Students on Strike
By DW Davis
@DWDavis (25812)
Pikeville, North Carolina
March 23, 2017 7:12pm CST
Some of the students on my team tried to incite other students into going on strike to protest a teacher. Oddly enough, the teacher they want to protest is not even one of their own teachers.
The teacher who sparked the protest is sometimes too honest and lacking in discretion when expressing her opinion. As near as I can determine, today’s desire to protest arose because of something this teacher allegedly said yesterday during an assembly.
Today, in the lunch room, a group of girls started beating on the table and chanting "Fire Miss X," (not her real name). The assistant principal was called, the chanting stopped, and half-a-dozen girls were removed to the office and, ultimately, to In-School-Suspension.
When we got back to class, the remaining students asked me why they weren't allowed to protest. I informed them they could protest all they want, on the public sidewalk in front of the school, down the road at the Central Office where the school board meets, or up in Raleigh, at the State Legislature. But they cannot protest inside the school where it would disrupt the learning environment. While it may not seem like a protest in the cafeteria is a disruption of the learning environment, it is, because the repercussions last the rest of the day and interfere with learning.
We then had a heart to heart talk about what was and wasn't appropriate for teachers to say to students and what was and wasn't appropriate for students to say to teachers. I'm hoping I made an impression.
Should students have the right to protest against a teacher, and if so, during school hours when it will disrupt the learning environment?
I know what the law and the courts say about this. I wonder where myLotters fall.
11 people like this
13 responses
@Mike197602 (15487)
• United Kingdom
24 Mar 17
I'll make it short...students often piss me off in a big way
Over here students tend to be left leaning and go on all sorts of protests.
When they get in the job market and the real world they often shut the f*ck up as they see their socialist ideals don't cut it in the real world.
Over here students tend to be left leaning and go on all sorts of protests.
When they get in the job market and the real world they often shut the f*ck up as they see their socialist ideals don't cut it in the real world.4 people like this
@Poppylicious (11133)
•
24 Mar 17
@Mike197602 It's brilliant, isn't it? And I confess to being one of those students, once. It's almost like a right of passage that young people have to go through, thinking that they are the ones who can change the world and make everything bright and happy, and then they step into the real world and realise their mistakes. My 18 year old nephew is at the 'protesting for the sake of protesting' stage and it makes me laugh. But not to his face.
3 people like this
@topffer (42156)
• France
24 Mar 17
It reminds me that my classroom got 3 hours of detention when I was in 5th year of high school to have protested against a teacher. The school supervisor came to explain us that we had no right to protest, period. My parents told me that we were deserving it. It has not changed, except that when something like this happens today, it is the parents that are coming at the door to ask to fire Miss X, and it is in the newspapers the day after
. Hard job.
. Hard job.2 people like this
@katsmeow1213 (28717)
• United States
25 Mar 17
I think it depends on the situation.. Also their parents should have a say as well.
This sounds relatively petty, and perhaps this teacher is just not popular with the students.. that doesn't seem like a reason to protest. But kids don't really understand what is petty and what isn't.
1 person likes this
@katsmeow1213 (28717)
• United States
25 Mar 17
@DWDavis Yeah, so she's not actually doing anything worthy of protesting, they just want to be brats..
Now if it were something real or important I'd totally support my child protesting..
My mother almost started a protest when I was in school, as one science teacher told the class that life begins at conception, and my mother was extremely pro-choice.
1 person likes this
@OneOfMany (12150)
• United States
24 Mar 17
I was all for bringing back corporal punishment even when I was a student. It would have done a lot to keep all the brats in line. Today they need a little fear in them, because they are too disruptive and opinionated on issues they don't even have a real handle on understanding in the first place!
The school is not a place to protest. I wonder if they even know what they are protesting in the first place?
1 person likes this
@DWDavis (25812)
• Pikeville, North Carolina
25 Mar 17
I don't know that corporal punishment would work with a lot of these kids. Many of them are already physically and emotionally punished because of the family conditions they are being raised in. I fear corporal punishment at school would just be more of what they were used to and have come to expect from adults.
1 person likes this
@OneOfMany (12150)
• United States
25 Mar 17
@DWDavis Hmm, I guess your students have a rougher background than most of the people I knew during school. There was no evidence that they had any of that in their background.
1 person likes this
@OneOfMany (12150)
• United States
25 Mar 17
@DWDavis Yes, we had none of that here. If we did, I never saw any of it. Everyone looked happy among my classmates.
1 person likes this
@Poppylicious (11133)
•
24 Mar 17
Awww, Miss X would be such a cool name for a teacher!
In my experience the sort of students who start these things are usually not that interested in the issue, but more interested in just getting out of learning. If it can lead to a discussion about things, such as you had, then that has to be a good thing.
1 person likes this
@Poppylicious (11133)
•
25 Mar 17
@DWDavis That's good. All too often many just follow the herd before they think about what they're doing.
1 person likes this
@DWDavis (25812)
• Pikeville, North Carolina
25 Mar 17
When I was in high school, the students wanted to rally in support of the teachers when the state wanted to cut teacher pay, and we were told we'd be expelled and possibly arrested if we did. I'm not sure it would have happened, but our teachers exhorted us not to risk it. They did appreciate our support, though. Can you imagine students rallying in support of teachers these days?
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (157546)
• United States
26 Mar 17
The vocal protest that disrupts learning should not be allowed, but if a student can draw up a well reasoned document and get others to sign it without disturbing learning, it should be allowed. Unfortunately, the lunch room protest was just a goofy way of saying "we don't want to be told what to do." All it takes to start something like that is one strong leader who can persuade the sheep to follow. At that age, we wanted to protest things in our school--things like requiring girls to take home ec, and not allowing girls to take shop and not allowing boys to take home skills class We protested at pre enrollment, by signing up for the classes we were not allowed to take. Of course we were ignored, but we discussed this plan between classes, and before and after school, not in the lunch room.
1 person likes this
@DWDavis (25812)
• Pikeville, North Carolina
26 Mar 17
Students could draw up a petition if they wanted, but they could be opening themselves up for a libel or defamation suit in this case. Most of what they are saying about Miss X has been made up by one or two girls who are always trying to get away with things and Miss X seems to be the one who catches them. All of the girls involved have discipline records that would fill a good sized 3-ring binder. They are regular disruptions in class, have served time in Time-Out, In School Suspension, and Out of School Suspension. Several of them have been suspended for fighting and making threats. A couple of them spent a quarter at the Alternative School. These are not kids who have a legitimate grievance. They are feral brats who are used to getting their way because while there may be an biological parent in the home, they've never had any real parenting.
@Letranknight2015 (51499)
• Philippines
24 Mar 17
I wonder what's the point of Education anymore if the student doesn't respect their own teachers and vice versa.. Are they even studying? People easily whines these days, expressing each other's opinion.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
24 Mar 17
I agree with your answer. No protests inside schools.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
24 Mar 17
The students should discuss their displeasure with parents and school board and perhaps spend protest time performing some sorely need study time. Isn't just an excuse to get out of class and responsibilities and have a good time with friends "protesting"?
1 person likes this
@DWDavis (25812)
• Pikeville, North Carolina
24 Mar 17
We have tried to explain to the students that it is their parent's job to advocate for them when the student has an issue with a teacher. Sadly, many of these kids come from a background that teaches them that if they can't take care of their own business they are weak and not to be respected.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
24 Mar 17
Like you said, anywhere but school grounds. At least a few kids are probably there to actually learn.
1 person likes this
@DWDavis (25812)
• Pikeville, North Carolina
25 Mar 17
I've been encouraging those who don't appreciate the disruptions to speak out against it and shame their classmates who interfere with their learning. Then, if an argument ensues I back the one who is trying to learn and invite the other to go out the door and down to the office.
1 person likes this
@DWDavis (25812)
• Pikeville, North Carolina
25 Mar 17
Our Supreme Court has held that education is foremost in the classroom and other learning settings, and schools have the authority to infringe on a student's free speech rights in the classroom if the exercise of those rights interferes with other students' learning.
1 person likes this
@VirginiaLee (134)
• Newport, Rhode Island
25 Mar 17
It depends on the situation. Yes, I feel they have a right to protest, but they need to learn how to do it respectfully. Perhaps a few lessons about Martin Luther King, Jr.?
1 person likes this
@DWDavis (25812)
• Pikeville, North Carolina
25 Mar 17
Every year near MLK, Jr Day, I give a lesson on Dr. King and his protests. This year I concentrated on Selma and Bloody Sunday. When the students learn what others went through in the early days of the civil rights movement it gives them some perspective on what's really important.
1 person likes this
