Wasn't that long ago, either. In hindsight, it was fucking bizarre. Especially since every teacher in the schools hung their paddles prominently... and most of them named the goddamned things. (Apparently, "board of education" is always a popular one)
I can only wonder if, when interviewing for the job, they went "So wait, I can hit them if they annoy me?" because... well, that's what it usually was. Annoy the teacher? Three licks, go clean yourself up crybaby. Actual "offenses" like fighting or actual class disruption was met with actual discipline like detention or suspension, being slapped on the ass by a two-pound wooden board was just for the teacher's stress relief, I guess.
Also? None of the schools I attended that used paddling ever paddled girls. period, under any circumstance, no matter what. Calls to the parents? Sure. Go sit in front of the office for the day? Sure. Detention / suspension? Sure. Paddling? Never.
Alabama's weirder than Texas.
The last time was ninth grade. 
This huge lummox of a guy decided that I'd make a good target for his frustrations about being an inadequate human being. So he kicks me, and we fight. He's gclobbering me upside the head, I'm inadverdantly teaching him about erotic asphyxiation, it's a good time had by all, when out of nowhere, the assistant principal descends on us, yanks us apart, and marches us to the office. He offers us an ultimatum; a week's suspension, or five whacks with - you guessed it - "the board of education." I imagine both the horsefucker in a bowlcut and I are both looking at this guy like he's a little loopy; Really, one of us has pavement in his scalp and the other is squeaking when he breathes, and you're threatening us with a stick across the ass.
I can't figure out why these schools still think this is a useful, much less acceptable part of their "culture."
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