Letter to Tennessee Department of Education Commissioner Faye Taylor
April 12, 2002

Dear Commissioner Taylor:

It is my understanding that Tennessee "Discipline Act of 2002." (HB 2264) contains the following language:

"...This bill would require each code of acceptable behavior to dictate that students address school faculty and administration with courtesy titles such as "Mr.", "Mrs.", "Sir", and "Ma'am". This bill would further allow use of corporal punishment to enforce behavior codes..."

There is not a shred of evidence that corporal punishment of schoolchildren has any lasting benefit whatsoever -- not for students, not for teachers, not for school systems, not for society in general.

But there is abundant evidence that corporal punishment contributes to bullying, vandalism, attacks on teachers, school drop-out, poor academic performance, chemical dependence, eating disorders, suicide risk, poor social skills, poor impulse control, cruelty to animals, deviant sexuality, date rape, road rage, unplanned pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, reduced likelihood of college acceptance, increased likelihood of arrest, poor employment prospects, domestic violence, child abuse, failed marriages and poor health.

That's why advanced democratic societies protect schoolchildren from the kinds of maltreatment pictured below, and why teachers who are true professionals never hit students.

Sincerely,
Jordan Riak, Executive Director
Parents and Teachers Against Violence in Education (PTAVE)
P.O. Box 1033, Alamo, CA 94507
Tel: 925-831-1661   E-mail: riak@nospank.net   Web site: nospank.net