All-Star Summit Bid Winners 2015

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Amen! Been there, done that.

Kind of a long story (horror story), but it's all true. A tale of false absences and rogue administrators. And it's all too true.

I was called to go before a board that included the Principal, Superintendant, Asst. D.A., Nurse and others and subject myself to interrogation. I was forced to listen to their condemnation of my parenting skills. And this was all due to absences. They made all sorts of threats. Including threatening to have my husband arrested since he was unable to attend the meeting with the board due to work obligations. Though we had only learned of the meeting with the school the prior evening. They refused to allow me to speak unless answering a question of theirs. I left the meeting frustrated and angry.

Some background information. For every one of my daughters absences I turned in a Doctors note. They had just discovered a problem with my daughters heart (Mitral Valve Prolapse and PVCs) and she had been having to wear heart monitors for months and regularly see the Cardiologist. She was passing out daily and they didn't know why. But, even at that she didn't have many absences (I don't remember the exact number this was years ago).

Previously I had noticed some inaccuracies in the recording of her absences and brought it to their attention of the school office. I had proof she had been there. I thought nothing more of it after that.

Being extremely dissatisfied with the outcome of the meeting with the Board, my husband and I arranged to meet privately with the Superintendent. That meeting resolved nothing.

It was after these meetings that my daughters Neurologist insisted she be homeschooled and wrote a letter to the School District stating that for medical reasons she had to withdraw. He felt the school may be the cause for her passing out (not the heart problem). The School District refused to accept her withdrawal.

I moved forward anyway. I established my own school, filed it with the state etc. and started homeschooling my child. Until one day there was a knock at the door and a Policeman was there. He issued me a citation and summons to court. No reason given for either. From that moment on things got crazy.

Homeschool groups issued warnings. Lawyers got involved but they had to fly in from across the U.S. to ensure they couldn't be threatened. It was wild. The lawyers had no idea what I was cited for or why I had to appear in Court. Nothing like this had ever occurred. The lawyers said to prepare for them to try to remove my child. It was just nuts and incredibly bizarre. The DA wouldn't talk to the lawyers and nobody knew why. Those were some stressful days. All this about some absences? Yes.

Here's why it all happened. The recently enacted No Child Left Behind Act provided for establishing a system that tracked students absences with certain thresholds and a Board etc. Out school district decided they were going to be proactive and develop the benchmark SRB (Review Board) to handle such matters. And that they would be so successful that the entire state would have to adopt their methods. Then they'd be famous.

They deliberately faked absences with students so they would be called before the Board. They would then threaten and scare the parents so the child would no longer have any absences. Thus they could prove the success of their model.

But, our situation didn't work with their model so they figured that they would make an example of me so no one would ever dare to challenge their authority.

While at court I met with the DA who had finally spoken to my lawyer. By his review of my records the DA discovered that key individuals involved in establishing the SRB had blatantly lied to the DA to obtain the summons.. They were in fact attempting to have my child removed from my custody.

Thank goodness I had proof backing up my position. Very red faced the DA apologized to me and told me nothing like this will ever happen to me or anyone else in the county ever again.

How's that for an overreaction to an absence?

How were these school officials not charged with fraud?

I work in a school. Tampering with our absence system (e.g. logging in and marking kids absent on purpose with intent to deceive) is fraud.

 

[klynn64]

How were these school officials not charged with fraud?

I work in a school. Tampering with our absence system (e.g. logging in and marking kids absent on purpose with intent to deceive) is fraud.

Ultimately I think they were able to keep things under wraps for the most part. Initially it looked as if there would be no consequences. I was rabid. If they could or would do this to me, there must have been others.

I couldn't sue them. I thought about notifying a local reporter for the paper and hope for a shake up with the facts disclosed. Maybe that could help others. However, that may also have resulted in additional problems since it implicated the DA, the school district right down to the teachers (although I don't believe any teachers participated in the whole charade), the police and who knows who else. It's like the fox watching the hen house.

Eventually I got word that there had been the dismissal of the Principal, a new assignment for the Review Board Administrator (no one ever saw him again), and the Superintendent resigned from his position but accepted a position with the State Board of Education. That was it. I don't blame the DA for playing a part in all of it. He was duped by people he trusted and ultimately he tried to right the wrong. But, he still should have been sanctioned for inadequately performing his duties. Who's going to sanction him though ? He's gold in this county with his artificially inflated conviction rate of criminals (albeit 50% probably never committed any crime).

To be honest I was in a state of shock that this could occur. I've never had any problem with a school before. Homework always done. No behavioral issues. I had been very involved at my daughters last school (we had been at her new school about a year when this occurred). I had been an aide in my daughters class and asked to help with difficult children in other classes. I organized food drives and supplying uniforms to kids who couldn't afford them. I even took in families to live with me in order to prevent their kids from being taken away by CPS. In my mind I wasn't a derelict parent. Was I perfect ? Absolutely not. I strive to be the best parent I can like every other caring parent. I had one child and was fortunate enough to have the time to give, so I did.

Not to be dramatic but it made me think of the Salem Witch Trials (minus the flames and death part of course-ha!). It's a horrible thing to be wrongfully accused but there's a child's life at stake here and that's what I can't understand. To sacrifice a child for your own personal gain is beyond my comprehension.

 

[catlady]

To sacrifice a child for your own personal gain is beyond my comprehension.

Extremely disappointing. Did you watch the Atlanta City school trials where the teachers and administrators changed the kids grades on standardized tests for several years? Just my opinion but, all these government requirements in our public schools districts which were designed to protect our kids, often make it so much worse.

 

[klynn64]

Extremely disappointing. Did you watch the Atlanta City school trials where the teachers and administrators changed the kids grades on standardized tests for several years? Just my opinion but, all these government requirements in our public schools districts which were designed to protect our kids, often make it so much worse.

I did not watch the school trials but what was occurring came as no big surprise. I feel as if the No Child Left Behind Act had the right intentions but went awry when it came to implementation. In the end it has proven very detrimental to our educational system. The schools, teachers, and students are worse off for its existence. They can't measure success by testing scores alone. And then to use those scores to determine a teacher's raises or a schools funding is wrong. You didn't need to have a crystal ball to see where it would take things. Every teacher had to start teaching to the test because nothing else mattered but test scores. Valuable learning was set aside so students could be force fed test answers. I know instances where the teachers give the students the questions and answers on the test for days prior to taking the tests in order to achieve high scores. The test is in no way comprehensive or an accurate measure of what the students needs to be learning anyway. Overall, we missed the mark on this one. No one in their right mind is going to want to teach the way things currently exist. I have a child with a Masters in Education but she's not teaching. How sad. Such a waste. When so many have so much to offer to the kids that are our tomorrow.

 

[TealShades]

@klynn64 I'm sorry that happened to you and your family. It disgusts me that adults did this to your family to become famous and a model for other schools. Your baby could have been taken away for that. But I'm glad the truth came out and your fam is not in trouble.

 

[cRayCheerDad]

Summit schedule is up Varsity All Star - The Summit All Star Cheerleading Championship


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[klynn64]

@klynn64 I'm sorry that happened to you and your family. It disgusts me that adults did this to your family to become famous and a model for other schools. Your baby could have been taken away for that. But I'm glad the truth came out and your fam is not in trouble.

Thank you. I am glad that it's all behind me. The scars remain (emotional) but things could have been much worse. Most importantly, I'm glad it put a stop to any possibility that it could happen to anyone else. However negative the experience may have been it taught me things about myself (resilience, sticking to your principles, confronting your fears etc.) that I may have never learned otherwise. There's always something positive to be gained even out the most negative of experiences.

 

[Ciara martin]

@klynn64 just wondering how were you able to prove that your child was at school when the said she was assent?

ETA: that sounded like some sort of horror story. So sorry you had to endure that

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[klynn64]

@klynn64 just wondering how were you able to prove that your child was at school when the said she was assent?

ETA: that sounded like some sort of horror story. So sorry you had to endure that

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She had homework that was signed off by her teacher and it was dated. Then, there were things that had been completed during class that we had. In one instance the office had a sign out sheet showing I had signed her out of school fifteen minutes early for a doctors appointment. And, most importantly we had the teacher's roll call (attendance sheet), which differed vastly from what the administrators claimed.

 

[Cheer Dad]

At worlds this weekend I heard rumor of a program being disappointed with their Worlds placement and is replacing 3 to 5 of their J2 summit team with kids from the Worlds team. If true that is seriously wrong and how do you even justify that to the families of those kids being replaced.


**I see crazy people**

 

[notyourcheermom]

At worlds this weekend I heard rumor of a program being disappointed with their Worlds placement and is replacing 3 to 5 of their J2 summit team with kids from the Worlds team. If true that is seriously wrong and how do you even justify that to the families of those kids being replaced.


**I see crazy people**

I would be mad if they were replacing athletes and I was their parent, but I've already stated that. If they had a team of 17, they could be adding 3, but the Worlds athlete had to be 14 on August 31, 2014 to be eligible for juniors. Doing stuff at prep is hard when you're used to going to extension. I would be more upset if they were going to level 4 or 5 where their true abilities got more of a chance to shine. I would say the Summit teams in practice right now may be taking the brunt of the disappointment from Worlds teams in general this week.

 

[Cheerfun2]

I am getting so excited! The weather looks like it is going to be spectacular at the Mickey this weekend, and we had our last practice at "home" last night...all of our gym came to watch our 2 Summit teams perform. It made the girls feel so special....cp is on cloud nine right now. It's our gym's first time going, so it is all new & exciting. Quick question...the grandparents are all clamoring to know if there will be professional photographers shooting the event like at most big comps? How about DVDs to purchase? After reading all of the issues with the live streaming for Worlds...there is no way I am putting my parents & in-laws through that, although they would love it iF it worked properly.

 

[CheerDad18]

I am getting so excited! The weather looks like it is going to be spectacular at the Mickey this weekend, and we had our last practice at "home" last night...all of our gym came to watch our 2 Summit teams perform. It made the girls feel so special....cp is on cloud nine right now. It's our gym's first time going, so it is all new & exciting. Quick question...the grandparents are all clamoring to know if there will be professional photographers shooting the event like at most big comps? How about DVDs to purchase? After reading all of the issues with the live streaming for Worlds...there is no way I am putting my parents & in-laws through that, although they would love it iF it worked properly.

Last year 8x10s were $22 a piece, I think 4x6 might be $8 or $10 a piece.

 

[dawgshow]

I would be mad if they were replacing athletes and I was their parent, but I've already stated that. If they had a team of 17, they could be adding 3, but the Worlds athlete had to be 14 on August 31, 2014 to be eligible for juniors. Doing stuff at prep is hard when you're used to going to extension. I would be more upset if they were going to level 4 or 5 where their true abilities got more of a chance to shine. I would say the Summit teams in practice right now may be taking the brunt of the disappointment from Worlds teams in general this week.

Unless they are all backspots who can hold up the stunts single handedly. Plus, L2 does go to extension.

 

[Cheer Dad]

I would be mad if they were replacing athletes and I was their parent, but I've already stated that. If they had a team of 17, they could be adding 3, but the Worlds athlete had to be 14 on August 31, 2014 to be eligible for juniors. Doing stuff at prep is hard when you're used to going to extension. I would be more upset if they were going to level 4 or 5 where their true abilities got more of a chance to shine. I would say the Summit teams in practice right now may be taking the brunt of the disappointment from Worlds teams in general this week.

Sounded like replacing was the intent. Its easier to teach a few kids a new spot than to rechoreograph a whole new routine


**I see crazy people**