Monday, May 27, 2013

Teacher In Trouble For Informing Students Of Fifth Amendment Rights

Nothing like keeping the future citizens of this country ignorant, even better, it was a warning about a personally intrusive survey about their drug and alcohol use and their emotional stability.

The surveys were also personalized with the students name on it.

Read the rest of this because it is enough to make your skin crawl as an example of what our education system will stoop to and infuriate you as the invasion of privacy, the skulking way they go about informing the parents that the kids can opt out and the lack of informing the kids that they can, in fact, opt out, all sinks in.

I would be furious beyond words to find out they were trying to pull this bullshit on my kid.

A Batavia High School teacher's fans are rallying to support him as he faces possible discipline for advising students of their Constitutional rights before taking a school survey on their behavior.

They've been collecting signatures on an online petition, passing the word on Facebook, sending letters to the school board, and planning to speak at Tuesday's school board meeting.


Dryden, a social studies teacher, told some of his students April 18 that they had a 5th Amendment right to not incriminate themselves by answering questions on the survey, which had each student's name printed on it.

The survey is part of measuring how students meet the social-emotional learning standards set by the state. It is the first year Batavia has administered such a survey.

School district officials declined to provide a copy of the survey to the Daily Herald, saying the district bought the survey from a private company, Multi-Health Systems Inc., and the contents are proprietary business information.

They did provide the script teachers were to read to students before the test.

It does not tell students whether participation is mandatory or optional.

An April email communication to parents said their children could choose not to take the survey, but they had to notify the district by April 17.

The survey asked about drug, alcohol and tobacco use, and emotions, according to Brad Newkirk, chief academic officer.

The results were to be reviewed by school officials, including social workers, counselors and psychologists.

The survey was not a diagnostic tool, but a "screener" to figure out which students might need specific help, Newkirk said.

My emphasis.

I'll tell ya what, my hat is off to this guy.



The Dude Abides.


Informed consent seems to be a less than optimal prerequisite for these school officials.

Shady sonsabitches.

Oh, they will swear up and down they have the kids best interests at heart, as a matter of fact they get to that bit a little farther down in the article.

Even Dryden says so but he got concerned about the privacy issue and the possibility of self incrimination on the day the surveys were handed out because he says they weren't "vetted" properly.

Go read the whole article.

You can form your own opinions but as for me, I still think the guy made the right call.

Nanny doesn't sleep.

H/t to FARK for the link.

3 comments:

sbcw said...

I have laughed at a lot of things on your blogs but this time fucking rocked..."The Dude Abides" caption on the guys picture!

Very nice Grand Lebowski reference, my friend.

Golf clap.

hiswiserangel said...

The State of Texas, as most states, will not allow homeschooling of a special needs child without a buttload of lawyers, legal fees, at least 20 solidly backed instances of neglect or abuse by school. Which is why I've become the "Oh Shit, not HER" parent. If your kids are trapped in the state indoctrination system, it is YOUR responsibility to know every little thing that goes on from the time they get there to the time they leave. YOUR job is to guide and oversee their education, every single bit of it. Hard? Yes. Time-consuming? Yes. But absolutely necessary.

Phil said...

I don't have any biological kids but I raised three and am in the process of dealing with another fifteen year old boy. My wifes autistic boy is 30 years old now and I have known him since he was two months old. I know all about hassling with schools. Some of the wrangling I have done have left me as the "Oh shit, not him" guy too.

I don't play nice with these people.
Some of the shit they pull has caused me to get right on their asses to the point that I could see on their faces that they were afraid for their safety.
All the better. If it gets to the point I have to go down there to talk to their dumb asses in the first place I am in no mood to brook any bullshit.

I have run into some serious power trippers in my dealings and then all I did was change tactics and go over their head.
It's amazing the amount of cooperation you can get with a phone call to the superintendent of the school district.

What you describe is almost unbelievable if I didn't know it is very possible.
Twenty instances of abuse?

Two and I would be on someones ass like a wet blanket.

Good for you Angel. Special needs children are just that.
They are individuals too and each one has their own needs.
It takes a lot of commitment and time to create the environment they need and it sounds to me like you have it going on.

I recently read about your getting legal guardianship for your girl.
My hat is off to you.

Some people just have to learn the hard way that you don't fuck with a Momma.

Pissed off Daddies can be dangerous too.

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