The particular school I’m referring to in this case is Readington Middle School. A group of 8th graders decided that they weren’t satisfied with their 30 minute lunch break, and so decided to protest by paying for their lunches using only pennies. A logical person would say that this was a harmless act of civil disobedience, much like Rosa Parks’ decision to refuse to give up her seat on the bus. However, the geniuses at this school decided that the students were “slowing down the cafeteria line” and “not giving the lunch aides the respect they deserve,” and so decided to give each of the 200 students in line that day a 1 hour detention after school.I was tempted to think that the principle was probably just having a bad day, until I read this quote that made me certain that this guy is a raving LUNATIC:
“Most reasonable people understand that the school needed to respond to this.”
Yes, the school needed to respond! They needed to give these kids an extra five minutes for lunch! Rather than going the stupid route of giving them all detentions. This crackpot went on to say that the school officials would work to
”…harness the organizational power and desire of the students and channel it towards something that could impact the greater good.”
If the school really wanted to teach them that they could use their abilities for the “greater good,” maybe they should have given them some extra time for lunch. That way the kids could see the potential for protests to work. Oh, and on top of all this, it wasn’t like the kids were trying to pay for a $10 meal using pennies. No, they were trying to pay for $2 worth of food (for those of you who are mathematically challenged, that’s 200 pennies). While that may seem like a lot, it’s still nothing compared with the “damage” they could have done.Finally, I’d like to point out that the school pretty much killed any right to peacefully protest that the kids had, glad to see the Constitution is still holding strong… http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/02/students_get_detentions_for_pa.html
wow the school really has the potential for some big problems, pennies are legal US tender and they are required by law to take them as payment for a debt
this is a huge PR problem but i can’t say im not surprised considering the actions of other administrations….
If you are so crazy that you don’t believe the kids when they say it was a PRANK. You are a sad person and need to get some help. I hope your child isn’t as angry as you. Suck it up and get over yourself
Dear Sue,
First off, you might want to seek some medical attention regarding your clear anger issues that have resulted from the fact that your kids hate you.
Second off, the kids didn’t say it was a prank, in fact they said they did it intentionally to prove a point. It was the RETARDED parents such as yourself you assumed, “they’re kids, there’s no way they’re as smart as us, they’re clearly just doing it as a prank, and not to actually achieve something.” Just because these kids have higher IQs than your retarded babies doesn’t give you the right to spread lies about smart kids.
Next, who’s the sad one? The high school student who writes about the violation of kids constitutional rights in an effort to create awareness about the subject; or the full grown woman who attacks little kids and spreads LIES about them.
Also, being that the title of this blog is “I be an IB Student“, You should have probably figured out that I was a high school student, and therefore wouldn’t have any kids. Also, to use the words of a typical adult, “I’m not angry, I’m just upset.”
Finally, your last statement makes absolutely no sense, since I never even made statements about myself. I was talking about a bunch of other students and trying to stand up for what is right.
So, in response I’d like to say “Why don’t you suck it.”
And since you probably won’t be brave enough to respond to this, ipso facto, I’m right and your just a crazy mom whose kids abandoned her.
Zing!
hiiii
I attended this school in the past and thought I should say something about this. I know some kids (not the ones who did this, but kids none the less) and they support the efforts for an extended lunch break. It was just a simple protest and I think I’m a huge douche bag personally. The administrators at that school get worse every year and apparently this time it was bad enough to make it to the news. I personally think that the big deal they made out of it was just giving the administration what it wanted. Even though I do believe the detentions were unjust, it just proves how much this school becomes more and more like a concentration camp every year, this just gives the next generation of kids more reasons to protest. The school is going to get so messed up pretty soon and the children won’t have anyone to blame but the administration.
This kind of unjust treatment gives kids a reason to try to change things around for the better. Sooner or later the school is going to have to realize that the students still have rights as citizens, and that maybe the school administrators should actually listen to what the kids have to say.
Kids are smarter than most adults give them credit for hopefully this will give other students some inspiration to stand up for what they believe in, even if that means going against the status quo.
Wow, you have got it all right. Of course the kids are heroes. I haven’t actually talked to any of them, but I think they would admit that they were just doing it to make a point. Hopefully they actually succeed in changing something. Too bad the school board refused to step in and help them. And they were not trying to “top” any pranks. They realize that everyone will remember them three years from now for what they have done. Too bad the school has continued to make lunches permanently shorter. In the school they will be going to next year (their districts high school) they will have much longer lunches. So yes, I think this was an effective protest, and I do think the punishment was a bit too severe, but the school just thinks it can control these kids by being dictators. I just think the school should have looked at it as a symbolic message instead of doing the bullsh-t they pulled.
I am an 8th grader at RMS who supports the “Readington 29″, but was not involved in it. This was an isolated protest, but they still havent fixed anything. Wilkinson, the VP, way overreacted, and now should suffer some kind of consuquence.. public humiliation, anyone?? But I’m still kinda jealous that I didn’t think of it…
i attended this school and i knew most/ all of the kids that supported this protest. Personally I just want to bash all the kids who did this, because I totally came up with the idea and now they’re taking credit for it. Oh, and another thing, if you wanted to protest the kids participating should have gone in the back of the line. since they were in the front of the line they caused all the kids behind them, who were not participating, their lunch time. the school just realized that the kids were taking away from the other kids.
Um… using that type of logic would mean that protesters should be arrested for “being too loud” and advertising should be illegal because it takes away from my television experience.
In addition, going to the back of the line would totally defeat the purpose of the protest. The whole point is to get noticed and to make others aware of your cause, not to make things more “convenient” for everyone else.