Click-2-Listen By ANA X. CERON
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Friday, May 23, 2008
PORT ST. LUCIE - A 5-year-old kindergartner was "voted out of" his classroom at Morningside Elementary on Wednesday when his teacher asked his classmates to take a vote on whether they wanted him in class, police say.
Teacher Wendy Portillo told the boy, who is known to have disciplinary issues, to stand in front of the class that day, according to police.
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"The teacher decided to bring him in front of the class and let the other kids tell him what they didn't like about him, kind of ridiculed him," said officer Michelle Steele, spokeswoman for the Port St. Lucie police.
Portillo then had the class take a vote on whether to boot the boy out of the class and send him to the principal's office.
The class voted 14-2 to send the boy out for the day, Steele said.
When his mother found out, she contacted the school's resource officer, Steele said. The officer interviewed Portillo, who admitted she had asked the class to vote, according to police.
The teacher said the boy had been sent to the office earlier that day, and when the office sent him back to class, Portillo asked her students whether they were ready for him to return, Steele said. Portillo said she asked the class to vote because they are learning about taking tallies, police say.
After conferring with the state attorney's office, which said the case didn't meet the criteria for an emotional abuse case, police are not pursuing this as a criminal incident, Steele said.
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Comments: 9
I actually admire a teacher resourceful enough to turn the situation into lesson, recognizing a teachable moment. After not receiving the kind of support she needed from administrators, she let those most affected by the behavior choose the outcome. The majority has a right to determine the rules, and how the rules will be applied. I wonder if the classroom has a tradition of voting for or against issues.
It probably was no more emotionally harmful than not being selected for the kickball team, or not getting a roll in a student production. Really, sometimes I honestly believe that some children should be left behind......for a little while, anyway.
Let's face it, the school year is almost over, and people are tired.
The parent should be kicked out of class also. LMAO.
The students learned something very important - it's okay to humiliate and ostracize someone because you don't like them or their behavior - good way to proliferate hate and intolerance in a world that has far too much of it!
However, the teacher turning this into a lesson sounds like she just made up something quickly to keep from being seen in a bad light. It is almost like she said, "Ok, class let's pretend like we are learning how to take votes" ~ 'yeah', she thinks to herself ~ 'that sounds good!' ~ Then when the police officer comes back into the classroom, the students and the teacher are on the same page.
Let me take a look at your link, and see if I change my view on this at all.