A charter school in Memphis is reviewing their policies after a note from one of their eighth-grade teachers to her students went viral.
Mrs. White, who works at Aspire Hanley Middle School in Memphis, Tennessee, recently caused an outrage when she made her own rules about bathroom breaks.
Students typically have to be excused from class if they want to leave the classroom. It could be for either to go to the bathroom, nurse, or what have you, and they usually need some kind of hall pass so that other staff walking around knows that the child isn’t skipping out on school.
It’s a fine process that’s been implemented in schools for years and years.
Mrs. White’s note specified that she will only allot students two passes for the entire month during her class.
Students go to school five days a week, about four weeks in a month. That’s give or take 20 days out of the month, and they’re only allowed to leave twice.
Mrs. White also states that she’s happy to talk to her students about it “although nothing will change,” she sternly concludes.
At the very end, she gives her words on what happens if you lose the pass: “I’m sorry, try again month.” It almost sounds like a cruel joke?
But it gets even worse. The teacher then refers to herself as “petty” and even goes as far to say that she can deny the student of taking their break, even if they hadn’t reached their two-time limit that month.
A mother of one of the students at Aspire Hanley Middle School first posted the note last week on Facebook, but it appears to have been taken down.
Jaadee Sykes told BuzzFeed News she’s Facebook friends with the parent, and felt compelled to shared the note on Twitter because she thought it was abhorrent.
”This shows someone with control issues who has no power or authority at home, so they bring what little power they have to the one place where they will have no resistance: the classroom,” Sykes said.
Superintendent Nickalous Manning told LocalMemphis.com the note has prompted an internal investigation.
”On August 29, 2018, it was discovered that 8th grade students at Hanley Middle School were given a document restricting bathroom and nurse visits that was inconsistent with our school’s actual policies, our mission, and our values,” Manning said in a statement.
In a statement to BuzzFeed News, Altovise Boyd, the regional director of student services, said the investigation is ongoing and that they have “convened [the] full team to review all relevant policies and procedures.”
While we still wait for all the answers, parents are blowing up social media with their opinions.
Parents are saying this teacher’s attempt to control her students bathroom behavior is downright wrong.
“Yes, lets all make poor children hold their bladders bc them going to the restroom is a nuisance for you. My child has my permission to walk out of whoever’s class if they tell him he cant go,” one mom tweeted.
However, there are a few siding with Mrs. White. “My god, people. Teacher makes a mistake in handling a situation that is obviously very frustrating for her and you folks are prepared to destroy her,” a parent wrote.
What do you think of this note? What would you do if your child came home with something like this?
