My 4 year old requested to go to the potty at nap time at his daycare. The teacher said no, so he let the whiz be free. I spoke with them and told them that, if he say that he want to go to the potty let him. If he is just screwing around, then take some play time away from him, but not to let this happen again. Her policy is silly and should not have been allowed to be in place. If you find that a school ager is goofing off, then take him or her to task in stead of potentially punishing the whole class.

This actually sounds reasonable. It's like if there's any rule regulating behavior, parents get up in arms. But to be honest, if it works let her use it.

However, the teacher's in-depth e-mail explanation of the program to school principal Greta Hawkins earlier this month did not appear to meet with any resistance on the part of the school administrator, according to the paper.

The parents didn't hear about this for a month. Meaning that there were no accidents (which would require a change of clothing). Far from popular belief, kids really can hold it.

This teacher is being punished for raising the bar. What a crappy world.

Whoa! Hold your horses Jahmekan! I think teachers have every right to establish bathroom break rules in their classrooms. A lot of kids like/lack attention and sometimes they make a game out of bathroom runs.

Where my daughter goes to school the teachers tell the kids to go at break time, not while class is in session. The kids get it! They are 10-11 yo after all. Not babies!

And, YES, it does disturb the entire class when one (or more) kids decide they have to go. My kid is there for an education and every second that teacher is is not teaching is a second that my kid is not learning.

Seems reasonable for a 5th grader, unless the child has an illness. I doubt the teacher had it in her head to make children suffer but instead teach them to manage their time by using the bathroom during their breaks.

If a kid has bladder problems that make it hard for them to not go to the bathroom for the few hours between breaks, the parents need to take him to a doctor! Otherwise, I agree with the teacher, there should be no need for the kids to constantly be interrupting class to go to the bathroom. They are old enough, they should know to go during lunch or recess. And if it takes away some playtime, so what? Three exceptions during the week are plenty, the kids need to take some responsibility for themselves. If this policy still seems too harsh, then put time limits on the bathroom breaks to discourage those that go just to mess around and skip class. Any time they go over the limit, knock minutes off of recess.

Personal responsibility, people! Fifth graders are NOT too young to learn it!

The article does not say, but is the teacher taking the entire-class on scheduled potty breaks? The standard is mid-morning, lunch, and mid-afternoon for K-2, gradually lengthening to just a lunch time potty break by middle school.

If the kids for are taking scheduled breaks, it should be very rare to need additional ones, which disrupt the class.

Coming from a family of teachers, I know "bathroom breaks" can be used by kids for more than their intended purpose.

However, to suggest that a child can only go three times a week borders on abuse given that it can be very painful to "hold it". I have also read in several locations that it can increase the probability of a urinary tract infection, though I found roughly equal numbers of people arguing that it can than that it won't.

My kids are also in school, and I also want them to get everything out of their educational experience possible, however, not at the expense of another child's comfort or well-being, especially since were talking about what probably amounts to a minute or two of disruption.

That said, there shouldn't be a disruption... A child raises their hand, asks to go, then they get up and quietly walk out of the room. If they do anything to insite a disruption then that should be delt with as it occurs.

But for a teacher (or manager for that matter) to think they have the right to force a child to ignore their normal biological function is a gross misappropriation!

For those of you that think this action of three bathroom visits per week is "reasonable" please consider the following. When I was young, (age 9 - 11) we lived on Long Island. We frequented the airport rather often. It was a hour plus ride. I was always warned from my father to make sure we did not need “potty breaks” during the car ride. I respected my Dad and feared the repercussions if I needed to “go”. I tried with all of my might, BUT I often had to go. To this day and for the most part, as a business women, I still have to go when I have to go. Ridiculous rule to give to the students! I would be furious if my child had that rule. Also think of the child that now limits his liquids due to this invasiverule; therefore dehydration?

journal journal, Granted, there may not have been any mishaps for the month this rule was put in place but there are 5 days of school in a week. If my child has the runs or drinks a lot of water in the mornings, he better be allowed to use the bathroom every day. What happens when the 3 vouchers runs out and on Friday, my kids captain crunch breakfast didn't agree with him?

I'm sorry, but this rule is BS.

FYI: I don't have kids either.

...that students who do not use all three of the vouchers may hand in leftover ones at the end of the week in exchange for tickets they can redeem for small prizes

What? Like colonoscopy bags?

Yes, that certainly sounds about right. I lived in the south as a child, which is why I feel so strongly about this issue. I can remember 6 and 7 year old kids in tears as class would drone on because they had to go and were terrified to say so. This is wrong on every level. The BEST thing your daughter can do for her child is to get her out of the south entirely.

OMG, you people feel that 3 trips to the bathroom PER WEEK is probably sufficient? I hope some little kid who was made to wait for the bathroom today pees all over your shoes.

I'm quite sure they mean interupting class to GO to the bathroom 3 times in a week....NOT that they only allow the child to actually use the restroom 3 times a week..........They can go between classes. The breaks between classes PLUS an additonal 3 times a week they are allowed to raise their hands during class to go to the bathroom is plenty................get a grip people

To those who throw it all off on kids not going during their breaks in between classes, about 90% of the time, there's not enough time. Depending on where your class was you could potentially have to walk to the other side of the campus to get to your next class, and you only get about 5 or 6 minutes between classes. Additionally, if you have to head to your locker to drop off/pick up textbooks/notebooks then your time is even scarce depending on where your locker is. There's simply not enough time unless you run everywhere. And when some teachers lock their doors after the bell rings and tell you to go get a pass, that's even more class time lost than a simple bathroom break during an assignment. Besides, not all bathroom breaks are a simple 30 second deal that you can just rush and be done with it.

However, to suggest that a child can only go three times a week borders on abuse given that it can be very painful to "hold it". I have also read in several locations that it can increase the probability of a urinary tract infection, though I found roughly equal numbers of people arguing that it can than that it won't

I don't think the teacher is requiring the students to go to the restroom only three times a week. There's a difference between "going three times a week" and "going three a times a week in CLASS." If a student cannot hold it for the duration of a class EVERY DAY, then that student is ill and should surely be allowed an exception.

Teachers cannot teach well if they are not allowed to be authority figures. If a student thinks they can circumvent a teacher by playing a parent off them, then I doubt they are going to learn anything worthwhile from that teacher.

Perhaps we need to stop thinking of teachers as lazy shiftless folk who get summers off and start showing them some respect. Maybe then our kids will be able to compete in an increasingly educated and technical world.

There are bathrooms available to use during breaks between classes...........Do you actually think this teacher is trying to limit a child to only going to the restroom 3 times a week then you need to go back to school. She means the number of times a student can leave class to go to the restroom DURING CLASS........Try and show just a little common sense

Far from popular belief, kids really can hold it.

True, but "holding it" actually CAN lead to increased risk of bladder/kidney infections, other urinary tract pathology. If they are "holding it" and they actually have to defecate - it can cause pathology in their GI (including impactions that can lead to severe constipation and, in severe cases, perforation). These things can even happen in otherwise healthy individuals.

I get wanting to make sure kids are not just using the bathroom pass to get out of class - but, restricting them to 3 trips/week can actually be medically dangerous.

There are bathrooms available to use during breaks between classes

You do realize that in 5th grade (which is the age of these students) - there is no "breaks between classes". Most kids in this grade are in one class all day unless they are going to music, art or PE - during this time, they walk as a class from one room to the other. We aren't talking about middle school or high school in which there are breaks between classes in which students are allowed out of their classroom so they can go to their next class. If we were talking about middle or high school kids that had these breaks, I could understand this rule a little better.

Kids should learn to go when there is a break time. I believe the 3 times per week is in addition to the offered break times. 3 times a week times 30 kids is a lot of disruption to class. It was a good rule.

exactly Byron..................to think that they are actually trying to say a child can only go to the restroom 3 times a week is moronic.............and yes sometimes they might not have time between class,however if that happens more than 3 times in a week then the child is most likely wasting time between classes opting to wait UNTIL they are in class to then ask to go to the bathroom

These are elementary school aged kids who are NOT switching classes every hour. Even with switching classes every hour, there's rarely enough time to get your supplies, use the restroom and get to your next class.

And for whoever said that Alabama doesn't beat kids for thing like this, you're dead WRONG. I was forced to attend school in that Godforsaken place. That claim is bang on.

She is NOT saying they can only go 3 times a week.......She is saying they can only leave her class to go 3 times in a week............You people really should show more comprehension than this...The article clearly states a sign in her class hangs stating the rules for bathroom breaks IN HER CLASS,not the entire school. Its also says its to deter students for "jetting to the bathroom" from HER CLASS......This is a classroom policy and NOT a school policy............These are her rules for bathroom breaks DURING HER CLASS. Classes are @ an hour long..........3 times a week for leaving during class to go to the bathroom is more than plenty

CogitoErgo is right -- you know, at home, nobody tells kids when or how often to go to the bathroom. In school, though, with twenty or thirty or sometimes even forty kids in a classroom, there have to be some guidelines.

When I was in elementary school, through fifth grade we were marched to the bathrooms midmorning and midafternoon. All of us. We could also ask to use the bathrooms after lunch and before recess. That was never a problem for me, but some of my friends had painful experiences.

Yes, kids definitely do abuse bathroom privileges -- and the older they get, the more clever they become about it. However, most of us adults have had the experience of just needing to get up and walk around to get our circulation going and clear our brains. That happens to kids, too.

We had a pretty good policy. We told the kids (fifth grade) that the expectation was that they would use the bathroom during their breaks. For emergencies, the kids would make an "L" with their thumb and forefinger, and the teacher would nod yes without interrupting her teaching. Or say "Can you wait a minute?" and then, if they said they could, nod yes shortly thereafter.

If a student had emergencies too often, the teacher would talk with the student -- and eventually their parents -- to find out if there was something else going on.

It is kind of demeaning to have to ask to use the bathroom. But teachers do need to know where their students are at all times, so it seems unavoidable.

And again...Students in 5th grade are typically with the SAME teacher, in the SAME class, most of the day. They leave for P.E. or Music or Art, and that's about it.

vayne1

You're forgetting that these are 5th graders. They're still in elementary school and only have one teacher the entire day, with the exception of P.E., music, art, etc.

One of my high school teachers used to have that same rule, but I only saw her every other day on B days and classes were 2 hours long.

Well, vayne1, call the school at Winfield and they will GLADLY tell you there are NO bathroom breaks. Period. The kids are NOT wasting time as they are totally supervised by the teachers to and from lunch. If they go to the playground once again they are totally supervised. No bathroom breaks are allowed. In the beginning of the year they sent home notices that the demerit system is in place and they would NOT notify the parents before paddling. I do see however that you are of the mentality that it is okay for children to be paddled by anyone and as the principal said to my daughter "they would be sure NOT to leave any marks." He thought that was very funny. My granddaughter was 7 years old at the time. You are in Huntsville and that is a bit of a drive from Winfield but you might want to check it out. Sounds like a wonderful environment for you and your children.

You're forgetting that these are 5th graders. They're still in elementary school and only have one teacher the entire day, with the exception of P.E., music, art, etc.

EXACTLY!

This rule is ridiculous. If there is a problem with a particular kid abusing bathroom breaks to duck out of class, you deal with it on an individual basis. You do not make up stupid rules like this, punishing the entire class, just to avoid the possibility of one bad apple causing a problem. If a kid needs to go to the bathroom, they should be allowed to go. There are very real medical reasons why a child should not be forced to hold it in when they have to go.

All of you who think this limitation is reasonable are probably the same people who say the teachers in public schools don't do enough to discipline kids, and the private schools are much better. This is whole thing is silly. A kid going to the bathroom disrupts the whole class? I think it is only a disruption if the teacher/system allow it to be... let them go as much as they want with a reasonable time limit. How long does it take to fill out a pass? It's kind of like prohibition... when a bathroom run becomes a forbidden fruit... it will be sought after and used the wrong way. Write the pass, let them go, and move on. If you want to keep the policy fine... so people just "piss their pants." We don't limit bathroom time in the workplace... heck we don't even limit smoking time.

And this teacher being a female I can picture how many times a day she uses the bathrooms.

If the students go from class to class and have a few minutes between each class it is not a bad thing to tell them they can wait a few more minutes as long as the child can wait.

For children that have kidney issues (even with corrective surgery) have a very difficult time with waiting to urinate. Even children without kidney/bladder issues have developmental periods that cause bladders that are underdeveloped and create a very difficult time with school bathroom schedules for a child. It is unsafe and painful for anyone to wait to urinate when they need to. As an adult that has struggled with this issue all my life (and nothing can be done to fix it) it can be awful and embarrassing. Now think of some teacher imposing this frickin ridiculous rule on children. Maybe the administration should keep this teacher after school, have her drink 6 glasses of water and not let her go to the bathroom until she pisses herself.

And AGAIN...5th graders do NOT typically go from class to class. They are in the SAME class with the SAME teacher, most of the day.

Think again. My 5th grader switched classes for science, reading, math and her extra activity. However, they were given breaks as a class in the morning and afternoon. I am sure these kids are too, that is pretty much standard.The teacher just does not want students to go too much beyond the 3 breaks they get a day (morning, lunch, afternoon).

Most 5th graders are simply not switching for every subject. That starts in middle school. They will go to art, music etc. a couple of times a week. In elementary school, teachers typically walk their class as a whole from one place to the next. They are not free to leave the group without permission. The kids are supervised when they are going to different classes.

Amber

1devon did say "not typically" meaning that usually 5th graders are only in one class the entire day (With exception to P.E., art, music, etc.)

Meaning that in most cases they have one teacher, with aforementioned exceptions.

Most posters are missing a very important point. Children with medical problems are required to bring a Dr's note to school, explaining their needs, which is filed and followed. If the child doesn't have a problem, there are already plenty of scheduled breaks during the day. I do have a problem with the Teacher giving prizes for those who don't use their passes. There is too much of that type of positive reinforcement going on in schools as it is. It is part of the problem we have in society today. If you do something correctly, you get a physical reward. Real life is not like that.

But on the flip side, when it comes right down to it..... there are far more complaints than actual problems.

willowbrook: Even otherwise healthy children (and adults, for that matter) can be seriously harmed by being forced to "hold it". Holding it increases the risk of bladder and kidney infections, can cause other pathology of the urinary tract, cause GI motility issues that can lead to impaction (which, if severe enough can perforate the bowel - which requires emergency surgery and massive antibiotics). These things can happen to entirely healthy individuals - so, the teachers policy is risking the health of children.

I get that she evidently had problems with kids going to the restroom what she perceived as too much and being disruptive. IMO, these things can be handled with a policy that DOESN'T have potential medical harm for the children. Have consequences for the children that prove to be goofing off when they go to the restroom or those that are being disruptive when they enter/exit the class to go to the restroom, allow one child out of the room at a time (unless it's obvious it's an urgent/emergent situation), etc.

My second grade daughter's teacher does the same!!! It infuriates me! At the end of the week, if they don't go they get a sucker! What the hell! Kids can't plan their bodily functions accordingly at 8 years old! It's just terrible!

And what about girls on their periods? Guess they are supposed to hold that too? Umm k...you got runs? Hold it or use the floor...you gotta be sick? I vote the teacher's desk.

And I used to teach, so I'm not teacher-bashing. Sometimes you just have to go. I remember having to run to the bathroom not only in fifth grade but later (for years) due to my cycle, and how would it be fair for me to not get some silly treat because of that? Should the girls use the corner there too?

I have encountered the bathroom shenanigans and I know what kids can do, but this isn't the answer. Oh, anad I want my kids drinking in school...they come home half the time seriously thirsty after plaing in the heat or cold and not getting time to drink enough. I am in AL...but this isn't just AL. Kids may get in trouble sometimes, but they are still people and when you need to go you need to go.

Oh My God People, get real. These kids spend around an hour and a half in class between breaks. Breaks like recess and lunch time for fifth graders is normal and plenty of time to visit the john. I suppose when you take family road trips and the kids don't Go during you're gas and food breaks, you happily pull over to find a restroom for them, Right. Sit back and think about it. This is a responsibility parents should have already instilled in their children by 5th grade. Once again a teacher is catching hell for something parents should have done. Teachers are NOT baby sitters, so don't blame them when they have to do things like this to control kids. Don't forget they are given 3 passes a week.

I do see however that you are of the mentality that it is okay for children to be paddled by anyone and as the principal said to my daughter "they would be sure NOT to leave any marks." He thought that was very funny.

Will he still be @!$%#ing laughing in court? I would have informed him that I wasn't even going to make it through the first day, that I was removing my kids, and that I was suing him for child abuse and neglect.

Ruken,

"If I were a student, I'd ask that teacher which corner they'd like me to use instead."

I have an uncle who did just that, according to what my Mom once told me. The teacher told him he couldn't go to the bathroom when he asked, so he dropped his drawers right in the middle of the classroom, squatted down, and did it right there. My Mom never told me what they did to him for doing that, but I'm so proud of him for standing up (or squatting down) to unjust authority.

I don't see where it says that they cannot go to the bathroom if they use all their vouchers. It just says that if they don't use all of them they can trade the left over vouchers in for prizes....

Pedestrian..this article is about a teacher and taking a chit..not a mailman throwing the chit.

Oh My God People, get real. These kids spend around an hour and a half in class between breaks.

How do you know?

In my school our students used to make games out of bathroom runs IE every45 mins and its always the same ones in the same classes who did it. We since cracked down on this behavior we have regular bathroom breaks throughout the day, AM, lunch, and dismissal and of course the emergency here and there but really a lot of kids use potty trips to linger in the hallways to avoid school work.

http://www.brooklyndaily.com/stories/2012/3/bn_schoolprotest_2012_01_20_bk.html

According to this local article, the kids are encouraged to use the restroom at recess and lunch. With probably a 7 hour school day, at least 30 minutes each lunch and recess, that's an average of 2 hours of class without a break (if they only have one recess). If the kids go when they have a chance, there shouldn't be a problem.

For those that are commenting 'what if the kid is sick'- in that case, the kid needs to go to the bathroom, the nurse, and home. I really don't think the teacher would have any problem with that scenario.

However, to suggest that a child can only go three times a week borders on abuse given that it can be very painful to "hold it".

Depends. Was it three times a week while at school, or three times a week while they're in her class? If the students spend the entire day with this teacher, then it's definitely out of line, but if they only spend one period in her class each day, I can't see a problem with it.

Students have breaks between classes to go to the bathroom and recess. Therefore the teacher allowing them an extra three trips during class time per week is not unreasonable. This is the problem with our schools. Teachers are not allowed to have authority over there classroom because parents are always complaining.

Hey, when you gotta go, you gotta go. Teacher stepped way over the line.

I'm sorry but anyone who has a problem with this needs to stop and read the article again so you can understand what is going on here. First and foremost this is for 3 bathroom trips a week DURING CLASS. Not 3 in the whole week. Also these are 5th graders, not 4 and 5 year olds. By 5th grade, baring a medical condition, or you are sick, you should be able to hold your pee long enough between breaks; ie start of school, recess, lunch, ect. Also, by 5th grade you are old enough to know that you should go to the bathroom when you have the chance, like before class. No different then using the bathroom before you go on a long car trip. Also, I saw some people talking about not enough time between classes, sorry but I would imagine most places the 5th graders don't switch classes every hour or so. Maybe different teacher in morning and afternoon but I bet that is it. Some of you parents out there need to stop complaining every time someone allegedly wrongs your little precious. You also need to stop blaming the teachers for all of your shortcomings as a parent. Not saying there aren't bad teachers, there are, but the number of bad parents I would say is much greater. Has this teacher done anything else wrong? Has a kid pee'd himself or had other issues as a result? I believe the article says no and my guess is she is probably a good teacher. Stop complaining and be glad this teacher is trying to instill some personal responsibility in these kids, I know real shocking and tragic right? This isn't some attempt to be show unjust authority either and comparing it to that is showing one's ignorance. It is time we start showing teachers the respect they deserve and start being parents again. Kids are way to pampered these days and parents are too quick to be their kids friend rather than a parent. More common sense please.

Summer - by your reasoning, are these kids are getting up every hour in the night as well? I doubt they would have any mental ability left due to sleep deprivation. Your reasoning doesn't stand up to common sense. 1.5 hours, to a max (exception) of 2 hours between breaks. The vast majority of kids can easily do this. (And will do it when they are doing things they want to do.) You are talking about a very, very tiny % of children, and these children would already have notes in the Nurses Office for that. Stop making a tiny % the majority.

I don't think that they went over the line. Generally, if they are old enough to change classes, there is a 5 minute break to get from one class to the other. When I was in school, not in the distant past, this is the time when we went to the bathroom and not during class. However, when I was younger, we got breaks every 2 hours when we were in a self-contained class. These kids are 12 years old, or there-abouts, they should be able to hold it unless they are ill. I would be curious to hear how many breaks they get during the day that they just can't hold it and have to go during class.

Elementary school students don't change classes, generally. They stay in one class all day long. I think this is fair, IF the teacher is held to the same standard. She can only use the bathroom on her lunch break, period. Speaking of periods, well, if she's on hers, she'll just have to wait to use the bathroom on lunch even if she's leaking blood all over her pants. She needs to be a shining example to kids on how to suppress their bodily functions, regardless of the consequences. In fact, I think workplaces should follow suit and just remove all bathrooms. If a child can hold it for 6 hours, surely an adult can hold it for 8-10, and really, your boss isn't paying you to use the bathroom.

I think this is fair, IF the teacher is held to the same standard.

Me too.

Some people have smaller bladders than others. For some, this requirement simply won't work, and no amount of "willpower" will make it work.

The maximum is 1 hour between classes. These 11 year olds cannot control their bladder for one whole hour??

When I was a kid, NO ONE was allowed to go between class, and nobody ever wet their pants. If they cannot hold it for a whole hour make them wear a diaper. Most professions require a licensing exam that takes several hours, and you cannot go to the bathroom. I guess all these kids, cannot qualify to become professionals. The kids who are there to learn should be allowed to learn, and the kids who cannot hold it for a full hour should be taught how to fill out welfare forms as that is all they are going to be good for.

The more in depth story explains that children were brought to the bathroom several times a day-and that these were extra trips.

I think 3 extra trips seems reasonable for 5th graders. Bathroom breaks are often abused-kids just want to get out of class for a little while. If a child is sick, or it s an emergency-of course an exception should be made. But I don't have a problem with this otherwise.

This rule is absolutely wrong. No one, especially a child, should be required to "hold it" as it is not healthy and can damage the elasticity of the bladder and the urine can back up into the kidneys and cause kidney problems also. I know this for a fact as "holding it" damaged my bladder elasticity and eventually caused numerous infections. If a child has to go (#1 or #2) it should never be held except long enough to get to the nearest restroom.

Pedestrian..this article is about a teacher and taking a chit..not a mailman throwing the chit.

John, damn! You're right! I didn't even select this article to read... how'd that happen?

"And again...Students in 5th grade are typically with the SAME teacher, in the SAME class, most of the day. They leave for P.E. or Music or Art, and that's about it."

Don't know where you people are, but that is not true here. They have different teachers for science, math and social studies. They also go to lunch and have recess following lunch.

Discipline is exactly what is missing from schools!!!!! She has control while they are in her class and they know it. NOT a problem!!

Bonoas You response was ignorant and this personal story is why:

2nd grade at 7 years old I had to stay after school for talking. Ok fine. Yet I was not given a break at the end of school for when the bell rang I had to sit there. I asked to go the rr as I had to pea. THe teacher said NO. So I sat there wiggling, and trying to put my foot up to stop the trickle. 15-20 minutes later I raised my hand and asked again to go to the RR as it was obvious I had to go. Again she said NO! 5 minutes later I asked begging and holding myself---she said NO and 2-3 minutes later I lost it all over my dress, chair and floor---and she wouldn't let me go to clean up.

When my mother came to pick me up she saw me in the office where I was supposed to meet her and then went to the classroom to ask the teacher what had happened---she was furious when she saw the janitor cleaning up around my desk. Another kids was laughin and told her I peed all over the place.

Mother demanded that I get moved into another class and that the teacher be fired immediately! How dare a teacher NOT let a 7 year old go to the RR when in need. Yes I got switched into another class the next day. I don't know what happened to that teacher, but the next year she was not at our school!

I personally don't see what the big deal is. As a child of public school, I recall the bathrooms at all of my schools being so disgusting that I didn't want to use them during the day ANYWAY. I certainly never used a school restroom more than three times a week, and I'm 100% healthy. I maybe used a school restroom once every two weeks. I just went before school, and when I got home. Anyway, my personal story is beside the point, as this doesn't regulate ALL trips to the bathroom for three times a week, just trips during class. That seems incredibly reasonable by my standards. If you go before school, during recess, then at lunch, you should be fine. If you can't wait till a break, use a friggin pass. But plan ahead. Most schools (even elementary schools) have more than just recess and lunch as designated break times. Besides, due to budget cuts, the school day is getting shorter, and breaks are getting longer. If you can't hold your pee in for an hour, then don't drink so much water during school. It's that simple.

That's the point. 5th graders are NOT old enough to change classes. Yes, we had SOME kids move around for reading and math, not all mind you. And it was from one class to the one next door at a scheduled time, supervised by the teachers. And one period where we went as a class to Art, Music, PE etc. But these were once a week classes, not every day. Again, walked to class by the teacher. Lunch is on average 30 minutes long, by the time they get their lunch and are seated they have, what, maybe 20 minutes to eat? And recess is also a very short period. Kids need to be able to eat at lunch and play during recess at this age. We're talking about 10-11 year olds here, not teenagers. If there are scheduled potty breaks during the day, ok then this is acceptable. If not, and my kid wets himself or gets an infection from holding it and I found out about this policy- all hell would be breaking loose at the principal's office the following morning.

YES they are Xina. They do it here everyday from the 2nd grade up to 6th. I have to believe that some common sense would prevail here if a child genuilnely needed to go. Yes, if a teacher made a child pee in his or her pants an audlt should pay them a visit.

I don't know about all the other ladies out there but I had my period in fifth grade and needed to go more than three times during class in that week to change my super absorbant gigantic maxi pad (the period fairy was not kind to me). The other three weeks a month were fine though.

I honestly believe the teacher in question should be evaluated psychologically. Because in its most raw form there MUST be something off or wrong with a person slash teacher who punishes or uses bathroom breaks as a tool or weapon. As though no other teacher ever anywhere has had to deal with bathroom breaks. A disruption? Do all students decide to chime in at once with "can I go to the bathroom"? Or are they all pandering to squeeze one out through the door at once? Pinching a loaf my friends is not a crime. In fact I must reiterate, pinching a loaf is natural. Normal. A MUST in many cases. Yet this teacher sees fit to admonish her position over these youths by using there daily habit and need against them. Trying to make "Potty time" a negative. A bad thing. To younger children this could actually have a detrimental effect to the extent that one would loather bathroom time and pinching a loaf in it. ; ]

Shame on YOU teach.

Cheers

gee I grew up in the south and still here and the paddle was NEVER used for bathroom trips. Used for discipline problems (like fighting, etc.) but with parental permission. I totally believe in corporal punishment and I wish it was back in school.

This sounds like yet another attempt by teachers/schools to enforce conformity. Not every child needs three bathroom breaks a week, those who need more than three need to be allowed to use the bathroom, without fearing humiliation and/or reprisals from the teacher.

A few posters here have very little understanding of the reality of elementary school.

"I think it is only a disruption if the teacher/system allow it to be... let them go as much as they want with a reasonable time limit. How long does it take to fill out a pass?"

One pass? Not long. Several passes during a lesson? Longer. And how long does it take to lose the attention of a ten year old? Of a class of ten year olds? A split second. Then you have to get everyone's attention back...

"And this teacher being a female I can picture how many times a day she uses the bathrooms."

And how do you suppose she manages to go to the bathroom? She has a classroom full of children she is responsible for supervising. Like the children, she can go at lunchtime and on breaks (which in elementary school might come once on any given day). Unlike the children, she cannot claim an emergency. On the rare occasion when there might actually be one, she has to find another teacher to supervise the class for a couple of minutes. And... the way you worded that was close to a sexist slur.

"And what about girls on their periods? Guess they are supposed to hold that too?"

You are right about girls who get their periods. That is actually one of the big fears of girls of this age -- what if their teacher will not let them go? It is embarrassing, but they can ask the school nurse to inform the teacher to let her go when she asks. Or if the teacher is approachable and the parent is comfortable with it, the parent can tell the teacher as well. No teacher would want to cause that particular problem for a 'tween or teen girl.

And Xina is absolutely right about kids. Kids need the family-like setting of the elementary classroom. Unless they are in a very small school where everybody knows everybody well, they need the security of their own classroom and their own teacher. They might move about a bit as they get older, as Xina describes, but using a junior high model with 7 year olds is generally not a good idea.

No shame on everyone for bashing the teacher. Where in the article does it say there where issues with this, that these are limited to being 3 total in a week, and/or that the teacher was doing this as a negative tool or punishment? It doesn't. Sure a lot of conclusions being drawn here. These kids get plenty of other breaks. They are 10 and 11yr olds. Not 4 and 5. No one is denying these kids anything. She is simply teaching them some personal responsibility. Sometimes you can't always get up to use the restroom and these kids are old enough to handle this. It appears to me some people are seriously underestimating the abilities of these kids, lucky they can even tie their shoes and eat without a bib and being spoon fed. Again from the facts that are shown I say this teacher is applying common sense and actually trying to teach these kids something. Like TX said, some of these kids clearly lack discipline, and from what I'm reading on here, so do some parents. Rather be friends to the kids instead of being a parent and blame the teacher when their little one doesn't get his/her way. We wonder why our kids (and county) have problems nowadays. Can't even see the clear reasoning behind something like a teacher implementing some basic control in a classroom and limiting pee breaks DURING CLASS.

Many many years ago, there was a shy, quite and timid little girl in my class who was humiliated because our overbearing teacher refused to let us go to the restroom.

I will never forget the puddle on her seat and around her desk, but most of all I will never get the image of her tearful face.

This tragic event happened in an era of compassion and morality, a time when people were generally kind and considerate of each other.

Everyone in our class felt sorry for that little girl, and to my knowledge she was never made a joke.

Our teacher felt bad too, and changed her restroom policy.

Policies have consequences.

not sure if anyone has mentioned or thought this but:

More then likely these student already have scheduled bathroom breaks during the day, such as before or after lunch, and before or after recess, possibly even before and after special (gym, music, art, library, etc.) as well. these 3 bathroom breaks during the week are considered your emergency breaks, when you have to go other then the scheduled ones. this seems the most likely to me since the principal was fine with the proposal. if taken in this light, the teacher's plan seems both reasonable and commendable. my two cents, love it hate it, its up to you.

Child torture is STILL VERY alive and well in America....especially in the south. Oddly enough, southern schools standards are very low compared to most of the nation and STILL they are typically our worst performing systems. The south has historically always had extremely high drop out rates, teen pregnancy rates, and obesity rates. Tortuing elementary school aged children doesn't make them smarter, better behaved and certainly doesn't give them better decision making abilities.

I think since they are going to force the removal of this policy a new policy should be put in place...every time a child leaves to the bathroom during class stop teaching until that child returns and the lost time can be made up during the classes free time. Let peer pressure put a stop to the kids who abuse things like that.

I'm sorry. I wasn't aware that people had a switch that made them want to go take a pee. If you gotta go, you gotta go. I don't expect anyone to "soil" themselves because of a rule. Pretty sure asking to go home and change your pants is more distracting to a class then a potty break.

Kids in my town and all the surrounding towns I know do NOT change classrooms. They are stuck in one room until lunch.

Urinating and defecating are a medical necessity. If the teacher isn't going to allow the kids to use the bathroom, the kids need to just piss in the classroom. She'll get tired of cleaning up, believe me. She has no right to stop human beings from urinating or defecating when necessary. And if she insists upon it, then parents need to insist she not be allowed to use the bathroom, either - again, even if she's on her period!

Rewarding small children , for "not" relieving themselves , can be an extremely dangerous practice.....this needs to cease ....ASAP.....

The kids won't miss much in class. The vast majority of what is taught is useless info. Trivia and math you will never use outside of school.

As for this teacher, she was the only one with this policy. If it was such a great policy, why would she be the only one using it?

I doubt it would have been as large an issue if she had allowed 5 breaks a week.

It isn't really that hard to catch a kid abusing the bathroom pass. If they are caught abusing it, then punish them.

Don't know about Alabama, but here fifth grade is considered to be the first year of middle school, which makes sense (elementary 1-4, high school 9-12, in between is the middle). That is not how it was when I was that age (elementary 1-6, jr. high school 7-9, sr. high school 10-12), but I know that we didn't necessarily get breaks then just because it was time for music, a special science teacher, art or whatever, they just brought these teachers in and went on with the program. Don't think it was automatic as to restroom breaks even to and from PE, which was just outside on the playground when the weather was good, as few elementary schools here even had a gymnasium back then. The first and second grade rooms had their own one-commode bathrooms and everyone older was taken to the big boys' and girls' rest rooms for organized breaks by classes at the same time every morning and afternoon.

So whether or not it was something like this or hourly class changes like high school would affect my opinion greatly. It is hugely different whether these kids are with this teacher basically all day (the image I seem to get from the article) or for one subject only for one 50-55 minute class period. If the latter, then the policy could be seen as reasonable or at least arugable, if the latter then it is harder to justify. Also, given the huge hastening of puberty in recent decades (hormones in the milk) those of you who are concerned for the young ladies cycles are in the right if you ask me.

I have been teaching for many years (middle school), and bathroom breaks are an issue with which I really struggle. My own child was diagnosed with a kidney stone in middle school, so I am very sensitive to the fact that it is sometimes a medical issue causing students to need the bathroom. My daughter was misdiagnosed for weeks, and during that time, she often needed to use the bathroom and was denied by her teachers. Once we discovered the problem, I was able to get a doctor's note and she could go when she needed.

Because of my daughter's history, I tend to be lenient about bathroom breaks. However, my students have unlimited use of the restroom during lunch. Therefore, it seems that it would be unnecessary for the kids to leave my class that occurs right after lunch. This is not the case, of course, as many ask to leave during this block. Now that it is January, they know that I am likely to give them permission to leave. And with a class of 26, it causes frequent disruptions. As much as I would like to take a firmer stance, I really struggle with it. I just don't want to be the person who inadvertently causes a child pain or embarrassment. The best solution I have at this time is to say, "If it's an emergency, you may go. If not, please wait until the lesson ends and then I will give you permission." 9 times out of 10, the student stays in class. But it doesn't stop them from asking, and I spend far too much time fielding these requests.

I am guessing that this teacher uses her system to discourage unnecessary bathroom breaks. Hopefully, she takes individual issues into consideration and knows (as we teachers instinctively do) when there is an actual emergency. In those cases, I imagine she makes exceptions.

It is difficult to teach these days. Every decision, every action, every comment is called into question. Most of us have the best interests of the child at heart (speaking for myself and my wonderful colleagues), but the trend seems to be that parents (and the general public) want to attack before knowing the facts. I would encourage parents to discuss issues such as this with the teacher before passing judgment. Often it is simple misunderstanding and can be cleared up without becoming a major news story!

Jeepers people, so many opinions with so little information -- the article said there are scheduled breaks. I must be the only teacher, in spite of 33 years and all grade levels, who experiences at least 5 students asking to go at once. As soon as they see that one person gets to go (they will ask during a movie - HIGH SCHOOL KIDS, while I'm standing there giving instructions, doesn't matter), hands start shooting up. And I'm the art teacher -- classroom teachers insist that they just had a break so no one should ask. Doesn't matter. Just this fall, one first grader leaped to his feet, clutching himself and saying it was an emergency, and one minute later, so did another one. So much for that lesson. It is an escape for so many of them, and a joke to disrupt class. Meanwhile, there are kids so shy they will never ask, and do have accidents.

Having said that, I DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON IN ANY CHILD'S BODY and I cannot and will not prevent them from going.... At my HIGH SCHOOL there are teachers who do this same thing: you get x many bathroom passes (5 for the TERM)... if you don't use them, you can turn them in for points. Your GRADE is based on your BATHROOM habits??? Never. Ever will I use a system like that. But keeping order and being fair about it is one hell of a struggle. Students probably ask in some classes because they are not allowed in others, and imagine how full the bathrooms are at huge high schools during passing times.

Why oh why did they stop building bathrooms in elementary rooms? (three guesses)

And yeah, when do I get to go? Many hours AFTER the need is strong. Twenty five minute lunch periods are hard for us too, lunch lines, long distance between the lines and the teachers lunchroom -- many days it's eat OR bathroom.

I hate hearing about another article picking on a certain teacher, but this time, it's good for the public to see how complicated these "simple" issues can be with masses of children, and hectic daily schedules.

A SHAME so many on this post are uneducated to the fact that pinching loafs are not so easily controlled always. Diareha comes to mind. Flu, illness. In fact scheduled bathroom times for children are not a good idea at all. One weather adult or child should be FREE and able to pich the perverbial loaf as GOD himself intended when the time arises. A scheduled time? What an absloute mochary of GOD and his intentions. When you got to go you got to go. One should not have to limit themselves to three "potty breaks" per weak with a reward at the end. Rediculous indeed.

This teacher simply shows an overbearing need for control. Control even over weather or not a child or children may releave themselves. Medically holding it in ceetain cases may also damage the bladder. And again who chooses what is and exception and who gets it? Hmmm. Narcissistic behavior with masochistic tendency is dangerous and more then benign. In fact I will go the step further to say the teacher most likely receives some satisfaction from FORCING these poor children to suffer as they hold in the loafs they are unable to pinch. Unable to concentrate correctly and effectively on there wok it is unfair to them as there actual performance suffers.

If this teacher is unable to actually come up with a quiet unintrusive rule to asking to go to the bathroom then she need not chose the afore mentioned profession. Because it leads me to believe she is ill equipped to handle the everyday hub bub and bustle that children naturally bring to the table. ; ] A teacher so ill equipped as to be unable to garner control over her class in the previous tenths or otherwise is not one whom a parent should allow to influence there child's mind. ; ]

ISSUES!

Cheers

Wow, I cannot believe that THIS is the story that has 16 pages of comments and that there are so many comments against the policy on here! I guess American's are really serious about 24 hour toilet access .... anyway. Just to weigh in here - I have two kids. One in school full-time. I live in Canada. Our school hours are 6.5 hours. Period. During that time there are two twenty minute breaks and a one hour lunch break. So, the kids basically have access to the bathroom at least every 1.5 hours. If they choose to play rather than try to go to the bathroom, that is their choice. Yes kids in kindergarten, grade one and maybe even grade two should get some special consideration, but grade 5? Really? You are seriously going to tell me a grade 5 student - who is 10 - does not have the knowledge about when recess breaks are, the ability to hold their poop or urine, or the ability to figure out that if they are consistently needing to use the bathroom during classroom time, maybe they should try to go during recess even if not feeling a huge urge? Because I just read another story about how a 10 year old is going to charged with murder for stabbing his 12 year old "friend" to death. So knives and emotional control they need to absolutely have, but not the ability to know proper bathroom techniques ... HUH??????

And yes - I get there are kids with urinary diseases, whether fleeting (as in UTIs) or prolonged from medical conditions. And yes I realize that kids sometimes get sick with diarrhea. But I am going to go out on a limb here and say - if the teacher is able to be hired as a teacher, she has the intelligence to tell the difference between emergency or medical cases vs. ordinary kids that are taking advantage of classroom time to pee rather than go at recess.

And I am also going to venture a guess that if this story had said "teacher uses classroom time to go on bathroom breaks herself" there would be 16 pages of comments about how she should be able to time her bathroom breaks to recess and lunchtime and not use up classroom time!! Seriously. I am sure you all think teachers are able to hold it - well then so should the students. Who are 10, not 2.

Seriously.

Um, yes as a child who had many serious urinary and kidney infections and holding it being the main cause as diagnosed by a physician, it DOES cause infection and I was told that if I continued to hold it, I would cause kidney failure eventually. Also, anyone ever been the kid who peed his pants in class? Grow a brain and a heart. I understand that kids test boundaries and limits but to treat all children as if they are naughty just gives them the justification to be naughty. Stop trying to make rules that are just plain silly. Also, to the woman whose child was afraid to go potty because she'd get paddled, what third world country is Alabama in? I would knock that teachers teeth down their throat if they paddled my kid for any reason. I just checked my facts to see if corporal punishment in illegal in the U.S. as administered by schools and holy sh!t some places allow it. Won't be moving to those backward a$$ states. I am not saying I think corporal punishment as a whole is unwarranted in some cases (I don't use it because I have found more effective ways to discipline my child, such as speaking to her as if she is a little person) but for a teacher? Umm I don't think so.

Anyone who is FOR disallowing children to use the bathroom when necessary are hypocritical if they get up and go to the bathroom at work, except during their lunch or a scheduled break. I guarantee every last adult on this board uses the bathroom when they want to, and doesn't ASK permission of their boss. In fact, if a boss told you you couldn't go, you'd probably want to sue!

A former coworker's granddaughter ended up in the hospital with an obstructed bowel because she ignored the urge to defecate. Her school didn't disallow bathroom breaks, but they embarrassed kids so badly that many wouldn't ask. She was told by the doctor to go when the urge hit her, and the school was informed of her issues, but still embarrassed her enough that she had recurrent problems.

As far as children needing to go shortly after lunch, that is actually fairly normal physiology. Eating causes peristalsis (muscle contractions) in the intestines that move food and feces along. Just as most healthy babies have to defecate after every meal, so do many healthy children and adults. Repressing that healthy urge can lead to problems.

And as far as using the restroom between classes, even if the students change classes (many elementary students don't), ALL classes change at the same time. That leads to lines in the restrooms. I remember our middle school had 2 restrooms for each sex in the main building, with 3 or 4 stalls each. That was about 500 kids with 12 toilets to share in 4 minutes. We had to skip the restroom or risk being punished for being tardy to our next class.

Teen and tween girls shouldn't have to beg to go to the restroom or announce that they have their period.

Ryan, you sound like my middle school students. In your, obviously, supremely educated opinion, exactly what should we be teaching?

It's unfortunate, but we really don't know if a child is going to have a future in nuclear physics, law enforcement, carpentry or law so it makes it a bit difficult to focus a child's education, but I guess you have a crystal ball that does that for you!

There are a lot of opinions ventured here, and most are based on speculation, as this article raises more questions than it answers. From the little information in the article, it seems as if the author(s) had many questions, and few answers from anyone, other than one parent.

To my limited mentality, this article is just another item, very biased, raised to see what kind of interest the media can stir up.

It would seem to me Miss 541 that in your admittedly limited opinion due to info or lack there of you still find time to comment on commentary that you may or may not disagree with. In doing so I can safely say you have contributed. Nothing. But by doing so in effect participated in the medias "need" for interest. You simply choose another topic which could be considered a sub topic. There is enough in the story to be commented on. Having not seen that or ignored it outright you simply in my eyes have chosen a route to sit a top a throne of your own device. Which is legal and you are free to do so. However I must speculate that in fact at this moment, and the moment of your authorship you in fact are were and remain FREE,... To pinch a loaf. At will or otherwise. ; ]

Such questioning of the media yet participating in that media whilst belittling abounds leaves me with an urge... To pinch a loaf. ; ]

Cheers

Scairp

OMG, you people feel that 3 trips to the bathroom PER WEEK is probably sufficient?

Did I miss something? I didn't read in the article, anywhere that it said these 3 trips were the ONLY trips to the bathroom they got each week! Good grief!
Some of you parents are just spoiled children that think everything revolves around you and your child. These kids get breakfast breaks, lunch breaks, recess breaks AND 3 EXTRA trips to the bathroom each week! No infections, (at least not from this rule), no suffering, (these kids are old enough to get it), and no reason for all you people to be up in arms. Half of them only wanted a break so they could text their BFF's and check their mail on their IPhones you bought them anyway.

GREAT RULE, Teacher! Good Job on taking a step to give unruly children (and hopefully their parents too), a piece of reality.

I don't understand what the big deal is. Okay, only allowing it three times a week is ridiculous. When I was in elementary school, we were allowed a potty visit once in the morning (during milk time - how appropriate) and once in the afternoon (during recess). Most of us went home for lunch (an hour break back then, and most kids lived within walking distance of their school) so we pottied there. So, in school, we pottied three times a day when the bell rang - once in the morning, during lunch at home, and once in the afternoon. None of us were traumatized. None of us ended up with bladder problems. As for saying how often teachers went potty, we never saw them do it. Teachers back then didn't have human biological functions.

Most teachers I know have potty-policies. The kids know them and adapt. Let's face it: kids are kids and will lie to get a "break" or stall or avoid doing what they don't want to do. And all teachers I know also know when kids actually need to visit the little-boys' or little-girls' room and will make exceptions beyond the rule. I've never known a teacher who had an accident in their classroom because they've told one of their kids to wait until the appointed time.

4th and 5th grade students are old enough to determine when they need to use the restroom. These students should be around 9 or 10 years old. A teacher that is in a class every day will get to know the students that abuse the privilege. Those kind of kids always stick out and did so when I was in grade school, middle or high school. There may be a day in which a sick child may have to go three times in one day. I am sure all of you adults out there have had bad cases of diarrhea at one time or another. If the child needs to go let them go. If they are doing it at the same time every day and it becomes a pattern an intelligent teacher can spot that in no time. Once the student is identified as a potty abuser punish him/her not the students that may have a need to go more often than normal from time to time. If this was such a great policy, why did the school administrator say that the policy was being discontinued anyway? I guess when the press gets involved people seem to get a case of common sense every now and then. (When and if the media actually does it's job)

WTF is wrong with society. how the fk can anyone regulate bodily functions, are we not a free society anymore? how dare anyone tell anyone else when they can go expel body waste and then to make excuses as to why you want to regulate someones bathroom visits is ludicrous. im so fed-up with people always wanting to control others.

the real issue here is the prizes at the end of week for leftover vouchers. we all know kids loves prizes and they will strive to gain those prizes, so this teaches kids to hold there body waste for the prizes. well aint that just grand, lets potentially give kids all kinds of medical problems associated with improper body waste functions all so they can be controlled and be good little robots, fking pathetic.

i hate this mentality that we have to punish the majority for what the minority does (punish the victim instead of the perpetrator). we have thousands of laws that do nothing but punish the law-abiding citizen because of what a criminal did or may do, we legislate based on fear and control.

Im currently a freshman in high school so my opinon probably doesn't count but still, face it we use the bathroom excuse to get out of a boring class or subject all the time. and ya it get annoying when its the same people every day. Most schools i know of don't have the fifth graders change classrooms so there is no "you should have got in between classes". And even if they do change classes, its generally never more than 3 or 4 minutes so that doesn't leave a lot of time to do your buisness.

So lets say a teacher has 30 kids in their class. if they see the same kids for 7 or 8 hours a day they should know their students well enough to know who is making up excuses and who really needs to go.

However, in the teachers defense, by the time kids are 10 or 11, they should be able to wait until the teacher is done instructing and the class has a few minutes to work on their assignment to go to the bathroom. If you really have to go that bad, then doing you work at home because you didn't have time to finish in class shouldn't be a problem.

(of course as a student who has limited 1 per class per week bathroom break rule, i believe in the "when you gotta go, you gotta go")

You've gotta love it. Liberals get upset when teachers try to discipline their little brat kids but when the poor test scores come rolling in suddenly it's the GOP's fault for not throwing enough money at the educational system.

Yacht; you pulled that comment out of the toilet. If you have such issues with liberals when why subject yourself to a liberal forum site? Let me guess - you have special powers that convert others to your way of thinking...or an uncontrollable urge to confront others...

People made a mountain out of a turd.

Diverticulitis may be the result of having to hold it, but I have never heard of 5th graders suffering this problem.

I think in 12 years of school I used the bathroom about once a year, what are you feeding your kids that they have to got 5 times a day? Stop over feeding your kids and they won't be in this situation.

Did you even read my comment or did you explode as soon as you hit the word "liberals?" I support the teacher using discipline, especially in a Brooklyn school where kids have about as much respect for their teachers and learning as liberals do for the Constitution and morality.

Sounds very reasonable. I couldn't recall needing to ask the teacher if I could leave class to use the restroom more than 2-3 times in an entire school year! You can go before school. On recess. On lunch. During P.E. And on any of the other 2 or 3 breaks they get. I would bet the teacher had to make the rule because there were some kids asking to go to the restroom every single day, several times a day just to go screw off. Now I am sure there is some sensitive parent out there whose kid has a medical issue and I am equally as certain that they could discuss that with the teacher and the teacher would understand. But seriously the parents that get all upset over this are the exact kinds that also think their kid can do no wrong when their kid is probably the biggest troublemaker in the class.

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING-how do we get from 5th graders using the bathroom to politics, accusatons of out-of-control kids and bad parenting??????????? In the 5th grade kids are only leaving the classroom for lunch and recesses and occasionally to PE, music, library or assembly. YES some kids play the teacher and horse around instead of just going and coming right back. There isn't much to do in the halls in elementary school. There are not students milling around in free periods or 2nd luch shift etc.. DRAINBRAMAGE-I just had a family member die from Diverticulitis and its a horrible, awful ,extremely painful way to die. My relative was an adult, she had surgery where a good portion of her intestines were removed, infection was flushed out of her and a colostemy was performed. Had she lived it likely would have been permanent and the healing time is up to a year. These can be reversed, however it is just as painful and recovery time as long as the inital surgery. My relative lived for about 12 hours after the surgery but the massive infection and the extremely poor state of her health before the surgery due to the illness going untreated for too long got the best of her. CAN U IMAGINE a child going thru this?? It can and does happen to children and if they are afraid to go to the bathroom it can become a very real emotional problem even if it doesn't become a physical one. Just because you've never heard of it happening to a fifth grader, (are u smarter than a 5th grader?) does NOT mean it can't. What makes u an authority on how to monitor childrens bowel and urinary functons anyway???? OR do you just need something to bitch about. Same ? to you freaks that want to make this a political issue!!! And U JERKS that want to sit there and say 5th graders are old enough to control this, GET THE FREAK REAL. NOBODY HAS COMPLETE CONTROL over their bodily functions and if you say you do Im here to call BS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I remember a girl in my 6th grade class that asked to go to the bathroom and was denied. She was not a PROBLEM student or one to go screw around instead of doing as she stated. She asked a 2nd time about 15 mins later. (class was on task, quiet, and this was no interuption) She got shot down again. Less than 10 mins. later I heard laughter ,looked towards the source of it. The whole class ended up staring and this girl was himiliated and redfaced and some kids laughed about the big yellow puddle under her desk. Then the teacher walked over to her, whispered something and the girl shot out of the class like a bullet. This girl was my friend and I felt so bad for her. The next year in Jr. high she not only got teased for it by the kids from our elementary but by kids coming into Jr. high from other schools as well. Then the bullying followed her to High School all because a teacher thought she was a better judge of what this child needed to do than the child herself. You asses that think this is ok- hope it doesn't happen to one of your kids cause you'll probably want to punish them when they get home for it.

skrewdworld - diverticulitis is not caused by "holding it." So while your story is tragic, it doesn't relate to this issue. And yes this article does relate to parenting and to some extent, out of control kids. We hear a number of people carrying on that these kids should get to go when ever. Yet they totally bypass the fact that Adults cannot do this in the real world. What are you teaching these kids by promoting this? Yet another factor in school graduating students who are not prepared for the realities of the adults world and what it takes to get and keep a job. This entire time, we have talked about a time period no longer than that used in the business world. I've never been in any sort of job that didn't break every 2 hours. Scheduled bathroom breaks is not only good for the ability to teach, but to also prepare kids for the real world. The vast majority of children are able to conform to this within a short time. While there will be instances where an unplanned trip is needed, this is not what we are talking about. Kids will "push the envelope" as that is part of their growing up. Allowing, or better yet, encouraging the abuse of bathroom breaks is wrong.

I would like to say that I am amazed at how many people start to read the article and just jump to a comment and then base their entire foundation on comments after that. Ignorant. Despite these kids being in the same classroom for a day (other than when at recess or PE) they will have breaks in between subjects. There was not an issue for a month and now there is? So the school backs the majority because they are kicking and screaming the loudest? Unreal.

Well, for those of you that are jumping on the bandwagon, remember that these kids today will one day work for you. Be prepared for a bathroom break every 10 minutes and remember "when they have to go, then they have to go". remember not to be hypercritical........we'll see how far that goes. Truly unreal

Glad this wasn't around when I was in school.. when your best friend isn't in your class you would plan times for bathroom breaks and meet in the bathroom.. in grade school it was to gab about everything in highschool it was to chat about the boys and smoke a cigarette.... I rarely used the bathrooms in school but headed over to them quite often... It was a social meeting place at my schools :) I don't think the teacher was going to "paddle" the kids who used or needed more than 3 breaks.. it to me seem more like and insentive program to help the kids manage their time.

Ask my children we drive 10hrs every year to Myrtle beach for vacation and their are NO potty breaks except while stopping for gas, they know it and have always known it and we have yet to have an accident in the car!!!

Student: Excuse me Mrs. Smith I have to go to the bathroom.

Mrs. Smith: No, you have gone three times this week you will have to hold it.

Student: But I c-c-c aahhhhhh............................. Mrs. Smith I need to show you something in the corner.

What a stupid rule and these are the people that teach our children-well maybe yours not mine.

For those who say the teachers should simply know who are the abusers and deal with them and not punish the rest of the class, what happens when one of the abusers is told no, they can't go to the bathroom and the teacher allows Johnny to go? The abuser then goes home, tells his/her mom the teacher didn't allow them to use the bathroom and suddenly the parent is at the school screaming the teacher is picking on their child. By instilling a set policy, where all students are allowed three emergencies during the week, they are keeping this from happening.

For those who say, well what if the child has an upset stomach or is sick, well, if that is the case, your child should not be in school. Schools generally have a policy that states children cannot be in school for 24 hours after noticeable symptoms (fever, diarrhea, vomiting) are no longer occurring. If a child is sick they should be going to see the nurse and leaving the school.

Has anyone been in the fifth grade with someone that had a overactive bladder? I have. The poor kid could not control his bladder and had to go like every 20 to 30 minutes (all day long) And THE teacher denied him to go use the restroom because,(teacher) you were just in there. Well needless to say he went right there in his pants at his desk. And in tears he got up and went out to the hall to get his coat on and leave the school to go home (the whole time our teacher was telling him to return to his seat), he showed his pants to her and left. It was not more than 40 minutes had he was back with his mother she came to our class and the teacher went out in the hall with her. It was the best a** chewing I have ever had the pleasure listening to. What makes that bad is that our teacher did not listen to him,or us,all of the kids in school knew he had a bladder problem. And she was not a new teacher. And she apologized to him and us for not believing him.

Do not impose such things on kids it is harmful to your body to hold in what is naturally meant to come out(ask your doctor). If it is a problem with some kids that are not going to the restroom when they say they are that is easy to deal with. I believe they are called Hall monitors.

I have been out of school a long while now so I cannot say for sure if they change classes from one room to another,with a different teacher. However I think that this teacher should have made a memo for her students (that enter her class) should have been given this memo as notification to their parents so they would know beforehand their kids were going to be subjected to this policy.(in Her class)

The school my children currently go to does not normally allow bathroombreaks during class. Some teachers do the voucher thing, however they only do 3 vouchers per marking period. Yes that is 3 vouchers per quarter...to get 3 in a week would be a very generous offer. They are normally expected to go between classes, however if they do...they do not have enough time to make it to their next class. The school has a policy to call in the evenings to update children on their attendance records. I get calls letting me know each time one of my children happened to be tardy to one of their classes. I might get as many as two to five a week...but I also expect to recieve them on the days they aren't racing to the bathroom as soon as they get home.

Now I have heard everything - in a country that has already for decades been "in the toilet." (Pun intended.) Get this flipping fool out of the classroom and get a teacher in there who at least has a modicum of common sense.

And if the problem is bullying, let some of the teacher's assistants cover "bathroom monitor" duty on a revolving, posted schedule to assure that there are no problem children acting out in problem behavior in the bathroom.

Can we have a show of hands from those who might be slightly beginning to see that taking discipline and prayer out of schools was the beginning of the end and it is long past time to reinstate BOTH discipline and prayer in the schools. Until better behavior is expected and demanded America's schools will continue to be a sewer and a waste of any additional takings of taxpayer money.

Children can behave properly without prayer. Do YOU get to choose which god they'll pray to?

You would think an educated person would KNOW, that not everyone's body works the same. There ARE children that suffer from bladder/bowel problems AND the LAST thing they need is to be humiliated over it. We are people, not machines and deserved to be treated as such, yes, even children! Humiliating a child will not make them better students, it will, however make them HATE school.

I think what everyone fails take into consideration... there are routine, daily bathroom breaks. You can also use the restroom during recess without any issues (it simply takes away from your play time). Classroom bathroom breaks are and should be rare for 5th graders. I see no issue with these being 3 times a week at most. If there is a medical issue, then the teacher should be notified and adjustments made.

I don't know about anybody else, but this whole thread makes me have to pee.

And on that note, I have a small bladder and I have to pee often or else I will get UTIs, which if you've never had one, HURT like crazy.

If you've gotta go, go. I had several teachers who thought I was just "screwing around" and wouldn't give me permission to go to the bathroom, well guess what? You can't stop me. I can't tell you how many times I walked out of a class to use the bathroom, sure I got in trouble, but whatever.

I am not going to hold it just because some people may or may not have the attention span of a gnat.

As a parent, I can tell you that one sure way to make sure that your children will need to go to the bathroom is to tell them that they can't. To try to force them to use the bathroom on your schedule is like trying to hold back the tide so you can pick up your beach things.

This teacher is an idiot who obviously does not know how to control her classroom. Good thing there were no "accidents" or the school would be looking at a lawsuit.

Agreed! Here's a novel solution: Restrict this teacher to only 3 pee breaks per week while at work. I'd like to see how long it takes before she cries foul and calls her union rep!

Teachers are not allowed to leave their classrooms unattended, so they must coordinate their potty breaks. However, teachers are adults and not 5th graders. Honestly, this article does not really give us a lot to go on. For example, when I was in elementary school, we had scheduled potty breaks. We would all line up and walk to the restrooms. Does this teacher have something like this built into her day? When are the kids allowed to use the potty? I am not saying I agree with potty passes... I just think they could have done a better job reporting!

I see we have more uninformed people who just hate teachers and their right oto have unions. The rule is 3 potty breaks OUTSIDE the class established times. Kids usually use the restroom when they arrive in the morning. Then the class takes a group break sometime mid morning around specials. The class again goes after lunch/recess and once more before the end of the day. Most of the upper elementary teachers only allow so many passes for potty breaks OUTSIDE those designated times. The headline is VERY misleading and it's just bringing out the teacher bashers who have not idea what they are talking about.

Trinity1984, the issue is really with the article. It does not state that the potty breaks are in addition to "normally scheduled potty breaks". It just says they get 3 passes a week. I think the "journalist" should have given us the full picture.

Try working for a call center with restrictive work/break periods. You get your breaks and lunch scheduled for you, and deviation from the times laid out result in discipline if it could have been avoided (some calls run long which is to be expected, and the scheduling team plans for that among other things).

I don't think it's unreasonable to start something like this during middle school, but elementary school seems a bit young. In my middle school, there were breaks every hour. When I went to high school, there were breaks every 90 minutes. My college had some 50 minute classes, some 2 hours classes, and some 3 hour classes.

When I worked for that call center, there were breaks about every 2 hours, and you had to be on the phones every other minute while you were there. Sure emergencies can happen, but you have to deal with the consequences in a professional environment like that.

K Man, go ahead and restrict the teacher to three unplanned restroom breaks. Because she is responsible for the kids while they're in her class, and she plans accordingly, I'll bet she doesn't even use one...

Guess you guys who think some are bashing teachers (I'm not..used to be one and am very supportive) wouldn't mind your child getting sick, having runs on pants, period, or pee in the pants because teacher doesn't want to bother with it?

I get the issue...oh, and D? We aren't talking about adults here...we are talking about kids. that call center sucked and I'm sorry you worked there, but no, we don't have to start training 5th graders to work in call centers with crappy working conditions.

This article glaringly points out:

1. Parents need to talk to their children DAILY about whats going on in their lives

2. Anyone that thinks this is an acceptable policy should:

a. Remember that children don't have the ability to hold their bodily functions like some adults do.

b. Never procreate

Joe - 3. And that many people reading this have less than 5th grade reading comprehension since they missed that the policy is not talking about 3 times total a week but 3 times DURING CLASS.

There are plenty of breaks and baring being sick or a medical condition a child who is in 5th grade should have no issues holding it for a couple hours, and as I stated above should know by this time that they need to use the restroom before class or other times when they have a chance.

But that's right teachers are just bad good for nothings out to pick on the kids and do horrible things like make them learn and maybe accept some personal responsibility. sic

Gee, if your kid has diarrhea, or some other problem, Parent send a note to school that day,

(Kid, tells your teacher if your parent didn't send a note). Now if you kid uses the excuse, I have diarhea, all the time?? A lot of panties in a knot over nothing, Get A Life.

You bunch of liberal cry babies. The boys in the 5th grade are 11 years old. At 11, in Little League they face ptichers that can throw a baseball 60 - 70 mph. BUT you are worried that they might have to face some dicipline?? They are very capable and handle this stuff fine!!

And Joe is correct, you do need to know what is happening in their lives, but if pee breaks are worrying you, you are in for a HUGE surprise in Junior High!!!!

See Janet's comment below 238.5

Yes Melanie THAT is her job!!!!!! Don't want them to be told what to do and learn how to handle the real world, home school.!

Ram, I clearly said that elementary school was too early, however how many of you parents have told your child "please try before we go" so you didn't have to deal with a situation while running errands, or taking a long car trip? I'd be willing to bet it was as soon as they were trained... If you have scheduled breaks (recess, lunch, class breaks) you should be taking care of things then. If an emergency comes up, fine, but I'll bet you have fewer than 3 emergencies a week. If so, then you should probably review what else is going on in your life.

A call center environment is just an example. What about building a high rise, driving a delivery truck, professional athletes, security guards, or any other environment that requires you to plan your restroom breaks? The point of school is to prepare you with not only knowledge, but appropriate behaviors for the professional world. There are professions out there that require more control than others. If you're not adequately prepared, whether you're lacking appropriate knowledge, professional practices, or social behavior, then some would argue that the education system failed in some way.

I worked in an elementary school for several years, and what these teachers are forced to respond to is amazing. I've never seen someone detect the warning signs of vomit and put a trash can in front of someone so effectively. This isn't outside the expected realm, but it's something that older kids shouldn't be burdening their teachers with. I no longer work in the school system, so I'll let someone else draw the line.

TXHorseman - I am very liberal but I also think that this policy is reasonable. Kids should use scheduled breaks for going to the bathroom and three additional times a week is plenty to supplement any additional times they may need to go.

Also, K man - you are completely out of touch. It is in fact against the law for the teacher to leave their class room while students are there so they get zero unscheduled bathroom breaks. If a teacher can handle it, I don't see why a 10-11 year olds cannot deal with just three additional opportunities plus more time at breaks then teachers generally get (many have to set up the next section during lunch so they have even less time then the "breaks").

So if you applaud this policy, what do you do when one child has gone three times that week, then has to go again? What if they have a stomach ache, are coming down with something? What then? Allow them to go in their pants? It's ludicrous.

1devon - if they cannot figure out to use the bathroom before school and during break and lunch after three times then they need to go to the doctor or to a psychologist. Of course if they truly do have such a problem that hasn't been diagnosed yet they can just go but I don't think parents should be actively encouraging this rather then just trying to find a solution to their children's apparent physical/behavior problem.

So you've never had to go before work, then had to go again within a short time of arriving? Really? You've never had an upset stomach? You've never had a glass of water at lunch, gone before returning to work, then had to go again? I find that hard to believe. In this case, we're talking about ten year olds. Most elementary schools are designed to have 5th grade students with one teacher for the vast majority of the day. Telling a child they can't use the bathroom because they've already gone that week is just ridiculous. And teachers wonder why the backlash?

Come on people. Get a grip. In elementary school, students have before school, at recess, lunch, and sometimes an afternoon recess to go. Leaving class repeatedly to use the restroom is a great distraction and students miss learning opportunities. 3 times a week from class is plenty. The teacher has the right and the obligation to implement an effective management and discipline policy to support all students. The Dept. of Ed. had no right to intervene. Medical conditions are always considered with a Dr.'s note

Kidneys issued two to a customer.

Teaching kids to 'hold it' will lead them to do so as they grow older.

'Holding it' as you get older can cause many problems for the kidneys, bladder, and, hey, even your life.

This 'policy' should be stricken and the teacher sent to a urologist to learn something besides reading, writing and 'rithmatic.

Too bad they can't do that with brains. The amount of uneducated posters is unreal...especially those precious northerners who think the south is nothing short of a home for one-toothed, incestuous river rats.

I'm not a true southerner, but I can honestly say I've seen some 5th graders down here, that are a whole lot more educated than some of the northerners posting on this board, and a whole LOT of highly educated adults live here as well.
The schools are just as good as the schools in your neck of the woods.

I can fairly safely promise you, when the statistics say that AMERICA is lagging behind China in education, is isn't just the south they are talking about. Maybe the snow has frozen too many of your brains, for you to remember that you're a part of the same America they are talking about.

If your kids can't hold pee for 15 minutes until their NEXT scheduled (out of 4 regular) breaks a day, then they have bigger problems than ANY school can fix...and my guess is....it started with their parents.

1devon - yes, on a rare occasion I have had to use the bathroom unexpectedly - that is why these kids get 3 additional breaks on top of the scheduled ones as well as if they are sick, they really should be at home.

It seems a lot of you are working with the false dichotomy - any regulation of when to use the bathroom = you can never use the bathroom the whole day teachers are evil OMG.

Assuming at least one break between the beginning of class and lunch and access to a bathroom during these times (I believe this is true in most cases and if not, that is what should be addressed and not the classroom policy) , as well as three additional bathroom breaks in the week, no kid should have to hold it once they learn to go when they can.

There are some kids who simply can't go on a schedule like that. Hey teach-- let's see YOU go on a schedule like that! Bet the teacher heads for the teachers' lounge about every two hours-- that way teach can lie about it and the students can't see her head for the bathroom.

And the powers that be at the school couldn't do it either, yet they are agreeing with teach's rule. What a bunch of A**h***s. Sounds like that school is made up of a bunch of adult a**h***s.

Even civil service employees get breaks for things like that. And they are adults with larger bladders and can hold more. Compare a pit bull's bladder with a chihuahua's bladder-- which can hold more. I adopted a chihuahua once-- I was the third one to adopt her. The other two families returned her, both with the same excuse-- she wasn't housebroken. Well, she was locked in an apartment all day and just couldn't hold it for 8 or 9 hours. I had a doggie door and a back yard, and she went out when she needed to.

....or even more, doing a #2!

This teacher is a moron.

Spider - please explain why this teacher is a moron?

Hatr - why would the kids pee their pants? They have other breaks during the day. This is 3 times a week DURING CLASS.

Actually, I think most of the people posting here apparently spent too much class time on 'potty breaks'. I don't remember once in all the years I was in school that I had to ask to go to the bathroom in the middle of class. But there were other kids that did it not only every day, but in every class during the day. Trust me, they didn't have to go to the bathroom, they just wanted to get out of class for a few minutes. This teacher found a way to encourage the kids to stay in class so that they would still have their 'vouchers' at the end of the week for 'prizes'. What is the big deal? They weren't being abused, there were several planned potty breaks throughout the day. Parents today are the morons, not this teacher.

Forcing a child to urinate or have a bowel movement in their clothing is most certainly abuse. I spent 25 years as a caregiver for disabled folks and IF I EVER dared to deny them access to the bathroom because they SHOULD be able to only go 2 0r 3 times a day and deliberately made them soil themselves I would not only be fired, I would have had a protective services investigation done on me and could have been arrested and possibly convicted of a crime. Even in the best case scenario I would have effectively ruined my career as I would have been unemployable in any human services related job. IF the teachers can't handle the kids they need to get out of the classroom.

what is the big deal? and some moron even asked who would be peeing in their pants? lets see an adult controlling and dictating when a child should expel their waste is abusive. kids too afraid to ask to go to the restroom and if they do the cruel teachers refuse and then the kid pees in their pants. that is how it's done you freakin moron. i have peed in my pants, my niece has as well and so has other millions of kids. it happens all the freakin time. that's just the way it is. just because it hasn't happened to you. doesn't mean it's not true. i have never farted in a class but i'm pretty sure someone else has. it is not okay to refuse a human being the right to pee or poop. that is human nature. would you want someone to treat you that way? if kids play in the restroom big freakin deal. put them in dentention there problem solved. but to deny bathroom rights is uncalled for and cruel and unusual punishment.

Really - need to ease up. These are 5th graders not little 4 and 5yr olds. My guess is they are talking two hour tops between scheduled breaks (recess, lunch, ect.) That is not a long time by any means. You have no idea about cruel and unusual punishment. Look there is mole hill in my backyard lets call the USGS and see if they can certify it as a mountain. And who said the teacher is mean, do you know her? Could be one of the nicest and best teachers ever. There is nothing wrong with this and I'm sure she is understanding about medical emergencies ect. If your kid has to pee more often than that, take them to the doctor and get a note/release. You and people like you are the reason we have issues in school. Take away all the authority the teacher has. Did you see the story about the kids in Indonesia who have to cross the bridge that is half collapsed (though they could take the longer route), and people here have the nerve to argue about a 3 time a week DURING CLASS policy about using the bathroom that is actually teaching the kids about some personal responsiblity. Give me a break. You people need to shut up and get some real perspective. geez.

English, huh? Hmmmmm. Anyone see Pink Floyd's The Wall. The English were certainly NOT put in a favorable light in their schools! Bathroom breaks weren't their only downfall.

I think they meant the teacher taught english....not that she was English............a demerit for you Diana.... 2 more and you know what that means

Try again, Vayne1! He said "I used to teach with an english high school teacher' NOT 'a high school teacher that taught english' . And as far as demerits being distributed that only works when people accept that kind of punishment. I don't.

You're going to try and argue intent by interpreting a post from someone who allegedly taught but has no comprehension about capitalizing the word English?

By the sound of her posts, Diana has her panties in a wad for nothing, and you, Voter, have your head up your gazoo if you think YOU never make mistakes.

The rule isn't a travesty. It's a great rule. I hope other classrooms and other schools follow suit. And I hope all the parents' "suits" are thrown out of court, or the board room.

All you people protesting this horrible rule <sarcasm>, are nothing more than a bunch of drama queens...

Just shorten your name to twit. It suits you best. Seems like your the QUeen of drama queens. You are one of the type that suffer from Pinnocchio syndrome.

@skrewd

Hahaha! I'm so hurt! NOT! LOL
It's not really the world that's skrewd....only those that have to deal with you.

Well, yes, if you hold it long enough you will turn green.

I most definitely agree with you on this, billw001.

I totally agree with you Bill! No one has the right to tell my child that they cannot use the restroom. Period. If my child has to really go, then I would tell my kid to get up and go anyways. We intrust our children to strangers and sometimes their weird and moronic ways...

And you have now taught your child that they do not need to obey or respect the teacher at all. Good job.

Chuck. Get a clue clown. Sometimes I wonder about people that comment like you. Do you have the ability to think. Respecting authority and one's right to use the restroom are TWO different things. I like your "Special Ed." thinking. Wow I'm impressed... Another weirdo in life! LOL :-)

And as a teacher, I'd tell you to go pound sand. When children are at school, they are under the authority of the school. Perhaps you have heard of "in loco parentis"? Kids (and adults) have to follow the rules of organizations, groups, and schools they choose to be a part of. Don't like the rules? Change schools or take responsibility for your own children's education, but you don't get to decide which rules you want to follow.

Wow Chuck oversimplification. What your writing has nothing to do with the situation. If you have to go,you have to go. Teachers should not be stopping involuntary body functions. A kid holding their pee all class will do a diservice to that kid. They won't learn when they are thinking of peeing.

And as for the distraction angle. tell your kids to concentrate if someone's bathroom breaks are disturbing you. If they get distracted that easily then they have other problems beside distractions

As a teacher, I have dealt many many times with students who were simply flat out told that they (the student) did not have to listen to the teacher, that what the parent said trumped anything that happened in the classroom, and I can tell you this:

Even if it started as one little thing, like the bathroom--and I have had some bathroom policy run-ins in the past--those students acted like what I, or my fellow teachers said, did not matter one bit. And you know why? Because it didn't.

Forget discipline at that point. Forget doing homework. Forget paying attention. Because they were given a pass by mommy and daddy to do and say whatever the heck they wanted, and we lost the authority to call them out on it. And then when the kids get in serious trouble, guess who's fault it is that the student doesn't feel like the school's rules matter?

So, before you tell me to get a clue, why don't you get one yourself?

Amen! Teachers should not make the decision as to when the child has to "go"....I always told my children that if they "really" had to go, just go...they did NOT NEED ANYONE'S PERMISSION....& that if they were told NO, to go anyway....& if the teacher had a problem with it, to call me!

You would tell your child that it's okay to disrespect an authority figure? And that you support that behavior?

I don't think that's sending a good message. What would stop the kid from turning around and applying the same logic to things you tell him/her to do?

I would explain to my child the reasoning behind the rule, that children constantly getting up to go to the bathroom is disruptive to other people in the class. And then I would tell them they should try to go to the bathroom before or after class.

When teachers make stupid and unreasonable rules like this one how do they expect to be respected? I say tough toenails. If my kid is having one of those days and needs to go to the toilet more than 3 times in 1 DAY then they had better be permitted to go or I will sue.

billw001 you and that thinking are part of the problem with education today. Congratulations.

I had to comment to support my good man, Chuck. These same tough guy parents ("They'll have to deal with ME." lmao) have NO CONTROL of their kids at home. It is the children of these "my kids do nothing wrong" jerks that are responsible for the bullying and other disruptive nonsense our kids have to deal with today. The good, well-behaved student would not manipulate this very fair policy, NOR would they go crying to mommy and daddy that "it's not fair." I have three school-age children and they are all told that you do what the teacher says.....period. There are far more GREAT teachers than the ones we hear about in the news that people want to site as being "bad examples." BS disrespect starts at home....

WOW! I can't believe this is an issue. These students are 5th graders and have before school, recess, lunch and after school. As a FEMALE teacher, I use the restroom once a day sometimes twice, during school. The pass of 3 times of week is for the emergencies of those days the student can't hold it. If the student has a note from a doctor for medical reasons, of course, the teacher will make exceptions. If anyone reminders being in 5th grade or taught 5th grade they would know that most of the time the students are just going to get out of class. As a teacher, it is frustrating dealing with kids coming and going. And there is always the students that take too long, are missing around. There is nothing wrong with the policy. Students just need to learn how to go to the bathroom at appropriate times just like adults do.

I agree 100% with Chuck. My parents always supported the authority of the school unless there was an obvious problem. Getting in trouble at school meant even bigger problems when we got home. Kids cannot be allowed to walk in and out of a classroom freely. Teachers know that sometimes kids have to go during class but they try to prevent it becoming a habit.

Scairp, I bet you were a spoiled PIA in school also, not just as an "adult".

I used to teach 6-8 science so I'm not anti-teacher or discipline. I guess it really would be better for the child to puke on the teacher's desk, have runs or her period or pee in her/his pants? Let's add some humiliation to an already awful situation, okay?

I have one child of my own who is so shy it is hard for her to ask anyway. She would be so mortified if she knew she wasn't allowed to go or the teacher would say no that she wouldn't speak the rest of the year to ask for something from the teacher, and she would be so humiliated if she had an accident...wow.

Sure, common sense is great and I do support the authority of the teachers of course, but I also want my child treated with respect and reason just as I always treated the kids I taught that way. They are people too, and I remember being in school and it being something that I had to take care of right away. If a teacher had said no or argued with me or accused me of lying...wow.

And these parents are what is wrong with education today. A teacher needs the ability to control the classroom. They have at least three breaks during the day to relieve themselves. They also have three extra passes during the week! If your child is using the restroom more than this, instead of chewing the teacher out for not letting your golden child use the restroom, maybe you should talk to your 4th grader and try to understand why they need to go so much. Doing it because they are bored? Too much sugary soda? Spend some time with your kid!

And based on your comment bill, your argument says that if all 30+ kids stand up and say they need to go that second, the teacher should just let them go. And if they do it again in 30 minutes... she has no right to stop them, otherwise you will be down there to chew the teacher out. Then 3 months from now when your child is failing, you will be down there to chew the teacher out again about how they aren't teaching them anything.

The teacher was right on, and while we are at it. Lets bring back spanking and rulers across the hands. Heck didn't hurt me. I am a fine outstanding citizen of these here United States. And guess what, I can even speak and write English.

Man, am I amazing....

When I was in elementary school, I went to the bathroom right before I left the house, lunchtime and when I got home. Maybe sometimes during recess. Never during class. It's not that hard. And don't forget, they get 3 emergency ones a week. Should be plenty.

Ram,

The policy is 3 bathroom breaks during class per week plus unlimited bathroom use between classes and at lunch/recess.

If a 5th grader (~9 years old) is having more than 3 emergencies per week there is clearly an underlining medical or psychological issue that needs to be addressed.

NO CaTeacher, you are wrong. Just kidding!

These people do not want to be told what to do and they do not want their children told what to do. However they want a disciplined learning environment too.

This is not about bathrooms, it is about control and discipline! Todd above is correct.

Thank you Todd and Chuck.

All you other "they will answer to me" folks, give it a rest. Try being a real parent and stop deflecting onto the teacher who is trying to do her job and teach you kid something since clearly you can't. What a joke.

ram: apparently you never taught in schools where every single class 6-8 students per class want to use the restroom.....the same 6-8 who just used it in every other period they were in as well. Unfortunately that is what kids do today. When I was in grades 1-8, we used the rest room twice a day, period, as a whole class, and no one ever, ever in 8 years had to go to the restroom outside of twice a day, not even in primary grades. As others posted, students with medical needs bring notes to the nurse and the teachers are informed of this and responsive to their needs. Those rare cases aren't the issue. It is the ones who want to go every class, and it isn't just one or two nor even three.

Janet REno-seriously have to laugh at that name. Deb w. nobody cares what you think. The story also did not state that this teacher had multiple children bothering her daily to go to the bathroom. All it did state was this was one teachers thing and the school did not have this as a policy. Scubasteve and other posters who are saying that if a parent tells their children to go to the bathroom if they honestly need to go even if the teacher says no are disrespecting teacher etc.. Get a clue.. I don't believe for one minute that any sane parent is going to care if the teacher feels disrespected if the twit is denying their child the right to take care of their bodily functions. You people are saying this is about control and discipline for the teacher. Well if a teacher isn't smart enough to figure out who the goof offs are and which kids really gotta go they DONT belong in a classroom in the first place. IF a teacher doesn't like kids andis so easily frustrated they don't belong in a classroom. If a teacher thinks their job is to CONTROL kids they don't belong in a classroom. Try the freaking military, go be a dominatrix, whatever trips your trigger, just stay out of my grandkids school.

What all of you who think this rule is abusive or out of line are ignoring one important fact, students abuse bathroom privileges, but if they know bathroom privileges are going to be limited, they will no longer abuse those privileges because they will worry about what happens, later in the week, if they really have to go but have already used all their passes.

I currently have children in 2nd and 4th grade. My older son has a nervous bladder so he goes frequently. Since he was in kindergarten his teachers have all had bathroom use restrictions, that they can only use the restroom during work time, and the pass had to be available (typically they have one pass for girls and one for boys, that way only two students can be gone at a time). In addition to this, the whole class goes to the restroom before recess, before and after lunch, and before specialist. Neither of my kids, nor anyone in their classes, have ever had accidents. This teacher is doing nothing more than teaching these 10 and 11 year olds to manage their time and that time wasted on unnecessary restroom breaks will not be tolerated.

If kids are being disruptive, take away their recess. Or send them to the principal's office. Telling all kids they can't pee because of a few bad eggs is wrong.

In fact, I was told asking to go to the bathroom is actually more disruptive to class than just going. As long as you go take the 'pass' (usually laminated paper or some kind of wood) you could just get up and go without saying anything. Since there is only one pass, only one kid could go at a time. I found that system works.

I kind of like that idea, Ruken, but you still need to rein in the bad eggs. Especially if one kid wets his pants because a bad egg took the pass and took half an hour to get back.

That Bad Egg's parents will ge the very first ones raise hell and that is a part of the problem Cat. Since teachers aren't allowed to control a student, they control the entire class. Happens in your company and mine everyday. Just the way it is!!

I was a teacher for 8 years... if a student needed to use the restroom during class, as I often did due to stomach problems as a child, my first response is "can you wait?". If the answer was yes, fine, they waited until I was done with instruction. If not, my response was "go quickly please"... and guess what... THEY DID! I established my rules and earned their respect immediately, and did not have the problems people talk about, because they knew there would be consequences for being a problem. I was straightforward, fair, honest, and if they caused a problem, they were dealt with accordingly. Limiting the number of times a student can go to the restroom in a class is only acceptable if that student has a history of messing around...sometimes they just have to go! Breaks aren't always available, time isn't always sufficient, and students aren't always troublemakers.

1down2togo: Well as I posted above it sounds like you need to go to Winfield Alabama. At that school children are give demerits for having to go to the bathroom. One each time and at 3 you get paddled with wooden paddle. No time during the day is allotted to go to the bathroom. They get 15 minutes for lunch and have to go with the teacher and return with the teacher NO BATHROOM BREAK! Do you get my drift. You should be really happy there. Luckily, for my granddaughter she will never see you there. Her mother took her out and put her in a school where going to the bathroom was not penalized. As far as your comment concerning the 'little angels' and 'darlings' am TRULY happy she will not be exposed to a person such as yourself if you are a teacher. She will be inducted into the honor society this week so, buddy, she IS a good kid and doesn't need the likes of you.

kids get 30 mins for lunch........mandated by ALABAMA school board in every public school..........you're full of it

Diana-2848401

1) Nothing about the extreme scenario you outline parallels the one described other than using the toilet. Nowhere in my post did I advocate for corporal punishment, or abolishing bathroom use entirely.

2) The story isn't about Winfield. Methinks your chest was full, and you saw an opportunity to offload with me in the crosshairs.

3) Congratulations on your granddaughter's performance- the error in your logic is that the rules, as in all rules, don't exist for the well-behaved, disciplined children (which apparently you have), but rather for the minority who lack good parenting and adherence to rules. If the teacher's approach curbs the distractions and improves the learning environment for the majority, and is well within reason, then everyone wins.

4) wow, angry and bitter much?

@vayne, why don't you PROVE that she's full of it?!

I read a story about a girl whose teacher REFUSED to let her go to the bathroom, and she was in pain. Burning, stinging pain. Later, when she did go to the bathroom, there was blood. She had to have surgery on her bladder, and has permanent damage.

Once when I was in class, I asked to use the bathroom, and the teacher said to wait, but it couldn't wait, or else I'd have leaked blood on the chair. So I take out a tampon and put it on my desk, and the teacher was SO quick to excuse me to the bathroom.

I took Diana's advice and checked.......I dont know about when her granddaughter went to Winfiled but they have a no paddle policy now and Winfield Elementary doesnt even have a 5th grade....k thru 4 only nor are there elementary students ever confined to one classroom or teacher all day

isis....the website has number listed...........now you prove she isnt full of it

isis....the website has number listed...........now you prove she isnt full of it

Winfield Alabama. At that school children are give demerits for having to go to the bathroom. One each time and at 3 you get paddled with wooden paddle.

Diana you lying sack...if anyone PADDLED a kid in today's schools, they would be torn apart by every parent in the region. If you are not lying, well then, I expect social services will be looking into that accusation within 2 hours.

Spoken like a childless fool. As parents, we are the only ones who can look out for our children. In a society where even the most upright citizen can turn out to be a closet pedophile or some other form of freak, I will always stand by my child's needs. If my son, or myself for that reason, has to use a bathroom, nobody better stand in the way of allowing that. My goodness, all these folks clamoring about children should be able to handle "holding it" or that parents should stop coddling their kids and bow to a teachers authority, really. Does your job restrict bathroom breaks? I can use the restroom 10 times a day if need be. 10 people at my job take 5-7 smoke breaks a day. Why would i want my son to be more restricted in his activites or functions than i am made to conform to. This is america and if you have to go use a restroom, no AUTHORITY should stand in the way of that. And for the Posting teachers on this thread, you are hated because despite low test scores, summer's off, virtual amnesty with regards to tenure, you still can't be fired or disciplined thanks to your American killing Unions. Americans are beginning to understand that Unions are like Dinosaurs, a thing of the past that may have been useful in it's time but no longer. Teachers are over paid and on par with defrocked priests in my book.

They do still paddle in schools JM. sorry! BUT has to be by parental permission in most cases.

thank you 1down!!

@vayne1 - Actually that proves things to be as stated. Fifth graders are not allowed to go to the bathroom at Winfield elementary - they are supposed to go to the bathrooms in their own school. I could just imagine the havoc if the schools with 5th graders had to bus their students over to Winfield so they could go to the bathroom during class time.!!!!!!

Dom, you're lucky that your job allows for smoke/bathroom breaks as you deem appropriate. I'm guessing it also allows you to stop something for 5 minutes, and then pick it back up without the interruption impacting the process. This is not the case with educational situations, or even some jobs (see my post above, 2.5). The child has to be there to absorb whatever the teacher is putting forth.

As I read your post, I laugh more and more. Your son is absolutely more restricted than you are. Can he drive? Maybe (you don't say how old he is). Can he vote? Probably not. Can he drink? No. The point of setting these restrictions is that a child isn't mature enough to handle these situations.

On the other side of that, a child isn't mature enough to plan restroom breaks until later in life. I sincerely you don't blindly stand by your child and say they're always right, because they're not, I guarantee it.

As for your rant on teachers, it's a much harder job than you think. I'm not a fan of unions either, but I have a great deal of respect for the vast majority of the teachers I've interacted with while I was in school and later professionally. However, if I was responsible for educating your child, an attitude like that influencing him at home would make it very difficult to have him rise to his full potential and get the good scores others may achieve, and then I'd need the 3 months off to purge you from my memory as best as I could...

dom- Your child may well be responsible and only ask to go when he really needs to. No teacher has a problem with that. But what should your child's teacher do about the 8 students that want to go every class, who wander slowly down the halls, and do illicit things in the rest room? Far too often, I have to go right now means I have to go because Melissa is meeting me there right now. Should teachers and schools just allow this? Because the students will do this if allowed. It starts with one student, then two, then three, then four, then eight, in every class if such is permitted. What is your positive suggestion to control this? Calling the parents is often not effective; the children who start these types of behaviors are out of control of themselves in general. So please come up with a more effective strategy than allowing bathroom breaks for all twice a day, plus three times a week during class. I'd love to hear it. I know of one school who allows students to go twice a day, and it is recorded in their agendas, and that works well. If they lose their agenda, either they don't go, or they get a pass and a lunch detention the next day to go with it. These are middle and high schoolers. They can't go between class, there is no time, but they do have time at lunch.

Sounds like you might enjoy this: when I taught full time I had to choose between a)going to the restroom only at lunch or b)not going at all. In an extreme emergency (as in, perhaps vomiting), I could get another teacher to cover me...that what, less than once a year time? It's not easy to get lunch, call back a parent, get out materials for the next class, eat lunch, and go to the bathroom in less than 30 minutes. It is less than thirty because the teachers had to walk the students to the lunchroom and pick them up, and students were not to begin moving through the halls until they were quiet...so it took 15 minutes just walking them back and forth. Planning period was either at the very beginning of the day or the very end of the day, so that was no help.

I suggest you look for a new job if that many smoke breaks are going on...the company will be going under. I managed restaurants for over a decade, an industry where the smoking ratio is VERY high, and this was NEVER permitted. Furthermore, I allowed non-smoking employees to also take a 'cigarette' break, step outside, whatever...i.e., fairness. And by the way, being a restaurant manager destroyed my bladder...never could get to the restroom....when business slows down, all the staff is sent home for the sake of profits and you can't go, when it is busy, well, it is busy....12 hours a day of that....but I still managed to afterwords become a teacher and hold it, sometimes all day long.

Yes, there are many lines of work where basic human needs are abused. And no, we should not do that to children (or adults). But there is a need for some policy other than whoever wants to go whenever they want to go when they are in a class. When you have that policy, what students learn is that they can get up and run away from things that are boring and difficult, and go brush your hair every class period instead...and it is a LOT of them who do this... a LOT.

dom-

overpaid- ha!

come and do the job of any classroom teacher for a week- you couldn't handle it!

@Isis:

I read a story about a girl whose teacher REFUSED to let her go to the bathroom, and she was in pain. Burning, stinging pain. Later, when she did go to the bathroom, there was blood. She had to have surgery on her bladder, and has permanent damage.

If this girl had an infection that bad, she would have known it LONG before that day of class. And I'm fairly sure the surgery or the permanent damage, if there truly was any, wasn't a result of a teacher not letting her go to the bathroom ONE TIME.
There IS an OFFICE in every school, that allows you to use their phone (if you don't have one of your own), to call your parent to pick you up if you're sick.

Another drama queen with no sense other than nonsense.

and @1down2togo:
Diana's been on that same BS story from the beginning of this message board. Not sure where she lives, but I know it isn't far enough away for people with good sense to be safe.

Some of you people obviously have no children. My son had a HORRIBLE teacher in fourth grade that would not allow the students to use the restroom during class time--no exceptions. This unstable witch seemed to take pleasure in seeing how many children left school in tears each day. My son defied her one day and ran to the restroom (after begging for 20 minutes to be allowed to go) he was suspended for the rest of that day and the next. This was at a private religious school who allowed this heavily medicated unstable teacher to return to the classroom 2 weeks before this incident, she had been out on family leave due to a horrible personal issue she should not have been back in the classroom. The only reason she came back was she had a union contract that they had to abide by, the hell with the children. My children left this school after that school year (incident occured in the beginning of May only 3 weeks left in school year) I stopped paying their tuition due to this incident. MY wonderful sons have had wonderful teachers since then, new school distirct with wonderful teachers and smart enough administrators to put the children before union contracts. My son that got suspended for having to go pee is now a straight A junior in high school. I fought back against this horrible teacher. I just hope and pray that all parents do the same, they are only young once and we MUST as their parents protect them from bullies even if the bully is the teacher.

JmB66, I'm not going to dispute your claim that parents would be up in arms about their children being paddled in school, but I am going to dispute your claim that schools no longer use corporal punishment. I offer you this link which shows the state which allows corporal punishment in 2011 as well as how many students were paddled for the year. Newsvine doesn't let me post links yet, so please excuse my not so useful way of posting it. infoplease.com /ipa/A0934191.html If the link doesn't come through, I apologize, but just google "corporal punishment in schools 2011" and you will see what I'm talking about.

Now, about the topic at hand, I do feel that this policy is reasonable as long as there are sufficient bathroom breaks throughout the day AND if the teacher will allow for emergencies. Sometimes children just can't hold it, no matter what their age. Heck, I'm 40 and I have days where I drink so much water I feel like I'm spending half the day in the bathroom.

The one thing I do not agree with regarding this particular policy is the idea of rewarding students for not using the bathroom. Relieving ourselves of waste is a natural process and can cause problems for anyone of any age if they do not do so regularly. My concern is that students will hold their urine just to get a prize. Children shouldn't be taught that using the bathroom is a negative thing.

My only other concern with this policy is I fear it might lead children to limit their liquid in take. This could lead to dehydration. I know when I was in elementary school in Nebraska the months of August, September and sometimes even October were scorchers. It is necessary for children to maintain proper hydration just as it is necessary for adults. Even in cold weather hydration is important. I am concerned that children will not hydrate as they should for fear they might have to use the restroom during classroom hours.

Again, as long as there are appropriate bathroom breaks throughout the day AND as long as the child is allowed (even after using their 3 passes) to go during emergent situations, I see no problem with this. I will also add, as long as the child is NOT punished for needing to use the restroom. (or rewarded for NOT going)

Rick, don't forget they get 2-3 recess periods per day, lunch and PE, all of which are times that the children can pee throughout the day. Do you honestly think that if children were given the chance they would not try to use the bathroom excuse to get out of class more often? Oh, and 5th graders are typically 10-11yo, fully capable of both bladder control and work avoidance.

vondog13: I don't know of a single school that has 2 -3 recess periods/day - in fact, many schools are doing away with recess altogether. Yes, they do have lunch and PE. However, in elementary school (in which 5th graders are in) do not change classes every hour - they are, for the most part, in the same class all day, except for a couple of times a day. During these transitions, there isn't always time for them to use the restroom. Most schools provide 20 minutes for lunch (they have to get their lunch, eat it, and use the restroom during this time - not all children are able to use the restroom during this time because there are so many kids trying to use the restroom during this time.

Furthermore, "holding" can increase the risk of bladder infections and kidney infections. It can increase the risk of other pathological changes in the urinary tract. If the child needs to defecate and they are forced to "hold it" it can cause constipation, and if they "hold it" enough can cause severe enough impactions that it can actually perforate their bowels. So, yes, they can "hold it" - but it's really not very healthy for them to do this.

I totally get a teacher not wanting kids to be disruptive or to use the restroom to get out of class for a few minutes. However, this can be accomplished without putting their health at risk. Allow them to use the restroom - but, if a particular student is being loud as they enter/exit the room or is obviously using it to get out of class, then give that student a consequence.

But Summer, there are no public 5th grade classes that get fewer than 2 breaks and a lunch recess. Most even get a quiet reading period in addition. Also, they do get to use the restroom. I am also sure that the teacher would allow more breaks if the need is dire and obviously not a ploy. The article did not say that any of the children were unable to accomplish this task, but were wondering what to do with the prizes they might get. This seems like positive reinforcement meant to teach time management, work ethic, and basic expectations in the real world. If you think it is too much to ask, ask for additional weekly breaks, but don't ask that the kids not try to live up to simple rules that most everyone can satisfy. Don't undermine the teacher to teach your child that freedom means freedom from living up to standards. My kid is fully capable of going 2 hours w/o going to the bathroom and fully capable of staying in the bathroom to avoid tough assignments in class. At some point they need to realize avoiding problems but with a "good excuse" is not always the best way to get through life. And if this is done by teaching them to better manage their restroom breaks (we did have to teach them to not wet themselves afterall and nobody thinks this is abuse) so be it. They can do it and if they really need to pee, they have 3 extra passes ready to go.

@Summer, we had lunch recess, and end of the day recess in fourth grade. Sometimes if there was time they would let us have a short recess before school.

It doesn't matter how many recess breaks or lunches are granted in a day. I don't know too many kids or adults for that matter that can "Schedule" when they are going to pee or Shat. WTF is up with you people using set break times as a justification. My lunch Break is 11:30am. Guess what, most days i'm not sitting down to eat until 12:30pm. You can't pre-schedule bodily functions and you have to be a tard to argue differently. Yes, there are times of emergencies, car trips, long distance away from a restroom that would force a person to hold it but a corny teacher telling me it's her policy to avoid disruptions, that would not end well for the teacher at all.

Dom - What ever happened to going when you can? If I know I won't have an opportunity to go to the bathroom for a few hours I go whether I feel exactly full or not. Many kids learn that waiting until they absolutely have to so they don't have to "waste" their breaks gets them out of school - this is not a behavior to encourage. In the rare case that a child needs to go again anyway - they get to 3X! What is the problem?

Hmmm--remembering back to grade school....once sent out side to recess kids were not allowed to go back into school alone to go to the bathroom. Had to go to a teacher and ask. So if the rule is only 3 times a week beyond regularly scheduled time do you ask or go piss on a bush? IF its' not your teacher out on recess how do you prove if you have a pass left or not?? My kids grade school had restrooms in each classroom and the teachers weren't control freaks. How does a 12 year old tell a male teacher that shes' bleeding onto her clothing and needs to go clean up? Embarrassing all the way around!! I suppose we should demand that school children have to be on high fiber diets. God forbid they get constipated and take more than 2 minutes to pass a bowel movement. But then they might get too much fiber and have the runs. OHH myy guess we have to hire poop police so the poor overworked, underpaid teacher doesn't have to get annoyed and frustrated. And what about passing gas and farts?? Got rules for that too?? How about automatic atomizing underwear?? Maybe some of you bathroom nazis' can invent them if your not too busy bad mouthing the rest of us!!!

skrewdworld - if this is the case at this school then they have far worse problems then the teacher's policy and that should be what is addressed. In my school the bathrooms were free standing rooms accessible by the playground - if this is not the case then something should be worked out since breaks are the appropriate time to use the bathroom in most classrooms.

Emily, it was the same in my elementary school. The bathrooms were inside, and you weren't allowed back in once recess had started. And in high school, there was one bathroom for each sex in the cafeteria, which was a separate building from where classes were held. It was the "smoking" bathroom, and if you smelled like smoke when you came out, you got in trouble, even if you hadn't been smoking. We weren't allowed to leave the cafeteria to use the bathroom in the main building, and there wasn't time between lunch and the start of classes to get there.

That's pretty messed up. Shame on your school for not figuring out a way to give students access to the bathroom.

As a instructor (TA) and a student (grad) I can tell you that students leaving or having to leave yourself during instruction can create problems beside the actual time missed. Making class time the only time for bathroom breaks is obviously the problem in this case and I would be very upset as a parent AT THE SCHOOL and not the teacher.

My point is that we can't assume that all students get breaks at recess and lunch to go to the restroom. Some schools' policies preclude it. Even in my son's school, which seems pretty liberal with bathroom breaks, there is no scheduled break for the 4 hours between the start of classes and lunch. There is no morning recess at all.

As far as other problems, these could be minimized by classroom layout or seat assignment (let those with frequent bathroom needs sit closer to the door), reasonable hall pass procedures (don't require teachers to write something out - we used an object like a stick personalized by the teacher), and, in my opinion, letting go of the requirement to ask for permission, unless abuse of the privilege is evident. College students visit the bathroom at will, for the most part, and it involves very little disruption, because no talking is required.

Sandy -

That might be a fair solution in cases where regularly scheduled breaks without access to bathrooms is not possible * still - if a child leaves during instruction they not only miss the instruction but disrupt everyone else trying to learn what they are to do or they just sit there confused. While college students can leave during lecture (since colleges aren't accountable for their safety or attendance they have a lot of le-way on not caring what they do)- it is extremely disruptive and rude in most rooms and is hardly done (oddly, I've noticed it more here in Iowa then in my undergrad school in California where I cannot remember it ever happening).

I think you have the best solution (with the object and non-disruptive leaving on their own) in the absence of breaks but I think breaks (every 2-3 hours) is best not only to keep children from disruption lecture but also to allow them a mental break so they can focus and enjoy school.

*which I think is horrible BTW - in what world can anyone, let alone children, kids stay focused without being able to get some energy out for four hours at a time. I even go for a walk around my building every two hours or so - usually working in some productive reason to do so - and in the three hour labs I've TA's find the students tend to lose ability to work efficiently or care toward the end.

I agree regarding breaks. Sometimes I think a lot of ADHD is really just a child's (or adult's) natural, normal need to be active. Most people have trouble doing even an activity they like for four hours straight with no breaks, let alone something they don't like. I'm not crazy about the lack of a morning recess in my son's school, but that's how it is.

It isn't about bladder control, it's about the freedom to evacuate ones bowels when the need arises and not ten or twenty minutes later, when the teacher finishes her instruction. Ones Functions take precedent over anything the teacher is doing in class. nuff said. No rules should be placed on that particular activity, if a child has to go, let them go.

And why are doctors not speaking up about this form of medical and psychological abuse of children? Let's hear them speak up for these children's right to defecate and urinate when bodily functions deem it it necessary! I agree the same policy should hold true for the teacher, only the school needs to eliminate the rule for these sweet, little, precious 9 and 10 year old innocent children, but keep it for the teacher as a punishment for abusing the children. BRING ON THE LAWYERS!!! CHILD ABUSE IS A CRIME!!!

So we do not let kids go to the bathroom unless its a regulary scheduled time. Fine. When a student urinates on the floor and their desk who cleans it up?? Force the child to or call the janitor?? Will the teacher then fully enforce a rule of no bulling a student who has an accident? Does the child get a demerit for not holding their urine because the teacher said to?? How about runs in the underwear? Does the child have to sit in their foul smelling bowel movement until the regulary scheduled bathroom break?? When the child vomits who cleans it up?? does the child wait until the regulary scheduled break to wash the vomit off their selves?? What if the child vomits on another student or god forbid the teacher? We know the teacher can't leave the classroom and its' not break time yet so I guess they all continue on like always. Right???? Are we going to make bringing a change of clothing mandatory?? Grade schoolers don't have lockers, where will the clothes be kept??? JUST LEAVING A COMMENT-DO YOU HATE KIDS?? Your nasty post sure make sit sound that way. Wow!! DOM-your post11.1, common sense at work!! There is a TV show called the Drs. why don't you write or e-mail them Just leaving, and find out. What if they disagree with you though???????????????? OMG!!

Parents who tell their children that they have EVERY right to use the bathroom when they need, are NOT raising spoiled brats. They are advocating for their children, as they should be. Three out of three of my children earned academic scholarships and one was a presidential scholar award winner. Catholic schools created perfect little victims who were taught their bodies were to be used as sex toys for pedophile priests. Please....

Wow, 1devon--stereotype, generalize, and demonize much?

Sorry, but it's the truth.

Wow, Mo-1896117, stereotype, generalize, and demonize much? Look in a mirror when you say that because you're just as guilty with your diatribe about all the non-Catholic parents in the world.

1devon: Yes, you are SORRY!

I am sorry that what I am saying is 100% accurate. Think of how many Catholic kids were victimized by pedophiles because they were too terrified to advocate for their own bodies. And, because they KNEW damn well their parents would side with the church. If any of our kids were touched wrong ONE TIME...that would have been the end of it, because they knew they could come to us and we would protect them.

MO---Who the hell do you think you are stating that anybody is raising a spoiled brat??? God come down and tell you that you can just pass judgement on a child or a persons parenting skills based on your opinion alone?? Must be damn lonely way up there on your high horse?? GET a life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why didn't you go before class, like the rest of the students did?

Sir Mason - Perhaps if you'd spent more time in the classroom, instead of the restroom, you would know the proper way to spell "desparately." And how sad for you that you feel you would have needed to create a situation that would "force" your parents to communicate with your school. Parents who I know who are involved in their child(ren)'s education maintain regular contact with the school.

MyTwoScents?? What do your 2 scents smell like?? Way to get on somebody, you couldn't spell desperately correctly yourself. Oh what?? you say you were just being a smart ass?? Well you got the ass part right!!

Dear Skrewdworld - it's called a pun. You know, a play on words. Oh, wait - I know. You must have been one of those unfortunate children who needed to use the bathroom every 20 minutes when you were in school and therefore missed out on learning what a pun was. It's ok, the world forgives your stupidity. Afterall, it wasn't your fault you missed out on a quality education - it was your weak bladder's fault.

Wow, didn't take long before the lawsuit comments started rolling. Think logically here. The kids most likely get breaks in the morning and afternoon and at lunch to go to the bathroom. I have a 6th grader and she never took that many breaks last year. We were notified of bathroom breaks each week on the weekly communicator. This teacher is trying to preserve order in the classroom and you call for her job? It sounds like you already are a nightmare.

1devon-Seriously, Remove her from her job, because she enforces rules, many children want to go to the bathroom to waste time, they can control their bladders. Parents like you are part of the problem, with kids and schools these days. They had passes, witch if turned in at the end of the week, they got a prize. Did you read the story? Or just react? You think it's ok when a class is constantly interrupted, by kids wanting to go to the bathroom? Grow-up!

So preserving order is telling a 9/10 year old who has to pee that he/she can't? Please. I told my kids from day one that if you have to go, go. Period. I never had ONE complaint from a teacher. Did ALL of your kids earn academic scholarships? Do you have any who received a Presidential Scholar Award? I'd say they did pretty good...while being allowed to use a restroom when they needed. Denying a child who has to go to the bathroom and restroom break is a piss poor way to 'preserve order'.

If you read 1devon, my child is in the 6th grade, so no academic scholarships but she is a Presidential Scholar Award winner. That has no bearing on going to the bathroom though. Think clearly here. These children have many opportunities to go to the bathroom and at the age of 10-11 they are most likely going for fun. Morning break, lunch, afternoon break and 3 extra times a week seems pretty good. My 6th grader now only gets to go twice a semester. She has learned to go in between classes and at lunch. How much are these kids drinking that they need to go 5 or 6 times in 6 hours?

At the age of 10, when most children are in the 5th grade, they are normally with the same teacher all day. They do not switch classes very often and therefore do not have the same access to restrooms that middle-school and high-school students do. I can remember having a hard time getting to my locker, using the restroom, and getting across the school to my next class in three minutes in high-school. These are elementary school aged kids who are being denied restroom privileges.

When I was talking about Presidential Scholar, I'm referring to the one given to the top 100 high school students in the nation, not the elementary school ones. Three out of three of my kids received those. You can tell kids that they have every right to use the restroom and STILL have well behaved, high achieving, respectful kids.

Again, going to the bathroom has no bearing on your awards your children received. If you are trying to prove a point use something else. And think again, my 5th grader did move from class to class for subjects. Even if she didn't' she still had a morning break, lunch break, and afternoon break to go to the bathroom with the class. That is plenty of time to go to the bathroom. She would not need 3 additional times a week after that. Seriously, calm down and think about it.

devon, you are so ridiculously adverse to discipline that I don't even know where to start. BUT I would tell my child if he or she really was in a bad way and had to go AND was not given permission, to go anyway.BUT, BUT that is an exception and you want to make it a rule.

Do you think this teacher just has some random need to watch kids squirm. Obviously there is a problem that she has seen fit to produce an action for.

To me, discipline is teaching and guiding, establishing healthy routines and mutual respect, not denying restroom privileges, inflicting pain (aka torture) or going out of ones way to humiliate a child. Consequences, when necessary, can be given in a humane manner. Do I think there's something wrong with this teacher? Yes. In the age of teachers having sex with kids all too frequently, I think we need to admit that even teachers are capable of making bad decisions.

Out of three kids, I never had ONE discipline issue in all their years of school. There's a huge difference between earning respect and instilling fear.

1devon: glad to hear that your children understand the value of an education, which means I would presume they also have some self-discipline. What about the students that do not have a parent like you to raise them responsibly? What about those 6-8 students who want to go every single class period? Just let them go? In two years, I saw two fires set in two different school bathrooms, and false fire alarms pulled three times while on 'bathroom breaks'. Yes, they caught and punished/prosecuted the perpetrators: meanwhile, the school suffered damage, the students' and teachers' lives were put at risk with the fire, and their health at risk when the perpetrator pulled a fire alarm when it was only 15 degrees outside. Would you want your children or grandchildren exposed to such behaviors? If you are not spending time sitting in public school classrooms these days, you would be very shocked by what students try to do today. I guess you have to BE there daily to really comprehend the behaviors. I know it shocked me for a good while, over and over and over and over. It ain't what it used to be....

Oh my goodness!

People be serious! This policy was in place for emergency only- not a you can only go three times a week! Read people read...then more importantly think!

Teacher bathroom breaks

Before school at 7:40, planning at 10:40, lunch at 12:50, end of day at 3:30

Student bathroom breaks

Anytime and as often as they want from 7:40-8:20, before recess at 9:30, before specials at 10, after specials at 10:50, before lunch at 12:20, after lunch at 1, dismissal 2:40-3:20.

3 emergency passes is enough for 5th graders.

em1234: It's well and good that they have those times to go the the restroom. However, not everyone has the need to go to the restrooms at those particular times. Forcing someone to "hold it" actually is medically a bad thing - it can lead to increased kidney and bladder infections, other pathology of the urinary tract, and actually decrease motility in the GI tract (this can lead to obstruction and, if serious enough, a bowel perforation - which requires emergency surgery to fix and can be lethal). These issues can and do happen to otherwise healthy individuals, including children. The best way to prevent them - go to the restroom when the urge is there.

Also, there are many girls that start menstruating in 5th grade - they will often need to use the restroom multiple times (for hygiene purposes).

So, I'm sorry, but to restrict a child to those times only is NOT a good idea.

Yes, I agree there are problems with kids asking to go to the bathroom and simply goofing off, and issues with classroom disruption. However, those issues CAN be dealt with and should be dealt with in a manner that doesn't potentially endanger a child's health.

@Devon - assuming what you are saying about your children is true, your children would not have been the reason such rules were instilled, and I can only assume, that your children probably wouldn't have used the 3 passes each week. However, if you ask your kids, I am sure they will tell you that there were other students who abused the bathroom privileges. Rules are always put in place because of the actions of a few, not the many. Like many others have stated, there are several times during the day that students are allowed and encouraged to use the restroom, three addtional passes, in a week, should be plenty.

I would imagine, if a student had used all their passes and told the teacher they weren't feeling well, they would be told to go to the restroom, then to the nurse.

Thats the policy we had in school as well. 1 person at a time and it worked perfectly fine.

I knew a kid who emptied the trash bin, then pissed in the trash bin, because his teacher denied him the right to use the bathroom. Very funny, he just peed, and then sat back down like nothing happened.

Most teachers get less than that, since they have to be in their classroom with the kids at all times, and don't have the luxury of having to go when they need to.

Well since they can't leave a classroom with kids in it "by law" I guess they already have a built in restriction, but nice try!!

Goldfish: thanks for your suggestion...that would be a great relief! Can you sell it to a school board? Teachers are not allowed to have bladders or bowels.

Apparently though, Deb W, these children aren't allowed to have bladders or bowels either. Stupid policy.

You and many other people on here are absolutely retarded and so are your children probably. 3 bathroom breaks during class time a week is plenty. You do realize there are built in breaks at school where they can use the bathroom? There is plenty of time throughout the day they can go and then they have 3 extra breaks a week during class. That is extremely fair.

I teach at a charter school that gives the students 2 recess and a lunch break. The students go to the restroom them. We have a system that has been in place for 4 years now where the students have a certain amount of punches on a card. We haven't had issues with it, no accidents, and the amount of times students actually use their punches has dropped significantly. These are 4th-6th grade students.

Yes, this is somewhat like the inane "zero tolerance" polices that equate a little plastic knife with a 6" switchblade and the seventh-grade girl giving her sixth-grade friend a Midol with a senior distributing "blotter acid". It discredits both educators and education even though the business is full of really great, caring and dedicated people.

They probably already do have a few opportunities for bathroom breaks throughout the day. This would be for additional trips taken during class time. I think a ten year old should be ready to learn to use the restroom when the opportunity is there, so they don't need to go later on when in the middle of a lesson. My 5 year old is fine with only one potty break on a four hour drive we make a few times a year, so a ten year old should be able to do even better. (excusing any medical issues, of course).

I agree with ADMB!

I can tell you that had that been the case when I was in middle school I'd a dropped trou and there would have been either a pile or a pool or both, and I'd have refused to clean it up.

5-7 mins is a reasonable time from for a bathroom break + travel time.

There is no reason to deny a child the bathroom break period.

I have a relative who has short bowel syndrome and this has happen where he was denied and had an accident as a result. When the Teacher was asked if she had read their file she said yes and that she didn't care it was her classroom. Lets just say that with the appropriate calls and following procedure my relative now goes when needed.

If the "break" ends up being a dawdling session then yes punish them in other ways loss of recess, time out, lines, detention, etc. There are things that should not be used as punishment, things dealing with biological function are in that category.

If my child was in this class (or school, if it is school policy) I would pull him/her out of class or school the first time I heard about it. Shameful! What about kids who have medical needs? Even kids without medical needs. An accident in class could be an embarrassment that could last a life time. If there was ever an accident the teacher should be made to clean it up.

I agree that the teachers should be held to the same standard. Even the ones who have urinary incontinence.

And NO, you cannot tell my child when to go or not to go to the bathroom. Show some respect.

come on k 727.....get real here. These are 5th graders.....and most can make it. They have lots of chances to take bathroom breaks during recess and lunch. And if they have a medical problem....of course that is different and i think teachers would make exceptions. If you have been in a 5th grade class recently, and i have, you would know that for 95 percent of the kids it is no problem, and for the ones it is a problem, it is because they are screwing around. How about if you show some respect? You are teaching your kid that they can do what they want when they want. Bet if you asked your kid ( assuming no medical problem) if he or she had a hard time with this rule, they wouldn't. Most don't.

sherry: To be honest, the question isn't whether most can hold it - it's whether they should be holding it. Medically speaking, even healthy individuals without medical conditions, shouldn't "hold it". Holding it can cause an increased risk of urinary tract infections (including kidney infections), other urinary tract pathology, and, if it's a BM, decreased motility of the GI (which can lead to obstruction and impaction, which, in serious cases, can cause bowel perforation - a surgical emergency that can be fatal). The best way to prevent these issues - go to the bathroom when the urge arrives.

I totally understand the teacher's reasoning for the policy (disruptions and goofing off when allowed to use the bathroom). HOWEVER, these issues can and should be addressed in a manner that does not potentially jeopardize a child's health.

If I had a kid in this lady's class, I'd tell them to pee in a corner while she wasn't looking. xD It'd serve her right. xD Uptight moronic plague on the universe. xD

Wow....

Most of you that made a comment saying the teacher was out of line are going to be the cause of the fall of Western Civilization.

The prize system is a way to entice and motivate those that want to go "play" in the restroom to use better judgement and get rewarded. Students usually get to go in the morning, midmorning, lunch, mid afternoon and end of the day. So 5 times scheduled in 7 hours? averages to just over an hour between each option to go to the restroom. I can handle that.

Are there exceptions? Sure! Medical issues and so forth, that should be documented if they are real. Otherwise you get three "I really gotta go!!!" per week.

The teacher is right. Rules are in place for a reason. The whole class isn't being punished. The average kid who uses one pass per week is going to get 2 treats for being responsible!

All this "holding it will cause medical problems.. yes if you hold it for hours and hours... I am pretty sure most average sane people don't drop everything to hit the restroom at the slightest feeling. People wait for commercials, the next rest area on the highway, after the waiter takes the order, and so on.

Media caught this and a whiny parent had to stand up for their little precious....

Reality is there are harsher rules than this.

Final note... I am a teacher.. if a student is about to mess themselves, truly and honestly going to come out, I would hope they streak out of the room. When I go chase them down and see they are having an emergency, being an average sane person, I cut the a break. If I am teaching my class and I am about to mess myself can't hold it, I am out the door. Common sense.. amazing thing these days... and in short supply.

I do not agree that my child's bathroom habits need to be supervised by the teacher. My child does not have a medical problem, but what about that one day she forgot or didn't need to go at recess? This happens to 5th graders all the time. This is going overboard. And the child who needs to go "more" than the rest of the class could make a child at this age think badly of himself, as the ones who "go" less get rewards. I think it's super dumb.

I can't wait until one teacher has to go to the bathroom during class for the 4th time in a week.

My policy is never to refuse if a student asks to go - and this teacher's policy would actually make a lot of sense if her students were middle or high schoolers. However, the fact that the students in question are 5th graders is the reason why people are rightly upset about it. There should be no reason to limit an elementary school student's restroom privileges. Having been a substitute teacher for the past three years in elementary schools, I know it is usually standard procedure to take a class restroom break at least once per day, but it is totally reasonable that a 5th grade student may need to use the restroom more than once, especially if the class bathroom break is in the morning and the student is asking to use the restroom after lunch.

Also, at least in the districts I have taught in, there is usually a classroom aide that is in one classroom for almost the entire day and/or who circulates between classrooms. Teachers need to take advantage of this related to students asking to use the bathroom and simply instruct them to ask the aide if they need to go in class. Or if it is a "team teaching" situation, instruct the students to ask whichever teacher is not actually teaching the lesson that day. That way, students can still use the restroom in class if they need to, but the learning process does not get interrupted one iota. Aides/team teachers can fill out bathroom passes and even accompany students to the restroom if it is an emergency situation or a student who is known to goof off.

I would be peein' in her pocket every other day!!!

My kids are good kids and when they have to go they go.......

Yes I do expect teachers to watch our kids five days a week and educate them. It's their JOB. And they get paid for it (not enough, IMO). Can they please just let my child go to the restroom without a big fuss? If there is a child causing trouble, deal with that child, not the whole class.

If your kid is going in class more than 3 times a week on a regular basis, then maybe you need to take them back to potty training. It's not like you or me sitting at a desk sipping diet coke for 3 hours. They have their morning juice, and then they don't drink again until lunch- when, gasp- they can go to the bathroom again!

Yes, it's their job to watch our kids... but then maybe parents should shut their mouths and short of abuse or neglect... LET THEM WATCH OUR KIDS.

I made my comment thinking it was one day with whole teacher.

Doing that, there were no huge 'breaks' in between classes (usually). Just went from one right into another.

It is a 5th grade class if you actually read the article and many 5th grades are with the same teacher all day depending on the school district. I know in my school district they remain with the same classroom teacher in 5th grade.

in 5th grade we had a homeroom teacher,a different class and teacher for several subjects.........plus a art teacher in a different classroom,a P.E teacher.....plus going to lunch etc....We switched classes 3 to 4 times a day which gave plenty of time to go to the restroom..........I have a daughter in 5th grade (in Diana's dreaded state of ALABAMA no less) and she also has multiple teachers in multiple classrooms......and students are ALWAYS discouraged from asking to go to the bathroom during class........

vayne1: The vast majority of 5th graders do not do that - most of them are middle school or high school aged. Most 5th grades are operating on the standard elementary school schedule - which means they have 1 teacher and 1 classroom all day. In fact, in some school districts, 6th grade is still in elementary school and runs on the standard elementary schedule. IF they are in a school district that still has PE - they often walk as a class from their main classroom to their PE class (with the teacher), and since they are going as a class, there may or may not be time for all of the students to go to the restroom.

Summer, actually more and more schools are inacting rotation schedules into there daily elementary routines.

Yet, somehow there is enough time for most, if not all of the other students. If every single student had to go at some point during class every day, then the schedule would be modified to provide more opportunity without disruption. Whether with the same teacher all day or not. There are still breaks. I'm calling BS. I never had to go during class, but there were plenty of kids that made a habit of it.

Have you ever taught a class and had six to ten kids ask to go to bathroom? Didn't think so. It is a massive disruption to the learning process, not to mention the amount of class time wasted while each student visits the restroom. Let's do the math, 10 minutes for a student bathroom break times three times a week times 45 weeks means that student has missed approximately two weeks of my class each year. Give that teacher a raise, and give the parents a book on potty-training.

razorbackfan: I get that (although, between my children's schools that have been in 2 different states, and all my friend and family with school age children in over 20 states do not have children in elementary school on rotating schedules) - it still does not negate the fact that there are actually health consequences to being forced to "hold it". It can cause increased risk of urinary tract (including kidney) infections, other urinary pathology, decreased GI motility (which can lead to obstruction and impaction that, in serious cases, can cause bowel perforation - which requires emergency surgery to fix, and still has a good chance of being lethal). These things can happen to even healthy individuals. The best way to avoid these issues - go to the bathroom when your body tells you that you need to go to the bathroom.

I absolutely think that issues like disruption and goofing off need to be addressed. However, they can and should be addressed in a manner that doesn't jeopardize the children's health.

Completely agree, as I'm one of the people who as a child was forced to hold it and went into young adulthood with many bladder infection problems. This can cause horrible problems with the child's immune system AND their mental approach toward personal hygiene.