March 11, 2005
PITY THE CHURCH, WHEN JESUITS ARE SISSIES (via Robert Schwartz):
College Expels Student Who Advocated Corporal Punishment (PATRICK D. HEALY, 3/10/05, NY Times)
As a substitute teacher in the public schools here, Scott McConnell says students are often annoyed that he does not let them goof off in class. Yet he was not prepared for the sixth grader who walked up to his desk in November, handed in an assignment, and then swore at him.The profanity transported him back to his own days at Robert E. Lee Elementary School in Oklahoma in the 1980's, when there was a swift solution for wiseacres: the paddle.
"It was a footlong piece of wood, and hung on every classroom wall like a symbol, a strong Christian symbol," said Mr. McConnell, who is 26. "Nobody wanted that paddle to come down."
He said he had been a disruptive student, and routinely mouthed off until his fourth-grade teacher finally gave him three whacks to the backside. Physically, it did not hurt. But he felt humiliated and humbled.
"I never wanted that again," Mr. McConnell recalled. "It was good for me."
Supporting corporal punishment is one thing; advocating it is another, as Mr. McConnell recently learned. Studying for a graduate teaching degree at Le Moyne College, he wrote in a paper last fall that "corporal punishment has a place in the classroom." His teacher gave the paper an A-minus and wrote, "Interesting ideas - I've shared these with Dr. Leogrande," referring to Cathy Leogrande, who oversaw the college's graduate program.
Unknown to Mr. McConnell, his view of discipline became a subject of discussion among Le Moyne officials. Five days before the spring semester began in January, Mr. McConnell learned that he had been dismissed from Le Moyne, a Jesuit college.
"I have grave concerns regarding the mismatch between your personal beliefs regarding teaching and learning and the Le Moyne College program goals," Dr. Leogrande wrote in a letter, according to a copy provided by Mr. McConnell. "Your registration for spring 2005 courses has been withdrawn."
Anyone who has ever substitute thought will be wondering why he didn't advocate capital instead. Posted by Orrin Judd at March 11, 2005 5:59 AM
1. I wouldn't even consider entering a public school classroom in much of America today, without a whip, a chair and a gun.
2. If any teacher were to engage in corporal punishment even against the most vicious of the little snotnoses in his class, he would be either arrested or sued or both. It happens all the time.
3. What is a sixth-rate cow college like LeMoyne doing with a grad school and why are my tax dollars paying for it?
Posted by: Bart at March 11, 2005 8:13 AMAs a former substitute teacher, there were times I thought shooting would be too good for some of 'em.
Posted by: Mikey at March 11, 2005 9:13 AMThere was a time when the Jesuits were to the Catholic Church what The Marines were to the US military.
The Marines have shown that they still have it. Maybe some state-side Marine reservists should hold training sessions for Jesuit "educators". Oh, that would violate that church-state thing.
Posted by: John J. Coupal at March 11, 2005 10:06 AMMy father left a public teaching job, due to low pay and job dissatisfaction, during the Vietnam War. The principal reminded him that he would then be eligible to be drafted; he replied, "Yes, but they'll let me shoot the viet kong."
Posted by: Mike Earl at March 11, 2005 11:38 AM"Anyone who has ever substitute thought[sic] will be wondering why he didn't advocate capital instead."
Off with his ed.
Sort of what they did to him.
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at March 11, 2005 1:41 PM"Anyone who has ever substitute thought[sic] will be wondering why he didn't advocate capital instead."
Off with his ed.
Sort of what they did to him.
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at March 11, 2005 1:56 PM