Zachary’s Story Goes National
Do you remember the story of Zachary, a 6 year-old student in the Christina school district who was suspended for bringing camping utensils to school? This story has been picked up by the New York Times.
Finding character witnesses when you are 6 years old is not easy. But there was Zachary Christie last week at a school disciplinary committee hearing with his karate instructor and his mother’s fiancé by his side to vouch for him.
Zachary’s offense? Taking a camping utensil that can serve as a knife, fork and spoon to school. He was so excited about recently joining the Cub Scouts that he wanted to use it at lunch. School officials concluded that he had violated their zero-tolerance policy on weapons, and Zachary now faces 45 days in the district’s reform school.
“It just seems unfair,” Zachary said, pausing as he practiced writing lower-case letters with his mother, who is home-schooling him while the family tries to overturn his punishment.
I expect this story will start getting a lot of local attention now. Hopefully this will lead to some positive changes in the zero tolerance policy.
Tags: Christina School District, New York Times, Zero Tolerance
Where was the New York Times when CSD was pissing its money away?
I wonder if the New York Times is proud that they published a picture of Zachary.
Those borderline criminals.
“I expect this story will start getting a lot of local attention now. Hopefully this will lead to some positive changes in the zero tolerance policy.”
Further is the article was “In Zachary’s case, the state’s new law did not help because it mentions only expulsion and does not explicitly address suspensions. A revised law is being drafted to include suspensions.” re: “flexible by giving local boards authority to, “on a case-by-case basis, modify the terms of the expulsion.”
It’s a double edge sword! Zachary’s intent wasn’t criminal but sugar coating a Swiss Army Knife by calling it a camping utensil doesn’t help. Who would be responsible if another student grabbed it just to look at it and cut themselves? What’s if another student took if from him?
Zero tolerance does suck but don’t you think the parent of Zachary who apparently purchased it for him could have told him not to bring it to school or take outside the house without their permission?
“313% increase in out of school suspension for Christina.”
http://www.co.new-castle.de.us/countycouncil/home/fileuploads/images/street-%20evans.pdf
Christina School Board has some big issues to deal with
Violent Felonies (Title 11, Delaware Code §4201(c)) 41 101
Gun-Free School Offenses: Handgun, Rifle, Shotgun, Starter Gun, Explosives/Incendiary Device “4 ”
Weapon Offenses: Destructive Weapon, Dangerous Weapon, Dangerous Instrument, Pellet Gun, BB Gun, Knife, Razor Blade/Box Cutter, Brass Knuckles, Bat, Club, Martial Arts Throwing Star “83” (make note 273 statewide that’s alot for one school district)
Christina School District 2008-2009
27.66% Suspended/ Expelled
Fighting/Disorderly Conduct 1,726
Offensive Touching of a Student 1,602
Terroristic Threatening of a Student 59
Sexual Harassment (Title11, Delaware Code § 763) 27
Offensive Touching of an Employee/Volunteer (Title 11, Delaware Code §601) 114
Terroristic Threatening of an Employee/Volunteer (Title 11, Delaware Code §621) 37
Bullying 80
When a knife enters the school and gets in the wrong hands who will be held liable?
Free Zachary but if schools are to show discretion so should parents.
Kilroy,
I don’t think this in an either/or situation. I don’t have a problem with a “zero tolerance” policy. However, I do think there should be some discretion allowed to teachers and administrators. How come the utensil/swiss army knife/whatever can’t be confiscated and the child sent home for the day without having to go all the way to suspension and reform school? It’s pretty obvious that the boy did not intend harm, perhaps they can give a break sometimes? Zero tolerance in any and all cases even harmless ones is just silly and counterproductive. Thinking the policy is counterproductive does not mean I (or anyone else) is in favor of letting children bring knives to school.
Where has the News Journal been on this story? I searched under a few different terms and found not one local story about Zachary Christie. What happened at the board meeting last week? It looks like he will have to spend 45 days out of school, but what was the reasoning?
If it wasn’t for the local blogosphere, this story might not have gotten any notice.
The one professor quoted in the story defended zero tolerance, saying only law enforcement could determine whether an instrument is dangerous. So do we need a cop and a psychologist in every situation to determine danger potential and intent?
How about this, at least with the elementary school level: A kid who comes in with a knife, camping utensil or other potentially dengerous tool, but who has it for a legitimate reason, takes it to the office or his/her teacher at the beginning of the day and explains why they have it. At lunch or whenever they need it, the teacher can give it to the child, who can be observed to make sure it is used in its intended fashion. When the activity is over, the instrument is returned to the teacher until the end of the day, when the child gets it back to take home. I know there are some things to be worked out, but isn’t this better than suspending a kid for some stupid reason and then enduring all the public headaches?
Geek, the question would be: I wonder if the NYT got PERMISSION to publish a picture of the child, wouldn’t it?
Seriously.
Off Topic: where has the News Journal been on the two land use ordinances that will be voted on tomorrow night that will HUGELY affect our quality of life in NCC?
Silence.On.That.Too
Nancy – So your question is whether the picture that the parents published on their website is OK to publish (in a barely recognizable thumbnail version) on our blog? As you would say… Puuuhleaze.
So the kids picture has appeared in a full-sized version on the New York Times and a site produced by his parents which includes a video created by the child pleading for the policy to be reversed… And you think it is in poor taste for us to publish it. You should just give up at this point. Seriously.
SEriously, Nancy, you post a picture on your web site, you expect it to get picked up, don’t you? Are you still flogging this dead horse? You still haven’t made any case for why this is “borderline criminal.” Seriously.
“How come the utensil/swiss army knife/whatever can’t be confiscated and the child sent home for the day without having to go all the way to suspension and reform school?”
The school has no discretion over district policies and there is question to legislation in this case. I think suspension is important but here’s where some discrestion needs to be. One or two days in this circumstance.
“It’s pretty obvious that the boy did not intend harm, perhaps they can give a break sometimes?”
And if someone wanted to see it or grab it or an older kid took it and threaten some one or got hurt what then. It’s all about safety and if schools didn’t take it serious then what?
“Zero tolerance in any and all cases even harmless ones is just silly and counterproductive.”
I think is’t more about protecting the schools from civil lawsuits re: discrimination. See the link in my last comment re: Jea Street’s complaint.
I think most of the credit goes to John Young a new board member living up to his campagin promises.
Kilroy asks, “Who would be responsible if another student grabbed it just to look at it and cut themselves?”
I’m with the conservatives on this one: The other student would be responsible. How hard is that to figure out?
As for the other stats you cite, how many of them applied to kids in grade 3 or below? Damn few, I’ll bet.
How would this change if the teacher has discretion? I still think the teacher should confiscate the item – it’s just the punishment that I question. If the teacher doesn’t know about the item then how does zero tolerance help in this case?
Geezer, yes the other student but where is the prevention? Just being open an objective here and I agree Zachary is getting a raw deal!
These schools are Elementary schools and data doesn’t break it down by grade level. And school listed are in Christina by not all elementary schools
http://profiles.doe.k12.de.us/SchoolProfiles/District/Default.aspx?DistrictCode=33&checkSchool=0
Subbs
Weapon Offenses: Destructive Weapon, Dangerous Weapon, Dangerous Instrument, Pellet Gun, BB Gun, Knife, Razor Blade/Box Cutter, Brass Knuckles, Bat, Club, Martial Arts Throwing Star 2
Brader
Weapon Offenses: Destructive Weapon, Dangerous Weapon, Dangerous Instrument, Pellet Gun, BB Gun, Knife, Razor Blade/Box Cutter, Brass Knuckles, Bat, Club, Martial Arts Throwing Star 4
McVey
Weapon Offenses: Destructive Weapon, Dangerous Weapon, Dangerous Instrument, Pellet Gun, BB Gun, Knife, Razor Blade/Box Cutter, Brass Knuckles, Bat, Club, Martial Arts Throwing Star
Weapon Offenses: Destructive Weapon, Dangerous Weapon, Dangerous Instrument, Pellet Gun, BB Gun, Knife, Razor Blade/Box Cutter, Brass Knuckles, Bat, Club, Martial Arts Throwing Star 1
What UI said. Nobody is arguing that Zachary should have been allowed to go on his merry way.
“I still think the teacher should confiscate the item”
They do !
“it’s just the punishment that I question”
And if your child was harmed by a knife brought in by another student even by accident you would be understanding? You wouldn’t want someone held accountable?
Discretion is needed but when you have a few 100 teachers applying individual discretion what do you get?
I am appalled that the schools who’re supposed to be protecting our children and teaching them good values are unable to use “common sense”. This is world gone awry. I would like to help change whatever needs to be changed to stop such nonsense. Can anybody tell me where I can start?
Comment by Geezer
“What UI said. Nobody is arguing that Zachary should have been allowed to go on his merry way.”
I agree and in this case I think the boy get’s the message which is more important and whatever days he’s had off is enough. Sucks for him but it brings awareness to other parents to be more responsible. It was a Swiss type Army knife and was sold as a “camping untensils” But I am sure they feel bad enough.
I’m sure first-graders bringing brass knuckles to school is a widespread problem.
Comment by Geezer
“I’m sure first-graders bringing brass knuckles to school is a widespread problem.”
Only the Republican first-graders 🙂 Actually if you roll a newspaper the right way , real tight and fold it in half you can beat the shit out of someone. Old Republican trick 🙂
Geezer, I get to hear you mouth off all day on your point of view. Now hear me: the use of photos from a family blog site which didn’t even feel free enough to post their own last name might have suggested to DD that some discretion was in order.
Do you and Geek mean to imply that the New York Times used a photograph of this child without his parent’s permission? NO? OF COURSE NOT. Then quit with the childish snide, please.
Publishing children’s photos isn’t a small thing. There are possible consequences of all imaginable kinds. Just ask the AG’s office.
Geek, now that you have the cover of a national story here you turn full-spigot asshole. YOU BROUGHT IT UP here not me.
As I will continue to maintain, without permission to use a child’s photo in a case like this, it is sleazy to use it. And if you ended up having directed some harm his way because of it, you’d not have been liable, perhaps but you wouldn’t have felt so great about it.
Why else would you have removed the photo than having had rethought the possible consequence?
It sure as frick wasn’t because I wrote something here. YO.
Are you kidding? Here is the link on the page labeled “sign the petition for Zachary”
http://www.leeirving.com/gem/SignthePetition.htm
Or click on “See Zachary’s Award Winning Film” here, and see real moving pictures with sound that have Zachary introducing himself on camera.
There is no legal problem with us reproducing their photo under fair-use. Your continued obstinacy on this only digs you deeper. By all means, call the AG and get them to contact us.
Was it a Swiss Army knife or a camping “utensil tool”?
The two are VASTLY different things.
Utensil tools usually have a knife, fork and spoon that fold into a handle, much like a knife or multi-tool. The knives are usually of the butter-knife quality, not that sharp – enough for cutting cheese or spreading peanut butter, maybe.
yeah, one is made in China and has lead in it. the other is made in switzerland.
the tool isn’t the issue dippy, the kid was 6 is….
Serious question here . . the object brought into school by Zachary was a pocket knife, right?
What were the parents’ thinking? Idiots.
Nancy, I removed the photo because Zachary’s mother removed the photo from the Help Zachary website. While she never contacted us to ask us to take the picture down, I took her action as a sign that she no longer wanted the photo up, so out of an abundance of caution, I took the photo down.
Remember, Ms. Willing, that the basis for posting the photo in the first place was its publication on the Help Zachary website. So, if the picture no longer appeared on the Help Zachary website, I felt it should no longer appear on this website.
No, I did not rethink the consequences of anything. If the picture was still up on the Help Zachary website, it would still be up here.
Now, please, go take your pills, Nancy.
sanity <> nancy
Comment by anon
“Was it a Swiss Army knife or a camping “utensil tool”?”
“The two are VASTLY different things.”
Second look camping untensil took with sharp knife just China Red in color.
Sorry you got call Dippy 🙂 I guess that makes me dip-shit 🙂
Seems like this might be the item in question:
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat602009-cat20079-cat20114&id=0032331516914a&navCount=5&podId=0032331&parentId=cat20114&masterpathid=&navAction=push&catalogCode=IK&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat601233&hasJS=true
That knife doesn’t look like a butter knife.
This blog post is Google hit #3 for “zero tolerance Delaware.” Just thought you’d like to know.
Thanks, G Rex. We wrote about this last week as well. It explains the influx of new commenters and the spike in our traffic.
LG,
That is a knife. I think schools have legitimate reasons to prevent students from bringing knives to class.
The parents are morons, plain and simple.
Yep.
The issue here is really not whether the kid brought a knife to school. The question is whether or not the school should have the discretion to suspend the kid for 3 days instead of treating him like a rapist or a Republican Governor.
By the looks of the school district stats that were so kindly posted for all to see I agree the parents should show some discretion. They never should have allowed their child to go to that school let alone without a gun. I mean what good is a knife aginst throwing stars and shotguns.
hay look is there a reason the school district has such a problem with this while the boy scouts are just handing them out to children his age. Maybe the school district should look through their own policies because the boy scouts are obviously producing more trustworthy children
dude! that is a HOBO KNIFE> You can kill your prey and then commence to spooning the blood and twirling the intestins ala spaghetti like.
I wonder if that is actual size! On my moniter it is as big as my fist! That kid could have whittled a crayon into a deadly weapon!
More importantly you need to read the comments. The first one from Earl is pretty informative:
“Well designed compact knife, fork, and spoon that folds up and fits into a belt holder. I used it earlier this month at a survival camp and was pleased with the performance.”
Moderjohn has a good take too:
“Had this a couple of weeks. Perfect for the urban dweller – lunching at food courts in malls where they give you a small fragile plastic fork to cut sesame chicken and eat fried rice. The knife is a substantial blade, the spoon and fork well-designed.”
I don’t know if anyone remembers, but cafeteria plastic wear is to be desire. Zach had it right.
LG is right. The issue is kind of getting lost here in parallel discussions. Is anyone saying it’s OK for a kid to bring a knife to school? I don’t think many are. The real problem is the severity of the punishment. What we’re really talking about is manditory sentences. The only reason to have manditory sentences is if you don’t trust the judgement of those who would be deciding case by case. If our teachers and school administrators can’t be trusted to determine an appropriate punishment for their students, then our schools have huge problems.
My precious twin grandsons who are nearly 6 years old just left our house in Wisconsin to return to Colorado, and I just cannot imagine such an incident happening in their small lives! Let me get this straight. They would join the Scouts and each be given a Swiss Army knife by their parents–with instructions that it stay at home except for Scout outings. But, 6-year olds are curious about things, and they can get very excited when they’re thrilled about belonging to such a fun organization and doing such amazing things as Scouts do. They just might slip those knives into their pockets–to try out at school lunch. If that happened, their teacher should let them know that knives are not allowed at school and also let their parents know. A fair consequence would hopefully happen once they got back home. BUT, to toss them out of school? That’s ludicrous! And go to reform school? What in the hell is happening in this country? What is the far left doing to our young people???? As a parent and grandparent, I am totally appalled!!! That’s not a good message to be sending to our youngsters!
Mandatory sentencing brought to you by the GOP. Know wonder why it doesn’t work.
thanks for comment betty. I think we all are a little stunned…but not all at the same time. What’s sadder is we like to think here in Delaware, at least the area where the school district is located, we aren’t over reactive and apply common sense.
Sadly, the state that incorporates just about all corporations in the United States can’t even get this right.
Joe Biden the VP must be so proud of his home state
dv, zero tolerance in schools just isn’t a Delaware thing, it’s a national thing.
Again, I don’t think zero tolerance is really the problem. The fact that the knife had to be taken from him is, I think, a fairly common rule these days. And not without merit. The problem was the severity of the punishment. There should have been confiscation, parental notice, and possibly some sort of detention or maybe even short suspension. Reassignment to a reform school is just ridiculous. It was not the fact that he was punished, it was how harsh the punishment was. That’s different from zero tolerance.
So let’s squelch the enthusiasm of a little boy who wanted to be a cub scout and is now essentially told that the tool he has for camping is a dangerous weapon. Soon they will not allow scissors of any kind in the schools and hey how about those sharp pencils and pens. They can be used as weapons you know. What a farce and this school board is a joke if they suspend him and send him to reform school.
go write a post and stop commenting hair face
To our newcomers, please realize that the esteemed Donviti was referring to Nemski and not any of you. And, DV, he did break his five year drought today and posted something. 😉
If the shoe fits though…
Quick Question: Why is it DL never gets discovered by some national liberal blogger who then sends all his/her charming witty intelligent commenters here to thrill us with their insightful comments?
Bringing a table knife (as in dining utensil)is not a danger to other students. A pair of scissors or a nail file has more possibilites for use as a weapon. By being so idiotic, the schools just teach kids one of two things:
#1 Kids must be bubble-wrapped to be protected or
#2 Adults at their schools can’t tell the difference between words and reality.
Calling something “knife” does not make it a dangerous weapon just as a GI Joe inch-long “gun” is a toy not a weapon (even though another school expelled a little boy for having one).
It was a knife.
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp;jsessionid=WIYV4IN40UVC3LAQBBKSCOFMCAEFAIWE?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat602009-cat20079-cat20114&id=0032331516914a&navCount=5&podId=0032331&parentId=cat20114&masterpathid=&navAction=push&catalogCode=IK&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat601233&hasJS=true&_requestid=29522
Saying a knife isn’t dangerous doesn’t make it not dangerous.
I am at 600 e-mails and counting…..they are streaming in from around the world.
At last count it is about 597-3 against the decision on Zachary
Jason 330:
That is not the tool in the picture. He has a red clunky version that scouts get so they can be cool and eat with a special camping fork, knife & spoon that stows tidily away in your pack. I don’t think you were a cub scout.
I was a cub scout 30 years ago and never got anything of the sort. Please see if you can find a link to the utensil that you are referring to on the Internet. All I was able to find that met the criteria is the cabelas link above.
Um, 6 year-olds can’t be Cub Scouts. You’ve got to be 7.
Actually you can join the cub scouts in 1st grade they are called tiger scouts. It dose not matter if you are 6 or 7
Tiger Scouts?
I have just written e-mails asking for clemency for little Zachary to members of the Christina District of Public Schools in Delaware just now.
Zero Tolerance Policies for supposed criminal misbehavior of public school students, innocent six-year old students such as Zachary mind you, are outrageous, stupid, and draconian. They fly in the face of the law of our land. The first-time offender should be treated with clemency, and then harsher punishments with each offense, which I think is enshrined in British Common Law, from which our Republic derived its legal ideals. This sending little Zachary to a 45 day sentence in a reformatory is overly harsh!!!
yes the 1st graders are tiger cubs
2nd graders are wolf cubs
3rd graders are bear cubs
and the 4th and 5th graders are webelos
http://www.boyscouttrail.com/cub-scouts/
Put the child back in school and fire the principal and superintendent!
I made plenty of chinese stars in eight grade medal shop. Got busted by Mr. Tote-tray (not real name) and received 3 days in-house detention.
How far we’ve come as a society.
Dear friends,
A few minutes ago upon further reflection of little Zachary’s indiscretion that got him expelled from school, a similar incident several years ago happened here in Washington, DC which demonstrated the sheer stupidity of Zero Tolerance policies, whatever form they may be.
Here in the DC metro area the Washington Metropolitan Transportation Authority has a zero tolerance policy for eating and drinking on buses, subways, and metrorail stations. Several years ago a school girl was arrested and handcuffed for eating some McDonald’s french fries in a metrorail station in upper Northwest DC. It made everyone laugh here, but also it made Washington, DC our Nation’s Capital the laughing stock of the world because the Metro Police’s overreaction.
who didn’t make chineese stars in shop!?
to be honest thorn, anyone eating that shit should be arrested
It’s too bad when reading so many comments on this page that there is more criticism of whether this little boy is a tiger, wolf or a bear than the fact that this country has gone completely nuts when it comes to common sense. Why don’t you just condem the scouts for not having these little boys eat with their fingers? No, instead we make a law which allows people with little or no common sense to function. The proplem is that the people who make these stupid laws are some of the same ones who cannot function unless they are led by the nose. This little boy has been very innocent up till now, but we have now made him very distrustful of other people, What a shame!!!
The comment about “fire the principal” is as intolerant as the zero tolerance policy. She was simply following district mandates. As a district employee, we are not given discretion to use judgement when applying code of conduct. It goes as stated. The problem is not the principal – she is very compenent and a caring person. Look at the district mandates and the pressure which we work under.
Let’s all be honest for a second. Zero tolerance policies exists because previously in Delaware a “darker the skin the harsher the punishment” policy was in place. I think we can all agree that this thread would be a hell of a lot shorter if the little tyke was a black kid. Also, the euphemism for the knife in question would not be “a camping tool” but would probably be “knife.”
Amen, Jason.
Yeah, it probably would — because you guys would never have taken it up in the first place.
Hube and i, on the other hand, first encountered one another on a now-defunct blog that was devoted to fighting such travesties.
For Jason
http://www.co.new-castle.de.us/countycouncil/home/fileuploads/images/street-%20evans.pdf
Jason I see where you are coming from and it’s fair. Once there is not zero tolerance for any rule it leaves open a door for lawsuits. This kid made a mistake bring the camping tool with an knife attachment and commone sense should prevail but no so because of the policy. At that age one day suspension should be enough. Dam, his parents should have told him the rules and one being not to take it out of the house unless with a parent or scouting. Not so sure if it wouldn’t have been an issue with many if the kid was black because there was the incident with the girl and the cake knife and she was black. But beyond the obvious with kids this age there is some inequities in the distribution of consequences on the race lines. Check out the link I provide re: Jea Streets complaint.
You can tell from the NYT photo that the knife is that Cabela’s “lock-blade knife” LG linked to. What kind of parents allow a small child to bring a knife to school anyway? Instead of grandstanding and wasting district resources, these parents should be cowering in shame.
Zachary’s story was featured on the NBC Nightly News tonight. And Ann Curry actually pronounced Newark correctly, too.
The teaching moment came and the parents should have said, “We broke the rules, now we have to pay the price.”
god damn you are a cranky sob today. we get your point troll. go bug people on redstate or something.
Comment by Jason330
“The teaching moment came and the parents should have said, “We broke the rules, now we have to pay the price.”
Sure but not the kid!
I wonder of any national news media will show up to the board meeting?
Channel 3 video
http://cbs3.com/video/?id=89297@kyw.dayport.com&hbx.hra=Philadelphia-LAN&hbx.cmp.c1=video+91026515&hbx.cmp.c3=641&hbx.cmp.c2=160+x+600+91026515&hbx.cmp=AFC-Phi
Thanks for that clip. Mrs. Christie wants zero tolerance, but just not for her kid. Typical.
Yeah. That is clearly a pocket knife, not a butter knife. I love all of the people that come here to say that the country is going to hell in a handbasket. They would be saying the same thing if a 6 year old had stabbed an 8 year old that was bullying him. Except they would have been saying “If the teacher saw that knife, why didn’t she take it from him and call the cops… that’s what the student code of conduct says!”
How about this: This kid is suspended until he gets a full psychological work up. After watching the videos, I am sure that he will pass with flying colors and there will be a yellow ribbon on the school when he arrives. But the next kid that comes along with a buck knife, or a BB gun, or Dad’s switchblade, there will not be a precedent that little kids can have no fear of consequences. Plus it will help us decide if the kid had ill-intent or just wanted to eat lunch with it.
Kilroy – I just read that link. Jea Street is right on.
Jea is usually right on. I feel badly for Zach, and hope his high-profile case helps change the law. That said, it would be interesting to know how many other little children have suffered the exact same punishment without an article in the NYT… or sympathy.
“Publishing children’s photos isn’t a small thing. There are possible consequences of all imaginable kinds. Just ask the AG’s office.”
I wasn’t being snarky; I was asking for your reasoning. “Possible consequences of all imaginable kinds” seems rather dire, and I question how re-publishing that picture here would have contributed to those consequences.
I stand corrected: The knife was a pocket knife, not a table knife. Even so there is a lot of room between a teacher seeing it and not doing anything and suspending a six year old kid for 1/4 of the school year and sending him to reform school.
How about taking it away and calling the parents? Maybe a 3 day suspension. A six year old can misunderstand that his new cub scout tool–that he brought to eat his lunch with–had a knife that was inappropriate for school. So consequences that make him remember to not do it again are reasonable, but 45 day suspension is not. He does not belong in reform school.
In Singapore he would have gotten a caning.
LL – Agreed. The problem is that the zero tolerance laws have forced these punishments. It is just like the mandatory sentencing that the court system has been trying to repeal. It sounds good until something goes horribly awry.
The question is who has the power to alter Zachary’s punishment and will they do it.
This is proof that while some may have an “education,” they have absolutely no common sense.
It’s unfortunate that the “educators” enforcing this policy left their brains at home.
LG, I believe the school board can . . . but I hope they don’t.
They should look at changing the policy, however, giving this kid a lesser sentence would be idiotic.
As to Kilroy’s remarks, the knife Zachery brought to school IS a utensil for eating. It opens into a knife, fork, and spoon which is a convenient eating tool for those who like to go camping and it is not as Kilroy says “sugarcoating” a term by calling it a utensil. Zachery saw it as a unique tool and planned to use it to eat his lunch with as he said on the Today Show this morning when he was interviewed. When it comes to Kilroy not understanding a parent’s responsibility, obviously Kilroy doesn’t have kids, because if he did he would realize that in all the many tasks a parent is faced with in dealing with a child’s daily needs it is easy to overlook something they did not envision, as important as such issues are. It seems that Delaware as well as other states who inact sweeping laws without allowing for flexibility in dealing with the intricacies involved in situations such as this one are “reacting” instead of “acting” to prevent dangers to children or anyone else, for that matter.
Are we sure it wasn’t this Cub Scout utensil?
Hey, can’t commenters embed images? My img tag didn’t take:
<img src=”http://s7d4.scene7.com/is/image/ScoutStuff/01243″ />
This story made http://detentionslip.org ! Check it out for all the crazy headlines from our schools.
“Zachery saw it as a unique tool and planned to use it to eat his lunch with as he said on the Today Show this morning when he was interviewed”
David I am not questioning Zachery;s intent and of course he saw it only as a camping untensil without any doubt.
“When it comes to Kilroy not understanding a parent’s responsibility, obviously Kilroy doesn’t have kids”
Of course I do and grandchilren and I would “never” send my children to school with an object with a knife attachment.
“because if he did he would realize that in all the many tasks a parent is faced with in dealing with a child’s daily needs it is easy to overlook”
No David, the fact is though this young good boy wouldn’t hurt a fly, another boy not so good could have taken it and hurt someone or another child wanting to hold could have cur themself.
The mom is an active PTA member and says she supports Zero Tolerance and realizes the error on her part and understands there are consequences and I don’t think she would object to 1-3 day suspension. We need a tight grip on zero tolerance but certianly need to apply some level of common sense.
Delaware law! Don’t get me started ! We in Delaware the public are servants to the public servants we elected. Step into my parlor http://kilroysdelaware.wordpress.com/
Are we sure it wasn’t this Cub Scout utensil?
No, the NYT photo appears to show a pointier knife… not sure exactly sharp it is, but it is more than a butterknife. I stand corrected.
I think he had a Coleman Camper’s Utensil Set. It is definitely for eating–yet still pretty sharp.Please give his mom a break–you don’t search your kid’s backpack or pockets every morning and you cannot foresee all the ideas that any one kid will have. The link takes you to Amazon:
http://tinyurl.com/yfjscef
Nemski – why would it be inappropriate to give a lesser sentence to the kid? Should he serve as a lesson to the legislators, administrators and superintendents of the state? Really?
Because, what about the kids that didn’t have the publicity but served the time?
This IS NOT the first time this happened in Christiana School District. The root of the problem must be addressed, not some “hot fix” for the current problem.
Dare I say, the world up in arms about this because Z. is a cute white kid?
The CBS News story from last night.
Watch CBS News Videos Online
more specifically white and middle class
OK, which of the other 6 year olds have been subjected to this treatment? Let’s find them and see what has been done to them.
Let’s imagine that this was the death penalty. Would you be in favor of going through with an execution if there was evidence that would exonerate the person, even if they had gone through all of their appeals? Isn’t this like a Governor doing a last minute stay of the execution once new evidence has been presented?
Your stand seems to be that the kid should suffer the consequences just like other kids (that we now admit had varying degrees of culpability) to prove that this is a stupid law? Really?
I think you and I agree that the zero-tolerance rules are too inflexible. The question is why in the world should you continue to treat a poorly written rule as if it were well written? Once the problem has been identified, it is unforgivable to continue doing it wrong.
How would you like your kid to be treated this way? I recognize that some kids are treated this way and have not been able to get the attention that Zachary has, but hopefully no one else will have to, including Zachary.
Hopefully Zachary’s experience will put a stop to this nonsense. I do think, however, the reason Zachary was given such a harsh punishment is due to this being normal operating procedure – Read: Other children have received the same treatment and if they gave Zachary a pass then they could be dealing with a lawsuit.
OMG, they’re going to kill Z? I thought we were talking about a suspension. Silly me. 😉
You’re right, Pandora. The perspective that I got from a family member who is a former teacher and administrator (local, but not Christina) is that these zero tolerance/manditory sentence rules are in place to protect the teachers and in-school administrators. It’s to make sure there is no appearance of preferential treatment. To be more blunt, it’s to make sure no one complains (or sues) because the white kid got less of a punishment than the black kid for a similar offense. This way, the in-school people are protected, and any problems get kicked up to the district level. The problem with that,though, is that dealing with things at the district level takes time.
I agree that they are trying to make it fair, that is, the same punishment for the same offense. The problem is that they made it absurd. 45 days in reform school? That’s ridiculous!
See, that is the beauty of my plan. You suspend him pending a review by a child psychologist or some sort of counselor. This gives the district the ability to be lenient on kids that present no danger to the community, and allows the school to flag the kids that are a genuine risk. I wish that there had been some counselors that had some interaction with the Columbine killers before the massacre. Instead, they had interactions with law enforcement.
I think maybe “the same offense” idea is the problem. If I’m not licensed and I carry a gun in public, I’m breaking the law and should be punished. If I’m pointing the gun at someone’s head and threatening them, I should be punished differently.
Back to the schools, the reason these rules are in place is because these potential weapons could be used to hurt someone. If a kid had that intent, that is serious and should be dealt with as such. When a kid innocently brings in something potentially dangerous, there still could be accidents, so it should still be dealt with. However, they are not the same offense. I don’t think it’s asking too much for there to be some assessment of intent.
Dear Principal and school board of Delaware Elementry,
In regard to the recent news report on Zachary and his cub scout
reward for being a good cubscout at the early age of just 1st grade.
Evidently, the zero policy of Delaware for this grade level needs
to go under construction and be revised to accomodate the children
in early stages of development. There is not one child at this early
age who would be carrying a weapon for any criminal activity uses in
the first place. Zachary carried his swiss army knife with all the
cool camping utencils in it with pride because he was given it from
scouts which he thinks is mighty cool to have received it from.
Goodness gracious, what on earth is the zero policy doing with it’s
implimentation of 45 day reform school. In poor Zachary’s mind he
and his family are being punished for nothing, and all this does is
make a youngster dislike school. Lets use some discretion like every
one is saying, and deal with this as it should be. Swiss army knifes
or knifes are not allowed at schools and considered to be weapons,
so when one is not considered a weapon, that should be taken into
account, and the teacher could simply take it from the child, and
let him know that it is not allowed and that if he wanted it back
his mother could get it from the teacher or office. Maybe the principal could have a brief talk with this first grader to explain
that anything with a knife blade on it is considered by the school
to be a weapon, and although they know he had no plan to use the
knife blade part of the camping set, that they require he not ever
bring it to school again because it breaks the school rules.
That should be sufficient. This overkill 45 day reform is outlandish
and simply unreasonable, not required, and the wrong policy to have
in place for this situation. COME ON SCHOOL STAFF, VOTE FOR CHANGE
ON ZERO POLICY because this is totally ridicules, and UNFAIR for
little kids.
Who cares that he is only 6. Post his face all you want it doesnt change my mind. Im sick of “certain” people coming up with excuses when its convenient. “Oh it was an accident”, “Oh he’s only 6” shut the hell up. I say be consistent and treat everyone the same.
I am glad to report that maybe the people from all over America threatening me with axes to my head will stop e-mailing me.
I am exhausted and it is not over yet…one more day of media reax.
Kim is an idiot.
Good luck John.
Perverted USA – the most criminal and perverted country on this planet! Fully under control of Satanists.
I am not sure how this was resolved, but I believe that the school board relented and decided not to send Zachary to prison for 10 years. I’m still shaking my head that this ever happened, but am glad to know that it made the national headlines. At least we were not playing “asleep at the wheel” like we do with our national politics.
I did find out something interesting, however. I could have been a cub scout when I started the first grade at 5 years of age. I thank God that if I had brought a knife to school–my teacher had enough common sense/maturity to react to the situation in a manner that made sense! What’s going on today?