"I want to go to school...Why me? Why are they trying so hard NOT to let me go to school?" asks child* in response to denial of Board of Education to enroll him in Montgomery County Public Schools.
The Examiner, Russia Today, WUSA9, USAToday, and Gazette (red indicates update to original blog article) have reported on the plight of a 14 year old Montgomery County resident unable to receive a free public education. That denial of a free public education has kept him out of school for the last two years.
Here are the facts:
- The child is a U.S. citizen - born in California.
- The child lives with his court appointed legal guardian.
- The legal guardian is a resident of Montgomery County.
- On August 25, 2008, Superintendent Weast wrote a memorandum to the Board of Education explaining his basis for denying this child a free public education.
- On September 22, 2008, the Board of Education (President Nancy Navarro) in an unanimous decision voted to affirm the decision of the Superintendent.
"It is my belief that the documents forwarded, as best as I can read them, do not document a crisis that would prevent J- from living with his mother and attending school in Thailand. J- father's monthly salary of 4700 baht is about average in Bangkok, according to the Thai National Statistical Office."Note that child's parents are divorced. 4700 baht's converts to $136 U.S. dollars. The full text of Superintendent Weast's decision is here. The MCPS Board of Education affirmed the decision of Superintendent Weast and "concluded that the matter could be decided without the conduct of an evidentiary hearing, referral to a hearing examiner, or oral argument." The Decision and Order are below.
Section 7-101 of Maryland's Education Article states that:
"...each child shall attend a public school in the county where the child is domiciled with the child’s parent, guardian, or relative providing informal kinship care..."When contacted for a comment on this matter, District 16 Delegate Susan C. Lee and her colleagues Senator Brian E. Frosh, Delegate William A. Bronrott, and Delegate C. William Frick sent a letter dated May 13, 2009, to Superintendent Weast asking him to "please look into this matter and provide us with a complete report."
As of today, this is a Montgomery County child without a school.
UPDATE: Join the new Facebook Group - already over 700 members, to Support this child's right to a free public education!
UPDATE 6/18/09: Press Kit - relevant documents include child's US birth certificate, passport and documents detailing two year struggle to enroll in Montgomery County Public Schools.
UPDATE 6/25/09: Maryland State Board of Education decision in Armour v. Board of Education of Montgomery County, Maryland said,
...we reiterate that it is the educational policy in Maryland, consistent with the constitutional and statutory provisions for free public education, that all children within the borders of this State who are bona fide residents, are entitled to free public school privileges. Only such a policy will assure in this age of great mobility that all children, regardless of the income of their families, will be provided an uninterrupted opportunity for public education.UPDATE 6/26/09: Governor Martin O'Malley's office inquires about this child's inability to enroll in Montgomery County Public School.
UPDATE 6/29/09: BREAKING NEWS - MCPS RELENTS! STUDENT WINS!
*The child's name is not being released by the Parents' Coalition and the documents have been redacted to protect the identity of the child.
Board Denial
Greetings Parents and concerned citizens of Montgomery County:
ReplyDeleteFirst, I applaud you, it is not easy to speak out against an institution where your precious children and other beloved spend so much of their time and recieve their education. The most important years of thier educational life. These years can make or break a child's future just on the conduct of the adults.
I am appalled! I was a citizen of the state of New York and now am a citizen of the state of North Carolina, through my Army enlistment I also spent time in the state of Texas. In all of these states it is a CRIME for the parent or guardian of a child to NOT enroll the child in the public school system, unless it is proven they are home schooled or are in a private school. I am now starting to think that Montgomery County should be prosecuted as a criminal. As parents we could face losing our children,(all of them in the house, not just one in question), jobs, residences and all of the stigmas involved when a parent in accused of neglecting or abusing a child. Our school systems should be held to the same accountability.
I am a mother of a son who was sexually assaulted by a peer at eight years old, he did not like school before the incident and because the only feedback we received from the public system, in response was: the peers parents saying "Johnny would not do that", (name withheld of course) my son did not trust nor did he ever want to return to school. Myself and family prayed fervently and daily that he would graduate. Thankfully, he did but this is only an example that shows the administration does not always make the best decisions.
The gentleman who seems so unconcerned and suggests the young man return to poverty stricken, disease infested Tailand should be reprimanded and given remedial training in the History and heart of this counrty. where we have areas that are poverty stricken and cannot survive without outside help, but our areas areIf I were a member of your board I would be embarrased.
Further, the young man can not just go back to Thailand without the consent of the family court who assigned the guardian, in most family courts you must prove that the child's best interest is in returning to Thailand. Don't get the Westernized sections of Thailand confused with the rural areas! It is not like our country not the norm. These poverty stricken areas in Thailand are the norm.
I could be mistaken, but are there not funds offered to public schools for minority children, and aren't all fundings dependent upon the number of chidren who are in attendance? It seems to me that the administration does not feel your system needs anymore assistance!
In closing, more parents than I can count: beg, plead, punish, etc to get their children interested in going to school; participating when they get there, and/or doing homework. The more I write the more disgusted I get. When I was in Iraq in 2003, I was saddened because of all the things that my children had compared to what the Iraqi children had, and I was a broke single parent and had to leave my children to support my children. This issue goes against everything that makes our country what it is. I am thankful I live where am, and will think of you when I want to complain, because here in Cumberland County I have never heard of the school dening a child the basics, the basis for being a productive citizen of this country. We do not struggle, pay taxes and do what we do as parents to see our hard work and dedication mocked as this board has mocked our basic institution! Education.
God Speed to all;
Debra Clyde
Montgomery County #WeWereTrumpFirst
ReplyDeleteStill in office
ReplyDeleteNancy Navarro
Judy Docca
Patricia O'Neill