Did anyone else read the May 2007 story in Reader's Digest titled "No Mercy, Kid" ?

When I read articles like that, I am so glad my kid isn't in public school.How do they justify suspending a five year old for "sexual harrassment" because he pinched another child on the rear. That record will follow him through out his school career.

And we've all heard about the boy scout that forgot the pocket knife he used on a camping trip was still in his pocket. H was suspended for 45 days and made to attend an "alternative" school, even though he had never been a behavior problem before.
Is this zero tolerance or just zero common sense?

I was a substitute teacher for 4 years and I got to see some pretty stupid decisions made just in elementry school.

The saddest thing I remember seeing was a paper that a third grader had been made to write. I saved it, because it was then and there, that I knew what I had to do for my son.
During Christmas break of 2nd grade, he started asking me to homeschool him. I had no idea he even knew what it was. It took me another year to listen to him. God knew what he needed, I just wasn't ready to listen. This paper helped me make the best decision I have ever made.

This is what the child had to write: "I will learn to walk in a line. This means I will fold my arms for the whole time, stay in the first white square, look to the front, keep to my space, and most importantly, I will not talk at all. If I don't do this, I will copy this paragraph over every day until I learn to follow the teacher's rules. My parents will also sign this paper every time I have to copy it.
(The floors had tiles that the teachers used to space the kids out in line while waiting to use the bathroom.) The poor child had written it eight times.
I'm so glad I finally listened to God and my son.