Teachers personal property conflict

[Schifference]

My daughter was at school today. Had a substitute Spanish teacher that did not speak Spanish. Daughter done with work in less than 10 minutes. While walking around classroom she picks up a plastic knife from a counter where there are holders with knifes, forks and spoons. She casually twirls the utensil between her fingers. Some time elapses and it ends up in the sleeve of her baggy sweat shirt. While in her next class she feels the plastic knife and throws it away. The teacher of this next class must have some issue with my daughter because a week ago I noticed that she had a 93 in the class but the teacher's comment is that she is inattentive. He asks her where she got the knife from and a big interrogation pursues. Tomorrow she will serve a one day in school suspension and will receive a packet and will need to do papers or work regarding respect for personal property. The VP said that the plastic silverware on the counter was the private property of the absent teacher. She was told that everything in the room was the teachers property. Any thoughts on what would be appropriate to write regarding taking a piece of plastic silverware off of a counter at school or perhaps taking a Kleenex out of a box? Daughter was interrogated and then called a liar based solely on how they interpreted what she said. All they saw and knew before she answered any questions is that she threw a plastic knife into the trash. I carefully instructed her that anytime in the future she ever gets asked any questions she reply stating that, "According to my parents passionate instructions please refer any concerns you may have about me directly to my parents." Do you think if there is a disperser on a counter in a classroom that those items are personal property of a teacher? Should a teacher leave personal property laying around?

[quezkittel]

Did anybody talk to the regular Spanish teacher first? Detention seems overboard, but knowing specifics would help a lot. The main determining factor is this- did the Spanish teacher give permission for everybody to take that silverware? Speaking as a teacher, I purchase a lot of stuff out of pocket for students. If I bought something and had never given permission for kids to take it, I would be annoyed if somebody walked off with it. I wouldn't give anybody detention over this, but it's disrespectful. My opinion completely changes if the Spanish teacher told everybody in the class that it was ok to take the silverware.

Also, everybody knows school can be dumb and boring, which is why it's a good idea to drag around a book or homework from another class. Even if you are bored and finished with schoolwork, if you do that, you don't have to resort to wandering around the classroom and you can do something productive. Wandering around only distracts other students and annoys certain teachers. Your daughter sounds smart- maybe she was finished with the work, but the same may not have been true for everybody else.

One last thing- even if somebody leaves their car doors unlocked, most would agree that it is still unethical to steal the radio.

Good luck sorting this out!

[MelissaWV]

If that doesn't work, you could always play the indignant parent card the other way.

How DARE they leave dangerous plastic knives accessible to your child like that?!? Where was the teacher, and why were they not watching? What if your child had been INJURED by that DANGEROUS WEAPON!!!???

Enough hints and veiled outrage and they will go away, but I'd only do this as a last resort.