College Application Process

Expelled for Smoking Pot: What Parents Need to Know

Most private schools have Codes of Discipline that will not tolerate substance abuse. Smoking pot or drinking alcohol are common examples of substance abuse. I am bringing this up because many parents think that they can appeal disciplinary action a school brings against students. The problem is that students attending a private school are covered by what is known as contract law. In a public school they would have rights. That is not the case in a private school. Students' rights are clearly spelled out in the contract parents and the school sign.

Here, then, are some common questions parents have about private school discipline and how infractions of the school's discipline code are usually handled.

Parent: My child has been expelled for smoking pot at their private school. I'm shocked and don't understand why the consequences are so severe. Can you explain?

School: We understand this is a difficult situation. Private schools have strict policies regarding substance abuse, including marijuana use. When students break these rules, they face immediate consequences, often including expulsion. This is because private schools operate under contract law, which allows them to take action in disciplinary matters compared to what can happen in public schools.

Basically, it means that if you go to a private school, you are not covered by the same laws as you were when you attended public school. Private schools are covered by something called contract law. It

I have been writing about corporal punishment in K-12 schools since 1999. Frankly, I am appalled that 19 states in 2019 still permit corporal punishment in their public and private schools. As of 2019, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming have not banned corporal punishment. The United States does not have a federal law prohibiting corporal punishment in public or private schools, much less in the home. State and local laws govern education in almost every respect. Local and state taxes fund public education. Therefore, it has been the local and state authorities which make the rules regarding how students are disciplined.

What is corporal punishment?

UNICEF defines corporal punishment as “any punishment in which physical force is used and intended to cause some degree of pain or discomfort, however light. Most involve hitting (“smacking”, “slapping”, “spanking”) children, with the hand or with an implement "

How many children are involved with corporal punishment?

"A total of 163,333 children were subject to corporal punishment in these states’ public schools during the 2011–2012 school year.

What are the negative consequences of corporal punishment?"

Why do 19 states still permit corporal punishment? posits that corporal punishment still exists because administrators and teachers think it does some good. They base their decision to use corporal punishment not on any evidence drawn from research but rather from their own opinions and feelings.

We parents hold our breath as our children enter the teenage years. They face so many temptations. They cope with so much peer pressure. Popular culture bombards them with notions of what is acceptable and what's cool. What's a parent to do? Sometimes it seems as though we are swimming against the tide. A very strong tide.

Regardless of what pressures our teenagers face, our job as responsible parents is to teach our children that there will be consequences for their actions. Some consequences are positive. Others will be negative. For example, when our teenagers learn to drive, they are taught that it is illegal to run a red light. Or to drink and drive. Those consequences seem pretty obvious. Most teenagers, but not all, tend to obey those basic rules. That's the point. We try very hard to teach our teenagers that rules are there for a purpose. You perhaps many not agree with the reason for the rule. You do, however, have to be aware of the rules and obey them.

But what about the consequences our children might face for breaking the rules in a private school? You see, private and public schools are very different when it comes to discipline. The difference between public and private schools becomes even more noticeable when handling big issues such as substance abuse, among other disciplinary matters. Most private schools will have immediate consequences for

Uniforms and Dress Codes

More and more private schools are adopting dress codes as opposed to uniforms. You will still find uniforms in religious, parochial, and military schools. Perhaps the most famous school uniform is the one worn by boys at Eton College. While it is still worn every day, the uniforms worn in American schools are a lot less formal if, indeed, a uniform is worn at all.

One of the reasons a dress code is more popular is that it gives some modicum of self-expression while at the same time maintaining a standard of dress. Oversized clothing, all-black outfits, extreme hairstyles, and other symbols of gangs and fringe activities are simply not on.

This dress code from Foxcroft School is typical of the sort of dress code you can expect at a girls' school:

"Foxcroft's dress code is fairly simple – khaki or black pants or skirts with solid-colored, collared blouses which are tucked in. Shoes (which may not be athletic shoes) must have closed toes and backs. Dress code is required during the Academic Day."

McCallie School offers a pretty detailed description of what's acceptable and what's not at that fine all-boys school in a Dress Code Letter:

"Regular school dress requirements/prohibitions are as follows:

1. Students are expected to wear a solid-colored dress shirt with a tie (the tie should be within one inch of the top button on the shirt), long pants with a belt,