Maybe It's Just Me

While my local school system is in the public throes of who is really running the show, I get stuck on the meaning of words.

Now that freedom of speech issues have finally reached the point that the HCDS police are called to action, I wonder where has everyone been all of these years.

I will always vividly recall the day at Mann Middle School when I was told by the principal that if I came on campus without checking in to her office first, I would be charged with trespassing.

The fact that I was making a big squawk about my repeated attempts to address issues with my son’s education and the fact that this threat came the day after I wrote a complaint letter gave me reason to believe that the 3 months of previous same actions on my part were now under a different line of scrutiny.

At least I didn’t have the security called on me. Instead, I called the Director of ESE while sitting in the office. I had the number saved because I used it a lot over the years. This may have saved my immediate arrest. It was a gutsy move on my part, because Directors have as much say over what a principal does or does not do as I did. But there is something to say about safety in numbers, and how many people know.

I was not accustom to this type of treatment, or rather, the treatment was getting worse. I did not think the setting was safe for my son. So when I said I was keeping him home until we could have another of those countless meanings, the veiled threat of truancy was thrown out. Knowing the absolute power of the school District, I made sure I obtained a Dr's excuse to protect me.

As the days and weeks played out, since I had become learned in the ways of paper warfare, my documentation along with proof that “they” had changed theirs, probably saved me from the usual bulldozed flattening that most parents end up with.

Taking on the system means that you must have documentation and make sure some one else has a copy of it too.

Yesterday I posted the link to some probable cause affidavits.

One of the sentences struck me as odd, so I revisited it today. On page two, it says that the teacher’s strikes (to the kid who was an “equivalent 11 to 14 month old reference motor skills”) “were often prompted by an incorrect answer to a question, not any disciplinary problem or wrong doing. In that sense, there was no legal justification for her to strike the child.”

And then on page 3, we find: the teacher’s statement of “you gonna kick me, I’m gonna kick you (pg 2),” “implies revenge as a motive and a desire to hurt of cause pain to … rather than any educational purpose.”

I am thankful that the writer was able to determine that there was no educational purpose for the actions the teacher took upon the kid. It must have been a tough legal decision to write that out.

This Dot may be Huge if it is truly connected

While reading a story that appeared to be about the misstep of a Band Director, Texting Puts Teacher In Bind , I also read the comments.

If one reads this and follows the connections, it says a lot. First there is an allegation about a band director's ex-wife had an affair with the husband of a school board member who was having an affair with an administrator.

A more direct comment about the story is that apparently the "complaining parent" against the Band Director is also a "teacher". And the teacher/parent wants something.

This is just too much if it is true. Education just has to take a back seat to this story. And to think that decisions are made in the best interest of our children and our teachers.

This one stands out like a Dot of a solar ray:

Posted by ( cshultz110 ) on November 22, 2007 at 1:06 p.m. ( Suggest removal )

luvpercussion

You are completely correct! God forbid the truth come out. It is all politics, just ask Jenifer Felairo and Mark Hart (Opps, I forgot that affair was covered up . . . I am sooo sorry!) he, he Amazing how he just "left".

Folks, I have been in this district for 11 years and know for a fact that it IS a good ole' boys system. Lots of corruption and politics. To give you an idea (and yes, this is first hand knowledge), I was a band director and took a leave of absence last year after my now ex-wife had an affair with a promonent school board members now ex-husband. (Yes, they were both cheating on each other. See previously mentioned) After getting my act back together and returning from my leave, I was shocked to find that no principal would hire me. Not because of my performance, but because nobody wanted to touch the situation since it delt directly with a school board member and the politics it would involve. That is our school board folks!!! I can't wait for Mr. S to be obsolved of this accusations. Shame on the parent who is a teacher trying to play the system to get what they want. That should be the real headline: "How a teacher uses politics to ruin anothers career and how the school board helps them to do it."

Thankfully someone has the fortitude to enforce freedom of speech.

This has been copied from http://soundoffandbeheard.blogspot.com/2007/08/superintendents-evaluation.html


It appears that virgin cynic is a teacher that has been blocked from reaching a School Board member's blog.

Modern technology will change the playing field for those who derive their power by controlling the flow of information.


"virgin cynic said...
While I am able to read your postings, my ability to read or leave a comments is BLOCKED! This is a recent change.I tried today, Friday, during my lunch period.Not sure I like that Ms. Griffin but I am willing to listen to why this may have been changed.
August 31, 2007 9:00 PM
April Griffin said...
Virgin Cynic,I had my site unblocked by the IT department a while back and was told it had been taken care of. I told them this site was a tool to interact with my constituents, including staff. Staff should be able to communicate with a school board member without any roadblocks. Blocking it is hampering my ability to do the job I was elected to do and I will take care of this problem.Thanks for the heads-up, April
September 1, 2007 9:23 AM