Standardized Tests Weren’t The Only Game Jack Markell Played

Delaware’s former Governor Jack Markell was infamous for touting the Smarter Balanced Assessment as “the best test Delaware ever made”.  His very dangerous creation was a high-stakes test designed to test, label, and punish schools in Delaware with “low-performing” students.  But Markell was very used to high-stakes games.  In fact, nine months before he became Governor, it could have cost him his life!

Former Employee Alleges His Brandywine Supervisor Had Him Arrested

A former Brandywine School District employee sent an email to the Brandywine School Board, Superintendent Dr. Mark Holodick, Delaware Secretary of Education Dr. Susan Bunting, myself, and others employed by the state last evening.  He accused a Brandywine Supervisor of having him arrested earlier this year.

First State Military Academy ROTC Instructor With No DEEDS Credentials Arrested For Unlawful Sexual Contact

Last week, according to Delaware State News and the Smyrna-Clayton Sun-Times, First State Military Academy military instructor Troy McQueen was arrested and charged with three counts of second degree unlawful sexual contact with a student under the age of 18.  The charter school dismissed the employee the same day they found out about the incidents.  However, what I found next was very disturbing as a parent.

The Smyrna School District Zero Tolerance Pipeline Part 3: The Discipline Hearing- The Testimony of The Alleged Victim and the School Resource Officer

J was arrested for the 2nd incident in the hallway of Smyrna Middle School.  A discipline hearing was scheduled for September 7th, 2016.  J did not start school with his peers because he was still “suspended” and was awaiting potential expulsion pending the results of the discipline hearing.  After the meeting was rescheduled three times, the day of the discipline hearing came, almost four and half months after J was arrested for the 2nd incident with P.

The Smyrna School District Zero Tolerance Pipeline Part 2: The Arrest

Five and a half months went by after the incident in the home economics room.  J took the Smarter Balanced Assessment along with the rest of his 7th grade peers at Smyrna Middle School.  On April 20th, J and his friends were walking down the hall on their way to the school bus.  Something happened that would alter the course of J’s future…

Smyrna Middle School Education Diagnostician Arrested For Having Sex With A Student

On the website for Smyrna Middle School, they list their core values: compassion, integrity, perseverance, respect, and responsibility.  For Education Diagnostician Karen Brooks, those values didn’t seem to stop her from what led to her arrest Wednesday evening.  The charges: two counts of 4th degree rape.  In other words, sex with a minor.  The student attended Smyrna Middle School but now goes to Smyrna High School.  Brooks was suspended from the school recently.

I have to ask: What in God’s name possesses someone to do this?  I know, innocent before guilty.  But one thing I do want to say, while this is not the first time this happened, it should not put a spotlight on ALL teachers.  As in any profession, people do bad things.  In this case, a very bad thing.  But it doesn’t mean ALL teachers are bad.  This was a person in a position of trust for this student and she should not have abused that position.  She did, and she will pay a price for that.  But it should never shine a negative light on the entirety of the teaching profession.

This isn’t the first time this happened in Smyrna School District, but for every one teacher that does this, there are hundreds of awesome teachers out there.  I pray the student is able to get past this and move on with their life.

 

Dickinson Physical Education Teacher Arrested For Theft But Links To Delawareonline Article & Facebook Posts Disappear…Hmmmm

Something is afoot at Dickinson High School in the Red Clay Consolidated School District.  Last week, a message went out to parents that Physical Education teacher Andrew Schuster was arrested and charged with theft of electronics.  From what I’m hearing from some Red Clay parents, who wish to remain anonymous for obvious reasons, there was a Delawareonline article on this that disappeared.  But that article is gone, as well as several Facebook articles about it.  Good luck trying to get me to retract this!

And, sad to say, this won’t be the last educator arrest post I put up in the coming days.  Another arrest went down last night but until further details about that one come out officially, I am staying mum for now.  I’ve seen many Facebook posts explode lately when people slam teachers for this kind of stuff.  Nothing should get buried when it comes to someone who is overseeing students.

I have to wonder how much pull a school district has that can make newspaper articles disappear as well as Facebook posts.

Delaware DOE Releases Detailed School Assault Report

Last year, the Delaware 148th  General Assembly passed Senate Bill 207 with House Amendment #1.  The amendment required the Delaware Department of Education to compile a more detailed report on student on student assaults that resulted in a misdemeanor charge.  The DOE finished that report yesterday for the 2016-2017 school year.  Some of these are very vicious fights.

SECRETARY OF EDUCATION DR. SUSAN BUNTING COVER LETTER

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SENATE BILL 207 w/HOUSE AMENDMENT #1 FINAL REPORT

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As Matt Denn Talks About Fighting Legislation, 13 Year Old Is Arrested, Sent To Hospital & Detained For Six Hours

Delaware Attorney General Matt Denn talked about Senate Bill 207 yesterday, the  new legislation introduced by Senator Margaret Rose Henry on Thursday.  The bill’s purpose is to change the rules about fighting in schools so the police aren’t automatically called.  Meanwhile, downstate, a 13 year old African-American teenager was arrested for a fight at school.

The father alleges the police handcuffed him, arrested him, and took him to the local hospital.  He was put in a closed room for six hours and his mother was not allowed to see him.  As well, the father claims blood was drawn from his son without consent.

For purposes of this article, I am not revealing the names of the child or his family.  But I will say many are up in arms over this matter and I can’t really blame them.  In my opinion, the way this was handled was absolutely over the top and absurd.  The last thing we need is more action by the police that is viewed as excessive.  I’m sure this will come out with more detail by the major media over the next few days.

In the meantime, check out Senate Bill 207.  Had this legislation come out earlier, yesterday’s events may not have happened.  My sympathies to this family for going through this ordeal.