Good news, Marion County kids! Paddling might be making a return to your school! Yay!
Carol Ely, an incoming School Board member and former principal, wants to bring corporal punishment back to Marion County schools. And apparently she's going hard to the hoop to make it happen.
A principal at Ocala's Shady Hill Elementary for 14 years, Ely saw paddling as an effective way to keep kids in line.
"It was very effective the way we implemented it. We only did it on very small occasions, but it was for children who were chronic [misbehavers]," Ely said.
But Principal Ballbusters says she won't be bringing a hard giant piece of wood down on your kids' ass without your permission first. Even though she stands by her claims that it works.
"The return rate of children for corporal punishment has been almost zero," she said.
The School Board might bring the paddling initiative up for a vote in a few months.
On the docket today: school lunch changes, new bus routes, and whether or not little Sally should get smacked multiple times with a gargantuan piece of wood for talking back to her teacher.
Most Florida school districts have opted out of using corporal punishment on their students, but just about every county in our state's rural northern area has policies that allow schools to paddle students. Mmm, rural Florida. PARADISE.
Some parents say they would sign off on having their kids paddled, if they had it coming.
"I would let them get a spanking and when they get home they would get another one for disrespecting school," said Linda McClean.
Other parents, however, wouldn't be too fired up at the idea of someone slamming a flat board at little Timmy's buttocks or wrist or whatever the case may be.
"No one should ever hit my kid. It should never be allowed," said Jerrilyn Taylor.
But does it work like Ely insists it does? It's always been tough to put together a real scientific study on the matter, seeing how you can't just go and get little kids to become your test subjects for something like this.
We'll be hitting you on the ass real hard every time you act up for the next two or three years, and you tell the nice lady in the lab coat if you feel better, worse, the same, or undetermined.
Still, according to a study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal last year, long-term effects of corporal punishment on kids don't work and might even have bad effects in the long run.
Having kids being petrified about going to school and making a mistake has bad long-term effects? SHOCKING!
Other studies have shown that kids get resentful toward their teacher or principal rather than giving them respect.
But ours is one of 19 states that still practices terrorizing paddling children, and now Marion County might be joining the party.
Have fun at school, kids!
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