In Rochester, a six-year-old child had a tooth knocked out when his physical education teacher knocked him to the ground. The boy’s mother was called to the school. The teacher was put on leave. The mother returned the child to the Rochester City School District.

A physical education teacher at the newly opened Exploration Charter School in Rochester is on leave after allegedly knocking a 6-year-old’s front teeth out while slamming him to the ground.

The boy’s name is Marlon-K’Harii Williams. His mother, Kia Thompson-White, said she was at work Friday when she got a text message saying Marlon-K’Harii had been hurt.

When she went to the school, she said, the principal couldn’t tell her what happened.

“She didn’t even have half the story — it was a third of the story,” Thompson-White said. “She didn’t have any explanation; she just kept telling me about how my son was behaving. And I want him to take responsibility for his actions, but at the end of the day, he’s a 6-year-old boy.”

One of Marlon-K’Harii’s front teeth was knocked out immediately, and the other one was loose enough that a doctor said it had to be pulled as well, Thompson-White said. He also had a cut on the lip.

It could happen anywhere, but wherever it happens, it is intolerable for a teacher to physically abuse a student.

The story offers no information about the teacher, whether he was licensed, certified, or had any teacher education at all.

Next week, the State University of New York charter committee will vote on a proposal to let charters certify their own teachers, in effect, lowering standards for charter teachers.

Under the circumstances, this is not a good idea.