My daughter almost started a riot today at school. She is an 8th grade middle school student running for Student Council Class President and today she tried to make her speech. I wasn’t paying total attention to her as she worked on her speech but when she stood up and presented it to us last night I really didn’t hear anything that I thought was questionable in fact early in the evening as I listened to her practice I encouraged her to tone it down a bit she was a little to spirited and after all its just 8th grade. She started out with the dress code which if you are a 12-13 yoa it sucks. I can relate. She went on to discuss school dances and after school activities. I thought it was a good speech and thought nothing more of it.
When she came home this afternoon my first question was how did her speech go. She told me the principal rushed out of her office and did not let her finish her speech. Beth was very vague about their conversation other than Mrs. C offered to let her do her speech again tomorrow which Beth told her she didn’t want to she was upset. However on her way back to her class everyone congratulated her and told her she was the one they were going to vote for. She was happy about that but still puzzled by her principals reaction.
About 5pm, I received a call from the Mrs. C about Beth’s speech. She was upset and I can understand her side as and adult and a parent. Her main issue was Beth’s introduction apparently it went something like “THE SCHOOL DRESS CODE SUCKS!” and she went on to say that she was going to try to have dress down Fridays and half days. She was just starting into the part of her speech about school dances when they pulled the plug on her. She was on live circuit T.V. that was presented through out the entire school, so much for a 2 second delay.
Apparently it wasn’t just Mrs. C that was upset but several other teachers came to her later on and told her that Beth’s speech caused quite a disturbance in some of the classes, “near riot” were the words she described. Infact she thought twice about even calling me at all. Mrs.C likes Beth, she has nothing but praises for her. She knows she is very spirited and passionate. She is opinionated and has a bad habit of telling you exactly how she feels. (I don’t know where she gets that from!). I agreed and she knows we have raised her to be that way. But Mrs. C kept stressing how her speech was inappropriate and how important the dress code is for the safety of the school children. However I have seen the reports from the the SRO’s at that school and dress code is the least of their worries. She made the comment that she felt she may have to take her name off the ballot and I let her know if she did it would crush Beth. This was very important to her and she worked hard on her speech her posters and her ideas. I am hoping it will not come to that.
I spoke to Beth and she was upset that Mrs. C would even think of pulling her name, so I suggested she give the speech again but this time outlining all the other good ideas she had, but she dose not want to do it again. It was live T.V. and she was nervous and scared and just dose not want to go through that again. I then suggested she go to Mrs. C in the morning and apologize and assure Mrs C. she was just trying to be different. Beth agreed. It would be easier to apologize than have to get in front of live T.V. again. I hated having to ask her to do it but we are talking about a school system that encourages free thinking and free speech as long as it falls with in the proper educational guide lines.
I can’t wait to see what happens tomorrow.
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