An INSANE situation up in Waltham, Massachusetts

Conservative Alerts.Com ^ | Chuck Muth

[webber]

An INSANE situation up in Waltham, Massachusetts

This one's so Outrageous, it makes our blood boil just to think of it. Take a look at his message:

ISSUE: Kim and George Bryant have been home-schooling their two kids, George (15) and Nyssa (13), much to the chagrin of the Waltham Public School (WPS) system. The Bryants thus far have refused to force their children to take a government-mandated standardized test to assess their education level.

The WPS empire struck back last year, obtaining a court order giving custody of the kids to the Department of Social Services (DSS), which ever since has been threatening to take the kids away from their parents.

As the MetroWest Daily News reported on Friday, "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." They were ruled to be "unfit" for not filing educational plans with the government.

Unfit. For not filing paperwork. With the government school system. Over the education of their OWN children.

In fact, George Bryant was actually ARRESTED six years ago for failing to comply with the government's dictates over the home-schooled education of HIS children.

Arrested!!...Thrown in jail!!...Like a criminal!!...For taking personal responsibility for the education of HIS kids.

This six-year legal battle exploded on Thursday as bureaucrats from the DSS showed up at the Bryants' home with police escorts at 7:45 a.m. and attempted to remove the children from their home and force them to take the mandated tests.

Once again, the Bryants told the government agents to pound dirt, resulting in a seven-hour standoff.

"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," said Bryant.

How DARE these parents stand up to the government and defend their right to raise their children as they see fit? Who do they think they are?

At least, that's the attitude of one outrageous government bureaucrat involved in this brouhaha. "We have the legal custody of the children and we will do with them as we see fit," DSS trooper Susan Etscovitz told the Bryants Thursday morning. "They are minors and they do what we tell them to do."

It is near impossible to describe the rage I feel inside every time I read those chilling words. WE will do with them as WE see fit. They do what WE tell them to do.

The sheer audacity of a bureaucrat to make such a statement about someone else's children who are in no way abused in any shape, form or fashion is beyond comprehension to me.

Comrade Etscovitz maintained on Thursday that, "No one wants these children to be put in foster homes. The best course of action would be for (the Bryants) to instruct the children to take the test."

One can just imagine her words being delivered with a thick East German accent: "undt now, all vee need eez dee kidz!"

This isn't about education. It's about control. It's about an imperial government trying to crush a movement in its infancy which could one day spell the end of the public school monopoly over our kids' educations.

Home-schooling means children might start learning again. REAL learning. Not "whole language" and "self-esteem." Learning about radical notions such as freedom, liberty and personal responsibility. Notions such as limited government and the Constitution and the vision of our Founding Fathers.

Yeah, we can't have THAT!

ACTION ITEM: As it appears that DSS is getting its marching orders from the Waltham Public Schools, it seems the best place to start is with the School Superintendent there. Her name is Dr. Susan Parrella. She can be reached via email at:

parrellas@k12.waltham.ma.us
or by phone at:
(781) 314-5400
or fax at:
(781) 314-5411.

Emails are great... but nothing quite ruins a bureaucrat's day like dealing with a flood of phone calls. I know. I just called. The woman who answered the phone hung up on me when she found out what I was calling about. They do NOT want to answer any questions about this.

Oh, and by the way. I reached Ms. Etscovitz this morning. She was not a happy camper once she found out what I was calling about. Refused to comment on her "we will do with them as we see fit" statement, saying only, "I'm terminating this conversation now," before slamming the phone down.

I think it would really bug her if a lot of people called (781) 641-8500, so please, please don't rattle her cage, OK? That number not to call again to reach Susan Etscovitz is (781) 641-8500. That's (781) 641-8500. (You could also fax her at 781-648-6909.)

-- Chuck Muth, ConservativeAlerts.Com

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We normally set up a website with a pre-written letter to Congress, etc. However, we thought it would be much more effective for our members to make contact as described above, in their own words. If you get a response you'd like to share, be sure to drop us a note. As this issue develops and is "bumped up the ladder" of responsibility, we'll let you know who to contact next.

NOTE: The situation in Waltham has gotten WAY out of hand.

Outraged Americans across the country need to contact these bureaucrats NOW to express their outrage and demand they do the RIGHT thing. Be sure to forward this email to everyone you know who wants to help save parental choice in America, starting in Massachusetts. p> Thank you!

--Chuck Muth, ConservativeAlerts.Com

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[Capt.YankeeMike]

passing a drivers test does NOT mean you are a good driver. just look around you at all the "licensed" drivers out there that can drive worth spit. The girl was right, their tests wont measure intelligence/competence.....

and by the way, Sarah, please just go away.....

[SpinyNorman]

Come to think of it, what do we do to teachers that cannot pass the MCAS?

[GOPrincess]

I'm curious, given your pro-testing position, how do you feel about the testing thus giving the state control over what and when the children are taught, in order that they be able to pass the tests, rather than the parents having control? Isn't that one of the great values of homeschooling? It seems as though this issue continues to be completely ignored by many in the discussion.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/930324/posts

The David Limbaugh column posted in the above thread comments on this issue.

[cincinnati65]

Trick question: (hint) Do you mean the last man to set foot on the moon, or the last man to have his feet on the moon?

[jrawk]

Seven years...

Why didn't they move?

-- lates
-- jrawk

[Sarah]

These aren't my ideas about vaccinations, they're the facts.
What do you mean by: " providing the illusion that the disease has gone away.
I mean, if no one's getting the disease isn't that the point?
And you're right that cutting back on actual vaccinations will cause a recurrence of the disease.
Remember what happened in Kuwait during the last Gulf War? Massive out-breaks of small pox & measles.

[Sarah]

You're going to call me NAMES?
There's some town in the mid-west where a bunch of misfits have set up their little mobile homes. No taxes, no schools, no city council, no sewage collection, no police, no bureau of sanitation.
Lovely little place, you should try it!
Let me teach you a little distinction: Just because one may not be for anarchy, one is not immediately labeled a liberal democrat. That's it for today.

[freebilly]

You're going to call me NAMES?

If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, swims like a duck, and tastes like a duck..., it must be a liberal....

[Dont Mention the War]

What about the parent who "knows" that their child seems to have food sensitivitious (through family history, close observation), but can't perform medical tests to prove it?

Why can't they? I have never in my life requested a blood or allergy test and had the doctor say "No, I won't let you."

[freebilly]

There's some town in the mid-west where a bunch of misfits have set up their little mobile homes. No taxes, no schools, no city council, no sewage collection, no police, no bureau of sanitation. Lovely little place, you should try it! Let me teach you a little distinction: Just because one may not be for anarchy, one is not immediately labeled a liberal democrat

Wow, ridiculing those who want their freedom badly enough to give up their creature comforts. Wasn't our nation founded by individuals like these?

Now, if you think anarchy is a parent refusing to have his child tested by the state, you neither understand anarchy nor freedom. For the state to threaten to take away someone's children over this is a frightening abuse of power that sickens me.

You may not be a liberal democrat, but you're a stone cold statist. People like you are why the government is able to get away with incidents like Waco, Ruby Ridge, and Elian Gonsalez.

Let me teach you a little distinction: Freedom comes from God. The best governments are those which protect those freedoms. The worst are those which routinely attack individual freedoms under the banner of "the public good" when the public good is merely the desire of the state for power and control.

Let the state do what it is supposed to do-- protect our freedoms and our borders. If I want the state running the minutia of my life I'll move to some jerkwater socialist theocracy in the middle east....

[The Californian]

we are interested. however, we may not always agree with the positions taken by the homeschoolers. Is that a problem for you?

No, that is not a problem for me at all. My problem is the lack of understanding of what is exactly going on in this situation. Our freedom to homeschool is BECAUSE people like this have stood their ground. If they can win, all the people in the state win. If they lose or give up, all homeschoolers lose.

This is about the freedom to educate your own children, without the state telling you what you can and can't do with your children. While I do not have the grit that these people do, I benefit from their stand.

I suggested the little red X because the thread seemed to be annoying you. If I was mistaken, I apologize.

[democrats_nightmare]

This is very chilling indeed...especially when you look at the amount of gun control laws this state has. Adolf Hitler would be proud.

[The Californian]

Well we'll see how good your assurances are when they try to get jobs or go to college. "Well, you havent proven that you have a minimum amount of knowledge to attend here, but your parents assure me you're smart enough, so have fun!"

Please. Take the tests. There has to be some standards, otherwise its just anarchy.

Actually, we have finished the homeschool grind, the kids went to college, and are doing just fine. Most colleges have a basic skills test to place you into their system. Since we choose to place them into their system, I have no objection to those tests.

HOWEVER, I do have a problem with forced tests. We hired a private company to test our kids periodically, but this was for OUR INFORMATION and use for curriculum choices. Believe me, it is NOT in the parents best interests to raise lazy, do nothing, know nothing kids. Usually the lousy homeschool parents give up after a few years.

...but then again, I only have 11 years in this game to go on, what do I know.....

[The Californian]

So, actually, someone could decide for himself that he will rely on the fact that he will never be exposed to the disease in his life, and avoid the pain/ possible side-effects of the shots and just coast on the situation provided by others eradicating the disease from the population.

Actually, my unvaccinnated kids were exposed to a LOT of the diseases that the vacines should cover. Yes, they got chicken pox and slight cases of some of the other diseases, however, it was certainly better than permanent disablement. We stopped the vaccine program on the strong advice of our very good physician because of the side effects on one of our kids. The side effects he had suggested a contraindication for further vaccinations, for him or any other children from the same parents. A good immune system is generally a better way to go.

[lowbridge]

bump

[Redbob]

Looks like their "DSS" outfit could just drop the "D" and nobody would notice, eh?

[brownie]

Well we'll see how good your assurances are when they try to get jobs or go to college. "Well, you havent proven that you have a minimum amount of knowledge to attend here, but your parents assure me you're smart enough, so have fun!"

If this argument had any real meaning, the public school system in america (particularly in urban areas) would have been radically changed by now. The public schools consistently fail, consistently turn out "graduates" who can barely read and write, and yet nothing is done about the horrible public school system. So why should it matter whether these particular two children are educated any better than the millions in LA, NYC, Miami, Boston, etc.? I am willing to be that the odds are in favor of these two children receiving a better education by their parents then at public school (based on evidence of home-school results v. public education results on such tests). Therefore, society should embrace home-schooling, not be afraid of it.

Moreover, I don't understand why people believe that EVERYONE needs to be well educated / intelligent in America. Society needs ditch diggers as much or more then engineers. Even if every person in America was educated to a decent college level - there would not be enough high paying jobs to satisfy everyone and someone would still have to dig a ditch. Only now, b/c they have been over educated, they would be much more unhappy digging the ditch then if we simply let the "market" of labor sort itself out by people and families individually deciding on whether or not to pursue education.

[Zack Nguyen]

To take the position that homeschoolers are exempt from standardized testing (which is the least intrusive way for a state to determine that, yes, the kids are actually being educated instead of watching the cartoon channel all day) is like saying "heck, I'm a good driver, I don't need no stinkin' license, so I ain't gonna get one!"

I disagree with your analogy. Cars are inanimate objects that can kill if they are wielded by lousy drivers. Children are not inanimate objects. The education of children is, finally and fundamentally, the province of the parents.

[Zack Nguyen]

So you believe it is the job of the state to ensure that children are "educated" by the state's standards, whether parents like it or not?