Pubdate: Fri, 07 Mar 2003 Source: Times-News, The (ID) Copyright: 2003 Magic Valley Newspapers Contact: http://www.magicvalley.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/595 Author: Cierra C. Noble PUNISH ROBERTS JUST AS SHE PUNISHED STUDENTS I was a student at Bickel School while Ms. Roberts was the principal there. My name is Cierra C. Noble, and I'm in the sixth grade at Bickel School. Ms. Roberts did a lot of good things for our school, but that doesn't make her a good principal. She did, in my opinion, punish us more severely than we should have been for little things. Now I remember from last year, a boy in my brother's class was at Bickel School. This boy was arrested, expelled and tried for sliding a book across a desk at another student that was bothering him. He was accused of assault and put on probation. I don't think Ms. Roberts' punishment was fair. Now I know Ms. Roberts used a very strict, no-tolerance policy on us. If that's the case, why should her rule not apply to her? I believe she should be treated like she treated us -- with no mercy or tolerance. I feel, along with my family and neighbors, that Ms. Roberts is only getting a slap on the hand and told not to do it again. What kind of an example is that setting for us kids when people are trying to get us to do drugs? I think a lot of kids, teens and even adults are thinking they can mail themselves a pound of pot and get away with it. I read in the newspaper that she said she didn't think she would be caught. Well, Ms. Roberts, I have a news flash for you. No one thinks they will get caught -- if it's robbing a bank, doing drugs or murdering a person, the law will get you and "I didn't think I would get caught" is no excuse for doing it. So I think when she was caught with the pot, she threw her career away for drugs. Even if she slips past the punishment, I don't think she should be allowed to go back to teaching. I don't know what you want, but I don't want a druggie teaching my family or me. But that is just what I think. Someone could think totally opposite of this. CIERRA C. NOBLE Twin Falls - --- MAP posted-by: Beth