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Oklahoma lawmaker wants to ensure corporal punishment for special needs students remains an option
Efforts to get rid of corporal punishment for students with special needs have ramped up, but Oklahoma has not been successful in getting rid of it in schools.  







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					Updated: 5:13 PM CDT Oct 21, 2024
				
















						Kolby Terrell
					











						Reporter
					










Oklahoma lawmaker wants to ensure corporal punishment for special needs students remains an option
Efforts to get rid of corporal punishment for students with special needs have ramped up, but Oklahoma has not been successful in getting rid of it in schools.  







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					Updated: 5:13 PM CDT Oct 21, 2024
				









													BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS NOW. WELL, ZACH, EFFORTS TO GET RID OF CORPORAL PUNISHMENT FOR STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS HAVE ACTUALLY RAMPED UP RECENTLY, BUT WITH NO SUCCESS. SO, REPRESENTATIVE JIM OLSON. OLSON, WHO’S ACTUALLY BEEN AGAINST GETTING RID OF IT, HELD AN INTERIM STUDY TODAY TO HEAR FROM BOTH SIDES. EFFECTIVE WHEN PROPERLY USED FOR GENERATIONS AND FOR CENTURIES, THERE’S LITTLE RESEARCH EVIDENCE THAT PHYSICAL PUNISHMENT IMPROVES CHILDREN’S BEHAVIOR IN THE LONG TERM. LEGISLATORS HAVE BEEN BUTTING HEADS FOR YEARS OVER CORPORAL PUNISHMENT IN SCHOOLS. REPRESENTATIVE JIM OLSON BELIEVES IT’S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF STUDENTS AND TEACHERS TO MAKE SURE IT STAYS AS AN OPTION. SO HE LED A STUDY ON JUST HOW EFFECTIVE IT IS FOR THOSE SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES THAT ARE COMFORTABLE WITH IT. IT OUGHT TO REMAIN AN OPTION. A RETIRED SUPERINTENDENT USED IT WHEN HE WAS IN CHARGE AND SAYS THEY HAD POLICIES IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE IT’S USED FOR OBEDIENCE AND NOT ABUSE. WE USED IT SPARINGLY AND WITH PERMISSION SLIPS FROM PARENTS. BUT ONE ADVOCATE FOR GETTING PADDLES OUT OF SCHOOLS SAYS THAT’S NOT ALWAYS THE CASE. AND LAWMAKERS SHOULD, ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION WHEN IT COMES TO POSSIBLE CASES OF ABUSE. A CHILD NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO GO SOMEPLACE SAFE. DON’T WE WANT OUR SCHOOLS TO BE THAT SAFE PLACE? FOR YEARS, SOME OF THE LEGISLATURE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO BAN SPANKING ON STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS. RIGHT NOW, STATUTES SAY IT’S ONLY NOT ALLOWED ON STUDENTS WITH MOST SIGNIFICANT COGNITIVE DISABILITIES. MY CONCERNS ARE TAKING LOCAL CONTROL AWAY FROM PARENTS, SCHOOL BOARDS, SCHOOL PROFESSIONALS, AND EVEN THE IEP TEAMS. REPRESENTATIVE JIM OLSON SAYS HE HAS NO INTENTION OF INTRODUCING ANY MORE LEGISLATION ON THIS SUBJECT. HE JUST WANTS TO MAKE SURE OKLAHOMA KEEPS IT
											






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Oklahoma lawmaker wants to ensure corporal punishment for special needs students remains an option
Efforts to get rid of corporal punishment for students with special needs have ramped up, but Oklahoma has not been successful in getting rid of it in schools.  







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					Updated: 5:13 PM CDT Oct 21, 2024
				













						Kolby Terrell
					











						Reporter
					









						Efforts to get rid of corporal punishment for students with special needs have ramped up, but Oklahoma has not been successful in getting rid of it in schools.  On Monday, state Rep. Jim Olsen, who has been against getting rid of the punishment, led an interim study to hear from both sides.    "It has been effective when properly used for generations and for centuries," Olsen, a Republican, said. Legislators have been butting heads for years over corporal punishment in schools.   "There’s little research evidence that physical punishment improves children’s behavior in the long term," David Blatt, an advocate attending the interim study, said. Olsen said he believes it is in the best interest of students and teachers to make sure it stays as an option. He led the interim study to show how effective it is.   "For those schools and communities that are comfortable with it, it ought to remain an option," Olsen said. A retired superintendent used it when he was in charge and says that they had policies in place to make sure it was used for obedience and not abuse. “We used it sparingly and with permission slips from parents," Greg Reynolds, a retired superintendent, said. One advocate for getting paddles out of schools said that it is not always the case, and lawmakers should err on the side of caution when it comes to possible cases of abuse.  "A child needs to be able to go someplace safe. Don’t we want our schools to be that safe place?" Blatt said. For years, some lawmakers have been trying to ban spanking on students with special needs. Statute says it's only not allowed on students with the "most significant cognitive disabilities."  "My concerns are taking local control away from parents, school boards, school professionals and even the IEP (Individualized Education Program) team," Reynolds said. Olsen said he has no intention of introducing more legislation on the issue. He just wanted to ensure that Oklahoma leaves it as an option. Top Headlines Police      release identity of 18-year-old clerk fatally stabbed at northwest OKC      convenience store TIMELINE:      Parts of Oklahoma may see storms with hail threat on Monday Get      the Facts: How does the Electoral College work? Oklahoma      bank fails, closed by federal agency 2      transported to hospital after fight leads to crash in southwest OKC
					

Efforts to get rid of corporal punishment for students with special needs have ramped up, but Oklahoma has not been successful in getting rid of it in schools.  On Monday, state Rep. Jim Olsen, who has been against getting rid of the punishment, led an interim study to hear from both sides.    






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"It has been effective when properly used for generations and for centuries," Olsen, a Republican, said. Legislators have been butting heads for years over corporal punishment in schools.   "There’s little research evidence that physical punishment improves children’s behavior in the long term," David Blatt, an advocate attending the interim study, said. Olsen said he believes it is in the best interest of students and teachers to make sure it stays as an option. He led the interim study to show how effective it is.   
"For those schools and communities that are comfortable with it, it ought to remain an option," Olsen said. 

A retired superintendent used it when he was in charge and says that they had policies in place to make sure it was used for obedience and not abuse. “We used it sparingly and with permission slips from parents," Greg Reynolds, a retired superintendent, said. One advocate for getting paddles out of schools said that it is not always the case, and lawmakers should err on the side of caution when it comes to possible cases of abuse.  "A child needs to be able to go someplace safe. Don’t we want our schools to be that safe place?" Blatt said. For years, some lawmakers have been trying to ban spanking on students with special needs. Statute says it's only not allowed on students with the "most significant cognitive disabilities."  "My concerns are taking local control away from parents, school boards, school professionals and even the IEP (Individualized Education Program) team," Reynolds said. Olsen said he has no intention of introducing more legislation on the issue. He just wanted to ensure that Oklahoma leaves it as an option. Top Headlines Police      release identity of 18-year-old clerk fatally stabbed at northwest OKC      convenience store TIMELINE:      Parts of Oklahoma may see storms with hail threat on Monday Get      the Facts: How does the Electoral College work? Oklahoma      bank fails, closed by federal agency 2      transported to hospital after fight leads to crash in southwest OKC





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They locked kids in padded closets and turned the light off from inside at Lincoln Elementary here in Michigan as recent as 1999.