60 Students suspended for biking to school

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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on May 23, 2012 at 3:30pm

I'm pretty sure she is apologizing only because her job is now on the line over this.

Otherwise she'd have stuck to her original story. 

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Permalink Reply by Barry Niel Stuart on May 23, 2012 at 4:58pm

Most of these seniors are close to being legally considered as adults.  They shouldn't have to ask the principal, "Mommy, may I?" to bike to school.  Or is she trying to be the true nanny-state bureaucrat and bar them from bicycling to school in order to protect them from themselves?  It appears that this kind of bureaucrat dreads the idea that an adult should be able to think for him/herself after 12 years of schooling.

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Permalink Reply by Mike Schwab on May 23, 2012 at 8:03pm

The district is also allowing the seniors another opportunity to say goodbye to classmates and teachers, rescheduling their walk through the school for May 30 -- the day they come back for commencement practice. The school is also allowing the students time to make up any final exams they missed Tuesday.

 

 http://www.wzzm13.com/news/article/212805/14/60-students-suspended-... 

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Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on May 23, 2012 at 11:56pm

I find neither question relevant. At issue IMO is that this woman needs an intervention to understand that there is value to encouraging people to travel by bicycle rather than framing it as a choice which can only be borne of poor judgment or recklessness.

Cameron Puetz said:

I keep going back and forth between her being genuinely concerned about the students' safety and misdirecting her anger at the students instead of the poorly planned town and her wanting to crack down on some students for rocking the boat and being sorry that she attracted so much negative attention. Given the apology didn't come until after the school board meeting turned nasty and that it was the school board who decided that the students wouldn't be punished further, I'm leaning toward the latter.

James BlackHeron said:

Such a lame apology.

This is plainly an abuse of authority -she needs to be fired, or at least "suspended" for her gross misconduct and abuse of authority.

This person should not be in charge of a school.

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Permalink Reply by Zoetrope on May 24, 2012 at 10:49am

I thought it was a pretty adequate apology for the most part.  More on the part of the schools superintendents etc. than of Katie Penningtons but that was to be expected.     

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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on May 24, 2012 at 10:54am

Perhaps just adequate enough to keep her out of the unemployment line -which is the only reason she bothered.  

Not adequate enough for my tastes.  And we all know she doesn't mean it or else she would have apologized right away for being a raving anti-bike nutcase. 

Apologies under duress are meaningless. 

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Permalink Reply by Melissa on May 25, 2012 at 3:35pm

The funny thing is, there is no indication that the kids were even late to school!  So the alleged crime was merely their transportation choice.  By association, Bike-to-Work Week would be considered one big, city-wide prank.  I hope I don't get suspended ;) 

I hope this becomes a senior class tradition because riding as a group is so empowering.  Teenagers should have more opportunities to be empowered by activities that are positive and fun.   If they did this ride in the fall I bet more kids would even bike to school regularly.  

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