From the article: Opponents of the measure, like State Senator Vernon D. Asbill, worried that a ban would tie teachers’ hands and make it harder for them to control students. “With parental supervision and parental approval, I believe it’s appropriate,” said Mr. Asbill, a Republican and a longtime teacher and school administrator from Carlsbad. “The threat of it keeps many of our kids in line so they can learn."
While we’re on the topic of education, here’s one of those SAT analogy comparisons for you:
Q) “when I first learned it, about five years ago, I didn’t believe it, so I looked it up.” : Runs with the Scissors and perhaps the SDMB in general ::
A) “I can’t believe Nixon won. I don’t know anybody who voted for him.” : Pauline Kael
ETA: Yes, I know she never said that, but it illustrates the point that your surprise says more about you than about the the use of corporal punishment in schools.