Why parents should worry about school

The Addison Eagle (Vermont) ^ | 6 March 2003 | Ron O'Neill

[Slyfox]

What entitlement? He ought to be able to take these yahoo's to court and then get it legally decided that any parent who has a child in a public school should be allowed to enter that school at any time without fear of being arrested.

[Blue Collar Christian]

AMEN! I got ya.

[Congressman Billybob]

Thank you for your post, and please thank your brother for his commitment and courage. I live in a samll town (population 1,000) and the local newspaper is as sleepy as the town. However, there are times -- and your brother has found one of them -- when challenging events occur for a small-town newsman and his town.

Thank you and him also for the larger lesson, that freedom of the press is not just a large and national creature. It is also built, or destroyed, brick by brick in thousands of towns across this nation. As a First Amendment lawyer, I hope your brother pushes the school principal to the wall on this.

Congressman Billybob

Latest column, now up on UPI, and FR, "Truth, the First Casualty?"

Latest book(let), "to Restore Trust in America."

[Blue Collar Christian]

Strangly enough, that's how I remember it being when I was a wee lad.

I know that states, counties, and cities administer schools, but all schools in all states should have the rules defined as you put it.

I had an encounter with a school dean here in L.A. that only showed me that he was used to telling parents what to do. He kept taking phone calls while my son and I were seated at his desk to confer. I told him,standing up, after two interruptions that I would just call him on the phone, seeing that was the way to have his undivided attention. He told me "Sit down" as though he commanded me. I made it very clear right then that he was MY employee, he would not be commanding me what to do, and even if it cost him his job, I was ging to get my tax dollars worth of satifaction out of the situation that had caused me to come to his office. He relented, I got my money's worth.

I'll bet he pulls his routine off most of the time.

[homeschool mama]

Good points, ladylib.

My daughter is in 7th grade and home educated. This year our curriculum budget was $250. My husband tutors his daughter and another 7th grade child in algebra...free of charge. I teach a literature/composition class to 7th grade girls...free of charge. My daughter takes fine art classes from a dear friend/artist/former traditional educator...free of charge. The homeschool community has many parents who teach subjects w/in their homeschool enclave. It's truly wonderful.

For a parent to be questioned, rebuked and arrested for being a good parent by wanting to know what's going on in an assembly, makes my blood boil.

Remove your children from traditional education (aka government indoctrination programs). Please!!!

[ladylib]

He pulls that routine off because parents let him. It's time someone put people like that in their place.

[ladylib]

This is what happens when you have cops in schools. It emboldens arrogant school officials like the one in the article to treat parents like garbage.

Well, here is a sad story about a math program being thrust on 4th graders in New York City. I think NYC spends about $10,000 (maybe a little less) per year per student. They could spend $500 a year and get much better results. My niece had a math program like this in her public school. Fortunately, her parents were able to remove her from the system and send her to private school. My sister-in-law now teaches at that school.

http://www.city-journal.org/html/eon_3_7_03mc.html

[SwinusMaximus]

>Any email addresses we can use to the officials?

The e-mail address for the Superintendent is jlombardo@acsu.k12.vt.us ... I'll be passing on my thoughts, and I hope you all will too.

Thanks to everyone for your support and good wishes. I spoke to my brother this evening and he's prepared to "Give 'em hell". It's going to be quite a show.

[potlatch]

Your brother should contact the newspaper before the next School Board Meeting. Reporters are allowed at these meetings and he should tell the whole story to the School Board, if it hasn't already been publicised.

[Quix]

Thanks,

I plan to do it Monday.

Blessings,

[Oberon]

Bump for later.

[LiteKeeper]

bump

[chasio649]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/860459/posts

Ticks me off when i think of the many times the leftist have used intimidation to get their way...i will send O'Reilly your post if you don't mind.

[Calpernia]

Yup. It is called 'lock down'. My kids' school is right near the train station. We have gone into lock down several times already. When this happens, I can't get near the school.

[Calpernia]

>>>A public school is not private property

Actually, I don't know if this is a state by state, school by school issue. The public and private schools I checked out in my state...a parent can sign in and enter. This does get a little touchy on the who can pick up the child issue; but, a parent can sign in and enter the school.

[bjcintennessee]

Potlatch suggested in post #49 that you contact the local newspaper before the next school board meeting, and I would like to add another suggestion. In our rural community, if a person wishes to "address" the school board at their meetings, the person has to notify the school board in advance so that they can be added to the agenda -- otherwise, the person doesn't get to speak.

So make certain your brother notifies the council in advance.

--God Bless and good luck!

[spodefly]

The details of the incident are strange and troubling.

But the biggest detail of all is still a mystery: What was going on at the school??? Has your brother talked to his kids to see what it was?

[quietolong]

A bump to follow this

[SwinusMaximus]

>Has your brother talked to his kids to see what it was?

Yeah, it was a leftist teacher who spends his time trying to indoctrinate students, most likely because his powers of persuasion are so infantile that they don't work on adults. Rather than annouce beforehand what's going to happen they bushwhack the kids and they're forced to sit thru this drivel.

One of my nieces has already asked my brother if they can have an "Anti Peace" rally to respond. He said "No", because this is not about being anti peace but you can at least see the girl is thinking. Actually, the kids think this is a riot. The administration is SO transparent that even the kids know it's crap.

My brother has spoken to one of the TV stations in Burlington and they've expressed interest, as have an attorney or two. If it's going to be a monetary settlement it will be one of those "One Dollar" types because this is, after all, a philosophical fight more than anything else. Besides, any money he receives would come out of the school board budget, and that comes out of his and his neighbor's pockets.

I told him about posting here and the response, and he is quite impressed. It looks like he is in the right place at the right time with the right fight, and he's in it for the long haul. Wahoo!

[SwinusMaximus]

>contact the local newspaper before the next school board meeting

He works at one of the two newspapers and that will surely help move things along. I've suggested to him that maybe he should run for the school board. He's not so hot on the idea, but maybe with all that's going on around him he may change his mind.