Paddling in Schools: Would You Support It?

A trip to the principal’s office in Marion County elementary schools might mean more for misbehaving students than a call to parents and possible detention detail. Principals there have been given the green light to paddle unruly pupils.

The county’s school board decided April 23 that it was high time this once banned practice was brought back into the educational system. Citing repeat disciplinary problems with students where nothing else worked to get kids on track, board member Carol Ely, a retired principal, put the idea on the table.

While the measure passed, principals don’t have carte blanche to paddle kids. Principals must first obtain standing written permission from parents, and they must get verbal permission before each paddling. A child can only be paddled – three hits on the rear – once a semester and those strikes must occur in the presence of a witness.

Here’s what we’d like your take on, Tampa Bay: How do you feel about paddling in schools? Would you support your school district if it decided to bring back the practice? Share your thoughts by commenting below!