DADvocate

Constantly, we, well some of us, wonder why our schools, in general, are so pitiful. Here's a few examples of why.

In their Wednes day Whackies, Sigmund, Carl and Alfred point out at Hempfield Area High School in Pennsylvania a student was incarcerated for 12 days because school officials forgot about the time change.

Cody Webb was arrested last month, after Hempfield Area High School received a bomb threat on their student hotline – which provides a range of information to students about the school - at 3.17am on March 11th. They believed they’d found the culprit when they traced the phone number they thought was responsible to Webb.

Unfortunately, they forgot that the clocks had switched to Daylight Saving Time that morning. Webb, who’s never even had a detention in his life, had actually made his call an hour earlier.

Despite the fact that the recording of the call featured a voice that sounded nothing like Webb’s, the police arrested Webb and he spent 12 days in a juvenile detention facility before the school eventually realised their mistake.

Webb gave an insight into the school’s impressive investigative techniques, saying that he was ushered in to see the principal, Kathy Charlton. She asked him what his phone number was, and , according to Webb, when he replied ’she started waving her hands in the air and saying “we got him, we got him.”’

I wonder if they'll include this situation in the group problem solving portion of the academic team competitions. I hope a lawsuit in on its way.

(Hat tip to G M Roper.)

This story about a 13 year old being arrested for writing on her desk has made it to the cable news networks. 90% of the students in my old schools fit into this criminal category.

"MY child is 13-years-old -- doesn't it stand that I'm supposed to be present for any questioning?" Silva said. "I'm watching my daughter, she's handcuffed to the pole. I ask the officer has she been there the entire time? She says, 'Yes.'"

On her report card, under conduct, Fraser has earned all "satisfactory" marks and one "excellent" mark.

"My daughter just wrote something on a desk. I would have her scrub it with Soft Scrub on a Saturday morning when she should be out playing, and maybe a day of in-house and a formal apology to the principal," Silva said.

At least the mother makes some sense. Having attended a parochial school for seven years, I always chuckle when I hear stories of strict, harsh nuns. But, they always had more sense than this.

Democrats in the Michigan state legislature decided to show they can be as stupid and lacking in judgment as teachers and school officials by proposing that Michigan buy MP3 players or iPods for all students in the state.

Facing a budget deficit that has passed the $1 billion mark, House Democrats Thursday offered a spending plan that would buy a MP3 player or iPod for every school child in Michigan.

No cost estimate was attached to their hare-brained idea to "invest" in education. Details, we are promised, will follow.

I generally refrain from quoting Michael Savage, but, more and more, I believe the title of his book Liberalism Is A Mental Disorder hits the nail on the head. I can't imagine how iPods will improve the educational process. Although, listening to iPods rather than the idiot teachers, school administrators and legislators above would aid students' development of common sense.