Every year, schools in Georgia still dish out rare paddlings to punish the most egregious behavior, but a federal bill now seeks to end the practice.
U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y., introduced the Ending Corporal Punishment in Schools Act last week to ban the practice in all public and private schools with students that receive federal services.
Although the use of corporal punishment has declined over the years, 20 states, including Georgia, still allow it.
In Georgia, dozens of school systems still have policies on the books dating back to the late 1960s when paddling was a more accepted form of punishment.
Although legal, several school systems no longer do it, according to school administrators.
"While the policy is on the books, it is not one that we're still using," said Ken Greene, director of student services for Barrow County Schools.
Administrators and teachers have a "menu" of more effective options to use in place of corporal punishment, ranging from loss of extracurricular activities and privileges to suspensions and expulsion, Greene said.
"Principals have other choices they can use other than corporal punishment," he said.
"While it is an option on the menu, and an option they might be able to use, they are able to find other corrective actions that meet the need as well as or better.
"There's not been a compelling reason to take it out, even though it has fallen to rare or no use in the last four years or so. I think it's one of those things - it's legal; it's a state law that it could be used if it was needed."
Each district's policy differs slightly, but each contains similar language that stipulates corporal punishment should not be "excessive" or "unduly severe," and must provide the child's parents a written explanation with the reasons for the punishment.
About two dozen organizations are backing the proposed ban, including the ACLU, NAACP, National Association of Secondary School Principals, Human Rights Watch and the Gwinnett Parent Coalition to Dismantle the School to Prison Pipeline.
Not everyone believes corporal punishment is an antiquated method of discipline.
State Rep. Tommy Benton, R-Jefferson, a former social studies teacher from Georgia's Jackson County, said he used to use corporal punishment 20 years ago and still believes it can be effective today.
"I'm not opposed to it at all. I think just the threat of it, most of the time, is enough to keep students in line - especially those that would cause a lot of trouble. But you take that threat away, and there's nothing.
"It just nips that discipline problem in the bud. I had used it, and I didn't usually have to do it more than one time."
I work in the Georgia public school system. At the beginning of the year my school requires the parent/guardian fill out and sign a form that allows them to give or not give permission for corporal punishment to be used as a discipline method. Of course, at our school this option would be used only after other methods proved ineffective. While the article did not mention this practice followed by other schools I think it is perfect. When it is decided by the parent or guardian as it should be there is no need for any federal bill to be introduced.
Here is the problem with Carolyn McCarthy and this new bill. What would she know about a classroom when she has never been a teacher? Her job before entering politics was being a Nurse. This bill needs to be scrapped!
Wow. And they arrest PARENTS for spanking their kids.
All I needed to know about this bill were the sponsors; the ACLU, NAACP and all the other usual suspects, none of whom has ever been on the side of discipline.
The "Gwinnett Parent Coalition to Dismantle the School to Prison Pipeline (?!)" ... sure, removing another discipline will make certain they're in business for more decades, collecting money, "for the children."
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