CONFLUENCE ACADEMY FACES COMPLAINT OVER SUSPENSIONS, July 9, 2010, St. Louis Post-Dispatch (MO)
ST. LOUIS • Two kindergartners repeatedly suspended from Confluence Academy Old North Campus in St. Louis did not receive the help from the charter school they needed, according to a complaint filed with the state education department.
The complaint requests that Confluence give the students an evaluation for special education, rather than continue to suspend the children for their behavior problems.
One of the kindergartners had been suspended at least nine times since January for pushing, hitting, running around the classroom, biting, refusing to do work and not following instructions, the complaint says. The other student was suspended five times in the same period for similar behavior.
Both kindergartners have been diagnosed and are being treated for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. One of the students also has other mental and behavioral disorders, the complaint says.
"They need help," said Lucas Caldwell-McMillan, the attorney who filed the complaint. "They're not able to operate in a normal environment."
Like other public schools, charter schools under state law must provide special education services when students need them. School officials wouldn't comment on particulars of the cases, said Michael Serpe, spokesman for EdisonLearning, which manages the charter school. They are reviewing the complaints and will respond within 10 days, Serpe said.
Diane Crawford, the mother of one of the kindergartners, is looking for another school after being told by Confluence that her child could no longer attend there, she said. Her son spent 30 hours in out-of-school suspension. Now he faces repeating kindergarten, she said.
"This boy's 6 years old," she said. "He needs to be in school."
7 comments:
They do tend to ignore when children really need help. My child had an problem with the bus.
I taught at Confluence Academy and can attest that they tend to try to solve undesirable behaviors with suspensions. They like in-school suspensions more because they do not lose money for lack of attendance. As long as most of the teachers are unhappy teaching at Confluence Academy, student behavior will not improve. I would encourage parents to seek other options in education, because as a teacher I would never send my children to Confluence Academy.
Confluence Academy has had some major issues over the past 1 year that my son has been there. When I first enrolled my child in Confluence Academy, 5 years ago, he was in the third grade and the teachers as well as the principle were outstanding. Just last year, the school took a turn for the worst. The teachers that actually cared for the students were all laid off due to budget cuts. They had all the experience and were very well educated. Now that those teachers are not with the program anymore the school has done poorly on test scores, student attendance, and overall school moral. The current principle Mrs. Murry, is inconsiderate to her students needs, unconcerned about school moral, unjust when it comes to teacher wrong doings and overall a bad example of how a role model should be presented to our young growing children. She apparently finds it hard to distinguish from concerned parents and potential abuse from staff. To me that itself is very disturbing…. In our community, we need strong leaders for our young children to be exposed to. With out that strong backbone from our educational leaders ask yourself, what will they have?
Its so easy to blame the school and say what the school isnt doing for our children and as past educator at the said mention school you accepted a paycheck from there so you should not speak ill of the school. You fall in that same category that your speaking ill about. Parents lets become more involved in our childrens education. Make frequent visits to the school and by doing that your input can help change the culture of the school. Murray is new to the school she is learning to. Stop speaking so negatively abpout our education syatem and try Helping IT. OUR kids are all waaayyyyyy behind several other states.
I Was Once A Student Of Confluence Academy Walnut Park And I Witness Lack Of Education That Wasn't Getting Taught At All. Confluence Academy Is Full Of Lies And Just Words. I Went There Thinking That It Was A Good School Which It Was Full Of B/S. Confluence Are Full Of Teachers That Not To Much Worry About Education. I Now Go To Confluence Academy Prep And It Actually Got Worse As I Came From The Middle School To The High School.
I still work there and can understand a lot of the frustrations being voiced here. It seems everyone wants to blame someone else when if the parent would have been proactive in the processes of these incidents, a lot of this could have been remedied but it's too easy to sit back and blame the school for their child's behavior, when it's the parents duty to raise the child. Teachers piggy back off parents in taking on the concept "It takes a village to raise a child" and that's so true.
They need shut down walnut park they gone kill them kids....from ignorant teachers who laugh in me and my wife face about there students not being able to read...to sexual misconduct they let happen repeatedly to my daughter by some child in her class...to getting called from work to pick up someone else's sick child ... To the fact I call the principal but she never ever call back ....to when they ask about how would you likeyour kids to have homework but never give them any....to the rudeness in the office by those working in there...I feel they don't care and some child is gone get killed and they are be to blame...if you love your children never send them there..I have more to say but don't like typing I'm Bruce Hampton contact me at bruce.hampton23@gmail.com
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