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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[devane617]

No one should force them to take the tests, but the parents should want to know how well their education stacks up against other kids.

[ccmay]

That number not to call again to reach Susan Etscovitz is (781) 641-8500

Also, please don't call the 24 hour hot line at 617-231-4882, or 800-792-5200 inside Massachusetts. They don't (yet) know the story of the Bryants and the commissar of childrens' propaganda who is harrassing them. They'd be very annoyed if anybody called.

-ccm

[Hank Kerchief]

We are, if you do not know this by now, a nation of laws. Without them, total chaos and self interests impose on the rights of others.

So your saying, if it were not for laws, you would impose on the rights of others and act in ways that would create chaos. Is, that right?

If you are not saying this, how do you assume this will automatically happen? Oh, I get it. You would not presume to step on anyone else's rights and create chaos, even if there were no laws, but others would. Is that right?

As for, everyone has their secret agenda, we appreciate the warning. (You do speak for yourself.)

Hank

[ccmay]

There are several thousand too many laws, today, followed by hundreds of thousands of policy rules, local statutes, etc.

Too much Law, not enough Order, says I.

-ccm

[peteram]

Goose-stepping, swastika waving, Nazi people! What a bunch of socialistic fascists!
UNBELIEVABLE!

[ladylib]

Here is a follow up on the story. It seems the court date has been postponed indefinitely. The Massanazis are probably confused about what to do next:

http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/local_regional/walt_bryants06162003.htm

[Courier]

To some, all they need hear is "homeschool" and the implication is of Ward and June Cleaver doing best by the Beaver.

How do you know the parents aren't a couple of psychopaths?

Their making such a big deal out of a simple test makes me lean that way.

I want the State to make sure. Someday these kids are going to be released on all of us. Hopefully well educated and well adjusted, but we need a clue they are going in that direction.

[concerned about politics]

I want the State to make sure. Someday these kids are going to be released on all of us. Hopefully well educated and well adjusted, but we need a clue they are going in that direction.

Why? I'd be more concerned about the uneducated idiots comming out of the public schools.

[GOPrincess]

"How do you know the parents aren't a couple of psychopaths?"

But what happened until innocent until proven guilty? The Founding Fathers didn't design this to be a country where we had to disprove a negative in order to have personal freedom, including the right of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their childre. (I don't go for the driver's license parallel, for the reasons I've stated previously...the testing is often inappropriate and not a true reflection of the child's education and abilities.)

Reading the article it seems to me that these are very caring, hands-on parents. The DSS admits the children are in no way abused (which makes it all the sillier the state has legal custody). You know, a few homeschooled children here and there are going to end up poorly educated. Life isn't perfect. But how many more children coming out of the public school system are poorly educated? With that in mind, and also keeping in mind that any private school students do not have to be tested, it seems to me that giving parents the benefit of the doubt, including the right to direct their children's education as they see fit, is the most appropriate choice.

[Humidston]

>>The government has no business assuming that the parents won't educate their children<<

For the sake of argument, what if the parents REFUSE to educate their children at all? Do they have that right as well? (I say yes.)

[Hank Kerchief]

I want the State to make sure. Someday these kids are going to be released on all of us. Hopefully well educated and well adjusted, but we need a clue they are going in that direction.

Yes of course, because we know all the kids in state schools are tested and we know they are all well educated and well adjusted. The State makes sure of that.

Good grief! ...but then, if the state is where you're getting your clues, that might explain your credulity.

Hank

[wcbtinman]

"We are, if you do not know this by now, a nation of laws."

You need to change your handle to your real name: Rip Van Winkle

[wcbtinman]

"So much BS in America where does it end."

Eventually, and unfortunately, at the end of a gun barrel.

[secretagent]

For the sake of argument, what if the parents REFUSE to educate their children at all? Do they have that right as well? (I say yes.)

Sure. They should at least have equal standing with the "prison prep" schools.

[secretagent]

The function of the public school is to identify intelligence, and then either subvert or destroy it.

Yes.

[GovernmentShrinker]

This is basically a 4th Amendment issue, and should approached that way by the courts. The proposed tests are a form of search, which the government is not authorized to conduct without probable cause. Given that "Both sides agree that the children are in no way abused mentally, physically, sexually or emotionally", and absent any mention that neighbors, local shopkeepers, etc. have been telling authorities that these adolescents can't read, there is no probable cause.

[HaveGunWillTravel]

If the kids do take the test, and do better than the average public school student, do the parents get to hit the school and social service officials for all their trouble? If the kids do better than the beauracrats' children, do the parents get to take custody of the beauracrats' kids? Can I take your kids if they won't take my test?