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I don't know in what world a school's staff and teachers feel forcibly carrying a child into the teacher's lounge, placing them in a closet, and then holding the door closed is remotely acceptable. Even worse, Wake County defended the action in court and plans to appeal the judgement. I can't understand how those involved haven't been removed from their jobs.
I'm really surprised this went on at that school. The principal is highly thought of. Also when you work in a school there are only certain trained personnel who are allowed to restrain a child - if you're not that person you do not touch. And locking in a closet it not OK. I have a feeling I know what the closet is like and it's really a small room but it's still not OK. They messed with the wrong parents - when I heard the mom being interviewed I knew she was smart and I googled her - she's a veterinarian.
Can someone explain to my simple mind a thing here.
How does a state that doesn’t allow Teacher Unions allow for this? I have a very nuanced view on unions…which basically lose me when they protect the worst among them…but hot damn.
On a personal level(which doesn’t arise to anything like this story) the Mrs is already in a battle with a teacher at our son’s school. Kid is five and the teacher wrote a cheerful email to my wife about how “she had to get in his face” when he didn’t understand the instruction she gave him. Like who is the adult?
Come to find out the teacher is universally hated by parents…yet remains employed? For what? They aren’t protected. Cut the bad ones loose.
Back to the topic, hope the kid in question isn’t permanently impacted by this and frankly, hope the parents sue the chit out of em; if not the school/admin, then the individuals involved (although maybe they have BS qualified immunity)
I'm really surprised this went on at that school. The principal is highly thought of. Also when you work in a school there are only certain trained personnel who are allowed to restrain a child - if you're not that person you do not touch. And locking in a closet it not OK. I have a feeling I know what the closet is like and it's really a small room but it's still not OK. They messed with the wrong parents - when I heard the mom being interviewed I knew she was smart and I googled her - she's a veterinarian.
The school staff, principle and superintendent were all notified. The staff also failed to follow state laws regarding documentation of restraint and notification of parents, which ultimately comes back to the leadership at the school. The principle may be well thought of, but she/he really needs to get their house in order.
The student's parents said they weren't notified of the times when their child was restrained, Gahagan said. Instead, they received her daily point sheets, which stated that the child went to time-out or the quiet room, and the staff never used the word "seclusion" on the sheets, she said.
Not defending what happened, but I'm not sure how the "quiet room" would differ from seclusion. Sounds like a technicality that could have been clarified with the teacher or principal. Who knows though.
I can't help but think the superintendent's response would have been different if this occurred in a different part of the county, but that's just me making assumptions.
Can someone explain to my simple mind a thing here.
How does a state that doesn’t allow Teacher Unions allow for this? I have a very nuanced view on unions…which basically lose me when they protect the worst among them…but hot damn.
On a personal level(which doesn’t arise to anything like this story) the Mrs is already in a battle with a teacher at our son’s school. Kid is five and the teacher wrote a cheerful email to my wife about how “she had to get in his face” when he didn’t understand the instruction she gave him. Like who is the adult?
Come to find out the teacher is universally hated by parents…yet remains employed? For what? They aren’t protected. Cut the bad ones loose.
Back to the topic, hope the kid in question isn’t permanently impacted by this and frankly, hope the parents sue the chit out of em; if not the school/admin, then the individuals involved (although maybe they have BS qualified immunity)
I'd have a real problem with a teacher who used the verbiage "get in his face". If you can't handle little kids and their foibles don't teach kindergarten.
I went toe to toe with my daughter's first grade teacher about a punishment she meted out to the class after a bad day with a terrible sub (and I was in the class with the sub, and she shouldn't have been working with kids....and left enough clues that the teacher should have known this on her return). Suffice to say once I said I was going to the principal about the punishment (bordered on corporal) she backed off. I wanted her to apologize to my child, and she did. And I will say I had only done that once before (in NY) and never since have had to make that request. More often than not I"m making my kid smooth things over with the teacher!
I can't help but think the superintendent's response would have been different if this occurred in a different part of the county, but that's just me making assumptions.
She would have welcomed the media attention and the subsequent firing of the people involved if it happened elsewhere....but these people live in a pretty rural area of western Wake, and as I noted above, I think they miscalculated the response of the parents.
THe principal's bio reads thusly:
Following my college experience at Cornell College in Iowa, I moved to Dallas, Texas to be an
elementary school teacher. My 15 years of teaching included 1
st through 4th grades and a couple
of years as the Academically Gifted teacher (AIG). After getting my masters degree at the
University of Texas, the next 20 years of my career I served as an Administrator. I have much
experience opening new schools. First, I opened a new school in the Dallas Independent School
District. We were the Thomas Tolbert Tigers.
Then I moved to Apex, North Carolina and had the privilege of working at Olive Chapel, as one
of the Clippers and Holly Springs as a Cheetah at both elementary schools I served as Assistant
Principal. In 2004, I was thrilled to become a Tree Frog and opened Turner Creek Elementary
School.
Following seven joyful years at TCE I hopped to Green Hope Elementary and became a Falcon.
I served as their principal for five wonderful years. The students and teachers worked hard and
made outstanding academic growth. Together the “Falcons Soared” to become a School of
Excellence!
Maybe my math is faulty but she should be about 90 at this point LOL. At any rate, it may be time to retire.
I'd have a real problem with a teacher who used the verbiage "get in his face". If you can't handle little kids and their foibles don't teach kindergarten.
I went toe to toe with my daughter's first grade teacher about a punishment she meted out to the class after a bad day with a terrible sub (and I was in the class with the sub, and she shouldn't have been working with kids....and left enough clues that the teacher should have known this on her return). Suffice to say once I said I was going to the principal about the punishment (bordered on corporal) she backed off. I wanted her to apologize to my child, and she did. And I will say I had only done that once before (in NY) and never since have had to make that request. More often than not I"m making my kid smooth things over with the teacher!
That was the verbiage that spun my wife into a dimension of pissed off I haven't seen her reach in our 12 years together. The email read like she was giddy about it.
And what she was explaining was sorta who he is right now (although in just 3 weeks has really come out of his shell); if he gets confused at something and feels like attention is being put on him, he sorta slunks his shoulders and tries to hide his face...because he's embarrassed. He didn't talk back, he didn't touch anyone. He got embarrassed by what his Electives/"Specials" teacher was asking them to do (because he didn't understand what she was asking)...and she resorted to that.
I will say this, I hope the teacher got it out of her system....because that was her one get out of jail free card (short of him doing something that truly justifies correction) with the Mrs. I've seen my wife (fiance at time) punch a full grown man's teeth through his lips for talking chit to her. Pray to whoever you pray to if you come at her baby bear unjustifiably.
Not defending what happened, but I'm not sure how the "quiet room" would differ from seclusion. Sounds like a technicality that could have been clarified with the teacher or principal. Who knows though.
I can't help but think the superintendent's response would have been different if this occurred in a different part of the county, but that's just me making assumptions.
Agreed, quiet room is a pretty way a saying seclusion and would need to be thoroughly defined ie, we took little Suzie to a different classroom since she was over stimulated. She was supervised by a staff member at all times in this room. This should not mean the staff member was holding the door closed so little Suzie could not get out. As a parent, I would want someone fired and I would want to know how they were retraining and revamping their program. I have always said if my kids needed special education, I would have never moved to NC.
Agreed, quiet room is a pretty way a saying seclusion and would need to be thoroughly defined ie, we took little Suzie to a different classroom since she was over stimulated. She was supervised by a staff member at all times in this room. This should not mean the staff member was holding the door closed so little Suzie could not get out.
Yup. And honestly well trained staff should know how to handle this. I've known kids to do some truly terrible things (smear poop all over the school) and even then not be treated like this. You can't put a kid in a room and hold the door closed.
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