HOW do you not understand? Substitute teacher showed kids a "magic trick" where he made a toothpic "vanish."

They accused him of "wizardry" and FIRED him.

and also, for anyone who doesn't know, I am 19, and my 6th grade on in schooling sucked MAJOR. I got expelled from my middle school in 7th grade for getting into a physical fight with someone who had physically harmed me before I even touched him, and one time even had the nerve to make fun of my deceased father. I told the principal, school cops and nobody did ****. I was in the bd/ld class due to my ADD/ADHD (diagnosed at 5 or 6 years old. I'm currently "on" methylphenidate (generic ritalin) but I don't really take it because I'm learning to control myself more.) and having problems keeping up with schoolwork, and I was at 4th grade mathematics when I was in 6/7th grade. Anyhow, they expelled me for that, and I went to a BD school.. daily, I was belittled by the teachers, to the point of tears or just walking out of the school and sitting down outside. Nobody really helped me with a lot of things that needed helping.. and I agree with Brad? I think his name is brad.. (sandrock.)

For anyone who doesn't know.. I am 19 years old, I was in LD classes from 6th to 7th grade, I was far behind in Mathematics (Still am, too. Whatever..) and also have ADD and ADHD , diagnosed at 6 years of age. Anyhow, there was another student in this LD class who would take it upon himself to daily, routinely push me into my locker, make harmful remarks to me , and to others about me , and even a few times went as far as to say "Haha your dad killed himself because _insert BS here_" and I'd gotten into a few fights (physical.) with this student. The teachers, the school police officer, and my parents all knew it was happening. They did NOTHING because I'd always be the "louder" one, because I speak up when things are happening that I don't like.. pretty much gave the kid a few "**** you" '* , so.. I ended up getting expelled for those fights, and sent to a BD school for the remainder of 7th called Gages lake school. At 8th, I went across the street to the school Cyd Lash (8th through 12th BD/LD) and found a whole different ballgame. It wasn't like highschool at all, it was constantly being locked down in class all day. We came in at 9AM, went thru metal detectors, teachers search us / our bags, and you couldn't bring in food from restaurants (say Mcdonalds.) or drinks (even if your parents brought it to you..) The first time I felt somewhat normal was when I mainstreamed back to my regular high school for an hour a day soph. year to get my liscense, and then went to Technology Campus at the local college two hours per day for automotive service, with a lot of people from local high schools. That was pretty much all I've ever had.. But the teachers at the high school (Cyd lash) would belittle me, make remarks, treat me poor/unfairly with quite a few things.. Here'* an example. I walk up stairs two steps at a time. My teachers tried GIVING ME A DETENTION for not going up one at a time. Another time, I was in typing class.. Mind you, I'm the fastest / most accurate person with typing in that entire class.. I never use my pinkies except for the enter/shift button on the right, otherwise it'* my other four.. They gave me a lunch detention because I didn't type with my pinkies, so I stirred up enough trouble on purpose that they called my parents, and my stepdad/mother both laughed in their facesabout it, and asked what the problem was if I'm the most accurate one in there.. (85-90 WPM on average) so it'* whatever. I've had quite a few poor experiences with schooling.

I've got a few threads posted here from my old screenname, I'll look 'em up and see if they're still here.

But anyhow, yeah schooling these days is messed up.

Eric, I fully understood the article. I'm just unsure of what'* happening. Isn't anyone worried about kids messing with toothpicks?

i got sent home once because i had white shoe laces on 1 shoe and red on the other. wtf for real.

iirc they were 6th graders

Yeah school is just plain f***ed up these days. I could make a 50 paragraph post on everything wrong with schools and such, But I won't. It was torture for me from 4th and 6th grade (5th grade we briefly moved and went to a diff. school.) After 6th grade I told my mother that I wasn't going back, So we did the home school until the 10th grade. IT was mostly computer programs (virtual textbooks, Cheaper and more eco-friendly) and projects.

There is a HUGE and I mean HUGE Difference in home and public school. one teacher gets 20-30 students to control while its just me and my mother for 4-7 hours a day 4-5 days a week. There is more attentiveness towards me since I'm the only student in the class. Anyhow I won't bore y' all with the details.

Just google home schooling and you'll see all the stories and differences it makes.

its just amazing to me that "wizardry" is even allowed to be an excuse, cmon, the guy did a trick and now is fired, hell, ive had substitute teacher who would let me go early, imo thats a far more serious thing than someone making a toothpick disappear, its just sad what the world has come too


and no radomir, id be much more worried about kids playing with something far more dangerous than a toothpick

Because wizardry is quaint and dainty as compared to poking yourself with a toothpick, it'* relatively more dangerous to show toothpick tricks to children than to show wizardry. I am not worried about kids playing with toothpicks, but tp tricks are a greater threat than wizardry.

Radomir, where I come from...we SOLD homemade cinnamon toothpicks for a quarter each or 6 for a buck I think. Not ONCE did anyone get hurt with them...unless they got a REAL hot one.

Also, where I come from...we brought all kinds of knives to school too. Mostly Swiss Army types, but also a couple Bucks and a butterfly every now and then. Hell, some of our teachers even taught us how to properly sharpen them. Wanna know somethin' funny? There was not one instance of anyone getting hurt with a knife, unless it was through fault of their own.

We also had a class on shotgun safety and then a skeet shoot. And in shop class, some of us built crossbows from kits approved by the school. And these weren't dinky models either.

I too was the social shunt of my school....grade school, junior and senior high school, I was the token geek. Every year I got into a fight because of it. One time it was so bad I was knocked unconcious...I came through and saw my gym coach...we were in the teacher lounge. He goes through the normal questioning..."how many fingers, what'* your name, etc."...I answered them all, he smiled and said " I gotta give you credit...your body can take one helluva beating." That day, that bully got what was coming to him...and the issue was handled internally

Schools these days are NOTHING like that anymore. Everyone nowadays are sue-happy and will sue over anything. That I think is the biggest reason why the school system is the way it is now

My wife is a teacher in Orange county ( who was just fired for next year because of funding issues but thats another post). The problems with the public school system are very difficult to pigeon hole. I will list some of the major ones briefly:

1. Parents who treat school as a day care center that they do not have to pay for. No joke my wife has a parent that refuses to help her son with the homework because " They have a teacher for that. I aint the teacher".
2. Schools are POLITICALLY funded. They cannot afford ANY negative PR. The have no choice but to ditch anyone the causes any kind of fuss. Guilty or not. (toothpics or not LOL)
3. Funding ( for years but hopefully this is changing) is provided based on a standardized test score. This is why we teach to the test..So we can afford to keep teaching.
4. The public school system pays for almost nothing. Each year my wife ( so by association, ME) pays for almost $1000 of school supplies out of our pocket,so the kids will have a more enriching experience in her classroom. And I am not talking about luxuries like computer games. I am talking water colors, posters, and even SOAP for the F'ing bathroom ( NOT PROVIDED)

Right now, the system is so flawed its amazing that any kids graduate meeting minimum standards. This year, instead of increasing funding to public schools the Florida Government passed bills that fund VOUCHERS so you can remove your child and put them in private school..So the message is we give up..try private school..

He got fired for something that doesn't exist?