Politicized Child Care

Item 1: According to this article, a Chinese immersion charter school in western Massachusetts is under investigation for neglect, because a 9-year-old was "confined to a small room for over seven hours for disciplinary reasons." The student was allowed to eat lunch and go potty, but he didn't have any interaction with peers.

The little boy is now being tutored at home. The family of the boy has an attorney. The charter school's principal says the disciplinary action used against the child was "appropriate."

Item 2: A commentator at Larry Kelley's blog chimes in by sharing that he/she/heshe received an email, from a school parent, claiming that the newspaper article is wrong and that there is "no finding of neglect" and that loads of families are thrilled with this charter school.

Email also argues: "Obviously, there are some ‘powers that be’ who are opposed to charter schools. Please consider the global picture. On the federal level, it is widely recognized that it is critical for reasons of national security, prosperity, and global peace that a portion of our citizens are bilingual in Chinese as well as other languages. You and your family will benefit from the PVCICS’s [Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School] efforts and successes. I urge you to be a supporter of this important project in the interest of all of our futures."

Item 3: Larry adds that the boy's mom and dad were not contacted about the suspension; he was not allowed to see the nurse when he complained about not feeling well during the confinement, and that a child protection agency says there is "reasonable cause" to "support evidence for the allegation of neglect."

Moral of this edu-story? You supply it. My head is starting to spin.



Sidebar: The Daily Mail, of the UK, features a story about America's female teachers gone wild (and criminal).