Posted on 06/13/2003 12:26:29 PM PDT by pabianice
"We have legal custody of the children and we will do with them as we see fit," DSS worker Susan Etscovitz told the Bryants in their Gale Street home. "They are minors and they do what we tell them to do!"
WALTHAM, MA -- A legal battle over two home-schooled children exploded into a seven-hour standoff yesterday, when they refused to take a standardized test ordered by the Department of Social Services.
George Nicholas Bryant, 15, and Nyssa Bryant, 13, stood behind their parents, Kim and George, as police and DSS workers attempted to collect the children at 7:45 a.m. DSS demanded that the two complete a test to determine their educational level.
After a court order was issued by Framingham Juvenile Court around 1 p.m., the children were driven by their parents to a Waltham hotel.
Again, they refused to take the test.
"The court order said that the children must be here. It said nothing about taking the test," said George Bryant.
The second refusal came after an emotion-filled morning for the family, when DSS workers sternly demanded the Bryants comply with their orders.
"We have legal custody of the children and we will do with them as we see fit," DSS worker Susan Etscovitz told the Bryants in their Gale Street home. "They are minors and they do what we tell them to do."
Four police officers were also at the scene and attempted to coax the Bryants to listen to the DSS worker.
"We are simply here to prevent a breach of the peace," said Waltham Youth Officer Detective James Auld. "We will will not physically remove the children."
Yesterday's events are the continuation of a six-year legal battle between the family and Waltham Public Schools and the state.
The Bryants contend that the city and state do not have the legal right to force their children to take standardized tests, even though DSS workers have threatened to take their children from them.
"There have been threats all along. Most families fall to that bullying by the state and the legal system," said George Bryant.
"But this has been a six-year battle between the Waltham Public Schools and our family over who is in control of the education of our children," Bryant continued. "In the end the law of this state will protect us."
The Bryant children have never attended public school.
Both sides agree that the children are in no way abused mentally, physically, sexually or emotionally, but legal custody of the children was taken from Kim and George Bryant in December 2001. The children will remain under the legal custody of DSS until their 16th birthdays.
The parents have been ruled as unfit because they did not file educational plans or determine a grading system for the children, two criteria of Waltham Public School's home schooling policy.
"We do not believe in assessing our children based on a number or letter. Their education process is their personal intellectual property," said Bryant.
George Bryant said he was arrested six years ago, after not attending a meeting that the city contends he was summoned to. The meeting was called by the Waltham School Department for his failure to send his children to school.
"We want these issues aired in the open, in public. The school system and DSS have fought to keep this behind closed doors," said Bryant.
Superintendent of Schools Susan Parrella said she was unaware of yesterday's incident and that, currently the school department approves of the education plan filed by DSS for the Bryant children.
"An acceptable home school plan is in place right now," said Parrella. "I was not aware of any testing occurring today."
The Bryant children freely admit that they have no intention of taking a test.
"We don't want to take the test. We have taken them before and I don't think they are a fair assessment of what we know," said Nyssa Bryant. "And no one from DSS has ever asked us what we think."
Kenneth Pontes, area director of DSS, denied that workers have never talked to the children privately, but admitted that this type of case isn't often seen by his office.
"This is an unusual case. Different school systems require different regulations for home-schooled children. Waltham requires testing," said Pontes.
Pontes said that a possibility exists that the children will be removed from their home, but that was a last course of action.
"No one wants these children to be put in foster homes. The best course of action would for (the Bryants) to instruct the children to take the test," said Etscovitz.
The Bryant family is due in Framingham District Court this morning, to go before a juvenile court judge. According to DSS, this session will determine what their next course of action will be and if the children will be removed from the Bryants' home.
"These are our children and they have and always will be willing participants in their education," said Kim Bryant.
Others pass it with flying colors! In fact, our local homeschooling families in NJ, take the STATE exam and breeze through it. It serves as a measurement of what is known by the child. I can't imagine why anyone could or would object to that.
I don't care what teacher flunked what. You've beed distracted. This thread is about why a homeschooling family should be excempt from ALL tests. That's ridiculous.
"Funny how the educrats scream bloody murder when anyone tries to make THEM take tests, but then they think it's totally unreasonable when homeschooling families refuse to take tests."
Again, I don'r care what teacher fails what test! Failing a test indicates a problem. There is no reason WHY a homeschooling family should not accomodate the LAW and have their child take this test. Other homeschoolers routinely take state tests WITH NO DIFFICULITY.
You: I don't think there is anything wrong with being an exception to a rule, especially if it's a bad rule. However, I tend to agree that something doesn't smell right.
You: If the parents are preparing their kids for the world, the need to have some way to assess their progress. I can't imagine a caring parent who would teach their homeschooled child to be afraid of measuring their academic progress.
Me: EXACTLY! How does one asses progress WITHOUT OBJECTIVE TESTING? Sorry but the "honor" system doesn't cut it. The homeschooling parent needs to abide by the law that is IN PLACE where they live and as you say not be afraid for their kids to test. Something is VERY wrong here.
I signed...FReepers please join us as we work for true freedom in education.
Sign here.
www.sepschool.org/Proclamation But the struggle to make home schooling the norm and return to sanity will be difficult still.
They are NOT regulating homeschooling. Re0read the article. The parents are REFUSING the LAW in their state that requires testing.
"There are multiple ways to assess academic progress, (Virginia law names several) and the school district should not be choosing it, not should they choose the test used if testing is the method picked. "
Great! BUT that is NOT what is in place in the state in the thread. What the law says NOW is what must be upheld.
"I have my son tested because it's convenient and he tests well. But I agree it is actually a poor measure of what he has learned...though it is one way to compare his progress with that of other children."
I don't agree that is DOES NOT measure what they know. It's simply a guideline and MANY homeschoolers in our area willingly take it to make sure their child is AHEAD.
Oh please, stop the paranoia! They are NOT doing their jobs and hence the tests are EASIER AND EASIER to pass which is WHY I really think something is awry here.
I purposely didn't post the rest of your reply because it is idiotic.
I love ya, man, but you are way off on this.
The Republic was formed by folks who assumed that families could be entrusted with management with their own affairs, including education. Of course, today we are about a billion light years removed from such an idea.
However, some of us actually hold on to that ideal and are willing to pay the price.
Compulsory public education in this country was modeled off the "Prussian system."
Do a web search on John Taylor Gatto for details.
Any homeschooer who is not a member of HSLDA is a fool. I thing it's a hundred bucks a year.
If any homeschoolers have put off doing that umnil now, you know it's only going to get worse. Join today.
WALTHAM, MA -- A legal battle over two home-schooled children exploded into a seven-hour standoff yesterday, when they refused to take a standardized test ordered by the Department of Social Services.
George Nicholas Bryant, 15, and Nyssa Bryant, 13, stood behind their parents, Kim and George, as police and DSS workers attempted to collect the children at 7:45 a.m. DSS demanded that the two complete a test to determine their educational level.
Ah,, but we cannot see the level of education and care of the DSS. This is preposterous. The parents have no search warrant against them and the DSS can remain secretive while it pretends to know through a test how a child performs or thinks.
Complete fraud.
This is the truth.
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