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Post by momto4 on Feb 6, 2009 12:44:37 GMT -5
I'm curious as to what the options are if they remove the suspects from Gregory. I assume that moving them to another 204 middle school while providing relief for the victim would cause outrage (legitimate IMO) due to the potential safety concerns for the students at the new middle school. Where else can they be sent? There are options. One would be to have tutors come their home (at the district's expense, of course). I believe there is precedence for this. The School Board meeting is at 7:00 pm (not 5:00 pm as reported). The parents will be there, along with many supporters. The objective is to get the policy changed. From what I understand, District 203 already has a policy in place that addresses this situation, but District 204 does not. District 204's policy protects teachers who are threatened or assaulted off schoool grounds, but not students. So do we not have a policy to deal with the case where a teacher assaults a student outside of school grounds? I'd be shocked if that type of case were handled in the same manner that this current one is.
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Post by justvote on Feb 6, 2009 19:34:31 GMT -5
There are options. One would be to have tutors come their home (at the district's expense, of course). I believe there is precedence for this. The School Board meeting is at 7:00 pm (not 5:00 pm as reported). The parents will be there, along with many supporters. The objective is to get the policy changed. From what I understand, District 203 already has a policy in place that addresses this situation, but District 204 does not. District 204's policy protects teachers who are threatened or assaulted off schoool grounds, but not students. So do we not have a policy to deal with the case where a teacher assaults a student outside of school grounds? I'd be shocked if that type of case were handled in the same manner that this current one is. From what I understand, the ONLY stated policy is the one where a student threatens and/or assaults a teacher off school grounds. There is NO policy where the situation is reversed and NO policy when it's a student that assaults/threatens a student. The objective of the parents on Monday night is to talk directly to the School Board to get this policy changed. The School District (I believe she means the Administration) has refused to meet with this family to discuss this situation. That information came directly from the mother of the victim via e-mail that has now been fairly widely circulated. They are asking that parents show up at the meeting to support their efforts (strength in numbers as they say).
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Post by wvhsparent on Feb 9, 2009 9:00:08 GMT -5
I've been thinking on this for a while now. What are the actions that the SD should take? Move the offending kids to a different MS? How would you feel if they moved them to your MS? Suspend/Expell them? I see some serious Due Process issues.
Is there any other remedy I'm missing?
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Post by gatormom on Feb 9, 2009 9:04:06 GMT -5
I've been thinking on this for a while now. What are the actions that the SD should take? Move the offending kids to a different MS? How would you feel if they moved them to your MS? Suspend/Expell them? I see some serious Due Process issues. Is there any other remedy I'm missing? They could provide home schooling to the offending kids but again, does that presume guilt and violate rights? Alternative schooling?
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Post by eb204 on Feb 9, 2009 9:12:44 GMT -5
I think this might be a viable option, at least until the suspects have their trial. If found innocent, return to school. If found guilty, they will have already begun their alternative schooling in that setting. Since criminal charges have been filed, there are certainly questions in parents' and kids' minds. If there were no criminal charges filed, then it really would only be between the parents of the victim and the parents of the assailant, IMO.
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Post by majorianthrax on Feb 9, 2009 9:21:04 GMT -5
I believe the SD should have offered to transfer the victim to another school in the district so he would not have contact with is attackers. The SD should also take care of his transportation. What must be going through that poor kids head to see those kids. I will be at the meeting tonight. It promises to be interesting.
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Post by gatordog on Feb 9, 2009 10:46:49 GMT -5
... Move the offending kids to a different MS? How would you feel if they moved them to your MS? ..... I would support moving the offending kids to another MS. This probably would be the rest of this academic year, at least, while the court proceeds. Depending what happens with the court case, i think this even could be these students entire MS career. I hate the idea of the victim being the one "chased off". Now how would I feel if they came to my child's MS? I have thought on this...and I would be ok with it. I am sure these kids would be watched by the school admin very closely, and not be given much latitude at all. Btw this, and the dealing with the law, hopefully these kids see this as a fresh start and change their ways. My child needs to be a bit wary and try her very best to avoid situations where something bad could happen to her, whether its at school or away from school. That would not change any, whether or not she went to the same school as these offenders. To me, that settled the issue in making me feel ok even if these kids should be re-assigned to a MS where I had a child.
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Post by wvhsparent on Feb 9, 2009 12:46:36 GMT -5
... Move the offending kids to a different MS? How would you feel if they moved them to your MS? ..... I would support moving the offending kids to another MS. This probably would be the rest of this academic year, at least, while the court proceeds. Depending what happens with the court case, i think this even could be these students entire MS career. I hate the idea of the victim being the one "chased off". Now how would I feel if they came to my child's MS? I have thought on this...and I would be ok with it. I am sure these kids would be watched by the school admin very closely, and not be given much latitude at all. Btw this, and the dealing with the law, hopefully these kids see this as a fresh start and change their ways. My child needs to be a bit wary and try her very best to avoid situations where something bad could happen to her, whether its at school or away from school. That would not change any, whether or not she went to the same school as these offenders. To me, that settled the issue in making me feel ok even if these kids should be re-assigned to a MS where I had a child. thanks GD....very reasoned response. Increases my comfort level on the reassigning to a diff MS.
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Post by gatormom on Feb 9, 2009 12:59:08 GMT -5
While I agree with GD and it really would not disturb me, one issue arises with moving them to a different MS. Because these are minors, there is no mention of names. The district could hardly move them and then announce, this MS has the two boys accused of this crime.
If those boys were moved to a different MS back in November, who would have known? This just recently made the papers. And if it then became public, I can just imagine the outcry and worries from concerned parents.
Again, not sure what the answer is but moving them to a different MS doesn't seem to be it.
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Arwen
Master Member
Posts: 933
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Post by Arwen on Feb 9, 2009 13:34:22 GMT -5
I wouldn't want them at my kids' school.
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Post by momto4 on Feb 9, 2009 15:51:22 GMT -5
I wouldn't want them at my kids' school. Same here.
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Post by justvote on Feb 9, 2009 16:13:34 GMT -5
I believe the accused individuals should be tutored at home (at taxpayer's expense) until the trial has concluded. Transferring them to another MS does not alleviate the safety issue for the student population, as a whole. This did not have to become a media circus. If the Administration would have at least met with the family and addressed their concerns, I believe the publicity right now would be minimal.
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Arwen
Master Member
Posts: 933
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Post by Arwen on Feb 9, 2009 17:06:46 GMT -5
I believe the accused individuals should be tutored at home (at taxpayer's expense) until the trial has concluded. Transferring them to another MS does not alleviate the safety issue for the student population, as a whole. This did not have to become a media circus. If the Administration would have at least met with the family and addressed their concerns, I believe the publicity right now would be minimal. I agree justvote. IMO, most anyone looking at this case from the outside would think that was the best course of action. I think there wasn't an explicit regulation on the books, so they ducked for cover to avoid any legal problems from the assailants. Given the severity of the issue, it makes it look like they have no compassion for the victim nor concern for the safety of the other students in the building. I'm sure they have both concern and compassion, and I hope they ultimately do the right thing. This poor kid has been traumatized enough without having to worry whether it is safe to go to the bathroom at any given time. This whole story has been disturbing to me on so many levels, and a small part is the SB/Admin handling of it. Beyond that, it has really made me wonder how we can keep our kids safe. I'm aware of the risks presented by trusting my children to adults involved in children's activities like scout leaders, teachers, coaches and church people. I'm also well aware of the risks presented when allowing children to go to sleepovers or slumber parties (and generally don't allow my kids to spend the night). I also try to be watchful for bullying behavior directed at my kids. It never occurred to me that I needed to worry about my kids being sexually assualted by their so-called friends.
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Post by eb204 on Feb 9, 2009 17:07:55 GMT -5
I wouldn't want them at my kids' school. Same here. Niether would I, to be honest. It would be like letting Drew Peterson date one of my family members. Not guilty of anything, but certainly red flags go up.
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