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Chunkster,
It wasn't actually held at the Black Rock, HAAS has a satellite site in a different building in that complex. This is how the coconut wireless gets things so wrong, one person says Black Rock, meaning a neighboring building, and then suddenly people start thinking the meeting was being held in a bar.
People really need to all take a deep breath and try to handle this calmly, following due process. This is a terrible thing for the children and families, our community, and for charter schools in Hawaii, but none of us on the outside really know what happened, who did or did not report what, or how those reports were or weren't dealt with. Even the people directly involved only know parts of the story. This is too important to turn into a feeding frenzy of uninformed speculation.
Carol
Carol
Every time you feel yourself getting pulled into other people's nonsense, repeat these words: Not my circus, not my monkeys.
Polish Proverb
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One thing that really bothers me, is that this happened in January. Five months ago...Why has this information taken so long to surface. Those poor kiddos. I Hope this gets resolved soon, and justice is served...
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Thank you, Carol. I was hoping there was a rational explanation, and there it is.
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Jes want to set the record straight on an earlier comment I made: I checked and the teacher in question is a licensed teacher. Also found out that charter school teachers in Hawaii are now required to be licensed teachers, either by this state or a state w/reciprocal licensing, as Carol informed us. Thanx, Carol, for being such a good educator, to those in school and long past!
I'm glad the state now requires educators at charter schools to be licensed now. Back when I was working on my teaching certification in the early 2000s, we still had teachers in the public schools w/nothing higher than a high school diploma.
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The parents who made the initial complaint failed to show up at the Evidentiary Hearing on May 12 for their restraining order. Their attorney filed a motion to withdraw the order. The R.O. specifically states that their son was "hit with great force to the side of the head". In her speech before the school board the mother stated that her son was hit with an "openhand slap to the back of the head". Not only have the parents failed to produce any evidence to back up their accusations, they contradict themselves on a most basic point. This whole sorry event has all the symptoms of a classic witch hunt- the wild accusations ("torturous behavior!"),the malicious gossip,the hysterical parents,the libelously sensationalized article in the local fishwrapper, the lynch mob demands for Action. Accusations become threats, threats are taken seriously, violence erupts. It is time for the school board to decide if they are going to their job and reclaim control of the school or allow it to be taken over by a mob.
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The accused teacher, Shannon Smith, allegedly admitted to taping the child's mouth shut, thinking it was "funny". This update (Diogenes) holds little solace, nor clarity to this horrendous situation.
Hopefully, the facts will come out in proper time, despite the rights the accused holds (ie. innocent until proven guilty, union rights, confidentiality rights, etc.).
My concern is for the children affected, whether they embellished their stories or not, they are the victims in this matter. With our small community, it will take all of us to help heal them from their perceived experiences. Nothing is to be gained by vilifying them and their ohana.
JMO.
This nightmare upon our community does not look like it will end any time soon, and will probably effect many more than it already has. I am starting to feel bad for all the children at Haas for having to deal with this type of negativity can be contagious. I am sure Ms Smith has touched a lot of our keiki in positive ways only striving to better our children and community. Now her alleged few negatives will cast a shadow over all the positives she has done throughout the school and with the Keiki. Obviously if the abuse took place and is deemed to be intentional abuse rather than an attention getter then she may need a long break from teaching.
I myself have given teachers permission to discipline my boys anytime anyway to get their attention directed back to why they are in school(never taken seriously yet). Now I better watch what I say at the next parent-teacher conference, thank fully my boys get good marks. P.s Things that got my attention as a boy with attention problems were a belt, ruler, Kiawe stick, even the sound of my fathers boots coming up the stairs. He wouldn't even take the time to take his boots off coming in the house yet would take time off his busy day to give me a lesson if I needed one. R.I.P. love you dad. NOT everyone is lucky enough to have such a caring father to set them strait or grab their attention and for that I am sorry.
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Key word here is "allegedly". Shannon Smith "allegedly" admitted to ductaping a child's mouth. She "allegedly" slapped a child in the head with intent to harm. Unfortunately, in this country instead of being innocent untill proven guilty, a lot of the time it's the opposite. GUILTY untill proven innocent. Which is unfair and wrong. We've heard one side of the story. Now I want the other side....
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Oceangirl, (slight derail) Many are surprised to find out, LEGALLY what you have noticed is true...
In the US CRIMINAL code of law, a person is innocent until proven guilty, however in the CIVIL code of law, our country follows the Napoleonic civil code of law, the accused is guilty until proven innocent...so if this unfortunately ever does go to court, it would all be a matter which court of law is this covered within...
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Criminal = beyond reasonable doubt to prove guilt
Civil = preponderance of evidence to prove liability, much easier but still must be proven to that level.
I'm no law expert by any stretch but I don't believe US civil law is based on Napoleonic Law, with La being sort of the exception.
Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.
Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.
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