• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

2 Investigators: School System Ignored Safety Concerns

j-mac

DP Veteran
Joined
Mar 11, 2009
Messages
41,104
Reaction score
12,202
Location
South Carolina
Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Conservative
If your child feels unsafe at school, and you want them transferred to a new school, what do you think would happen?
Families say officials with Chicago Public Schools (CPS) drag their heels and even prevent transfers, further endangering their kids. 2 Investigator Dave Savini found the district has been lacking a policy to deal with this safety concern.
Since 2008-2009 school year, Edwina Meyer has been trying to get a transfer out of Scammon Elementary School, 4201 W. Henderson St. She says she feels unsafe.
“It’s terrible,” Meyer says. “It’s like so much happened in that classroom.”
She says she has witnessed multiple X-rated acts while in class.
Meyer was reportedly not alone in witnessing this behavior. Laura Flores says her daughter also witnessed the sex acts.
“My daughter was psychologically damaged by it, in the way she had nightmares, she fretted about going to school,” Flores said. “She was afraid.”

Flores and Susan Meyer, Edwina’s mother, both say that during the past two years, they wanted their daughters transferred to different schools for safety reasons. But they say school officials fought them, even though they acknowledge the sex acts occurred and fired the teacher.
Edwina Meyer says even after the teacher was fired, problems persisted. She says she was bit, inappropriately touched and she says denied access to the bathroom. Meyer says she wet herself and was forced to sit in her own urine.
“I don’t have an explanation from anybody why it’s happening,” Susan Meyer said.

She removed her daughter from Scammon and has been trying to have her placed in a new school.
The problem is there have been no official CPS policies to help students transfer when they felt unsafe.

2 Investigators: School System Ignored Safety Concerns « CBS Chicago – News, Sports, Weather, Traffic, and the Best of Chicago


Unbelievable!!!! What the Hell? This kind of crap goes on in an elementary school and the teachers can't be touched, but the parents and children can be victimized? What have we come to?

You all want the problem with Unions? here is one big one!


j-mac
 
Schools are becoming less and less safe from all sources and frankly I don't know what the answer is, but you would think the system would be more responsive and sensitive.
 
The problem is the unions. I generally favour their existence but in this case the law needs to come down hard. It's Chicago though, what do you expect.

My kids are going to private school if I can afford it.
 
This is an unfortunate event in the lives of these students and their parents. It is also one experience in many highlighted to vilify unions for political gain. If we are to be honest and look at the whole picture then we must acknowledge public school teachers have no control over the myriad factors influencing a child’s scholastic performance and appetite for learning; what they had for breakfast, how much sleep they get, if they spend their spare time reading or playing video games, whether their parents smoke/drink/drug at home, etc.

Speaking as a nurse.. .. ..judging teachers based on “objective” standardized tests is like judging doctors based on how many of their patients get sick vs how many they cure. These are but "symptoms" of that which is wrong in our society on the whole. Improve our society and our schools will follow. Quit sending jobs away and denying healthcare. Contrary to the rally cry of the right, people do want to work. If the religious section of our society would do some self goverance then they would not be losing face and turning people off to that. It seems that all those who speak of how we as a society should live are not living that life themselves. It cannot be "Do as I say; not as I do" anymore. People are too saavy to have that game run on them anymore.
 
Last edited:
Yeah you cite one extreme case and it's a problem everywhere. Riiiight! :roll: Bad, bad unions! We had a case in our area where a girl fabricated a sexual advance by a teacher. Thank God there was a union and he was provided legal representation. The girl admitted to making it all up.

That school system and area of the country has had problems forever and continues to have problems but that doesn't mean it's everywhere.
 
Last edited:
Unbelievable!!!! What the Hell? This kind of crap goes on in an elementary school and the teachers can't be touched, but the parents and children can be victimized? What have we come to?

You all want the problem with Unions? here is one big one!


j-mac

Careful....if officials make it too easy to transfer for safety concerns, many of Chicago public schools would be gutted. After spending time on this board, I've come to the conclusion that the Chicago area (probably like most metro areas) hosts myriad problems that non-metro areas can't fathom. CPS are a mess.

But blaming it on unions, as several posters here have done? I'm not sure why that.

CPS have coppers in residence, many schools have metal detectors at the door, classroom lockdowns, gang violence is an every-day occurrence. The problem is much bigger than unions. It's a mindset that refuses to address the fact that school safety isn't of paramount concern. Same problem with poor neighborhoods in the city. It's not police unions that allow crime to run rampant in some areas of the city. Not union's fault that innocent young people are caught in the crossfire and killed every week.
 
Chicago is in a somewhat unique category all its own when it comes to gangs. I don't know what the solution is for CPD, but I suspect it needs to be taken over by state officials and completely gutted/rebuilt.
 
Teachers unions are to blame for way to many substandard teachers being retained. Those substandard teachers are the core of the problem within the education system.

The problem is the unions. I generally favour their existence but in this case the law needs to come down hard. It's Chicago though, what do you expect.

My kids are going to private school if I can afford it.

Don't get your heart set on a private school automatically being better. My step kids went to a private school and the faculty was the worst I'd ever seen.
 
Teachers unions are to blame for way to many substandard teachers being retained. Those substandard teachers are the core of the problem within the education system.

Don't get your heart set on a private school automatically being better. My step kids went to a private school and the faculty was the worst I'd ever seen.

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. Doesn't make any difference if we have the best teachers in the entire world. If students' family culture doesn't value learning, chances are the kids won't either. Talk to me about tenure being a big problem, and that I'll believe. Teacher unions shouldn't even exist. But teacher unions, in and of themselves, while they **** the taxpayer, don't cause bad teachers.

Why in the world did your stepchildren stay in a private school with a lousy faculty?
 
Yeah you cite one extreme case and it's a problem everywhere. Riiiight! :roll: Bad, bad unions! We had a case in our area where a girl fabricated a sexual advance by a teacher. Thank God there was a union and he was provided legal representation. The girl admitted to making it all up.

That school system and area of the country has had problems forever and continues to have problems but that doesn't mean it's everywhere.

You're right, there aren't widespread abuses... the media is just honing in on certain things. I will say though, that education standards are slipping. The curricula are not up to par with modern information and understanding most of the time, and learning environments are not being upgraded to be more dynamic.

apdst said:
Don't get your heart set on a private school automatically being better. My step kids went to a private school and the faculty was the worst I'd ever seen.

Then it was your fault for not selecting an appropriate school, or transferring them when the situation got bad. Private schools function based on market rules and so the best schools get the best demand, and in turn the most funding from tuition payees. You shouldn't have given a school your money that wasn't up to spec.
 
Then it was your fault for not selecting an appropriate school, or transferring them when the situation got bad. Private schools function based on market rules and so the best schools get the best demand, and in turn the most funding from tuition payees. You shouldn't have given a school your money that wasn't up to spec.

And, you're very much at fault for making assumptions about what course of action we took.
 
And, you're very much at fault for making assumptions about what course of action we took.

If you took them out of the school, great; if you didn't, then your critique of the school isn't relevant.

You made your market choice. If I select a private school for my kids I will investigate my options thoroughly.
 
If you took them out of the school, great; if you didn't, then your critique of the school isn't relevant.

You made your market choice. If I select a private school for my kids I will investigate my options thoroughly.

A more inteligent response to my initial post would have been: so, how did you handle it? If I may ask. Rather than just making assumptions. Would have made for a much easier conversation.
 
If you took them out of the school, great; if you didn't, then your critique of the school isn't relevant.

You made your market choice. If I select a private school for my kids I will investigate my options thoroughly.

Perfect market choices exist only in an economists wet dream. At the bare minimum, geographic location severely cuts down on the number of viable options, wealth is probably also a limiting factor. You also have to weigh the impact of moving schools on the kids social lives. I don't know what situation apdst was in, but it certainly wasn't a simple choice like you are making it out to be.
 
Everything is one way or no way with the guy. No room for compromise. For crying out loud if I said "I saw this guy turn water into wine, walk on water, and talk to God and now I live my life based on his teachings" he'd tell me I was crazy.
 
Yeah you cite one extreme case and it's a problem everywhere. Riiiight! :roll: Bad, bad unions! We had a case in our area where a girl fabricated a sexual advance by a teacher. Thank God there was a union and he was provided legal representation. The girl admitted to making it all up.

That school system and area of the country has had problems forever and continues to have problems but that doesn't mean it's everywhere.

What's the best place to go for drugs, in almost any community?

Why that's your local middle and high schools. ;)
 
Yeah you cite one extreme case and it's a problem everywhere. Riiiight! :roll: Bad, bad unions! We had a case in our area where a girl fabricated a sexual advance by a teacher. Thank God there was a union and he was provided legal representation. The girl admitted to making it all up.

That school system and area of the country has had problems forever and continues to have problems but that doesn't mean it's everywhere.

You cite one extreme positive case and suddenly unions are a good thing in every situation. Riiight :roll: Unions are always so fantastic. We had a case in our school where despite the fact that one of our teachers was highly intolerant of religion and mistreated students that had a religious background we couldn't get rid of her. Thank Goodness there was a Union there to stop us from making our school a more tolerant and fair place. The teacher even admitted to her bias.
 
You cite one extreme positive case and suddenly unions are a good thing in every situation. Riiight :roll: Unions are always so fantastic. We had a case in our school where despite the fact that one of our teachers was highly intolerant of religion and mistreated students that had a religious background we couldn't get rid of her. Thank Goodness there was a Union there to stop us from making our school a more tolerant and fair place. The teacher even admitted to her bias.

Most private schools are biased the other way. I'm sure he/she was not fired because she did not mistreat/single out the students. It is legal to have a bias. An intolerant teacher at my high school during my senior year verbally tormented me from March till May DAILY because I didn't want to stand for the pledge of allegience after we went to war in Iraq. On another occasion I had been told I will go to hell by a trustee at Marquette University because I complained about my campus being unnavigable due to crosses placed inches next to each other across the entire lawn. Downtown Milwaukee. The only grass in site. Covered. To prove a point, yes, but at my expense.

I was told that I would burn for eternity in torment in despair because I wanted to walk to the University Center from my dorm without tripping.

The point? Well, other than the fact that you also quoted him saying "but that doesn't mean it's everywhere," the point is you don't have a point.
 
Unbelievable!!!! What the Hell? This kind of crap goes on in an elementary school and the teachers can't be touched, but the parents and children can be victimized? What have we come to?

You all want the problem with Unions? here is one big one!


j-mac
[emphasis by bubba]

i invite the OP to copy and post the portion of that story which said anything about the union's involvement in this incident
i don't see it
 
Perfect market choices exist only in an economists wet dream. At the bare minimum, geographic location severely cuts down on the number of viable options, wealth is probably also a limiting factor. You also have to weigh the impact of moving schools on the kids social lives. I don't know what situation apdst was in, but it certainly wasn't a simple choice like you are making it out to be.

I know this :) I was mostly just trying to be antagonistic.
 
This is an unfortunate event in the lives of these students and their parents. It is also one experience in many highlighted to vilify unions for political gain. If we are to be honest and look at the whole picture then we must acknowledge public school teachers have no control over the myriad factors influencing a child’s scholastic performance and appetite for learning; what they had for breakfast, how much sleep they get, if they spend their spare time reading or playing video games, whether their parents smoke/drink/drug at home, etc.

Speaking as a nurse.. .. ..judging teachers based on “objective” standardized tests is like judging doctors based on how many of their patients get sick vs how many they cure. These are but "symptoms" of that which is wrong in our society on the whole. Improve our society and our schools will follow. Quit sending jobs away and denying healthcare. Contrary to the rally cry of the right, people do want to work. If the religious section of our society would do some self goverance then they would not be losing face and turning people off to that. It seems that all those who speak of how we as a society should live are not living that life themselves. It cannot be "Do as I say; not as I do" anymore. People are too saavy to have that game run on them anymore.

keitholbermannjackass.jpg



:2party::alert:2party:
 
This is an unfortunate event in the lives of these students and their parents. It is also one experience in many highlighted to vilify unions for political gain. If we are to be honest and look at the whole picture then we must acknowledge public school teachers have no control over the myriad factors influencing a child’s scholastic performance and appetite for learning; what they had for breakfast, how much sleep they get, if they spend their spare time reading or playing video games, whether their parents smoke/drink/drug at home, etc.

Speaking as a nurse.. .. ..judging teachers based on “objective” standardized tests is like judging doctors based on how many of their patients get sick vs how many they cure. These are but "symptoms" of that which is wrong in our society on the whole. Improve our society and our schools will follow. Quit sending jobs away and denying healthcare. Contrary to the rally cry of the right, people do want to work. If the religious section of our society would do some self goverance then they would not be losing face and turning people off to that. It seems that all those who speak of how we as a society should live are not living that life themselves. It cannot be "Do as I say; not as I do" anymore. People are too saavy to have that game run on them anymore.

14012191_400x400_Front.jpg
 
This is an unfortunate event in the lives of these students and their parents. It is also one experience in many highlighted to vilify unions for political gain. If we are to be honest and look at the whole picture then we must acknowledge public school teachers have no control over the myriad factors influencing a child’s scholastic performance and appetite for learning; what they had for breakfast, how much sleep they get, if they spend their spare time reading or playing video games, whether their parents smoke/drink/drug at home, etc.

Speaking as a nurse.. .. ..judging teachers based on “objective” standardized tests is like judging doctors based on how many of their patients get sick vs how many they cure. These are but "symptoms" of that which is wrong in our society on the whole. Improve our society and our schools will follow. Quit sending jobs away and denying healthcare. Contrary to the rally cry of the right, people do want to work. If the religious section of our society would do some self goverance then they would not be losing face and turning people off to that. It seems that all those who speak of how we as a society should live are not living that life themselves. It cannot be "Do as I say; not as I do" anymore. People are too saavy to have that game run on them anymore.

Horror-Eyes--35021.jpg
 
This is an unfortunate event in the lives of these students and their parents. It is also one experience in many highlighted to vilify unions for political gain. If we are to be honest and look at the whole picture then we must acknowledge public school teachers have no control over the myriad factors influencing a child’s scholastic performance and appetite for learning; what they had for breakfast, how much sleep they get, if they spend their spare time reading or playing video games, whether their parents smoke/drink/drug at home, etc.

Speaking as a nurse.. .. ..judging teachers based on “objective” standardized tests is like judging doctors based on how many of their patients get sick vs how many they cure. These are but "symptoms" of that which is wrong in our society on the whole. Improve our society and our schools will follow. Quit sending jobs away and denying healthcare. Contrary to the rally cry of the right, people do want to work. If the religious section of our society would do some self goverance then they would not be losing face and turning people off to that. It seems that all those who speak of how we as a society should live are not living that life themselves. It cannot be "Do as I say; not as I do" anymore. People are too saavy to have that game run on them anymore.

nurse1.jpg
 
Back
Top Bottom