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How shocked mothers are handling the fallout from the third grade murder plot in their children's school.
Waycross, Georgia has been turned upside down by a group of third graders who plotted to kill their teacher at the local elementary school. Mom•Logic talked to three Waycross Moms to get their perspective.
• "I am the Mom of a first grader at the school. She doesn't know what happened, and my husband and I are keeping it from her. Sure, it's all over the news--but, thankfully, she doesn't watch the news. We just don't want to have that conversation unless she asks. The community is shocked. Some blame it on the kids having ADHD, but how much can you blame that? I want to know if these kids are watching too much TV. Or playing too many video games. What are they seeing at home that would cause them to hatch a murder plot against a teacher? I just don't get it." - Name withheld by request
• "I am a psychologist and work in the school system. My youngest daughter, Elizabeth, attends 5th grade at the school where the kids plotted to harm the teacher. My daughter has talked to me about this. She realizes some students have problems, and that it's being handled. I believe this is an isolated incident. I know the teacher personally, and she didn't want to make a big deal out of this. I just hope things get back to normal soon. The kids have state-mandated tests this week because of 'No Child Left Behind,' and I am concerned about the kids who were in the room when this happened, as their performance may be affected." - Donna McClain
• I know the mother of the third-grade girl who told on the other kids. I not only applaud the child, but I applaud her parents for teaching her morals and knowing what's right from wrong. It made me sick to my stomach to hear third-graders plotted to kill their teacher because she gave one of them a time-out. My daughter is starting kindergarten at that school in the fall, and I'm scared for her safety. - Courtney Yawn
If your child was a student in this school, what would you be feeling right now?
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Comments (15)
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BACK TO SCHOOL |
COUPONS & SALES
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I’d be feeling extremely disturbed. What ever happened to childhood?
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Concerned about the test???? really???
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I know the kids were not right in plotting this, but why isn’t anyone questioning the teacher on this? Is there a chance this person was somehow abusing these kids? She could have been verbally abusing these children, and the chair incident tipped them off. Why would several students join the “trouble” student for revenge on a teacher when they were not the ones scolded?
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Concerned about the test. Maybe the teacher was “abusing” them. Wow. And we wonder WHY we have 3rd wannabe killer monsters, hmmm? Get real!
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“My daughter is starting kindergarten at that school in the fall, and I’m scared for her safety.”
it sounds like she only really needs to be concerned if her daughter will be the kindergarten *teacher* this fall.
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there are a lot of stressors ‘out there’ today. our parenting has gone down the toilet! the teachers are stressed to teach a test as opposed to build a child. its good this story was made public, but what about a first grader placed in alternative school and a second-grader hand-cuffed from the campus to jail. this happened in georgia also. i fear these stories are just the beginning. someone needs to wake up!
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Teachers are not allowed to punish children. Give the kids a break yall.
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Thats Nucking Futs!
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The situation in Waycross, GA is a wakeup call. Sure, this seems innocent because of the ages of the children. However, this circumstance should be thoroughly investigated despite the ages of the children. This is not normal behavior for anyone -let alone a child and excusing it - allows this kind of event to continue to develop in some way, shape, or form. The question in not whether or not these are “bad” children. But, they do need help and their families do as well.
Please do not take the lives of those involved lightly. Someone could have been serioulsy hurt or killed. Then we all would be asking the question “were there any warning signs”. This is a WARNING SIGN!
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The psychologist worries me! Talk about missng the real issues.
The theory from a child psych of right and wrong being relative to each person and situation disturb me when our family took our 3rd grader (my step child) for counsling. We stopped going in fear the “expert” would add to the existing problem…this just reinforces our decision!
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I GREW UP IN THE ERA THAT STILL ALLOWED COPORAL PUNISHMENT IN THE SCHOOLS. THAT WAS BODERLINE ABUSE NOT A TIME OUT. IF A TIMEOUT PUSHED THOSE KIDS OVER THE EDGE IT WAS SOMETHING WRONG TO BEGIN WITH. THERE IS NO WAY THE TECHER COULD HAVE ABUSED THAT MANY CHILDREN AND NO ONE TOLD-AS SUGGESTED EARLIER IN THE POST. THOSE KIDS NEED SERIOUS HELP THE “PLOT” WAS BETTER THOUGHT OUT AND PLANNED THEN MANY ADULT CRIMES. WE ALL KNOW ABOUT THE THEORY OF CHILDREN WHO SET FIRES OR TORTURE ANIMALS-WHAT ABOUT THOSE WHO CAN PLOT TO KILL WITH SUCH DETAIL? WITHOUT PROPER HELP WHAT FUTURE WILL THEY HAVE??
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This behavior starts at home.
The parents should be held accountable.
What children do every day at school and at home is the responsibility of the parents.If children are not questioned,
monitored and guided daily,they will begin to adhere to outside influence.Dinner and
conversation is almost a thing of the past.
PARENTS…WAKE UP!!!Blame is on YOU.
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This behavior starts at home.
The parents should be held accountable.
What children do every day at school and at home is the responsibility of the parents.If children are not questioned,
monitored and guided daily,they will begin to adhere to outside influence.Dinner and
conversation is almost a thing of the past.
PARENTS…WAKE UP!!!Blame is on YOU.
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How DARE you accuse the TEACHER of abuse?!?! YOU are why public school teachers like myself are leaving the system in DROVES. I am an amazing teacher. I dedicate TONS of time to my kids. I am in charge of many extra-curricular activities at our school. I love the kids and they love me.
However, any time a student CHOOSES not to do their work, the PARENT blames me because their kid is failing. The child who tells another student to “F” off and earns a referral to the office is NEVER to blame in the parent’s eyes. The “it’s always someone else’s fault” mentality has made me realize that even though teaching children is my passion, I can no longer stay in a system where no responsibility is taught.
I BEG parents to come in for a meeting, if and when I can even REACH them. I send notes home, I call, I email. I have even done HOME VISITS on Sunday afternoons in the attempt to get SOMEONE to take an interest in their child. The problem is, no one does. The kids know it. The have realized the only way to get attention is to be in trouble. Then, they are told it isn’t their fault because they are neglected.
If I had tried even a quarter of the things that the kids get away with now when I was a kid, my mom would have kicked my butt into the next week.
I didn’t know what any sexual things were until I was in High School! Now I have pregnant 6th graders on my hands, students having sex AT SCHOOL, and slam books passed around RATING the girls on sexual performance. Most of the parents are only 15 - 17 years older than the kids anyways! They don’t know how to parent because they were babies themselves!!!!
It is insane.
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WTF?! is all there is to it. WTF. I just can’t wrap my head around this one. It’s ridiculous. Honestly though, it’s not videogames’ or movies’ fault. Well, it may have inspired them, but the real blame lies on the parents for letting them be influenced by these forms of media, and letting them watch without knowing how to differentiate between fantasy and reality. Violence has been in the media for ages. It just depends on how the children and parents react to it.
Next point. I also think that the system being too lenient on kids is responsible. Kids are being taught that whatever they do is okay, and that it’s not really their fault. For example blaming hyperactivity on some psychological disorder COUGHadhdCOUGH. Kids need to learn that it’s THEIR responsibility when they do something wrong. That’s how the world works, and they need to know that. Try blaming not showing up to your job, or neglecting your own kids on ADHD. See how that turns out. Riiiight.
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