JACKSONVILLE -- Corporal punishment still exists in two-thirds of Florida's school systems, even though it has been abandoned by most of the larger districts, state records show. There were 11,000 spanking incidents in the state last year, down from 184,000 in the 1981-1982 school year. Most of the larger school systems -- including Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties -- haven't used corporal punishment in the past five years.

Duval County leads the state in the number of spankings, with more than 15,000 issued in the last 10 years, according to Florida Department of Education records obtained by The Florida Times-Union for an article published Monday.

``I think it's a punishment that swings either very positive or very negative,'' Duval County School Board member Vicki Drake said. ``There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of middle ground.''

The Duval County Parent Teacher Association goes along with the national PTA position in opposing corporal punishment.

``What does it teach children? That I'm bigger than you, therefore I can hit you? There are other methods you can use with children,'' said Reta Russell-Houghton, president of the Duval County PTA.

Clay County Superintendent David Owens said that while he considers corporal punishment an effective disciplinary tool, he is concerned about possible litigation.

``We're living in a sue-happy society these days,'' Owens said. ``It's not something I recommend because of the possible lawsuits involved.''

Still, corporal punishment is an option open to any Clay County school administrator as a final resort without having to notify parents, he said. Last year, there were 134 spankings in Clay County, according to state records.

But Jim Welu, St. Johns County director of student services and testing, said spanking is obsolete and was used years ago because the only other discipline option schools had was out-of-school suspensions.

In St. Johns, students are punished with in-school suspensions or by having to pick up trash or clean graffiti in the schools, he said.

``Teachers today have more options to encourage positive change rather than spank them,'' Welu said.

Source: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-112corporal,0,6489512.story?coll=sfla-news-florida.

---

Sun-Sentinel Send a letter to the editor at http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-letterseditor.customform Florida Department of Education Commissioner Jim Horne Florida Department of Education, Office of the Commissioner 325 W. Gaines Street Suite 1514 Tallahassee, Florida 32399 Phone: (850) 245-0505 Fax: (850) 245-9667 Email: commissioner@fldoe.org Baker County Schools Contact Information Souce: http://www.baker.k12.fl.us/contact.html District Office 392 South Boulevard East Macclenny, FL 32063 (904) 259-6251 Fax (904) 259-2825 Superintendent of Schools Paula T. Barton, Superintendent (904) 259-0401 Gayvone Demers, Executive Secretary (904) 259-0401 Glenn McKendree, Associate Superintendent (904) 259-0428 Baker County School Board District I Earl Dwight Crews, Vice Chairperson 12458 Hamp Register Road Glen St. Mary, FL 32040 (904) 275-2112 District II Dean Griffis 3781 Richard Griffis Lane Macclenny, FL 32063 (904) 259-6319 District III Jeanine L. Harvey 419 Jerry Circle Macclenny, FL 32063 (904) 259-2246 District IV James Paul Raulerson 12729 North County Road 125 Glen St. Mary, FL 32040 (904) 259-2872 District V Patricia C. Weeks, Chairperson 7769 Forest Circle Glen St. Mary, FL 32040 (904) 259-3674 email: drweeks2@nefcom.net