WAPO on CORPORAL PUNISHMENT:  Progressives hate any kind of school discipline.  They complain bitterly that school suspensions (even brief in-school suspensions) make things worse by keeping students out of the classroom and hence causing them to fall behind in their education.  But when they are reminded that’s precisely why our grandparents thought a quick swat on the buttocks was the better way to deal with misbehaving younger children, they freak out.

I am not here to advocate for corporal punishment.  I teach law students (most of whom could best me in a fair fights), so I have no special insight into how to maintain an orderly classroom of young children.  But here is the thing I cannot abide:  WAPO tells us that “disabled” students are subjected to more corporal punishment than non-disabled students. Quelle surprise!  We define “disabled” to include students with behavioral disorders.  How do you identify students with behavioral disorders?  They are the ones who have misbehaved a lot in the past, of course!  So what has WAPO told us?  Student who misbehave a lot get punished a lot!  Brilliant.

One way or another, teachers have to maintain order in the classroom.  Otherwise, learning won’t take place.  Maybe it shouldn’t be corporal punishment.  Maybe it shouldn’t be suspensions.  But what’s it going to be?