Teacher Threatened With Fine For Violating Michelle Obama’s Snack Rules

http://www.thefederalistpapers.org/...ine-for-violating-michelle-obamas-snack-rules

snip - the linky has the rest

one more tool taken away from classroom teachers to maintain structure and discipline.....

I can't grade homework, because "that doesn't reflect their knowledge, it reflects their behavior, and you can't grade behavior"
I can't assign detention
I can't paddle


I get it, negative consequences for behavior management are out.... but now, positive behavior techniques are being eliminated, too.

in my special needs class.... the kids respond well to positive rewards..... from high-fives, to getting into the treasure box at the end of the day, to yes, even candies. To take that tool away from me, is to take away something that my kids respond to.


The second issue is that this is a federally mandated anything in schools that are supposed to be state run. But, just like with the federal govt controlling how states bumped the drinking age up to 21 from 18, the feds will dangle the "fed funds" carrot in front of budget strapped states and say "here's free monies.... just make sure you comply with the rules we determine" and bam.... feds are now in control of state run educational institutions.....

A few different sites have different end results of this incident, some say she was facing fines, some said she was fined, some say she escaped with nothing..... either way, the fact that a teacher was investigated for things that aren't a crime is ridiculous....

 

This is a localized issue. I know of teachers from many different districts who use the same technique without consequence, often with administrative blessing.

Where are you at that you can't do these things? I use these techniques all the time.

Good.

I double the work for behavior problems.

The ironic thing is I doubt there is anything in the federal school lunch regulations that specifically forbids using candy as positive reinforcement. It's likely a localized interpretation.

 

Are poorly written opinion pieces really the best source of information? I think any news source that uses the term "brown shirts" in a news story is pretty much indicative of highly partisan editorializing.

First, this entire incident is alleged. There are no names, no indication that this happened or was dreamed up in the minds of the right wing blogosphere.

Second, the connection to the First Lady seems, at best, fictional. In my opinion, fictional and specious.

Third, any teacher that has to use candy to teach sounds to me to be a fairly poor teacher.

 

MOD EDIT - Rule 3 I can tell you for a fact that specially with Autistic kids small rewards are used often for positive behavior. Be it a small piece of candy, a small toy, time on a game system etc etc etc...

If interested you can start here

http://www.appliedbehavioralstrategies.com/basics-of-aba.html

MOD EDIT - Rule 3

 

If you follow your sources source to the original source story, it indicates, "The West Virginia Board of Education Policy states that food cannot be used as a reward and it cannot be withheld as a punishment. Policy also sets standards for School Nutrition, food and drink offered to students at school must meet certain guidelines. Mingo County Schools released a statement stating the WVBOE guidelines were developed to help educators encourage students to make healthy decisions. If not followed, schools can be required to return federal food service money, lose eligibility for state and federal food service programs, or bring about similar consequences to the entire county.

Mingo County Schools has been providing all students who attend its elementary, middle, and high schools a free and nutritious breakfast and lunch since 2011. Many schools also provide fresh fruit, salad bars, and healthy snacks as well.

All 11 Mingo County schools received the Silver Award from the HealthierUS School Challenge, and continue to work with local community organizations to encourage students, staff, and parents to make healthier choices both at school and at home." http://www.williamsondailynews.com/news/home_top-news/153790868/Candy-reward-causes-backlash


Seems more a state policy than a mandate of Michelle Obama

 

Since when did anyone give a (*)(*)(*)(*) what Michelle Obama had to say?

 

Right because if you don't, there's no way anyone else could.

 

MOD EDIT - Rule 3

Secondly your portrayal of what happen is fiction. Apologize for this nonsense.

http://www.williamsondailynews.com/news/home_top-news/153790868/Candy-reward-causes-backlash


BTW this rule is common in early childhood programs and has been for at least two decades.
By the way these antiquated behaviorist ideas fail all the time. Lazy teachers use them.

 

Well the thread is based on her rules... That she made up...

So, for this particular discussion, she's kind of important.

 

What law?

Tell me please that you misspoke using the word "law".

 

What she thinks seems to become "rules" so of course its valid to discuss it.

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Positive reinforcement is hardly "antiquated".

 

I understand that. I was speaking on your decision to join the conversation.

 

So now conservatives want the freedom to rot our children's teeth and give them diabetes?

 

Suuuure, because every child that eats candy gets rotted teeth and diabetes!



Suprised you didn't toss in the obesity card.

 

Are you suggesting America doesn't have a childhood obesity problem? We dominate planet earth when it comes to fat kids and diabetics.

 

so do we.... but when this is setting a precenent that others can follow eventually. in my state, where tenure was eliminated, but the remaining teachers grandfathered in that can have upwards of 15 years left, get targetted by stuff like this so they are forced to give up their tenure. My current district doesn't do it.... but my last one was known to target remaing tenured teachers this way....

My last school district in Florida. It was a big district surrounded by a ton of rural districts..... I was told, 5 years ago, that I was not allowed to grade homework.

I have had no need to. My current district still allows it, but the principal must do it, not teachers. I'm not against swats, but it's last resort where I'm at.

and my kids are special needs, so paddling isn't an option at all as far as I'm concerned. A downs syndrome kid never needs to be paddled, even when she pulled the fire alarm.....

i'm not in a type of class this is applicable, but I sit through all the same trainings.. using work as punishment is frowned upon in my district, and was in my last one too. Like I said, it's not applicable in my current situation, so I don't worry about that.

interpretations are by district lawyers..... people who are payed to interpret. I doubt any deliberately added things. Another lawyer may interpret it differently, I understand.... but something was interpretted and a teacher was investigated, and possibly fined, or at least reprimanded.

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it was... I was looking for others... and noticed conflicting accounts of the punishment, or lack thereof..... but bottom line, someone was investigated....

 

this is my class. Kids respond to tangibles.... if negative behavior management is gone.... fine.... I like positive behavior management better anyways, but now that's being limited.


My autistic kids, my downs kids, and my brain injured kids respond to candy.... so minus a health issue or concern... there should be no reason I shouldn't be able to give a skittle to reinforce behaviors I like

MOD EDIT - Reply to Deleted

 

no the law is based on what the state decided and in fact those laws were in place before the Obamas were in Washington.

 

That's freaking crazy.

 

Swats are hitting kids and it is a proven failed method.

Your fictional account of what happened shows your agenda.

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Behaviorism has been proven to not create desired outcomes. It fails and yes antiquated.

 

Considering she had nothing to do with this rule..................

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And apparently make up things and blame it on the first lady.

 

Interesting... The article says

Maybe I am mistaken?

 

not all districts have this "rule" I can't say if this WV school had it prior or not.


I have no doubt some schools have had them for years though. Every district is different within each state

 

what Michelle Obama rules, First ladies do not make laws...

I do know that public schools now charge fines for smoking in your car in the parking lot... so I know these things can be done to control people, but I am aware of no such nationwide rule made by the First Lady

.

 

depends on what you mean by failure. My father was changed from left handed to right handed in the 50s based off of ruler swats to the back of the hand. I'm not condoning that and would lose my certificate (rightfully so) if I tried to correct that behavior (or any behavior) using that method..... however.... to say it 'doesn't work' is false.

should we use corporal punishment? that's debatable. I never have, and never will. I don't feel it's necessary to maintain class behavior.... however, I don't need to rely on negative reinforcement techniques because I'm allowed to use tangibles for good behavior for reinforcement. If you take that away, I now am not allowed to use negative behavior support, and I'm not allowed to use positive behavior supports..... what option remain?

Can I shame them like Ca schools do as long as it's to push progressive ideals?


http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2015/02/09/students-opposed-to-lgbt-agenda-shamed-in-classroom.html

its psychology 101.....
http://study.com/academy/lesson/bf-skinner-theories-impact-on-education.html

get a classroom of 30 kids in highschool..... have a bowl full of skittles and ask the first kid.... "who's your favorite teacher?" They will answer something, usually their true favorite teacher, which isn't you..... move to the next child

let them answer. each time they answer someone other than you, you move to the next kid.


Eventually, a kid will answer "you're my favorite teacher" and you give them a skittle.


Now, note the answers for each kid after they discover the "right answer"

You are (skittle)
you are (skittle)
you are (skittle)




after the last kid answers, you start back over with the first kid, and ask them again.... "who's your favorite teacher?" you are (skittle)

when the lesson is done, I have 100% compliance. I just effectively modified the behavior with a tangible.

now, if I'm giving a lesson in math in middleschool.... a very great subject EVERY kid just loves [/sarcasm]..... If I'm giving a lesson and half the class is paying attention, and half the class isn't..... I can address this one of two ways.... start yelling at the kids not paying attention, interupting the lesson, and stopping the learning of the kids who are already on task, or I could just quietly walk around the room, while still teaching, and I put a skittle or grape even (it doesn't have to be candy if that's your objection), on the edge of their desk. Watch how quickly the students who were off task notice.... They will begin to changing their behaviors if the tangible reward is desirable...... the trick is finding what works. Some kids don't like skittles, so a skittle may not be a motivator, maybe a grape, or a cracker is. But most kids like candy.... use sugar free gum in middleschool and they will go to war for you.....

Now, I have more on task behaviors, teaching time continues.... and candy works, despite what someone who has never taught a day in his life posts on a political forum because he's trying to win an e-point on a conservative.

you are so full of how you THINK things should work, you can't accept when different techniques you don't like produce results.....BF skinner technique.... but I'm sure your study in behavior management trumps all teachers, and Skinner himself because you're not a min wage schlub

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I agree 100%.... but apparently, if you don't play ball, you get investigated at the very least. That is my concern, too. Since when does Michelle Obama get to dictate my classroom management?