From the desk of ... Mary Robinson Reynolds, M.S.
Re: Antidote for Corporal Punishment: Academic Success 101 Online Course

I'm writing you today to share a recent article that I found that screams out for a new, effective approach to an old, hurtful model of using physical force to control behavior. Instead of using corporal punishment, we can all be calling out the greatest and best in each and every child and thereby making misbehavior a manageable, teachable opportunity.

Alabama Elementary School to Parents: We Want to Hit Your Kids
One mother was shocked to find her daughter's new school uses corporal punishment.

September 21, 2013 by Andri Antoniades

When Alabama mom Wendy Chandler opened her daughter's "Back to School" packet, she was shocked to discover that among the many papers sent to her, was a "Corporal Punishment Parental Consent Form."

The permission slip, which has been making the Internet rounds since The New York Times reported the story this week, reads in part:

"According to Leeds City Schools Public Policy, parents or legal guardians who do not want corporal punishment to be administered to their child/children must inform the principal of the school on an annual basis."

The document also states that if parents fail to fill it out and hand it back to administrators, the elementary school will regard that as implicit consent to administer physical discipline. But as for what that entails exactly, and what infractions would warrant that discipline, the paper doesn't specify.

Chandler explained to The Huffington Post that she originally thought the form had to have been some sort of mistake. But realizing that her daughter's new school was serious about hitting students, she ticked off the "No" box and wrote this response at the bottom of the form:

"I can not imagine how it would ever be okay to show violence towards anyone. Hitting a child is beyond disgraceful. Anyone who could hit a child should be thrown in jail."

Now Chandler has started a Change.org petition asking President Obama and other government officials to ban the use of physical force in public schools nationwide.

To Spank or Not to Spank? Corporal Punishment Reigns in Many Southern Schools

It sounds like an argument straight out of the 1950s, but surprisingly in 2013, 19 states still allow public schools to administer corporal punishment to children. And since the story broke, Internet commenters have brought up the old "spare the rod, spoil the child" arguments in favor of what many others consider to be a barbaric practice.

According to a 2008 report by the ACLU and Human Rights Watch, students in states that allow corporal punishment are often hit with objects like paddles, and for minor infractions like chewing gum or dress code violations. As a result, "many children are left injured, degraded, and disengaged from school."

Chandler told HuffPo her new mission to eradicate corporal punishment from schools goes well above and beyond the short-term safety of her daughter. "My immediate concern is for all those other kids [whose parents checked yes on the form] because those children are my child's future colleagues and neighbors."

Can there be any question in our minds as to where bullying begins?

Bullying begins in the hands of adults who tell themselves they are entitled to hit to make their point - as if that has ever worked - to create mentally healthy, happy, peaceful and productive human beings that don't have to spend their lives in therapy to undo childhood shame, embarrassment and humiliation.

Researcher and author Brene' Brown states that ...

"Shame is still the #1 classroom management tool
used in the United States."

People who argue for the right to hit children are simply people who are too fearful that they themselves will be annihilated without physical force or threats or simply too complacent to make the time to learn what will work effectively without causing harm ever again!

Instead of learning something new, the people who argue, justify, rationalize, explain, defend and debate for the entitlement to be as abusive as they want because hitting scares kids into behaving ...for a moment.

After working with thousands of other people's children as a teacher I discovered that I was a child with normal developmental age appropriate wants, interests ... and opinions. I had leadership qualities (strong will) that they shot down instead of teaching me how to use brilliantly.

And this is the reason why I found effective teaching solutions to old, worn out, hurtful, mean spirited discipline practices. This is the reason why I deliberately and intentionally taught ALL the children in my classroom with compassion and connection and raised my children with effective approaches and loving kindness.

I'm just saying ... We've already got children who are abused who are behaving in hurtful ways toward themselves and others - so let's hit them some more -because this is what will heal their pain and suffering?!

I don't think so ...and you and I both know that this makes NO sense!

Let's do something different and heal today's children ... and ourselves.

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