Teachers taking things from students?

[CEDmom]

My DD is in 1st grade and her teacher's rule is that she'll keep the item until the end of the school year and then give it back. If it somehow gets misplaced that's the child's loss. I know she gave the kids a few weeks to get used to the rule. If something was brought in it was held until the end of the day and sent home with a note. Honestly, I'm fine with the policy. Also, her teacher has had a few special days where the kids were allowed to bring something small in so that helps the urge.

 

[mickeyfan2]

Asthma runs in our family. When the kids in my family were in elementary the school rule was the nurse kept the inhalers.

 

[corie161]

My DD is in 1st grade and her teacher's rule is that she'll keep the item until the end of the school year and then give it back. If it somehow gets misplaced that's the child's loss. I know she gave the kids a few weeks to get used to the rule. If something was brought in it was held until the end of the day and sent home with a note. Honestly, I'm fine with the policy. Also, her teacher has had a few special days where the kids were allowed to bring something small in so that helps the urge.

My DD is in 2nd grade, and has the same policy. The teacher told us in our meeting at the beginning of the year that if toys were brought into the classroom they would be put into a 'June Box' and given back at the end of the year. I'm not sure what the June Box is technically and whether or not it's locked and secure. They also have a sharing day to share special items to help alleviate the want to bring something in. She has wanted to share her Nintendo DS, but I told her that it could be easily stolen out of her locker. I did allow her to bring it one day and asked her to ask the teacher to keep it when it wasn't sharing time. If she brought it without my permission and it got stolen, either from her or the teacher, it would have been a lesson learned and no new Nintendo.

 

[In a hurry]

Now my mother would have said "If you brought something to school that you shouldn't have and the teacher took it and then it got stolen, it's your fault for bringing a forbidden item to school in the first place, so too bad for you."

See, my parents were very big into actions and their consequences, and personal responsibility, which no longer seems to be a parenting rule these days. These days it seems to be "it's not your fault sweetie" for everything.

Holding children accountable for their behavior...novel concept! I would be inclined to think that any item stolen from the teacher was at equal risk of being stolen from the student with the contraband.

Inhalers are not contraband, and are kept in the ofc. in our school. A totally different scenario.

 

[tiff211]

This may be a dumb question but isn't the risk of being lost or stolen one of the main reasons for the rule in the first place? DD14 was always bringing stuff to school she wasn't supposed to. We had daily bag checks until she 12! For awhile, she could only use a clear backpack so I could see inside. If she did sneak something in, no matter how pricy, whatever happened to the item in would be the consquence she would have to face. What's the big deal if she knew she would just get it back at the end of the day? And I would be fit to be tied if the school called me to pick up something that she had brought in. You mean take time out of my workday? I would either tell them to do whatever with it or go pick it up and hand it to the first kid that passed by. Momma don't play that!!!

 

[barkley]

if the items were not "contriban" i can see expecting the school to take security measures to ensure for their safety (dd's teacher has a locking cabinet she keeps show and tell stuff in for the kids to retrieve at the end of the day)-but since they (students/parents) know from day one it's not allowed on campus-i don't feel the school has any responsibility to protect the items (and it ticks me off that the teachers have to play "policeman" and collect up stuff that should'nt be there in the first place).

dh went to school that banned ALL electronics (this was pre cell phone days-but those are banned on the same campus now). if something was taken from a student by a teacher it was turned in to the office and held for a student auction at the end of the year (if it was a high dollar item the parents could meet with administration and discuss a return of the item but there were consequences such as detention). with the advent of cell phones, while they are banned from campus a confiscated one will be turned over to the parents at a parent/administration meeting (you can't just pick it up at the office). the school's attitude is "like the rules/consequences or not you were aware of them and agreed to uphold them before stepping foot into class").

a couple of our local jr/sr highs have taken to banning backpacks as well as either doing away with lockers or making mesh lockers (you can see everything in them) because they have so many problems with students bringing inapprorpriate stuff on campus and then the parents being upset that the school would "dare and take x away from my kid" it's sad, the actions of a few make for the inconvenience of the majority.

 

[JoyG]

Yes they should get it back.

If the Teacher took it they are responsible for keeping it safe and should have to replace it. I bet their stuff is somewhere it isn't getting stolen.

I don't agree that I'm responsible for it if I took it. The child is responsible for the item. (And ultimately the parent is responsible for knowing what's leaving the house with their child everyday. I know I check my kids' bookbags every morning b/c they're always trying to sneak something to school.) It's the student's responsibility not to bring it to school. I'm not taking it away to claim responsibility, I'm taking it so it doesn't become a distraction in the classroom. If it then gets stolen from me, it's a tougher pill to swallow...but that's the way it goes. It could have gotten stolen either way if I hadn't confiscated it....I'm talking about gameboys etc. (Speaking of which, now that you mention it, I remember I have one in my desk right now that the owner forgot to claim at the end of the day).

Glasses on the other hand, I wouldn't confiscate and if they were stolen from a student, I would go out of my way to locate them...gameboys, ipods, etc...not in the same category.

 

[MN Dis Fans]

DS's 2nd grade teacher has something called a "June Box." Anything confiscated goes into the June Box until the last day of school. It is locked in a cupboard and returned when school gets out. Anything left unclaimed goes in the garbage.

 

[GEM]

Now my mother would have said "If you brought something to school that you shouldn't have and the teacher took it and then it got stolen, it's your fault for bringing a forbidden item to school in the first place, so too bad for you."

See, my parents were very big into actions and their consequences, and personal responsibility, which no longer seems to be a parenting rule these days. These days it seems to be "it's not your fault sweetie" for everything.

 

[KAMLEM]

a couple of our local jr/sr highs have taken to banning backpacks as well as either doing away with lockers or making mesh lockers (you can see everything in them)

I think that banning backpacks is ridiculous. How do they expect kids to carry everything back and forth to school? My kids have books, binders, snacks, lunches and water bottles. They couldn't get by without their backpacks.

 

[Beth76]

dh went to school that banned ALL electronics (this was pre cell phone days-but those are banned on the same campus now). if something was taken from a student by a teacher it was turned in to the office and held for a student auction at the end of the year

I'm sorry, but that's just theft. I totally understand the rule of no electronics, but for the school to take it and keep it is still theft. Not only that, but they are making money off of it. And the students are buying stolen property.

I also don't like the "June Box" idea. Why on earth would the teacher want to have a box full of crap for 9 months? I don't see why they can't confiscate the item and return at the end of the day.

ETA: I also think the teacher should be responsible for stolen items. I don't think it's a good lesson to be learned. It's one thing if the item was stolen from the owner's possession. But, from someone who has no reason to care about the item or it's value, I don't see the lesson there.

 

[disykat]

I had a June box. Making the teacher responsible for returning all items to students daily and protecting anything the students brought to school is ridiculous IMO. If the student wanted an item back all they had to do was have their parent come get it or write me a note - making it their responsibility, not mine. Most parents actually chose to have their child sweat it out until the next conference, etc.

Do you really want valuable instruction time taken at the end of each day for the teacher to pass back anything she/he confiscated that day? Now, as a sub, I return anything I confiscated at the end of the day because I wouldn't be around for the follow through. As a regular teacher, however, I would want the child to have the responsibility of following through with his parents so they would know he/she had broken the rules and it would act as a deterent to doing it again.

 

[Dee & Greg]

My dear Grandmother was a schoolteacher for over 40 years... she was known as strict but fair. I was her only grandchild, and to say I was spoiled is an understatement! Every Saturday morning she would go to her classroom and redecorate the bulletin boards for the next week. I spent a lot of weekends with her, and would go too. I got to pick out two or three items from her confiscated pile!!! I had chattering teeth, vampire blood, joy-buzzers, and tons of bubble gum!! Boy, would those kids have been mad at me! ( I didn't go to the same school). She was of the school that "you shouldn't have brought it, now it's gone forever"... yeah... to MY house!

 

[Daxx]

If it's something small that they're caught playing with (like a toy), I take it away and return it at the end of the day.

If it's something major (IPod, Cell Phone, GameBoy, jewelry, etc.), it goes to the office where it's kept in a locked locker in the principal's office until the end of the day. At the end of the day, it's returned to the student. Note -- jewelry, unless it's of the religious variety, is not allowed in my school. Girls will wear an expensive ring or bracelet and they have to leave them in the office. Necklaces can be tucked into their shirts.

What if something's stolen from my desk? Well, I haven't had that problem. I guess that's one bonus of being a Kdg. teacher. They only bring in small toys and nothing major! However, I did have a student bring in Mommy's diamond ring for show and tell!!! That went straight into the locker and Mom was called so she knew where the ring was.

However, in DS's school, although they aren't allowed, a student brought in a GameBoy. Someone took it and the games. They requested that the "culprit" turn it in. When nobody did, the principal went through backpacks and found it in one child's backpack. The child confessed to stealing it.

 

[Blondy876]

Now my mother would have said "If you brought something to school that you shouldn't have and the teacher took it and then it got stolen, it's your fault for bringing a forbidden item to school in the first place, so too bad for you."

See, my parents were very big into actions and their consequences, and personal responsibility, which no longer seems to be a parenting rule these days. These days it seems to be "it's not your fault sweetie" for everything.

You have to be kidding me. You expect children and parents to take responsibility for themselves. Please, it's so much easier to hang the teacher and burn the body. (I hope you can read the sarcasm in that)

I agree with you 100%.

In my class if a child brings in an item (not glasses or meds. they are in a different category) I will take it and give it to the office and the office will call the parents. Then the parent has to stop by to pick it up. If the item gets lost or stolen while at the school then its on the kid and parent. A very clear letter is sent home at the beginning of the school year detailing the policy. It also clearly states that while we will do our best to return the item in the same condition it arrived in it's not our problem if something happens to it. If it is that important it should have stayed at home.

 

[daisyduck123]

Yes they should get it back.

If the Teacher took it they are responsible for keeping it safe and should have to replace it. I bet their stuff is somewhere it isn't getting stolen.

Teacher here...I don't have anything in my desk worth stealing. I leave my purse, locked in my car everyday. The kids are told over & over that they should not bring anything to school. It's put in the newsletters & mentioned on Back to School night. If, after all that, someone brings something they shouldn't to school....I put it away. If I happen to remember about it later, then they get it back.

Thank goodness that I've maybe had kids bring in something like that once in the last 5 years. For the teacher bashers...flame away! For the other parents...thanks for understanding and having your kids keep the "contraband" items at home.

I'm already playing mother & nurse to so many students. I shouldn't have to be "keeper of the electronic toys" too.

 

[Talking Hands]

Well, that is what I told my oldest one last night. It wasn't much, he'd taken in his new mini finger board and was showing it off to his friends during study time. I've only dealt with this once before (a fake cell phone when he was in kindergarten, LOL). I did used to search his pockets and backpack before, but really thought he had grown out of it. Not sure if he meant to take it or had it in his jacket pocket and just forgot and then took the opportunity to show it.

Regardless it got taken but got stolen before the end of the day.....figured it was just a loss. But then I started thinking.....what if it had been a cell phone or a gameboy? I really think that the teachers should have a safer more secure place of putting all this stuff if it is getting stolen from her desk. If it had been a more expensive item I just don't think I would have been so easy to say "oh well, shouldn't have taken it out in class and had it in school in the first place".

At most schools I have subbed in any item of worth is taken to the main office and given to the principal's secretary (Game Boys, cells, etc). Teachers take less valuable stuff and tuck it in their desk or cabinet. Much of the time with the younger we just tell them to put it back in the backpack and call the parent and ask that they not be sent to school.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Thank goodness that I've maybe had kids bring in something like that once in the last 5 years. For the teacher bashers...flame away! For the other parents...thanks for understanding and having your kids keep the "contraband" items at home.

I'm already playing mother & nurse to so many students. I shouldn't have to be "keeper of the electronic toys" too.

Ohhhhh good grief!!!!
How typical.

Here is a huge heads-up.
If my child needs a mother - CALL ME
If my child needs a nurse - You know where the nurses office is.

You are not my childs parent, you are not my childs nurse, or anything else.

You are a teacher. And, if policy dictates confiscation of personal items (including placing any items of value in safekeeping) , then yes, that is part of your job. I highly suggest you take a deep breath and get over it.

If you want to play the huge martyr and include 'keeper of electronic toys' in with your long list of other miraculous tasks... then, hey, whatever.

According to your own post, you have only seen a handful of such instances... Boy, us parents are just jumping at the opportunity to encourage our kids to bring contraband into your classroom and make your life miserable!!!

But, never mind me.... Let the parent bashing continue.

 

[Talking Hands]

Asthma runs in our family. When the kids in my family were in elementary the school rule was the nurse kept the inhalers.

I was able with the help of my pediatrician to get permission for my daughter to carry her inhaler with her. We fixed it so it was clipped to her pants. She had to take a dose prior to her music classes because the rosin would bring on an attack.
Any teacher with good sense would not take an inhaler from a child.

 

[TheRatPack]

Well, yet again the main purpose of my post was totally turned and is now a cage match against teachers and parents LOL

My main concern was not that the teachers took the items, he shouldn't have taken the item to school....no issue with that at all. My issue is that if it had been a more expensive item I might have not been so quick to let it go on the schools part.

I don't expect them to be a storage facility for my childs things, but I do think that if you're going to take something away (whether it be at school, or walking in a store and leaving other packages at the front register), you should be somewhat accountable for those items.

As far as holding kids accountable, oh trust me...not an issue here. My son doesn't even think I have a problem with what happened and he won't. I keep these thoughts in my own head and discuss them at night in the bed with his father.....he doesn't hear me questioning his teachers or other adults in front of him.

So on with the match....round 4 ding ding ding. But truthfully, it's not about the item being taken away...just really questioned it being stolen after the fact.