A Triumph of Regulation over Humanity

The interesting thing about this story, addressing the expulsion of an elementary kid from school, is the way it veers away from the ridiculousness of the boy's punishment (45 days in reform school for bringing a Cub Scout mess kit utensil to school).  You can't make a rule that covers every situation the same.  You have to hire teachers and administrators who *can* make smart decisions and then *let* them make those decisions.  This is *less safe* than going nuclear on every kid who wields a pointy stick like a sword.  But it is also more human, and more prone to create an environment where kids learn human values and wisdom.  Maybe public schools need these kinds of rules to avoid liability, but that suggests deep, deep trouble in public school land.

Watch the story veer into the suggestion that a teacher needs law enforcement training in order to begin addressing a situation like Zachary Christie's:

It’s a Fork, It’s a Spoon, It’s a ... Weapon? - NYTimes.com

“There are still serious threats every day in schools,” Dr. Ewing said, adding that giving school officials discretion holds the potential for discrimination and requires the kind of threat assessments that only law enforcement is equipped to make.

Really? Really really?