Q: When educators are not allowed by the principal to use any method of discipline except to have students copy the definition of the word "respect" from a thin paperback dictionary X times, how do you think this will keep the students from showing total disrespect for teachers & administration?

A: There is no discipline.

That is exactly the situation I was in during the last year which I was teaching--in the mid 80's.    The way we were supposed to use discipline was to "catch" the kid in the act of doing something correct & praise them for it. This was supposed to take care of all discipline problems. This might work for a few children, but certainly not with the rough kids we had at that school. When discussing it with some very experienced teachers once, one of them satirically quipped, "Thank you for not blowing up the USA today, mr. kadaffi, here's a sticker." (it gives me chills now to think of THAT!)

The kindergarten teacher finally called a mother at home, in frustration, because the little boy refused to pee into the toilet, but insisted on peeing all over the walls & the floor of the boys' room. The mother sighed & said she had the same problem with the kids father & the older brothers, too.

The same principal told me & the 3rd grade teacher that if we suspected any kind of child abuse re a specific child who came back after a long absence with severe burns over half her body & other injuries--we were not to report it or else we'd be fired. She said the school system didn't need any more lawsuits.
   **This is true--I couldn't make this stuff up!!**

Sometimes it's easy to blame the teachers. It is certainly not easy for parents these days to instill discipline in themselves, much less their children.   I keep hearing many people preaching about fundamental "Christianity" and how people should vote for leaders with morals--do they think that their kids are going to learn these morals through osmosis via the elected officials? If every preacher would get behind the pulpit each Sunday & preach that people must be responsible & truly live by the rules they spout--like they should behave kindly when behind the wheel & road rage is not allowed--, that parents are responsible for the words, actions & attitudes of their children, that parents must teach by example, things might be different.
    I'm not holding my breath. I'm not teaching, either.