Posted by DebMurphree (anonymous) on October 15, 2009 at 5:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I think it's superb that the principals are turning to blogs. Blogs get the message out, and improve the quality of the school system. Anyone can access them, and keep up to date on what is going on in their school system. It's great! Kudos to Larry Raines, of Verbena school. I have a grandchild there, and I feel he is doing a great job there.

Posted by juswannabeheard (anonymous) on October 15, 2009 at 7:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)

you have to be doing something right to be voted "Principal of the Year" .

I'm impressed with the schools utilizing technology in this way. The sky is the limit.

Posted by CrimusK8T (anonymous) on October 15, 2009 at 7:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Great idea!!!

I think I see Louise Pitts in the back row of this picture.
She is awesome! We love her!

Posted by nanatwice (anonymous) on October 15, 2009 at 9:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Where is Mark Knight?

Posted by countyresident (anonymous) on October 15, 2009 at 1:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I think this is great. Although I do have to point out that I don't see how they would need an extensive course in blogging because you can get ALOT of news from Chilton County teachers on Facebook (they're all over it).

Posted by rolltideroll (anonymous) on October 15, 2009 at 2:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Great to see a picture of Mr. Raines! I worked for him the year before he started at Verbena. What a great administrator! I wish that all administrators were as easy to work for as he was. I've had the privilege of teaching at 4 different schools in 3 different states, & he set the standard high. I hope that everyone at Verbena appreciates him as much as I did!

Posted by Dave35045 (anonymous) on October 16, 2009 at 2:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I need someone to tell me how it is possible that after signing a no corporal punishment form that my 8 year old daughter is taken into a bathroom by a male PE teacher and paddled once? It took my wife and I over an hour to calm her down - Since when does a teacher take it upon himself to dish out punishment?

Posted by jchan (anonymous) on October 16, 2009 at 6:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)

countyresident - does it really matter if teachers are on facebook? they are allowed to have social lives. graves - i think you are correct that corporal punishment should be mandatory. i was paddled in school and i have no permanent scars from it. i knew that i had to respect my teachers or suffer the consequences.

Posted by Machelle (anonymous) on October 16, 2009 at 7:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)

For years, I did not sign the "do not paddle" waiver when I signed my kids up at school. I did state (there was an option) that I be notified if they were to be paddled. However, when my youngest child was in 3rd grade, she was paddled for something we determined later that she did not do. I did not even get a notice from the teacher AFTER the paddling. My child told me about it casually in a conversation. At first, I thought she was joking because I was not notified. But after questioning her further, I realized she really was paddled. It took me 3 days to get a NOTE from the teacher with the explanation of why she was paddled. In the mean time, I continued to question her about the incident. It turns out, it was a big misunderstanding. This is why I wanted to be notified BEFORE a paddling. Don't get me wrong, I spank my kids, but I do not trust the school faculty anymore to determine which child is telling the truth, and which child is not, just to get out of trouble. So, I now sign the "Do not punish" waiver because of a big misunderstanding between 3rd graders.

Posted by RktScience (anonymous) on October 16, 2009 at 7:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)

It's obviously important for the faculty to keep open lines of communication with the parents of the children they oversee and blogging is a really cool way to pass on information and ideas.

I don't see why the county needs to devote scarce resources teaching principals to blog, though. These principals are all college educated and blogging's not exactly brain surgery. How about putting some of that money where it can directly benefit the students. Perhaps toward filling the vacant science teaching position at Isabella High School or expanding the math curriculum in some of the smaller schools around the county. This program does kind of show where our educational priorities are in this county, though.

Posted by RktScience (anonymous) on October 16, 2009 at 8:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Machelle, it's not going to hurt your child to get a little discipline, even if it is undeserved. A paddling's not the end of the world and it it'll give her some insight into how our justice system works. Besides, I'm sure you've doled out punishment to your little munchkin when she was less than deserving of it and you've probably spared here punishment that she richly deserved. Most parents have done both.

The bottom line is that you turn your children over to her teachers for seven hours a day. You make those teachers responsible for your kids' emotional, educational, and physical well-being for this time. You can't expect the teachers to do this without being able to punish the children and you can't realistically expect the school to run it by you every time they feel the need to correct your child.

You also have to understand that teachers are human and they make mistakes. Just assume that your child probably has committed or will commit a paddling offense that she didn't or won't get caught and punished for and right the whole thing of to Karma balancing the universe.

Posted by Likeitreallymatters (anonymous) on October 16, 2009 at 9:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I'm with you KW. Make it mandatory, because the students that are the most problems are the ones who cannot be paddled! And as my mom always said, if I get paddled for something I didn't do, it will even out with the things I got away with.

Posted by countyresident (anonymous) on October 16, 2009 at 10:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)

jchan....easy now! If you read my post, you will see that it was a light-hearted joke......how would I know that they are all over face-book if I am not on there myself and friends with them....and how could I condemn something I myself do? Don't be so serious! Besides, I never said that they couldn't socialize on Facebook, but the great thing is that most of the teachers in Chilton County are also socializing at football games, and other events in the community instead of relying solely on a "social network" like Facebook. Although I too am on Facbook and Twitter, I think it is sad when that is the ONLY socializing people do. I am on there to have contact with friends that I don't get to see often because of the distance that seperates us, but at the same time, I have friends who live closer to me that I SEE and INTERACT with on a regular basis. Your comment made it sound as though Facebook is the only way to have a social life...

Posted by Machelle (anonymous) on October 16, 2009 at 10:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Likeitreallymatters, just because I don't allow my child to be paddled at school does not mean she is a problem. On the contrary, she is now in 8th grade, involved in numerous school and after-school activities, makes good grades, and is liked very much by all faculty at school. We have had only one other incident (on a bus) that could be considered a "problem". Believe me, she was punished greatly. Before the 3rd grade incident, I strongly believed it should be mandatory, but my daughter was also having health issues at the time, and the way it was handled was very, very inappropriate. Say what you want, but the teachers want parental involvement only when things are going right. Parents should be involved in ALL aspects of our children's lives.

Posted by Dave35045 (anonymous) on October 16, 2009 at 4:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Graves - this shows just how ignorant you really are ! My daughter was laying on the gym floor with another girl - no warning was given - my daughter and another girl were taken into the coach's restroom and struck once. The vice principal - after speaking with him today said that it didn't make sense for something so minor that a paddling was necessary. Check the facts - child abuse / assault is what it was. If I struck my child in public I would have 20 people calling the police on me. I totally agree with Machelle - a school should not have any right to struck a child for any reason. There are several other means of punishment. My daughter has never ever been a problem in school. A/B honor every time. No child deserves to be struck - especially be a coach or PE teacher who gets off on striking children. It sounds to me that he is on a power trip - maybe something happened at home - but you don't take it out on a child.

Posted by Dave35045 (anonymous) on October 16, 2009 at 4:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Machelle, I'm glad that someone agrees with the way I feel. If any of my children do wrong thet are corrected/punished if needed. The others that feel that paddling is alright, needed, or other wise good for a child -- seriously need to rethink some things. Paddling is abuse - these are most likely the same people that grow up and smack, hit, punch -- their spouses and feel alittle abuse will teach them something. Graves - I spoke to an investigator at CPD and was told that I could persue assault charges -- involving Clanton PD and DHR. Meaning the same as child abuse.

Posted by Likeitreallymatters (anonymous) on October 16, 2009 at 4:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)

ok. Insert the word "usually" into my previous comment.

Posted by Littlelady8451 (anonymous) on October 16, 2009 at 7 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Since when is it okay to hit a child with a weapon.A piece of wood made out of a paddle.Sounds like child abuse to me.Let me tell you any one who hits a child with a wooden paddle should go to jail.Because in the long run this will teach them it is okay to beat your children.No wonder there is so many child ABUSE cases in the country.Graves you are out there anyway anyone who this thinks this is okay is just down right crazy!!!!!

Posted by DebMurphree (anonymous) on October 16, 2009 at 8:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I don't believe in teachers paddling the students, whatsoever. I will never forget in grade school, I couldn't find my book in my desk (the kind that raised up from the front,..so the teacher couldn't see me looking for it). The teacher just thought I was goofing off. I was paddled ...and back then, it was strapping your legs, with a belt. THAT WAS WRONG. To this day, I do not believe in spankings. It demeans a child. I hate spankings. There are other ways of punishment that a child will definitely remember without taking away their pride. Sorry if this offended others, but it's how I feel.

Posted by Likeitreallymatters (anonymous) on October 17, 2009 at 9 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Just the threat of a paddling does wonders in preventative discipline. I'm not sure when teachers became such vindictive child beaters in the eyes of parents. Teachers got into education because they love children, not because they want to beat them with a paddle. Paddling is not done with pleasure, but it is sometimes necessary. If more kids knew that they could be paddled, then they may stop the behavior that would make a paddling necessary.

Posted by CrimusK8T (anonymous) on October 17, 2009 at 1:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I dont think its abuse...I guess Im just down right crazy!

We moved from a city that did not paddle-in fact-out of fear of being sued they did very little in the way of punishing kids.
These kids knew it,and well you can imagine the rest.
They were out of control,because they knew they could be.

The schools here are SO SO SO SO SO much better for so many reasons.

The low tolerance approach prevents chaos. Some of you are too ignorant to see a good thing when you have it! The schools here are really pretty awesome.

Parents who think paddling is abuse-I laugh!

You wouldnt believe how you child would be "abused" at the hands of of other students if they attended school where paddling was not an option.

Posted by Machelle (anonymous) on October 19, 2009 at 7:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)

CrimusK8T, Not ignorant. I just wanted to be consulted when there was a problem. They knew this, they did not follow their own rules, resulting in punishing an innocent child. What lesson did that teach my child?

Posted by Likeitreallymatters (anonymous) on October 19, 2009 at 8:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I'll agree that the teacher should not have paddled a student when the parent had not given permission. I wonder if there was a miscommunication somewhere.

Posted by Machelle (anonymous) on October 19, 2009 at 8:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Miscommunication or misunderstanding? I don't know. That is why I now sign the No Paddling paper instead of choosing that my kids can be paddled after contacting me first, because apparently that did not work in my case. So, for all of you that think the ones of us who sign No paddling are against discipline, you might want to think again. By the way, my children knew that, at the time, they were allowed to be paddled. I don't know if I told my 3rd grader she could be paddled ONLY after I was notified or not, but she probably would not have argued the point with her teacher anyway. She was only 8 years old, and had never been in any trouble at school. She just accepted what they did even though she did not understand it because she was innocent.