Pubdate: Fri, 07 Mar 2003
Source: Times-News, The (ID)
Copyright: 2003 Magic Valley Newspapers
Contact:  http://www.magicvalley.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/595
Author: Cierra C. Noble

PUNISH ROBERTS JUST AS SHE PUNISHED STUDENTS

I was a student at Bickel School while Ms. Roberts was the principal there. 
My name is Cierra C. Noble, and I'm in the sixth grade at Bickel School.

Ms. Roberts did a lot of good things for our school, but that doesn't make 
her a good principal. She did, in my opinion, punish us more severely than 
we should have been for little things. Now I remember from last year, a boy 
in my brother's class was at Bickel School. This boy was arrested, expelled 
and tried for sliding a book across a desk at another student that was 
bothering him. He was accused of assault and put on probation. I don't 
think Ms. Roberts' punishment was fair.

Now I know Ms. Roberts used a very strict, no-tolerance policy on us. If 
that's the case, why should her rule not apply to her? I believe she should 
be treated like she treated us -- with no mercy or tolerance. I feel, along 
with my family and neighbors, that Ms. Roberts is only getting a slap on 
the hand and told not to do it again. What kind of an example is that 
setting for us kids when people are trying to get us to do drugs?

I think a lot of kids, teens and even adults are thinking they can mail 
themselves a pound of pot and get away with it. I read in the newspaper 
that she said she didn't think she would be caught. Well, Ms. Roberts, I 
have a news flash for you. No one thinks they will get caught -- if it's 
robbing a bank, doing drugs or murdering a person, the law will get you and 
"I didn't think I would get caught" is no excuse for doing it. So I think 
when she was caught with the pot, she threw her career away for drugs.

Even if she slips past the punishment, I don't think she should be allowed 
to go back to teaching. I don't know what you want, but I don't want a 
druggie teaching my family or me. But that is just what I think. Someone 
could think totally opposite of this.

CIERRA C. NOBLE

Twin Falls
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