Possibility of my son attending school with a murderer

[Mesa]

I would absolutely homeschool my kids or look into a private school. I homeschool my oldest and my 6 yr old is in kindy this year... I was planning on letting my 6 yr old attend school next year since he is in a wonderful gifted program at school. I'm not so sure now. This story reminded me of how bad the public schools have gotten... the safety of our kids isnt always the priority there.
Homeschooling is a wonderful fit for some families... but it isnt for everyone. There are wonderful homeschool forums called welltrainedmind.com/forums
and one called homeschoolspot.com
Look into you options and get an idea as to what you will do should that child be allowed into the public schools again.

 

[AndreaGS]

The details don't sound pretty. If there's a gag order concerning abuse and molestation, how are you supposed to know whether or not this kid snapped or is just sociopathic?

Sorry, I wouldn't want my kid in the same school as him. I just wouldn't want to take any chances.

 

[EngieKisses]

I agree with Pip&peeps! However, I went to school with a kid who had been playing with a gun at home and shot his brother. I did not know that until I was out of high school, my mother knew somehow though. Unfortunantly, this kid was beaten up almost daily and his self-esteem tanked to a level I had recognized as a child. He was never charged, it was an accident, but he was messed up, dropped out towards the beginning of high school.

 

[toletiquesbysam]

It is a very sad story, and you just feel that there is alot more to this story than they are coming out with. But would I want my children being in the same school with him..........No! I do feel for the boy but his way of handling the situation he was in was to kill 2 people, and that is just wrong on soo many levels and at 8yrs old to think of that and actually do it tells me something is not right with this childs thinking!!

 

[Cetawin]

I agree with you...no matter what has happened an 8 year old should not have the mental capacity to murder and the fact he did...there is a big problem. Chances are he will do it again at some point. Sad.

 

[bheila]

Quote:
The sad reality of it is, your son is probably already going to school with several students capable of that kind of violence. They just haven't shown it yet......most of the murderers/violent criminals you hear about are older, not in elementary school.

 

[toletiquesbysam]

Quote:
The sad reality of it is, your son is probably already going to school with several students capable of that kind of violence. They just haven't shown it yet......most of the murderers/violent criminals you hear about are older, not in elementary school.

But I think that is why this concerns the OP sooo much, is that fact that this is an 8yr old (now 9yr old) who shot not one but 2 men dead. Him having these thoughts and acting on them at this young age is beyond what most of us can comprehend!
What happens when he's picked on and he doesn't like it, will he again revert to what he knows and shoot the kids picking on him?? It's just a situation she doesn't want her son to be a part of.

 

[orcasislandchickens]

The sentencing issue in murder cases as far as I am concerned is the need to protect the rest of society, since as a civilized society we don't just pack power, and gun down others at will, even mostly for our own protection. What provoked this child, or why, should not even enter into a decision about him returning to school. The other chicldren should be able to attend school and give their time and attention on the job at hand- learning. Convicted murderers of any age do not belong on an elementary school playground, period. Parents are asked to entrust their children to the school, and they have every right to see them returned home safe, sound, and happy at the end of the day.

No way would my children attend a public school that even considered such an action. Home school if you have the education and energy, or get your children into a GOOD private school if you don't.

 

[WriterofWords]

Trying to word this very carefully,,, I've been on both sides of this coin, as a parent and as a teacher. In the last 5 years since I came down from high school to teach 6th grade, I've had 3 students with criminal backgrounds, assault, sexual assault, murder, assault with intent. The first time I found out I was going to have a student who at that time was 12, who had been out of public school for 4 years, because he killed another young child who was bullying him, I was horrified. My first thought was I want out, I don't want him in my class, will my students be safe, will I be safe? My second thought was it was wrong to put that child in public school in the same area as the crime happened because it was still very fresh in the minds of the community. I knew the student had arrived the moment I pulled in view of the school because there were parents picketing the school. Some held signs that said "Murderer go home!!!" others said awful things concerning the teacher that would take this child, me.
I had things thrown at my truck, at me, I was called vile names because I would allow this child into my classroom. First off if I wanted a job, I had no say. Second, I found out he was put in my class on purpose because the administration felt I could handle it, I could protect all involved and I could be objective. We had meetings with the counselors and parents, I got what information I could on the case, I read everything I could find and I asked a lot of questions. It was the roughest 3 months of my entire career, including my time teaching VBD high school students.
The child was scared to death to face all the parents that were held behind police lines for his safety, not thiers. I had held parent meetings to explain what was going to happen, that he would be in my classroom, he would not be allowed in the general population alone, he would be with me before school, during lunch, at all breaks, and with me until picked up by a parent. I was lucky, I only lost 2 students to parents who just couldn't handle it. I didn't blame them at all, I know how I would have reacted with my history of members of my family being murdered, my little sisters 8 and 6, my step mother, and a close friend.
It took a lot of praying, tolerance, and it got easier for me as I realized I had to not only be concerned about the effect on the other students, but how it was going affect him being ostracized, not allowed to interact outside of the classroom, be called horrible names by students and adults alike. I got to know him very well, he's still in touch with me, he told me all about what happened and why, even though I never asked him to. It was a horrible, horrible situation.
It was hard, but it paved the way for me with the next two I got.

You have to look at everything you can, and follow your heart. It won't be easy on anyone involved and for the child's safety and to have any shot of a halfway normal life he should not be in school in the same community the crime happened. He'll never be allowed to grow past it. I'll pray for all of you involved, and trust that it will work out in a good way for all.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

I had a student at school who at the age of 9 pushed a younger family member into a well and watched him drown, put the lid back on the well and went home to dinner. He didn't tell anyone about what happen until after the body was found. He's had to be removed from his family and county for his own protection. He has to be in a foster placement where he is the only one and no children in the home. At school, he has what is called a 1on1. The other kids can't even use the bathroom the same time.

My question is....

What makes these kids do this? Don't give me it's the way the world is now ,it's how they were raise, yada, yada, yada. Not all of us had a fairytale upbringings but we aren't axe murderers. What causes those few to snap? These days more than a few?