Parents force son with bad grades to stand at intersection with sign arounds his neck

[Terminator]

Trenton O'Neal, 15, of Chesapeake stands at the intersection of Ahoy Drive and Airline Boulevard in Chesapeake with a poster of his grades at Western Branch High School. His parents Tanyeil General and the Rev. Donald J. General Jr. made their son stand at the intersection on Saturday as punishment for his poor grades.


How's this for punishment?


Trenton O'Neal stood near a light pole at the intersection of Airline Boulevard and Ahoy Drive in Chesapeake for hours on Saturday, a chest-to-trunk poster board of his bad grades dangling from his neck.
"It sucks," said Trenton, who apparently got the message. "I don't want to be out here again. I know that much."
His parents, fed up by their son's lack of effort, conjured up the idea as a way to get through to the 15-year-old Western Branch High School freshman.
"He hadn't been trying at all," said the Rev. Donald General Jr., pastor of Perfecting Saints Church of God in Christ in Virginia Beach. "He's not even handing in work he does when we supervise him. My wife and I are not going to give up on Tre."
General and his wife, Tanyeil, say there is no excuse for lousy grades, especially since they said they both have several academic degrees.
Fiata Jones stopped by the corner and told the Generals she thought the punishment was proper.
"These kids need to take their grades more seriously," said Jones, whose daughter attends Western Branch. "This has a serious impact and should make other kids think, 'Wow, I don't want my mama doing that.' "
Before Trenton was allowed to put down the sign around 2 p.m., he was greeted by an eighth-grader whose father pulled up in a car.
"What's up, Tre?" the boy said. "They got you out here."
Before Trenton could respond, the boy's father chimed in from the vehicle.
"You want to be beside him?" the man said. "Good. Now, get in the car."

[pgg]

Good, hopefully it works.

[Cidp24]

Call me an idiot but what the heck is an "E" grade?

All I know of is A,B,C,D,F, and I.

[Odd]

That gets my

[Terminator]

Call me an idiot but what the heck is an "E" grade?

All I know of is A,B,C,D,F, and I.

'E' is the same grade as an 'F.' It's just titled differently in different schools.

[Cidp24]

'E' is the same grade as an 'F.' It's just titled differently in different schools.

That's what I assumed but I was not sure. I thought maybe it was a new PC way of giving an F without making is seem like "Failure". Good job to the parents.

[Car 4]

Not sure whch I feel more stongly about....involved parents or humiliation as a motivator.


Car 4

[Retdetsgt]

Not sure whch I feel more stongly about....involved parents or humiliation as a motivator.


Car 4

My thoughts exactly. Teenagers have enough self esteem problems without that. I had to motivate my kids now and then, but I found more private ways to make their little lives miserable.

[CTR man]

Call me an idiot but what the heck is an "E" grade?

All I know of is A,B,C,D,F, and I.

'E' is the same grade as an 'F.' It's just titled differently in different schools.

Actually, or at least with the schools that I am familiar with, E = Excellent, S = Satisfactory, P = Pass, U = Unsatisfactory, and I = Incomplete.

I don't know why a school would mix up grading systems. As far as report cards go, I have seen much worse. If you go by what I just typed above.

His parents, fed up by their son's lack of effort, conjured up the idea as a way to get through to the 15-year-old Western Branch High School freshman.
"He hadn't been trying at all," said the Rev. Donald General Jr., pastor of Perfecting Saints Church of God in Christ in Virginia Beach. "He's not even handing in work he does when we supervise him. My wife and I are not going to give up on Tre."
General and his wife, Tanyeil, say there is no excuse for lousy grades, especially since they said they both have several academic degrees.

How about withholding privileges? Worked on me. No extra curricular activities, earlier curfew, school work done first when arriving home, etc.

Maybe this might be a motivator but if the parents are such academic braniacs as the article states and the child is having so much problems with his schoolwork, why don't they get him a tutor. Some kids don't even get good study habits until they get well into college when poor grades may get them kicked out of school.

Also have they had the kid tested to see whether or not he has ADD or ADHD? That could be a big reason right there.

All the public schools around here at least are interested around here is pushing the kids through the system. Heaven forbid if they are held back for poor grades. Some parents and administrators will say "Oh poor Johnny will have social issues if he is held back." Give me a break.

[mack]

Actually, or at least with the schools that I am familiar with, E = Excellent, S = Satisfactory, P = Pass, U = Unsatisfactory, and I = Incomplete.

I don't know why a school would mix up grading systems. As far as report cards go, I have seen much worse. If you go by what I just typed above.



How about withholding privileges? Worked on me. No extra curricular activities, earlier curfew, school work done first when arriving home, etc.

Maybe this might be a motivator but if the parents are such academic braniacs as the article states and the child is having so much problems with his schoolwork, why don't they get him a tutor. Some kids don't even get good study habits until they get well into college when poor grades may get them kicked out of school.

Also have they had the kid tested to see whether or not he has ADD or ADHD? That could be a big reason right there.

All the public schools around here at least are interested around here is pushing the kids through the system. Heaven forbid if they are held back for poor grades. Some parents and administrators will say "Oh poor Johnny will have social issues if he is held back." Give me a break.

If you look at the article, it says that he doesn't even turn in completed assignments.

"He hadn't been trying at all," said the Rev. Donald General Jr., pastor of Perfecting Saints Church of God in Christ in Virginia Beach. "He's not even handing in work he does when we supervise him. My wife and I are not going to give up on Tre."
That is just being lazy! Although I don't like the public humiliation motivator it appears they were at their wits end.

[lewisipso]

Not necessarily something I would do but whatever works. It's his education and not his future sports career at stake.

[Xiphos]

How about taking away the cell phone, the computer and TV in his bedroom, and sports participation until his next report card? Something like this ought to be the absolute last resort. It should come after his mother takes him to school in her pajamas and holds his hand as she walks him to homeroom.

[Bob Loblaw]

Call me an idiot but what the heck is an "E" grade?

Extra dumb

[10-42Adam]

I hope it works. I respect the fact that the parents are trying and actually care about how well their child does in school. That's more than a lot of other parents can say...