school is harrassing kids

I am not sure this is the best place to post, but it doesn't fit elsewhere.

Our Middle School here in Montana is being very hard on the kids. The administration is handing out referrals, ISS and Suspensions all the time. We don't have bad kids either. There has been some kind of policy change and we can't get info on it. They tell us the rules have been there for years. But the way they are enforcing them are different. We are going to start regularly attending the School Board meetings, but we have to stop this harassing behavior too. I have personally spoken to a half dozen parents and they are all having the same problem. This has gone on in the past, but it's intensified this year. Kids are referred for asking someone for a pencil, or talking while watching someone practising basketball in the gym.

The admin. says they are protecting the kids because of recent national events, but they are extreme. My son got ISS - In School Suspension - for fooling around in the cafeteria because 20 min. later two of the boys he was with, got in a more agressive pushing match in the gym. He wasn't with them there, but was told he "intuited the fight" by fooling around in the cafe with them.

There are kids talking among themselves and losing respect for admin and teachers alike. This is not a healthy learning enviroment.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by PAF [/i]
[B]I am not sure this is the best place to post, but it doesn't fit elsewhere.

Our Middle School here in Montana is being very hard on the kids. The administration is handing out referrals, ISS and Suspensions all the time. We don't have bad kids either. There has been some kind of policy change and we can't get info on it. They tell us the rules have been there for years. But the way they are enforcing them are different. We are going to start regularly attending the School Board meetings, but we have to stop this harassing behavior too. I have personally spoken to a half dozen parents and they are all having the same problem. This has gone on in the past, but it's intensified this year. Kids are referred for asking someone for a pencil, or talking while watching someone practising basketball in the gym.

The admin. says they are protecting the kids because of recent national events, but they are extreme. My son got ISS - In School Suspension - for fooling around in the cafeteria because 20 min. later two of the boys he was with, got in a more agressive pushing match in the gym. He wasn't with them there, but was told he "intuited the fight" by fooling around in the cafe with them.

There are kids talking among themselves and losing respect for admin and teachers alike. This is not a healthy learning enviroment.
[/B][/QUOTE]

Dont feel alone, this is happening everywhere. My 13 yr old was up to this year a straight A honor roll student, he likes to joke around, no malicious intent. But he has received so many lunch detentions and ISS's that his grades are now falling as a result. It seems that the new policy is to treat every child as if they are criminals and be damned with what the outcome will be.

It used to be that the trouble makers were the ones held accountable, and the school was able to recognize normal childhood antics. But with the shootings that have recently taken place in the schools I can understand how they have the 0% tolerance.
But it isnt fair to the good kids that are being *normal* children.

I wish I had some good advice for you but I have been fighting the system on this all year so far myself and have had no positive results.