Take paddle from teachers

Last year, Michaela Curtis' 7-year-old son came home from his Alabama elementary school with bruises on his bottom. A teacher had paddled Curtis' son for picking his nose during class, she told ABC News. Frightened, she took her son to the hospital where police told her that if she had spanked the child that hard, they would have taken her son.\nCorporal punishment in schools is not just outdated; it's barbaric. Yet 23 states allow this sort of punishment. Parents' physical discipline of their own kids is constantly and strictly judged by society and law enforcement, but many states are willing to allow perfect strangers to take a wooden paddle to those same children in the name of discipline. Who is watching the teachers? \nNo lawsuit will settle this case. No Alabama judge will have the opportunity to affect judicial review on this legislation. According to a 1995 law passed in the state of Alabama, teachers have the right to paddle their students, even when the parent says no. And there is little course of action if the parent feels the punishment was too harsh or unnecessary: Teachers are immune to prosecution.\nWhat is a parent like Michaela Curtis to do? Alabama parents send their kids to school every day knowing that another adult might lay a hand on their children. Not only is there nothing they can do about it, there are few policies regulating it. Teachers in many states have broad, discretionary authority to paddle children when they feel it is necessary, without the fear of consequence. This practically invites abuse of this policy, whether purposely or accidentally. And children, many of whom are not even paddled at home, are the victims.\nWhat sort of example are teachers who use corporal punishment setting for children? That people in positions of authority need only use physical force to make others obey? What does corporal punishment teach that other effective forms of discipline cannot?\nCorporal punishment is an excuse for inadequate teachers to take out their frustrations on children who cannot defend themselves. Teachers are in a position of power, and corporal punishment serves to bolster themselves and their feelings of control. \nA teacher is supposed to be a role model to his or her students, an example for them to learn from. Children misbehave, sometimes very badly. Yes, sometimes they won't listen, and yes, in extreme cases, a few can be a danger to themselves and those around them. But we have rules. Positive, consistent direction can be used. There are alternative consequences that can turn behavior into a "teaching moment," rather than a threat of violence. \nTwenty-seven states don't allow corporal punishment. The media isn't being overrun with news of mutiny in elementary schools or even high schools. And no studies have been conducted pointing to the overwhelming positive effects of paddling in schools. \nCorporal punishment is a cop-out for teachers. For the Alabama teacher who couldn't come up with a better way to punish a 7-year-old for picking his nose than paddling him, I suggest that teacher call one of his or her teaching peers in 27 other states. Teachers who don't paddle their students know that the key to discipline in the classroom is not a secret -- all it takes is patience, creativity and the will to be a true role model.