New York School's Strict Bathroom Policy Rewards Students For Holding It In, Outrages Parents

Rewarding young students with stickers for a job well done on school assignments is commonplace, but one New York school is doling out those coveted prizes for another type of good performance: holding it in.

Parents of children at Coney Island's PS 90 are up in arms over a new policy that they say will give their kids bladder problems and have children wetting themselves in class. The new rule, put in place last Friday, strictly limits how often 5th graders in teacher Stephanie Warner's class can go to the bathroom, and when they're permitted to go, according to an email obtained by the Brooklyn Daily.

"Only one person at a time, they must have the pass, they have three minutes, they must sign in and out properly, and they must ask me," Warner wrote to school Principal Greta Hawkins in the email acquired by the Brooklyn Daily. "If the procedures are not followed properly, they will receive a note home."

Warner implemented the new policy because she became "exasperated with the constant bathroom needs," and the strict rules were the only solution she could conjure, according to her email.

Students who can control their bladder needs and don't use any of their vouchers during the week can earn prizes like pencils and stickers.

“Eight hours a day for five days, three passes — that doesn’t make any sense,” parent Sandra Leon told the Brooklyn Daily. “[My son] has a bladder problem and is getting surgery for it — and this is exacerbating it.”

The controversy over PS 90's new bathroom policy comes after students at a Manhattan high school rioted new bathroom rules in December. Murry Bergtraum High School students rushed the halls after Principal Andrea Lewis closed school bathrooms to students because of a fight that broke out during class.

Lewis reportedly only permitted bathroom use in the nurse's office, and was accused of threatening that students would be arrested for engaging in fights, CBS 2/1010 WINS reported.

In Texas, McKinney North High School students are outraged that school officials have removed bathroom doors -- to "keep kids safe," though students are convinced the move was made to prevent students from engaging in sexual behavior.

The decision to remove the doors reportedly happened around the same time that school officials spoke to students about inappropriate public displays of affection, but administrators assert that the two incidents are unrelated.

Comments

[kerrywenrich]

03:01 PM on 11/15/2012

if a child has to use the bathroom yu've got no choice but to let them go the longer they hold it for the more likely they will have an accident

[Becky Ann]

12:35 PM on 06/12/2012

No one who has not been in that teacher's classroom all year can truely understand what inspired this rule. The last thing teachers want to do is spend their time dealing with "potty" issues--it only happens when students make it necessary. If your child is leaving class for the bathroom every day and does not have a medical issue, you need to be concerned about what he or she is missing and what kind of work ethic is being formed right now. As for endangering children, I don't see anything that says the children will be denied a trip to the bathroom--they are being encouraged to exercise a bit of control, when possible, and being discouraged from using the bathroom as an excuse to get out of class.

Three minutes, by the way, is an eternity to the young and nimble. On the other hand, parents should always communicate with teachers about any special problems or needs their children have. As for those adults who say they'd advise their kids to go in the classroom, THEY are a large part of what's wrong with our society today. How about trying to help the woman who's trying to educate those darlings, instead of automatically assuming the worst. Grow up, America, and let your kids grow up too--then maybe we can get classroom bathroom procedures out of our national news.

[Rebekkah Anne]

08:27 PM on 05/07/2012

This article sounds more to me like the teacher wants little robots in her classroom than children. If I were one of the children, and got reprimanded for using my passes, I would say, "I'm sorry. Let me just adjust my urinary clock so I can go at the same time as every one else."

[allerleirauh]

09:01 AM on 02/06/2012

Is it even possible to walk to the bathroom, shut the door, take your pants down, pee, wipe, and return to class in three minutes? Minus time for signing in and out? I'm a fully grown adult and I don't believe I could do it.

I understand that little kids have to have their constant trips to the bathroom limited. They can and will take advantage. But this is not a new problem. Intelligent teachers and intelligent schools have been dealing with this intelligently for the better part of a hundred years now! Take the kids in a group frequently, before lunch and after recess, or whenever is most appropriate. Tell them they are expected to go then, whether they "have to go" or not, since they will not be allowed to go later unless it's an emergency. Then when the same rotten kid who doesn't want to sit still asks every class period, tell him after class you are calling his mom to discuss why he needs to go so often so she can take him to the doctor. That will take the starch out of most little miscreants. And if there's a real problem, mom can look into it.

[Rebekkah Anne]

08:31 PM on 05/07/2012

"Is it even possible to walk to the bathroom, shut the door, take your pants down, pee, wipe, and return to class in three minutes? Minus time for signing in and out?"

Nope. Reason I know this is because my school requires us to sign out/in the bathroom key and write the times we sign the key out/in. On average, the students spend 5 minutes, including sign out/in time. And it's only one student at a time. And we're high school students who have the bathroom, literally, 10ft. from our classroom.

[Ariel Bonzai]

01:10 PM on 01/26/2012

Hey, can one of you over zealous moderators block this pottygraph up here. I am offended.

[Greg34]

01:38 PM on 01/26/2012

I do volunteer at the school I pay for my child to attend. I send them private because their education means more to me then the money in my bank account. And we can try this for a couple years. You send me 50000 and I will send you 20% of that back and tell you none of the poor services provided for that 50,000 is my fault and there is no need to reform us just you. Now I agree with you on the admistrators completely and on the companies not paying taxes but remember as you sit their on your iPAD or IPHONE thinking you are liberal they have 100 billion in cash overseas to avoid paying taxes and will only bring it back if the government agrees they will only tax them at 5%.

[Ariel Bonzai]

08:17 PM on 01/29/2012

1. I am not a liberal.
2. We need reform desperately but this isn't the way to go because it is motivated by profits not the grater good,
3. You oversimplify. Not everything is dem, repug. Not all teachers or even most teachers are failures.
4. If public education is public YOU should have been (meaning all you all) paying attention, as this has been an issue way to long.
5. You sound like a good person with your heart in the right place,testing doesn't employ critical thinking skills and neither do you. That's something we need because the media, the politics, our culture, everything is about $ & $ is a lie. It's killing s spiritually and every other way too.

[kjdegraff]

02:44 AM on 01/26/2012

Let the kids leave for the bathroom for 20 minutes at a time whenever they want. Then, the parents will complain about lower test scores or bullying in the bathroom. If it's not one thing it's another. Until you're in a teachers shoes, you just don't have a clue. Kids have ample time to use the restroom before school, at break, at lunch and after school. Although some kids do have medical conditions that will require more restroom time (and this will always be given to them), the majority of kids are just using the restroom to avoid work, meet their friends, or just get out of their seat. Please, I can't believe this is "news".

[Rebekkah Anne]

08:21 PM on 05/07/2012

" Although some kids do have medical conditions that will require more restroom time (and this will always be given to them)"

Thank you so much for posting that. My teachers at my high school had to be explained, almost in kindergarten vocabulary, that I have a clotting disorder that causes my time of the months to be.. [TMI] extreme. So when I say I need to go to the bathroom, legally, they can't stop me. Unless, of course, they wanna wash the blood from my clothes, their chair, and their carpet.

[Phoobie]

05:49 PM on 01/23/2012

This is not New York's bathroom policy. This is ONE teacher in Coney Island and ONE school in Manhattan.

With regard to the Coney Island teacher, the consequence for using up the passes was a note would be sent home saying that they used up their passes and they wouldn't get a sticker or a pencil. Why is that national news?

[HockeyMom]

03:24 PM on 01/23/2012

Having a rest room IN the class room would eliminate most of the problems associated with bathroom breaks.

[Windsock]

12:20 PM on 01/23/2012

Everybody needs to go when the need comes up, even teachers who are only allowed to go... ahh who knows? Before school, after school, and maybe lunch. Thats why they have occupational problems like blood in the urine.

[Greg34]

12:07 PM on 01/23/2012

I would tell my kid just to take leak in the corner of the classroom. When you have to go you have to go no need being punished for it. Now I do understand that kids today are tought to handle so if there was an habitual issue where their are certain kids causing problems then those kids and parents should be talked to by the teacher and principal.

[danayoung]

11:54 AM on 01/23/2012

This is child abuse, as far as I'm concerned. Younger children cannot always "hold it in" for long periods of time, and it can create longer-term issues (physical AND emotional) if children are forced to ignore their bodily needs. There are also children with physical issues - frequent bladder infections, Interstitial Cystitis, IBS, etc - that need to have permission to use the restroom without fear of punishment.

I understand teachers are trying to maintain control in the classroom in order to keep students focused so they can get through their lesson plans. However, I know in my daughter's Pre-K, they are given specific bathroom break times (in addition to any other needs they have during the day) to encourage them to go more regularly. Teachers usually know which students are trying to get out of sitting in class, because there are often other patterns of behavior that accompany it. Those children can be addressed separately, perhaps with a discussion with parents (to weed out other potential issues.)

I'm sure there are other ways to handle this situation by making small changes in the school schedule rather than by implementing a draconian and potentially harmful policy aimed at shaming children for needing to perform a natural, biological function and rewarding others for suppressing it.

[Robb Herndon]

06:53 PM on 02/08/2012

Perhaps you did not read the article. This is a 5th grade classroom not a pre-K classroom. There is a major difference between an 11/12 year old and a 5 year old. The students have passes to go to the bathroom and can also use the facilities at lunch and during recess. This actually sounds more like it's teaching children how to take responsibility for their own bodies and go at the appropriate times, not just whenever they feel like they have to go.

[Mr Anonymous]

06:07 PM on 01/22/2012

I know that with younger kids it can be irritating having someone always going to the bathroom when you're trying to teach, but this is ridiculous. There are better ways to work this out such as have them wait until an appropriate time, such as when you're done talking or giving instructions, for them to go if they can't hold it.

[LabRATTired]

02:19 PM on 01/21/2012

Listen, I am all for teacher control in the classroom. However; If I were a parent of one of these children, I would be furious to know that their basic human functions were on a three minute timer just to serve the ego of the educator. Anyone in their right mind, knows that children at this age, or any age for that matter- can not "hold it' long at all. Nor, should they be told to. I can tell you that if this happened to one of my "cubs", you can bet that this mama Lioness would be sure to have a long "talk" with the teacher, the school board and an attorney...

[AKvoter]

09:05 PM on 01/22/2012

Please go and volunteer in your child's classroom. Please watch for the cascade effect of going to the bathroom when one child asks if he/she can go to the bathroom. We have a job, it's called teaching your children. As much as we'd love to be able to do it, we can't teach effectively if half of our students are trouping off to the bathroom every 20 minutes. If they can hold it through a two hour movie in the theaters, they can hold it through math time. Most often, kids want to go the bathroom because it just might be more exciting to go to the bathroom and see who's in there and what kind of trouble they can manage to find on the way.
My 'cubs' want to learn, and this mama lioness wants their teacher to be able to teach them. Which one of us has the better 'right'?

[LabRATTired]

09:44 PM on 01/22/2012

It seems as if your gripe is with your own control in the class room. A child should NEVER be told when to go to the bathroom. That is absurd.

[marymrevis]

10:17 PM on 01/22/2012

@AKvoter Nicely put. Just like you, I also understand how a young child can have bathroom control issues. ANYONE with children or grandkids can relate. Sometimes an adult has to take a hard stance in curbing certain behaviors. If a child has a legitimate bladder issue..the school and educators should be made aware of it, otherwise normal bathroom break procedures should be in place. If a child (who is not documented with a medical bladder issue or serious behavioral issue) can't follow this, then a talk to the parents as to WHY is needed. I fully remember being allowed 3 potty breaks a day and we all lined up in class to take the trip to the bathroom. We were told to move quickly and quietly and to wash our hands afterward. No playing, excessive talking or loitering.. and then it was right back to class.

You seem like a VERY WISE Mama Lioness who is aware of the little tricks some kids can play *smile*

[rsargerod]

02:07 PM on 01/21/2012

School ignorance of the human biological functions.

[Warhammer Jones]

11:58 PM on 01/20/2012

How about the kids go at lunch, during recess, during breaks, before school, after school, etc.? Teachers can't go to the bathroom whenever they want - they can't leave their class unattended. They have to plan their trips, and yes, hold it.

[Greg34]

12:12 PM on 01/23/2012

I suggest that since taxpayers pay the teachers salaries that no bathroom breaks are allowed for teachers as it is a way to milk the clock and do less work on the tax payers dime. I wonder if their unions would tolerate this, no I don't think they would, so teachers be prepared to deal with a more powerful union then yours in regards to these rules...the parents.

[Jondrea Smith]

04:28 PM on 01/23/2012

If it sucks for the teacher, it has to suck for everybody? How about instead of gastrointestinal distress and bladder infections, they have more than one teacher in a 35-student classroom?

[silverfawn]

11:08 AM on 01/29/2012

Yes! You are so right. Too few teachers for too many kids creates this atmosphere chaos. Even more teaching assistants would be helpful, especially to alleviate the bathroom time issues.