In a 27-page report dated May 20, a state investigator for the Department of Children and Families found "reasonable cause" to support evidence for the allegation of neglect of an 9-year-old boy attending the Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School in Hadley.The incident took place on March 25 when a 9-year-old boy in the third grade claims he was being bullied in a bathroom and in order to escape, pushed another child.
The next day school officials implemented "an in-house suspension" by confining him to an extremely small room for the entire school day without benefit of recess or physical education class and without contacting the parents. The boy was also denied access to a school nurse when he reported feeling ill.
Traumatized by the incident; he currently receives in-home instruction (as mandated by state education law). The parents hope this official finding will send a stern enough message so that changes are enacted for the good of all children.
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Previous bad news for PVCICS click link
But, but charter schools are perfect in every way. They are heaven on Earth. Oops! Looks like they suffer from the main problem that public schools have, they are run by people.
ReplyDeleteAny regrets or worries about your childs tenure there?
ReplyDeleteNo.
ReplyDeleteShe learned a lot, made many friends, but is very content where she is now (Crocker Farm) and is still taking private Chinese lessons with her mom.
There is another side to this story and I trust, in the interest of balance and accuracy, it will one day be told.
ReplyDeleteYou forgot "fairness".
ReplyDeleteIt would help if Mr. Alcorn made himself a little more available to the media: see today's Gazette "breaking story" for instance.
I find this, as Larry tells it, quite disturbing. We do have laws against this sort of thing -- and I can think of about four that may have been broken here...
ReplyDeleteAny word from the DA?
This is getting better & better... See http://htmlimg1.scribdassets.com/9fdskrzlc0z6zam/images/1-37080925a2.jpg
ReplyDeleteNow, I don't remember "difficult and fragile" being a diagnosis in any of the SPED classes I took but I am seeing something else jumping out here -- if the child already has an IEP and you explicitly and directly violate it to discipline the child -- that is almost the same as violating a 209A....
If the child really has an IEP that calls for "extra movement breaks" -- if you have agreed to this IEP, and then you instead confine the child -- this is a serious civil rights violation.
And I am thinking of a couple of SPED issues (the basis of the IEP in the first place) that could make all of this very interesting -- and quite expensive...
I don't know if Section 1983 applies to a charter school or not -- somehow, I think we might just find out...
Ed,
ReplyDeleteHa! Ha! This is why you are going to be such a great principal. Because you are going to pin the needle into the red zone any time someone sneezes.
Hey Ed, if you are planning on being a teacher I'm going with home schooling for my kid!!!!
ReplyDeleteAttn Cowardly Annon Nitwit -- you don't have to sign the IEP, but once you do, you are bound to it...
ReplyDeleteI see you stopped ignoring this story, Mr. Kelley. Funny how when your favorite paper broke the story several weeks ago, you simply ignored it.
ReplyDeleteI guess that's because you were hoping it went away. Was that embarassment or were you trying to protect some cronies at that school?
It was more like five weeks ago the Gazette broke the original story. I beat them by eighteen hours--an eternity in Internet time--on THIS story, and I beat them by three weeks on the Charter-School-gets-shot-down-for-expansion story.
ReplyDeletePay attention.
I received this email from a parent at the school today when it was posted to a email list I am on. --
ReplyDelete"Dear Friends,
Please know that today’s headline in the Gazette is completely in error. There is NO finding of neglect against the school (see details below). We love the Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School as do hundreds of other families including families who have children with special needs.
Obviously, there are some ‘powers that be’ who are opposed to charter schools. Please consider the global picture. On the federal level, it is widely recognized that it is critical for reasons of national security, prosperity and global peace that a portion of our citizens are bilingual in Chinese as well as other languages. You and your family will benefit from the PVCICS’s efforts and successes. I urge you to be a supporter of this important project in the interest of all of our futures.
___________________________________
PVCICS’s Executive Director issued the following written statement today, "I am told by attorney Andrew Todd Rome, Deputy General Counsel, Department of Children and Families (DCF), that DCF has made no finding against PVCICS or any members of the PVCICS staff.” “I'm told by attorney Rome an earlier "finding" was sent out in error.”
To clarify, the "finding" that is discussed in today's paper is incorrect. At this time there is NO finding of neglect against the school.
As someone who fought hard to make the Chinese Charter School a reality I'm well aware of the 'Powers That Be' who ardently oppose Charter Schools.
ReplyDeleteAnd I can assure you, THEY had nothing to do with the incident in question.
I am trying to figure out how we, the general public, will ever be able to know what the truth is here. Either the school was found to be in violation and guilty of neglect or it wasn't. Any thoughts, Larry, about how we can get accurate information on this issue?
ReplyDeleteThe truth is out there and, indeed, it will come out.
ReplyDeleteLarry, are you working on tracking down the truth of the matter? You have been so able to get to the bottom of many things and I have very much appreciated your tenacity in going after the truth on so many different topics. Are you pursuing this one?
ReplyDeleteOh, well with Larry Kelley's assurance then that settles it. I'm feeling better already.
ReplyDeleteRegretfully, I am.
ReplyDeleteIronic thing is if I were working for the Gazette, they would have pulled me from this story BECAUSE I'm a tad too close to it.
Sorry Anon 10:13 AM, my previous response was meant for you; Nitwit Anon 10:17 AM got in the way (downside of comment moderation)
ReplyDeleteI would be interested in finding out how many families have left PVCIC school in the last few years, and if possible why. I am hearing more and more ancedotal stories about families that have been unhappy with the school and left, even some who realized within weeks or months that the school and its approach, and its difficulties in helping kids with special needs, would not work for them. Still I haven't seen any numbers yet on attrition, and from what I understand the number of children applying to the school has skyrocketed in the last few years.
ReplyDeleteThis is the kind of "victimhood" story that we in the Republic of Amherst love! Leave room for the possibility that the story is more complex than reported so far, and that the school is refraining from further comment either out of decency or due specifically to restriction on public comment set by the board that's reviewing the occurrence.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone asked what actually happened in the incident in the restroom?
Stories are always more complex than reported.
ReplyDeleteThe "board" has completed their review of the "occurrence"and concluded that "Allegations of neglect by staff members of the Pioneer Valley Chinese Charter School are supported at this time."
And they did not restrict anyone's right to publicly comment one way or the other.
At the moment, the school seems to deny that a report was even issued.
If I was a parent with a child at the school or one who has applied to the enter the school I would certainly be re-thinking my decision. I very much hope the truth comes out in a very public way, no matter what it is. People need information in order to make an informed decision of whether to send their children to the school or not.
ReplyDeleteAs Bill Clinton said, "It depends on what your definition of 'is' is."
ReplyDeletePerhaps they have a different definition of report? Ha! Ha!
Has anyone asked what actually happened in the incident in the restroom?
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't matter what happened in the restroom. A school administration is bound by the IEPs they sign. This is why disciplining a SPED student is so incredibly difficult....