Crime and punishment class for Georgia students?
Georgia PTA leaders are planning to lobby the state to create a public school class that would teach students about state laws to prevent teens with disciplinary problems from getting criminal records.
The class, which would be taught in middle and high schools, would explain how teens can be charged and punished for crimes involving alcohol, sex, drugs and violent acts.
The class also would explain students’ legal rights involving police searches and being questioned by the police.
The course would include much of the material found in “Ignorance Is No Defense: A Teenager’s Guide to Georgia Law,” written by former DeKalb District Attorney J. Tom Morgan.
What do you think of this class? While this may be important information for students to know, is it a school’s job to teach it?
NOTE: Staff writer Nancy Badertscher is writing a story on teachers and paraprofessionals who are losing their jobs because of budget cuts. If you fit in that category, please contact her at nbadertscher@ajc.com. Thank you for your help.
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125 comments Add your comment
Kim
May 7th, 2009
12:35 pm
I think its a great idea..A lot of kids obviously aren’t getting it at home.
Kim
May 7th, 2009
12:37 pm
Northern visitor- It’s WE northerners, not US northerners!! Obviously grammar isn’t taught up north!
Concerned and Very Involved Parent
May 7th, 2009
1:17 pm
Vendetta
WOW! You are very fortunate to have such insight… “The Earth will still be around long after we’re gone.” Do you come by this knowledge how?
I also learned ethics growing up. You don’t like “society”…sorry …but each one of us doesn’t live on our own individual planet …though it would be nice if some did …live on another planet that is.
“good of society wants to take money from you and give it to someone who hasn’t earned it” I agree with this…with the exception of education. Unless, you’re suggesting we do away with taxes. Then we could take that money and pay for our kid’s education and pay teachers a decent income.
Maybe if people were taught…problems would be less. They do become “society’s” problem…when they end up in jail or on welfare. Personally…I’m tired of all the “free” lunches, “free” medical, “free” everything…it’s not “free”…those of us working pay for these “freebies”. I haven’t been “bailed” out either…nobody subsidizes my income or pays my mortgage. My prayer is that maybe, just maybe if kids are educated they can pull themselves up…and start helping to pay some of these expenses. I’d love to have “all” of my pay check and keep my taxes.
P.S. I do think your right…the Northern Visitor is possibly a 14 year old who is not doing well in English and grammar.
Northern Visitor
May 7th, 2009
1:21 pm
Spot on Vendetta! CVIP sounds like a busy-body ready to spend other peoples money to solve societies ills.
Kim…
Go play grammer nazi with your brood if you have any. I have an MBA from the Wharton School of Business. Its not I that you have to worry about.
Concerned and Very Involved Parent
May 7th, 2009
2:11 pm
Northern Visitor
My experience has been…people who have to brag about their successes and accomplishments are usually exaggerating. You don’t have to “tell” people you’re all “it”…intelligence and knowledge is shown through people’s actions…enough said.
…methinks someone is trying to over compensate.
Kim …nice lesson …to bad it over his head.
)
Northern Visitor
May 7th, 2009
2:17 pm
“to bad it over his head”?
With that one sentence you have just exposed yourself for who you really are: a welfare mom, 4 kids 3 different daddies living on public assistance. QUIT TRYING TO SPEND MY MONEY!
Concerned and Very Involved Parent
May 7th, 2009
2:22 pm
You obviously haven’t been keeping up on this blog. I’ve worked for the Army for over 30 years. Your money…I doubt it!
high school teacher
May 7th, 2009
2:22 pm
V, per your socialistic society scenario,
If you believe that, then why do you teach in a public school? Aren’t you helping to advance “society” by assisting in the government-funded public education? How can you believe that it’s every man for himself yet teach in a public school?
If you are teaching in a private school, my apologies.
Concerned and Very Involved Parent
May 7th, 2009
2:27 pm
Kim …correction “to bad it’s over his head” my apologies.
Northern Visitor
May 7th, 2009
2:33 pm
“worked for the Army for over 30 years.”
Ok I’m sorry. I didn’t know that you are a camp follower.
Northern Visitor
May 7th, 2009
2:36 pm
I think that what V is saying is that too many people are sucking on the public teat. I agree with that. We complain that taxes are too high but no one wants to give up anything. I believe in a totally free market. Thats how I got rich not trying to brag. Only parasites and freeloaders constantly have their hand out looking for a free lunch.
Erin
May 7th, 2009
3:24 pm
@ CVIP on your correction to Kim: “TOO,” not “to.” Sorry!
Concerned and Very Involved Parent
May 7th, 2009
7:48 pm
Northern Visitor
You make me laugh. You claim to have a silver spoon in your mouth but I believe it just very well maybe plastic. People with class and fortune don’t have to tell people about it…actions speak louder than words. I hope for your sake that you are as successful as you say you are…but remember success isn’t measured simply by your bank account.
Erin
Thanks!
ScienceTeacher671
May 7th, 2009
9:51 pm
Isn’t it an axiom that on the internet, anyone can be whoever they want to be?
ScienceTeacher671
May 7th, 2009
9:53 pm
CVIP, sorry that you missed the sarcasm. I’m betting that the other teachers “got it.”
Concerned and Very Involved Parent
May 7th, 2009
10:19 pm
ScienceTeacher671
I stand corrected…and I apologize. Thank you.
ScienceTeacher671
May 8th, 2009
6:11 am
CVIP, no problem.
V for Vendetta
May 8th, 2009
12:53 pm
CVIP, I think we agree on more than you might perceive. I am assuming a hypothetical situation in which people would wake up and realize that we should NOT be obligated to spend money on the free services you mention. I also think this applies to school, which is why we should look into privatizing the system. I also don’t think it takes a great deal of insight to hypothesize that the Earth will still be here after we’re gone. The planet is 4.5 billion years old. It’s survived a lot worse than the likes of us.
high school teacher, I teach in a public school. Do I agree with the methods by which it’s funded and structured? NO. Do I feel the need to educated the future generations so that they might conduct themselves with a little more autonomy than is presently displayed by the majority of America? YES.
SET
May 9th, 2009
6:18 pm
it is essential that this subject is taught. Most of these students will have the high school diploma as their terminal degree. Knowing the basics of Civil and Criminal law is just a Civics lessons which must be covered in high school. No the parents can’t teach it. Parents are unschooled in vicarious liability, contract law and rules of evidence. Turning out these kids without a clue of law increases their risks of inadvertent criminal and civil liability – and I see it every day in the criminal courts up to and including murder cases (the people sitting in the getaway car). And as far as the sex crimes, most people don’t know child molest can be committed verbally – and with lifetime sex registration. The misinformation and cluelessness about law is as dangeous as STD ignorance especially with what is going on all the time in our cities.
Concerned and Very Involved Parent
May 12th, 2009
9:25 am
SET, very nicely stated! I agree!
N.Ga. Teacher
May 12th, 2009
10:29 am
The weakness of the state curriculum is that is far too narrow. Theoretically, given good home lives and parenting, high school should focus strictly on academics, arts and physical education. The fact, sad though it is, is that families and society have changed for the worse since the 1960s and 1970s. Due to parental problems like poverty, divorce, and crime, a huge percent of kids come to school without any concept of manners, law and morality, let alone math and reading skills and motivation. If kids don’t get the proper “life” training here, they simply will not get it and become huge burdens on the rest of us as criminals or prisoners. At my high school we have a “social leadership” program that identifies at-risk kids and encourages them to take the course. The class discusses work ethic, study skills, and educates kids to the risks of behaviors. They take field trips to prisons and other places where kids can get a “real-life” look at situations. If we can save just one kid it is all worth it.
SET
May 12th, 2009
12:49 pm
Another thing, teaching Law isn’t about teaching “rights”. I can give these silly kids all their “rights” and still grind them into paste in a courtroom. We are teaching the rules, that’s all. Graduating public school kids from what is typically their last classroom education without teaching the rules of our society sets them up for endless problems on the job, in housing, in the criminal courts and in society in general. there is no way the parents can cover the subject – if they even have parents. A strong semester long Law Class will also involve exercises in verbal/reading skills. And if it is taught correctly it should disabuse these kids about feeling safe and secure with all their “rights”. Teaching law is teaching Civics and a decent public school is going to cover Civics well.
tony l. odom
May 19th, 2009
2:09 pm
they need to bring back prayer and discipline . Then,they well know right from wrong !!
jim d
May 19th, 2009
3:59 pm
Mr. Odom,
Please get your facts staright.
Prayer has never left, only state led prayer. If students wish to pray they may and are protected in doing so as long as they do so in a non disruptive manner.
Atlanta Journal Constitution » Blog Archive » Crime and punishment class for Georgia students?
May 20th, 2009
1:11 am
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