OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS: A BIG SOCIAL LIE

Dear Karen,

I stayed up very late reading your site. I have kept this confidential for now since I am still in litigation. I was just wondering what kind of a response I would get. When I first started looking to see if others had experienced similar situations I thought maybe it was one of those big social lies you don't find out about until you are involved. I was right! Not that I didn't know the district are butt covering weasel ethically but I honestly thought someone had some ethics outside of the corporate mode when it came to eduction. I will keep you informed,
ANONYMOUS

You may share this story.

The letter I am sharing with you, which I wrote to a school board member, deals with an incident of harassment by parents who have a long documented history of staff abuse.

While I was a paid yard duty, the only full time supervisor, I was accused of pushing and giving "strange looks from afar," to a female child in the presence of hundreds of witnesses.

I am a white, 49 year-old male who has a wife who works full time as a geophysicist. I used to consider myself a stay at home father until I counted up the hours I usually worked in a week. It clearly was more a philosophic statement than reality.

I am the father of twin girls who share a classroom with one of the harassers' children: they have triplets. To date all three of their children, who are in the fourth grade, have been involved with documented snitching on staff for one issue or another. The teachers have maintained their ethics in not repeating stories to anyone, but it is not necessary since most incidents took place in front of many witnesses including parents and students. While I don't enjoy this here is a little about myself to give you some background.

My wife is very active in the school district and has been School Site Council President for the last two years. She was also vice president of the APT at our school for several years and worked on many committees. She is one of those really hard working people who apparently cannot say no to school needs and is a hero in my eyes for her dedication.

I was vice President of the APT this year until I was served with a restraining order and had to resign. I was also a volunteer reading tutor to two children at our school. I either taught or assisted in our GATE program known as Enrichment Classes for several years. I helped with the Valet program of traffic control at our school. I was the Girls Volleyball Coach at the local high school until I resigned after losing respect for the integrity of the district. I have been CPR certified for twenty years. I have a teaching credential for preschool in California. I volunteered and worked at my children's co-op preschool for nearly five years. I have a master's degree in Kinesiology and have taught at a local Junior College for ten years. I have fifty-one seasons of coaching experience at all levels. I love to work with kids.

I think I am going to hurl now.

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