don't remember ever having heard any complaints. (Implication: You are the first person to question it.)
Parents tend to trust educators who, after all, are highly trained in their specialty and are licensed by the state. And virtually all parents want to believe that those who take charge of their child at school are motivated by genuine, nurturant feelings toward the child. Educators recognize and pander to this powerful, natural desire. Deliberate vagueness about the details serves the needs of both parties: the practical needs of the educators and the emotional needs of the parents. Responsible, thoughtful parents, however, should bear in mind that they are delegating their most important responsibility to total strangers - strangers who have their own agenda, who vary widely in their level of competence, who operate with minimal supervision and with near-absolute impunity. Few people would hand over their car in the same circumstances, with the same degree of trust.
The ten worst states (starting with the worst) are: Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Texas, Georgia, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Missouri, and South Carolina.1
Pupil-Beating States and their Chief Education Officers:
- Alabama
Dr. Edward R. Richardson,
Superintendent of Education
Alabama Department of Education
Gordon Persons Office Building
50 North Ripley Street
P.O. Box 302102
Montgomery, AL 36130-2101
Phone: (334) 242-9702
FAX: (334) 242-9708
- Arizona
Lisa Graham-Keegan,
Superintendent of Public Education
State Capitol
1700 W. Washington
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone: (602) 542-5460
FAX(602) 542-5440
- Arkansas
Mr. Gene Wilhoit,
Director
Arkansas Department of Education
Four State Capitol Mall, Room 304 A
Little Rock, AR 72201-1071
Phone: (501) 682-4204
FAX: (501) 682 1079
- Colorado
Dr. Richard A. Laughlin
(Acting) Commissioner of Education
Colorado Department of Education
201 East Colfax Avenue
Denver, CO 80203-1799
Phone: (303) 866-6808
FAX: (303) 866-6938
- Delaware
Mr. Michael Ferguson
(Interim) Superintendent of Public Education
Delaware Department of Public Instruction
Townsend Building, #279
Federal & Lockerman Streets
Dover, DE 19901
Phone: (302) 739-4601
FAX: (302) 739-4654
- Florida
Mr. Frank T. Brogan
Commissioner of Education
Florida Department of Education
Capitol Building, Room PL 08
Tallahassee, FL 32301
Phone: (904) 487-1785
FAX: (904)488-1492
- Georgia
Ms. Linda C. Schrenko
State Superintendent of Schools
Twin Towers East
Atlanta, GA 30334-5001
Phone: (404) 657-0516
- Idaho
Dr. Anne C. Cox
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Idaho Department of Education
Len B. Jordan Office Building
650 West State Street
P.O. Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720
Phone: (208) 334-3300
FAX: (208) 334-2228
- Indiana
Dr. Suellen K. Reed
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Indiana Department of Education
State House, Room 229
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2798
Phone: (317) 232-6665
FAX: (317) 232-8004
- Kansas
Dr. John A. Tompkins
Commissioner of Education
120 South East Tenth Avenue
Topeka, KS 66612-1182
Phone: (913) 296-3202
FAX: (913) 296-7933
- Kentucky
Dr. Wilmer S. Cody
Commissioner of Education
Kentucky Department of Education
Capitol Plaza Tower - 500 Mero Street
Frankfort, KY 40601
Phone: (502) 564-3141
FAX: (502) 564-5680
- Louisiana
Mr. Cecil J. Picard
Superintendent of Education
Louisiana Department of Education
626 North 4th Street, 12th Floor
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9064
Phone: (504) 342-3602
FAX: (504) 342-7316
- Mississippi
Dr. Tom Burnham
Superintendent of Education
State Department of Education
550 High Street, Room 501
Jackson, MS 39201
Phone: (601) 359-3512
FAX: (601) 359-3242
- Missouri
Dr. Robert E. Bartman
Commissioner of Education
Missouri Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
205 Jefferson Street, 6th Floor
Jefferson City, MO 65102
Phone: (572) 751-4446
FAX: (573) 751-1179
- New Mexico
Dr. Alan D. Morgan
Superintendent of Public Instruction
New Mexico Department of Education
Education Building
300 Don Gaspar
Santa Fe, NM 87501-2786
Phone: (505) 827-6688
FAX: (505) 827-6520
- North Carolina
Mr. Mike Ward
State Superintendent of Public Education
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
Education Building
301 North Wilmington Street
Raleigh, NC 27601-2825
Phone: (919) 715-1277
FAX: (919) 715-1278
- Ohio
Dr. John M. Goff
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Ohio Department of Education
65 South Front Street, Room 810
Columbus, OH 43215-4183
Phone: (614) 466-3304
FAX: (614) 644-5960
- Oklahoma
Ms. Sandy Garrett
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Oklahoma State Department of Education
Hodge Education Building
2500 North Lincoln Boulevard
Oklahoma City, OK 73105-4599
Phone: (405) 521-4887
FAX: (405) 421-6205
- Pennsylvania
Dr. Eugene W. Hickok, Jr.
Secretary of Education
Pennsylvania Department of Education
333 Market Street. 10th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333
Phone: (717) 787-5820
FAX (717) 787-7222
- South Carolina
Dr. Barbara S. Neilsen
State Superintendent of Education
South Carolina Department of Education
1006 Rutledge Building
1429 Senate Street
Columbia, SC 29201
Phone: (803) 734-8492
FAX: (803) 734-4426
- Tennessee
Dr. Ada Jane Walters
Commissioner of Education
Tennessee Department of Education
Sixth Floor, Gateway Plaza
710 James Robertson Parkway
Nashville, TN 37243-0375
Phone: (615) 741-2731
FAX: (615) 741-6236
- Texas
Dr. Michael A. Moses,
Commissioner of Education
Texas Education Agency
William B. Travis Building
1701 North Congress Avenue
Austin, TX 78701-1494
Phone: (512) 463-5825
FAX: (512) 463-9008
- Wyoming
Ms. Judy Catchpole
State Department of Public Instruction
Wyoming Department of Education
2300 Capitol Avenue, 2nd Floor
Hathaway Building
Cheyenne, WY 82002-0050
Phone: (307) 777-7675
FAX: (307) 777-6234
1Source: U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights.
| Next |
Click here to read other articles by Parents & Teachers Against Violence in Education.
Copyright © Parents & Teachers Against Violence in Education (PTAVE). The above information is presented for educational purposes only, and it is not a substitute for informed advice or training. Please do not use this information to diagnose or treat any problems without consulting a qualified professional. Reprinted with permission.
|
