Only three of the 26 classroom teachers who were at the school then were still at Kemp Mill.

On her daughter’s last day of fifth grade this year at Kemp Mill Elementary School in Silver Spring, Md., Angela Atwood-Moore joined other parents leafing through an old yearbook from when her child was in second grade.

They loved seeing how much their children had grown.

Atwood-Moore noticed something else.

Only three of the 26 classroom teachers who were at the school then were still at Kemp Mill. Atwood-Moore thought she knew why. The Montgomery County school-climate survey found that only 15 percent of Kemp Mill staff members in 2016-2017 and 17.1 percent in 2017-2018 agreed that “staff morale is positive in this school.”

The just-released figure for 2018-2019 is 11.1 percent.

Staff morale is a relatively new tool for assessing schools. Maryland is one of 10 states that require school-climate surveys, which also ask about safety, professional growth and other matters. The importance of such surveys is not yet clear, but they can aggravate existing tensions, as Kemp Mill’s experience shows...

...A low morale percentage often leads to discussions about the principal. Atwood-Moore said she traces teacher turnover and the morale problems to James’s appointment to head the school in 2015. When she was an elected member of the PTA board, she said, she did her best to support James. But she did not like what she called his fondness for “top-down bullying.”..

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/staff-morale-becomes-a-new-school-rating-tool-but-does-it-work/2019/08/23/4da4213e-beaa-11e9-b873-63ace636af08_story.html

Thirteen-year-old activist with autism wants to close seclusion rooms at schools

POWHATAN, Virginia — Alex Campbell was just 7 years old when, he says, his principal dragged him down the hall to the school's "crisis room."

Administrators reserved the room, a converted storage closet, for children who acted out. He still remembers the black-painted walls. The small window he was too short to reach. The sound of a desk scraping across the floor, as it was pushed in front of the door to make sure he couldn't get out.

Alex, who has autism spectrum disorder, says he was taken there more than a half-dozen times in first grade, for behavior such as ripping up paper or refusing to follow instructions in class. The room was supposed to calm him down. Instead, it terrified him.

"When I asked for help or asked if anyone was still there, nobody would answer," Alex said. "I felt alone. I felt scared."

According to the latest data collected by the U.S. Department of Education, public school districts reported restraining or secluding over 120,000 students during the 2015-2016 school year, most of them children with disabilities. Families and advocates have documented cases of students being pinned down, strapped to their wheelchairs, handcuffed or restrained in other ways. Both practices, experts say, can traumatize children, and may lead to severe injuries, even death...

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/education/thirteen-year-old-activist-autism-wants-close-seclusion-rooms-schools-n935356?fbclid=IwAR2kMZkQ2qSTs2hQn-po4g8YP5ueSEqSt5zoexWOE6zv7I8b9SzsAOCJBTQ

MCEA Rally: Staff at Kemp Mill ES have been dismayed to see a bullying and ineffective principal turn their school into a place with one of the worst school climates in the county.

MCEA Rally Announcement:

Join parents, community members, and the Montgomery County Education Association at a rally at the MCPS Central Office to demand justice for the students and families at Kemp Mill Elementary School.

Kemp Mill has one of the highest percentages of children from low-income families in Montgomery County. It needs and deserves strong leadership. But for the past three years, educators there have been dismayed to see a bullying and ineffective principal turn their school into a place with one of the worst school climates in the county. 

The dedicated educators, paraeducators, and building service staff at Kemp Mill work every day to provide their underserved student population with the quality school community they deserve. After numerous attempts to raise these urgent concerns with the school district, we still have had no adequate response from MCPS. The Montgomery County educators' union will not stand idly by as MCPS does a terrible disservice to one of our high needs schools.

School’s out, but we’re just getting started! An injury to one is an injury to all, and only by coming together can we hold MCPS accountable to students, parents, and fellow educators. 

Superintendent Jack Smith continually says that “all means all,” but he needs to put action behind his words. Our most vulnerable students are suffering from his neglect. We must stand together to demand equity now. Join us at the rally to fight for the change that’s needed at Kemp Mill ES to improve the lives of our kids and our colleagues!

Schools confront bullying of teachers, staff

...Legal documents show the policy on workplace bullying arrives nearly 2.5 years after three elementary school teachers and one staff member settled a lawsuit against their school principal.

“I think it’s just a way to help address the way, how we are creating the best workplace possible for our employees,” said Barclay.

Barclay said the regulations will determine how Montgomery County Public Schools staff will address bullying.

“The policy is going to be the aspiration,” he said. “It’s going to be the regulation that will matter in terms of what ultimately will be the practice, and we have to see what systems are put in place.”   

The case was filed for reasons including “negligence, gross negligence and intentionally seeking to inflict harm upon any subordinate who dared to question his unchecked authority.”

Plaintiffs alleged Starnes tried to sully their names by “falsifying the teachers’ personnel files.”

A plaintiff who asked not to be named, said bullying is a problem in Montgomery County.

“I’m very uncomfortable in this county,” the person said. “We were the teachers trying to protect the children from the principal.”

...

Starnes continued to act as principal for two years after the case was settled.

...

Barclay said he could not talk about whether or not the suit and the policy were related.

Joan Kaltreider, retired teacher elementary classroom teacher from Kemp Mill Elementary School and a plaintiff from the case, said she would support the policy.

“If it’s a policy to protect teachers, I’d be highly in favor of it, but I’d be highly skeptical that it would be enforced,” said Kaltreider.

According to the law documents, Kaltreider received a negative recommendation from Starnes, and was later put on probation, after she reported to her union representative her concerns about her principal.

Kaltrieder said the negative recommendation was retaliation for talking about her principal.

She reasoned while she received positive recommendations during her previous 30 years of teaching and when the principal first arrived, her teaching was being scrutinized.

  http://www.thesentinel.com/mont/newsx/local/item/2714-schools-confront-bullying-of-teachers-staff

Inside MCPS: The Cover Up - Confidential Memo from Investigation of Principal

This MCPS Confidential Memorandum is also part of the public file from the recent litigation by former teachers at Kemp Mill Elementary School versus the Montgomery County Board of Education.  

In this Confidential Memorandum we can see how MCPS covered up that students were being taken into a closet for periods of up to 30 minutes by administrators. This report came 10 days after the July 20, 2010 e-mail that we have posted.  

Why did the writer (Ann L. Bauman Kamenstein) of this Confidential Memorandum neglect to include the facts that had already been revealed to her in the July 20, 2010 e-mail?  In the July 20th e-mail the Principal had already admitted that there were two times when it "may have taken 30 minutes" for a student to be released from the closet.  Yet, that specific information did not make it in to the final report shown below. 

The recommendation of this Confidential Memorandum is that the Community Superintendent make regular visits to the school. But, there is no recommendation with regard to the fact that students are taken into a closet for periods of up to 30 minutes at a time by this school's administrators.  Is putting students for up to "30 minutes in a closet" standard MCPS practice? 

The document is very hard to read so we have typed most of the contents of this memo below.  Omitted from this text are the lists of names of interviewees.  The complete 4 page document is at the bottom of this post on SCRIBD.

~~~~~~~~~~
Office of Human Resources and Development
Montgomery County Public Schools
Rockville, Maryland

July 30, 2010

CONFIDENTIAL

MEMORANDUM

To:          Ms. Carole Goodman, Associate Superintendent

Through:  Raymone L. Frappolli, Director, Performance Evaluation

From:      Ann L. Bauman Kamenstein, Coordinator

Subject:   Floyd Starnes, Principal

               Kemp Mill Elementary School

On May 9, 2010, Dr. Frieda Lacey, Deputy Superintendent of Schools, sent a letter to the Office of Human Resources (OHR) signed by three teachers at Kemp Mill Elementary School (KMES) in support of Mr. Dan Picca, teacher, alleging sexual harassment and hostile work environment against Mr. Floyd Starnes, principal.  In addition, the letter alleges there are make staff in the building who have experienced unwelcome advances of touching and name calling by Mr. Starnes.  During the work day Mr. Starnes allegedly has referred to staff as:  "honey, sweetie, and babe," and therefore teachers have left the building due to his behavior.  The letter states that three different teachers have witnessed Mr. Starnes taking male students into different closed areas for as long as 30 minutes.  The OHRD conducted an investigation by interviewing current and former KMES staff and reviewing documentation submitted to and requested by OHRD.  Mr. Starnes came to OHRD and responded to the allegations (Attachment 1).

From May 14, 2010 through June 16, 2010, the following were spoken to:

[...list of teachers, building services manager,] Ms. Bronda Mills, Community Superintendent, and Ms. Kim Shawn Gary, MCEA Uniserv representative

All of the above admitted to hearing Mr. Starnes use the words such as "sweetie, honey, and babe."  None of the above claimed to ever being touched by Mr. Starnes.  One employee asked not to be involved and refused to be interviewed.  Mr. Starnes admitted

-page 2-

using these words, and in a memorandum sent by Mr. Raymond Frappoli, he was directed to cease using inappropriate unprofessional language when addressing staff (Attachment 2).  [...teachers...] were sent letters of response (Attachment 3).

On June 15, 2010, Maryland State Education Association (MSEA) advised this office that they obtained additional information and requested further inquiry into areas of concern (Attachment 4).

From June 22, 2010 until present, the following were contacted:  (some staff were contacted 2nd and 3rd time)

[...teachers, guidance counselor, building service manager, ITS' from Central Services, former assistant principal, speech pathologist, media specialist,  former teachers...]

Regarding issue 1:  Mr. Gupta alleges that OHRD had received a number of letters prior to May. The letters this office addressed were written on May 9, 2010 and an email recevied on May 14, 2010 that began the OHRD investigation.

Regarding issue 2:  Two male teachers left Kemp Mill because they were too uncomfortable with Mr. Starnes's inappropriate verbiage and physical advances.  Two male staff did leave KMES.  First, a music teacher who related that Mr. Starnes called him "babe, honey, and doll" and had pinched him and touched him on the shoulder in 2008.  He allegedly left KMES because of the harassment.  He alleges that the following year, his classroom was removed and he was assigned to the cafeteria.  The music teacher did teach a .3 pposition at KMES and due to the increased enrollment he was assigned to teach in the cafeteria.  He informed OHRD that the left the school because he lost his .3 position and that he was getting involved now, after two years, because of what was happening to Mr. Picca.  Ms. Kamenstein did speak to him and sent a letter asking for additional information (Attachment 5).  To date, he has not provided any additional written information other than what we previously in Mr. Gupta's letter.

-page 3-

The second teacher was a counselor.  He was contacted by telephone on three different occaisions and he related that the was never unfomfortable, and though they did not always see things the administration, he left to become a pupil personnel worker.  He state there was no harassment of any kind.

In that same issue it was alleged that two female teachers left because they were afraid of becoming one of his targets.  The possibility of having trouble was a reason one teacher informed me she chose to leave KMES.  The other teacher left because she lost her focus teacher status.  She is currently a focus teacher at a different location.

We [sic] regards to issue 3:  The Information Technology Support Specialist did work for Mr. Starnes and was addressed with the word "babe."  He told Mr. Starnes he did not like being called "babe" and he is still assigned to KMES (Attachement 6).  Mr. Starnes has been directed to cease the use of inappropriate terms.

As to issue 4:  Mr. Starnes placed a child in a closet in a teacher's room for 30 minutes.  The classroom teacher who witnessed the event claims the child was unruly.  Mr. Starnes came into her small room with the student and went into the closet for 1-2 minutes (Attachment 7).

The other incidences where a child was placed in a small room in the main office did happen on several occasions.  According to staff, it was a small room in the main office that was well traveled and used for time out.  This procedure was used by the principal, assistant principal, and guidance counselor.  

Regarding issue 5  Concerning a ritual that Mr. Starnes "mooed" over the school intercom system.  Mr. Starnes relates that it only happened one time and it was done as a joke.  This was during the 2008-2009 school year.  Other teachers said it went on for a longer period of time, and then acknowledged that in the winter it had stopped.  Not all teachers were offended nor complained to the administration.  This office confirmes that it occurred more than one time.

Issue 6:  Reference to the building service manager:  When contacted, he requested that the letter he had submitted be removed from consideration (Attachment 8).  He no longer cared to be involved with the group's complaints/accusations.

As to the allged reprimands from Mr. Starnes to the teachers, none have been produced for this office to view.  The other male staff member has asked repeatedly to have the letter he wrote removed, and does not want to be involved with the MSEA attorney or the teachers.

-page 4-

Summary

On May 9, 2010, Dr. Lacey received three letters of concern.  This OHRD met with Ms. Bronda Mills and Mr. Floyd Starnes and gathered information from 25 former and current staff from KMES.  Mr. Starnes has answered all of the questions address to him.  On June 16, 2010, he received a memorandum from Mr. Raymond Frappolli directing him to cease using unprofessional inappropriate language toward staff.  The teachers who sent the original correspondence all received letter dated June 15, 2010.

On June 15, 2010, additional questions were presented by the MSEA attorney.   This summary and attachments outlines our process.

In his responses to the additional questions Mr. Starnes has admitted to the allegation that he used inappropriate, unprofessional terms when speaking to employees.  He has acknowledged that his choice of words was not appropriate.  Mr. Starnes denies sexually harassing any employee.

Recommendation

Investigation into the additional allegations listed in Mr. Gupta's letter has resulted in no further recommendation/directive than that expressed in the June 16, 2010 memorandum to Mr. Starnes.  The community superintendent has related that she will make regular visits to KMES during the 2010-2011 school year to help insure that an atmosphere of learning and professionalism is maintained.

ALBK:slw

Attachments

Copy to:
  Ms. Bresler

  2010 July 30 Memo by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland

Closer Look: Date of Incident: May 2009 - A Teacher Describes a Student Being Put in a Closet

This e-mail is also from the recent litigation by former teachers at Kemp Mill Elementary School versus the Montgomery County Board of Education.

In this August 6, 2010, e-mail a Kemp Mill ES teacher describes an incident at Kemp Mill ES to a Montgomery County employee.

  2010 August Closet Incidents by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland

Closer Look: Seclusion used between 4-6 times at Kemp Mill ES from 2007-2009

Here is another document from the recent litigation by former teachers at Kemp Mill Elementary School versus the Montgomery County Board of Education.

In this document we learn that the practice of taking a child into a small room and shutting the door had been used 4-6 times at Kemp Mill Elementary School between 2007-2009.  Why isn't the exact number of times known?  Isn't there a MCPS form that must be filled out each time a child is taken into seclusion by a MCPS staff member?

This document was a follow up to the July 19, 2010, memo that we posted yesterday.

  2010 July 20 by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland

Closer Look: MCPS Principal Taught to Sit in Chair with Back to Door to Keep Student in Closed Room

The Parents' Coalition has obtained documents from the recent litigation by former teachers at Kemp Mill Elementary School versus the Montgomery County Board of Education.

This July 19, 2010, memorandum from the Kemp Mill Elementary School principal to Ann Kamenstein, Coordinator of the MCPS Department of Performance Evaluation and Compliance, describes the procedure by which the Kemp Mill principal or other adult would restrain a student in a very small room by sitting in a chair with their back to the closed door.  The Kemp Mill principal says that he learned this procedure while at Broad Acres Elementary School working under principal Jody Leleck and principal intern Catherine Jasperse.

Does this procedure comply with Maryland law?

 

  2010 July 19 by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland

Teachers at Kemp Mill settle

...By law the Board of Education must approve all payments greater than $25,000, but Patricia Via, chief for the county’s division of litigation which represented Starnes and the school system, said there is no requirement for the money agreed to in the settlement to go before the Board of Education for a vote of approval because the Board carries comprehensive liability insurance to protect itself and employees, as required by state law.
“Under that statute, the BOE is self-insured up to $100,000 per occurrence,” Via said. “The Board participates in the Montgomery County Self-Insurance Program and any settlements or judgments are paid through the Self-Insurance Program within the Board’s self-insurance limits.”
An occurrence, Via said, does not refer to the number of plaintiffs. In this case, she said, there was one occurrence and the maximum amount offered in a settlement would be $100,000...

article continues at this link  The Sentinel

Montgomery settles with group of teachers who sued Kemp Mill principal

Montgomery County officials have reached an out-of-court settlement with six former employees at Kemp Mill Elementary School who accused their one-time principal of misconduct and retaliation.

The settlement, which came just days before a trial was scheduled to begin Monday, puts an end to a civil lawsuit that, according to court documents, included allegations that the principal escorted unruly children into a closet-size room to calm them down and subjected staff members to unwanted touching, verbal abuse and harassment.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/montgomery-settles-with-group-of-teachers-who-sued-kemp-mill-principal/2013/05/10/75e79a18-b8d5-11e2-92f3-f291801936b8_story.html?hpid=z3

Patch: Firing of Former Rachel Carson Teacher Affirmed by Maryland School Board

PATCH article at this link:  Daniel Picca was terminated after 17 years with Montgomery County Public Schools, with officials citing numerous incidents of inappropriate conduct with young male students.

Starr forgot to Tweet

Looks like Superintendent Starr had a Twitter lapse.

His Twitter feed for Sunday, September 30th does not show a link to The Washington Post Editorial titled in the print edition as "Montgomery dismisses a teacher".

Did Superintendent Starr miss this 831 word Editorial about a recent State Board of Education decision concerning Montgomery County Public Schools?

A Stinging Indictment of MCPS

Note that while The Washington Post has written a lengthy Editorial (below) about the recent Maryland State Board of Education (BOE) Opinion on indicated child abusers in classrooms, it was the Parents' Coalition that first broke this story and released the Opinion to the public.  The Washington Post education reporters did not do an investigative piece on this latest development, did not interview MCPS administrators, did not interview parents, and did not make the actual MD BOE OPINION public on their website. 

Where are the Post's Education reporters and why do they ignore a story about indicated child abuse when it happens in Montgomery County? Is Montgomery County Public Schools going to do what the Maryland State BOE asks them to do, or not? Let's not just "hope" MCPS is following the advice, let's find out!  Where is the Post's investigation of this serious issue?

The Washington Post By Editorial Board, Published: September 29

THE MARYLAND State Board of Education has upheld the firing of a Montgomery County teacher who engaged in a pattern of suspect behavior with students. The decision is far from vindication of the county’s handling of the case. Rather it’s a stinging indictment of a school bureaucracy that for almost two decades believed it had a problem but reacted with a seemingly endless flow of ineffective warnings, letters, reprimands and — most appalling — reassignments of the teacher to other schools and other students. Montgomery officials boast about their skill at weeding out troubled and ineffective teachers. This disturbing case should temper the boasts and cause some soul searching.

Daniel J. Picca, most recently a teacher at Kemp Mill Elementary School, also taught at Candlewood, Rachel Carson and Luxmanor elementaries. He was dismissed in 2011 for insubordination and misconduct in office. The proximate cause for his dismissal stemmed from an April 12, 2010, incident in which another teacher at the Silver Spring school reported what she viewed as alarming contact with a male student. Mr. Picca, as was detailed by a hearing examiner who heard the case in 2010 and affirmed by an administrative law judge in July of this year, had been admonished over a 17-year period about his contact with students, mainly young boys. Reported contacts included inappropriate touching, having boys sit on his lap, wrestling and inviting boys to an after-school “Strong Boys Club” in which students said they were encouraged to take off their shirts. One 1995 incident resulted in a finding, upheld in subsequent appeals, by county child protective services that named Mr. Picca responsible for “indicated child abuse.” School officials say that the system’s central personnel office did not become aware of the child abuse findings until June 2010 when information was requested from child protective services as part of its then- ongoing investigation of Mr. Picca.

Mr. Picca, in a telephone conversation with us, labeled as false any allegation that he did anything improper. He noted that — despite investigation by police and the state’s attorney in 1995 — he has never been charged with a crime. He characterized the proceedings against him as a setup, partly in retaliation for his advocacy as a union activist. He noted that the parents of the boy involved in the April 2010 incident said that their son was pressured into making a false statement.

But three principals and two superintendents over many years raised red flags. “The evidence is overwhelming,” Administrative Law Judge David Hofstetter concluded in his July ruling upheld last week by the state board, that Mr. Picca “engaged in a pattern of conduct over many years which was reckless, brazen, unjustified and, most importantly, of grave potential harm to his students.”

How could school officials for so long do no more than put another strongly worded letter into his personnel file and move him to another school? Read the letter then-Superintendent Jerry D. Weast gave to Mr. Picca in February 2000 and consider whether you would entrust your child to such a teacher. The letter instructed Mr. Picca not to engage in any “bodybuilding”-type of activities with students or have contact with them outside the classroom. Shouldn’t the expectation be, as the state board wrote, that “when confronted with such obvious inappropriate behaviors on the part of a teacher toward his students . . . that the teacher will be removed from contact with students with alacrity?”

Mr. Picca was judged to be an effective teacher. He received high ratings on performance standards, but disciplinary proceedings are kept separate from professional evaluations. It’s not clear whether his principals even were aware of all the information that had accumulated in his central office file; as the state board noted, it is as if each reprimand stood alone without reference to past directives. School officials told us that procedures have been tightened, notably better communication between child protective services and the school system. We hope that they are following the advice of the Maryland school board directed to all the state’s systems to scour their personnel files and review policies to ensure “there are no cases, like this one, lurking in their schools.”

...read the rest of the Editorial at this link.

Known Child Abusers in MCPS Classrooms without Detection

Why?

Because MCPS does background checks on new employees, and then, never again. 

Once someone is hired by MCPS, any subsequent findings of child abuse are not discovered. Case in point, the Picca v. Board of Education opinion that was first made public by the Parents' Coalition blog yesterday.

Bottom of Page 26 of Picca Administrative law judge decision: 

"...MCPS continued for fifteen years to employ a teacher who had been found responsible for indicated child abuse."

But, MCPS and the Board of Education are fine with that.  For the MCPS Superintendent and the Board of Education they "acted swiftly". That is their official statement on this matter.  See The Washington Post digest quote from today's paper below.

2012Sept27 MCPS Child Abusers in Schools - No annual checks

Breaking News! State BOE "shine a light on abusive conduct..of school staff toward children" Picca v. BOE

September 25, 2012, Opinion from the Maryland State Board of Education in the Picca v. Montgomery County Board of Education matter :

"...Recent child sex abuse cases have shone a bright light in that dark corner.  We think that this case can shine a light on the abusive conduct, albeit infrequent, of school staff toward children.  We ask local boards to review and put in place a policy addressing teacher and staff conduct with students, and make it a part of the message in staff training and meetings.  We ask local boards to inquire about the safeguards that are in place to assure that the type of persistent conduct that occurred in this case does not occur in their schools..."

 Picca.OpinNo.12-34

Floyd Starnes, the school’s principal: “But what the general public doesn’t know …

National Journal: Maryland County Is at the Intersection of Diversity, Culture, and Language

...In the MCPS system, Kemp Mill Elementary in Silver Spring is the only school that offers a dual-language program it. It is not part of the county’s ESOL division. Half of its students speak English, while the other half speak Spanish. Instruction is in both languages.
“A lot of people look at bilingual programs in general as being wonderful because they’re helping the student maintain their heritage language,” said Floyd Starnes, the school’s principal. “But what the general public doesn’t know … is that their English is better.”...

Board of Education Loses Motion to Dismiss

News from the Montgomery County Courthouse today:


The Board of Education lost in their attempt today to have the matter Kaltreider et al. v. Board of Education et al. dismissed.  The case will now more toward a trial date of May 13, 2013. 

06/22/2012 Docket Number: 23
Docket Description:	COURT ORDERS/DIRECTS
Docket Type:	Ruling Filed By: Court Status: Denied
Ruling Judge:	RUBIN, RONALD B
Reference Docket(s):	Motion: 10 Opposition: 12
Docket Text:	COURT (RUBIN, J.) DENIES THE DEFENDANT'S MOTION TO DISMIESS (#10); ORDER SIGNED.

Board of Ed. wants Starnes Case Dismissed

The Montgomery County Board of Education has filed a Motion to Dismiss in the former Kemp Mill teachers and staff litigation matter.  The Motion to Dismiss is below.  


The plaintiffs (former Kemp Mill Elementary School teachers and staff) have responded in their Opposition to the Motion to Dismiss, shown below the Motion to Dismiss.


This matter will be heard 9 AM, Friday, June 22, 2012, at the Judicial Center, 50 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, Md 20850.  Check the board as you enter the building for the specific courtroom and floor information. 


Stop by, you are paying for this proceeding in multiple ways.  You are welcome to attend. 

201204241154

kemp_mill_opp_201205111242

This was 2001, has MCPS changed since then?

An unusual lawsuit in Montgomery County Maryland  received much focus...  In this case, Paul Hassler, a teacher with a  high record of student failure and professional abuses, sued a parent and math tutor who alerted school officials. The full trial transcripts are posted here (Day One).(Day Two).    Included in the transcript is testimony by school administrators, John Nori and Steven Seleznow that they shredded all student testimony about the abuses.  

Also included in the transcript is the teacher's abrupt exit as ABC-TV's 20/20 began recording the trial...

...In a school district often touted as the nation's finest, records showed that 75% of Paul Hassler's Algebra II students received D's or E's on the county-wide final exam...

..."There is one person missing in this courtroom," the trial began. "One person who should be here to listen to this testimony. And that is Jerry Weast, the new Superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools."
As the facts came to light, the picture emerged of a school system bogged down by bureaucracy and protections for its staff, but without similar protections for children.

"If they can't do anything to remove an abusive and incompetent teacher, fine. Admit that. Just tell us," a parent said. "But to tell us 'we care' and 'we can' and 'we want to hear from you' and then leave a parent hanging out there alone to fight the nightmare of a million dollar lawsuit, for following the exact steps they ask us to follow...this is wrong."

Read the complete summary of this case at this link.  

Guest Post: One Family's Experience with Bullying

Dear Board of Education,

 

I am writing to provide my comments on your draft policy, JHF, Bullying, Harassment, or Intimidation.

 

I am making recommendations to you that are grounded in my own family's experience.

 

My son was bullied extensively at Kemp Mill Elementary School. He did not tell me about it. The school administration and higher ups in MCPS were aware of the unhealthy environment in the school and did not inform me. After I learned of how my son was being bullied, our pediatrician recommended that I take him out of that environment. I requested transfer on that basis, and it was denied. Following that denial, my son lost hope, became suicidal, and was subsequently hospitalized. With the resulting expenses for psychiatry, psychology, therapy; educational testing, educational consultant, and lawyer to get an appropriate emotionally therapuetic placement for my now severely emotionally disturbed son, I had personal expenses of well over $20,000 which forced me to declare personal bankruptcy. Throughout our ordeal, my family's situation was made far worse because I had not been informed by the school of acts and situations that they were aware of. As I talked to other parents, staff, and as my son began to respond to therapy and told me of things that had been done to him at school, I informed MCPS staff, expecting that once they understood, they would take action to investigate the school and correct the abuses. However, over the course of this "discovery" time, I learned that MCPS staff were well aware of the other cases in the same school, where more than one student was being extremely bullied, by some of the same bullies (and other children who became bullies to avoid being bullied), and other students who had also became suicidal and were also hopsitalized in psychiatric institutions -- and MCPS took no action to protect my child or the other children who suffered and were at risk.

 

Therefore, in my view, your policy as it currently stands is severely flawed because it expects that your staff will behave ethically and responsibly. In my personal experience, they will not do so.

 

* You must therefore have in place a system of checks and balances that ensure that strict oversight is provided - above the level of the principal.

 

* The bullying forms should not be reported to the principal, but to an independent oversight office, which has full power to report, investigate, and act for the safety of the children, even if it makes the school or the system "look bad".

 

* Reports should be required from the school counsellor and special education staff and teaching staff that bypass the principal (their boss) and go directly to an independent oversight office. If the staff are not sure if the incident is bullying, they should be required to report it. Even seemingly small incidents, when multiplied and repeated can be severely damaging.

* Every physical assault (including strangling attempts and sexual abuse) should be required to be reported to the police by school staff. These cannot continue to be swept under the rug, the consequences to our children are too severe.

*All of the above-recommended reporting needs to be fully transparent - especially to the parents of the victims - but also to the broader community. The parents need to be informed of every instance when their child is harmed physically or emotionally. We are not in the school and we do not see what is happening. Bullied children typically do not talk about being bullied, as they are deeply scared and ashamed. The school must inform the parents. This is more likely to happen if the reports are in the hands of an independent oversight office.

*Similarly the community must be informed. The current "school safety at a glance" pages do not give an accurate view of the actual safety in a school. Parents need to understand that just because a school looks "nice" and "safe" that it does not mean that their children will be safe.

* In addition to the staff development indicated in the draft policy, all staff need to be trained to recognize severe emotional reactions, and how to handle the children when such occur. It is totally wrong to punish the victims who are breaking down. I had been informed that my son was having "tantrums" at school. He was not having tantrums, he was breaking down emotionally. Either the staff did not understand the difference, or they purposely withheld information from me. Train the staff properly so that there is no question, and inform the parents immediately.

* When a child does report that he is being bullied, do not mock or ridicule him or blame the parents. Help him.

* When a parent requests transfer because their child is bullied, take it seriously. It is not a time to think about your transfer statistics. Again, take this out of the principal's hands. Keep statistics on transfer denials. If you see that a school has a large number of transfer requests and a large number of transfer denials, investigate. This is part of checks and balances. Do not leave the fox watching the henhouse.

In summary, MCPS needs to put less power in the hands of the principal, require greater transparency, require better education of the staff (so they understand the emotional responses and recognize the seriousness of it), immediately inform parents of the victimized children, and immediately take steps to protect the victims including removing them from the bullying environment.

 

I am not sure that MCPS is capable of providing oversight of itself. The oversight may need to come from the State level.

 

Best Regards,
Patricia Seabolt