I uploaded the podcast from last night's school board meeting. The last seven minutes or so, during Citizens' Comments, Suzy Harouse, from Cedar Blvd., confronted the school board about a highly offensive article published in the student newspaper, "The Devil's Advocate." I do not have a copy of the newspaper, but if a reader would send me a copy, I can post it here.
Ms. Harouse went on to say that after checking with administrators in our district, as well as other districts, that they too, found it offensive. Dr.Timmy was surprised that this parent had received a copy of his email concerning this situation, one that was sent at 2:00 AM. He was also offended by this woman's comment. Both he and President Elaine Cappucci said that it was the student's right under the First Amendment.
Funny how I just approved a link/comment about The First Amendment, under Mt. Lebanon Magazine Sued Updated 2X.
October 22, 2013 8:39 PM Devils' Advocate article is here.
Suzy Harouse's comment is available here.
235 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 235 of 235Well said, Mr. Gideon!
Oh, the irony...all the parents complaining (anonymously, of course, because nothing screams "i have principles" like not using your name) about a piece that allegedly encourages bullying--and then bullying those who disagree. That's truly shameful. Those of you posting anonymously do so because it's a lot easier to snipe when you dont have to be responsible for your comments. I've read time and again throughout the 200 comments "words have meaning". They sure do, folks. So before you become a keyboard commando, hiding in the shadows and taking shots and those who have different opinions, remember you're leaving an impression with others.
I'm stunned by how many took seriously an article in a high school newspaper. If anything, you should all be overjoyed that we have students who can not only read and write (given the overall state of public education in the U.S.) but that we have students willing to devote time to something other than sports. Does the word well-rounded mean anything? Apparently, that only applies when nobody is ever offended for any reason. This whole thing is ridiculous. As someone pointed out, there have been more comments on this issue than on the curriculum or the budget. Good God, how telling in terms of where our priorities are. So sad.
I'm with Gideon on his comment made at 1:36.
I plead guilty to all the errors, typos, bad grammar and spelling. My only defense, I find it nearly impossible to type on a keyboard that is less than 1" high and 2" wide into a window less than half as big.
Then there is the over bearing auto correct that apparently goes to work after the thought scrolls out of the window.
So, I apologize in advance.
Like Richard the thing that baffles me is that this subject has generated 200+ responses while issues like hundreds of thousands of dollars in change orders, thst will affect educational programs and homeowners property values get fewer than half the comments.
What concerns me is that the administration will decide a student advisor must be cut, then after students demand the advisor be retained, which they do... they turn around and dispense $1,000 bonuses to themselves. Plus Tim takes a 7%+ raise.
What kind of money management is that?
But nobody cares, a students column is far more important to the future of the district.
1:10 PM, you're right. I don't pick up the phone to get the facts. I prefer email.
Elaine
JEC III and RG, before you pass judgments on the readers, let me say that the college kids have jumped in. My guess is that we have quite a few high school students chiming in too. I am glad to see that they are getting involved. But don't think the high volume of comments is an indication that people care more about this than budget issues or curriculum.
Elaine
If the piece in the DA had been labeled Satire we wouldn't be in this discussion now would we. Here's a Bullying Satire I found using a simple google search. The piece is clearly labeled Satire. If you compare this piece to the one in the DA...this one wins for proper labeling and following the guidelines for what/how to write a Satire.
A bullying Satire
By iheartchocolate, Montclair, NJ
Schools say “no” to bullying, but why not say “yes?” Bullying is good for teachers, students, classes, and the world. Bullying can help everyone whether they are the bully or the victim. Everyone wins when it comes to bullying. There are so many reasons why instead of saying “Bullying is very bad,” teachers should say, “You should bully, but not everyone, because some people need to get bullied.”
What would teachers do without bullying? Our school days would be boring, right? 32 hours of the school year is taken up by lectures about bullying. What would you do in that spare time? Well, the teachers would just give us more work. Fun. Also, bullying is a part of life. If you get bullied, oh well for you. After high school, it’s not like you’ll ever see the bully again. The bully most likely will end up in jail.
If someone bullies you, why not stand up? There need to be more fights after and during school. The more that people stand up, the more fights that will probably end up happening. And if people fight, it can lead to suspension. It all makes sense. People get in fights, people get suspended, they’re not in school…are you following? With less people in school, we can get a better education, because when there are fewer kids in the class, it’s easier to teach.
Plus, the bullies are probably some of what teachers call “Problem Children,” so having them suspended and out of class means it’s quieter, and you can actually learn in class. Every class has at least one “Problem Child,” and if they don’t, the teacher is lucky. The “Problem Child” is the one that can be the class clown, or the referral hogger (Someone who always gets referrals in class). So, why would you want to stop bullying if it can give you a better education along the way?
The best kinds of bullies are the kinds that make you feel bad about the way you look. If someone says your hair is to curly, your going to want to go and straiten it. So bullies are helping ugly people look better. That’s a really nice thing to do. With the help of a few bullies, we can make the world a prettier place to be.
Another reason to praise bullying is because bullies become famous. Characters such as Darth Vader from Star Wars, Sam from iCarly, Nelson from the Simpsons, Sue from Glee, and Jerry from Tom and Jerry are very famous. And all five of them are bullies. And what do they get? Posters, shirts, mugs, and a whole lot more. They even have quotes in books. So if you encourage someone to become a bully, they to can be famous. You can tell them that if they’re bullies that they can become famous. It’s so true that there are many, many famous bullies, and in many cases, their bullying is encouraged.
The last reason is because bullying makes you stronger. Haven’t people ever heard the saying, “Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger?” It’s a great quote that leads you right back to bullying. If the bully doesn’t kill you, you’ll get stronger. Isn’t that what the world wants? Stronger people? Our country alone is way to obese and stronger people can lead to less obese people. Well I think it’s a great idea. So if bullying will give the world stronger, less obese people, then why not say “yes” to bullying. You may think that bullying is bad, but I say, “Say yes to bullying!”
Is there frustration among readers that there are lots of comments on this thread? Personally, I have commented on this topic because I know more about the subject than I do some of the other topics that have been raised. Also, I didn't comment on the TERC issues because I wasn't aware of the blog then.
I think frustration is building in the community about how parents are handled when they address their concerns within the district. I think there was a perception that the parent wasn't handled with respect and may, too, have been disrespected. I was more concerned about what happened to the parent than the exact wording of the opinion piece.
Some of our bullies grew up to be school directors, one even made it to superintendent. Dr. Steinhauer's response to the bullying complaint began with a statement that he was surprised someone had his email. He ended his response saying the student would not be disciplined.
Why would a superintendent discipline a student when he can't control the union bullies who agitate the entire community for money, benefits, and management rights?
Bullies have become the norm in our district and parents are tired of it. There are 208 posts on this blog to prove it. Think about that before you defend bullies.
Elaine - the college kids must be studying...
Bullying by adults toward other adults may be harder to identify than bullying among children. When adults bully other adults, especially adults who have never been bullied before, those individuals may be quite shocked and unable to identify the source of their distress.
Parents are very easy targets for bullying because we are so invested in and protective of our children that we are sometimes forced to engage with people we would otherwise avoid.
These are some overt and covert bullying behaviors that parents may experience when dealing with the administration. Each behavior may vary in its intensity, severity, duration, etc. Parents should not experience any of these behaviors when dealing the school district.
Hostility
Dirty looks/gestures
Invasion of personal space
Curt tones of voice
Social exclusion/isolation
“Silent treatment”
Making light of bullying
Calling the parent “crazy”
Referring the parent to counselors
Harassment
Excessively critical
Repeated reminders of errors and mistakes
Intolerance
Impatience
Intimidation
False/exaggerated reports against the parent
Shouting/yelling/ swearing at the parent
Throwing objects
Failure to maintain hostile-free communication
Insulting or threatening phone messages/emails
Theft
Attempting to turn others against the parent
Unfair treatment
Gossip/rumor-mongering
Threats
Humiliation
Condescending
Deception/lying
Vindictive
Punishing
Hinting that the parent should move
Verbally attacking the parent in public/private
Excluding the parent/family from important meetings or activities
Withholding pertinent information from the parent
Blocking opportunities for engagement with the school
Unjust use of authority
Excessive monitoring
Unreasonable demands
Ignoring/undervaluing belittling the parent’s concerns
Defamation: false attacks against the parent’s reputation
Excessive teasing or cruelty
Questioning the parent’s competence
Excessive sarcasm
Destruction of property
P.S. Residents shouldn't experience any of those bullying behaviors when dealing with the municipality either!
"Blocking opportunities for engagement with the school" was inflicted upon Elaine when Tim blocked her from his Twitter account.
"Intolerance" was inflicted upon Paula Bongiorno when Cappucci told her, "You've had your time." at the three minute mark of a five minute speaking window.
October 26, 2013 at 1:49 PM here:
So,October 26, 2013 at 2:45 PM, since you have no knowledge of this would you be willing to receive the information that substantiates this comment? If so, please contact Elaine with your contact information and you can have it. If you really care about what is right you will pursue the facts and respond appropriately, and if you care about bullying you will not be happy with our sitting school board directors' actions.
By the way, the malicious misinformation was not in the form of packets, it was in the form of an e-mail that circulated through the Department of Defense which is a legal infarction.
2:45, The parent didn't say Dr. Steinhauer called anyone at 2:00 a. m. The parent said he emailed someone at 2:00 a.m. But emails sit until you read them so the 2:00 a.m. time wasn't as important as the fact that the Superintendent made no attempt to answer the parent about bullying. His first comment was he was surprised the parent had his email indicating he is more interested in himself than the parent's complaint. In addition, the parent was in contact with several headmasters of schools. Headmaster is a term used in private schools in place of the word superintendent. In spite of that fact Dr. Steinhauer showed no sensitivity about a parent being in touch with several headmasters despite the fact that we just lost several students to private schools over the math program. Is the Superintendent concerned about loosing enrollment or not?
Another point to you is, if the board was concerned enough to pass a hazing policy, why wasn't the superintendent enough in touch with the board's concern about hazing to try to address the parent's concern about bullying?
The Superintendent's lack of concern on bullying is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE.
Elaine has done an exemplary job of documenting bullying in the township throughout the course of her Blogging career. The subheader could read Exposing The Bullies In Mount Lebanon. Pick any entry. There are degrees of bullying from the township or the school district in each entry. The evidence is bountiful.
So here we are 9 days before an election for four school board directors that will be responsible for overseeing the work of the superintendent and not one word from the candidates on their positions, thoughts or feelings.
Talk about not being able to see the forest for the trees!
I may not be able to vote for some new candidate that truely believes in transparency, but I can make my vote count by sending a message.
I'm writing in Moe, Larry, Curly and Shemp for School Board Directors.
My, what a difference where you live makes.
A friend of mine whose grandson lives in a neighboring school district recently told me that her elementary-age grandchild received a commendation and a candy bar from a teacher for NOT BEING A BULLY.
Even more, the teacher took the time to call the parents of the five kids who were so honored. She wanted to let the parents know how much she appreciated these good students who treat others properly.
It seems to be that Lebo could benefit from such an effort. We hopefully could end up losing a few classroom bullies in the process.
I don't think anyone has been bullied on this blog. People are simply stating their opinions. I am not surprised by the number of comments or that people took this article seriously. Yes, it might be just a high school newspaper, but the students reading it are at an impressionable age, easily influenced by their peers, and not yet fully mature. Though the author did not intend to promote bullying, some readers were left with that impression. An atmosphere of fear and intimation is not conducive to learning. If students are worried about becoming victims of bullies it doesn't matter what math program they are being taught or how much money is being spent on it.
I think the reason there are so many comments here is that everyone can relate to the subject. Everyone has either been a victim of bullying or a witness to it at some point in their lives. Not everyone feels comfortable commenting on a multi million dollar budget or a math program. Some people just don't understand the complexities of school district budgets or feel competent enough to evaluate school district curriculum.
I think the subject of bullying is just as important as discussions of budgets or math programs. Perhaps even more important considering that at times, if the bullying is severe enough, it can be a matter of life or death.
Maybe we should give out candy bars and commendation awards to school and municipality staff that aren't bullies.
1:27 are you saying that there hasn't been any learning in the school district for its 100 year history?
Hazing or I guess you call it bullying has always been a part of school life and people have managed to to graduate, go onto higher education and do great things in their lives.
This focus on bullying is a rather new recent. Not that it doesn't exist. The internet certainly makes it more intense and unrelenting for sure, but I'm not sure articles like that in the paper are the cause.
Perhaps helicopter parents, and efforts to keep kids away from anything that might create the slight discomfit in their precious lives is the catalyst for more intense bullying!
Is not demanding a superintent and newspaper advisor be fired because a column made a few people uncomfortable a form of bullying?
Nobody has demanded that the newspaper advisor be fired. All Mrs. Harouse said was something to the effect, "Don, it is rite of passage, not right of passage." I didn't even know she was referring to DAWN.
The former Mt. Lebanon students started defending Dawn Begor, when she was never the issue. Neither was the student author.
The superintendent is always the issue. That is why he makes the big bucks. He is the CEO. Timmy needs to go. I have said that for years.
Elaine
2:20-Most conscientious parents are concerned with the welfare of their children. That does not make them "helicopter" or bad parents. In fact, the opposite is true. Can we please refrain from name calling on this blog? I don't think being concerned about the issue of bullying causes more bullying and it doesn't mean that parents want to protect their children from every uncomfortable situation. Bullying is far from being just an uncomfortable situation. And, no, I don't think what Ms. Harouse did was a form of bullying.
Elaine,
Thank you again for heightening public awareness in Mt Lebanon School District affairs.
If your web site wasn't here, would anyone even know about this matter?
Hopefully this activity will generate interested candidates who will seek election and make a positive difference in Mt Lebanon.
Good luck guys!
Contact information:
Superintendent a.k.a. Timmy: tsteinhauer@mtlsd.net
Devil's Advocate adviser: dbegor@mtlsd.net
School Board: schoolboard@mtlsd.net
Thank you for all your comments.
Elaine
EGillen476@aol.com
Elaine,
The article below is old, from 2006, so the administration has changed. Although I believe Dawn Begor was still the advisor at the time. Anyway, it appears that the administration did not allow a student written editorial to be run because it criticized the PG's coverage of, I think, the infamous Top 25 list. This tells me a couple of things. First, if the administration feels they have just cause to "violate" the students First Amendment rights, they will. And secondly, having done so in the past and received negative publicity for it they are probably much more hesitant to do so now.
Bedeviling The Devil's Advocate
The Devil's Advocate adviser at the time that article was written was Casey Henry, not Mrs. Begor.
Thank you for the clarification.
Elaine
Knowledge without kindness is evil. is that why Mt. Lebanon's mascot is a devil?
There were 26 students listed on the Top-Twenty-Five List. The Dad of number 26 filed a lawsuit to expose the author of the mean-spirited comments that were made about his daughter. The author was the son of the Secretary to the High School Principal.
Students possess partially diminished 1st Amendment protections, particularly in published school sponsored newspapers. In the landmark case of Hazelwood v . Kuhlmeier, it was affirmed that a school (acting as an extension of the school board) has the authority to censor articles that can substantially harm the educational environment.
Thus, the MTL school board is capable of denouncing and censor the article if they choose.
Thank you, 10:48 PM. Here is a summary of that case. http://www.uscourts.gov/educational-resources/get-involved/constitution-activities/first-amendment/freedom-press-school-newspapers/facts-case-summary.aspx
Elaine
I see that there are multiple hits from various colleges across the country, so I thought I should share this article with the former students. http://journalism.about.com/od/schoolsinternships/a/studentpresslaw.htm
According to the article, high school newspapers can be censored, but college newspapers can't.
Elaine
Thanks go to Elaine for her posts of October 28, 2013 at 11:01 PM and October 28, 2013 at 11:19 PM. The information presented via the links provided in those posts is vital to understanding the role of District administration with respect to The Devil's Advocate.
~~
In the Hazelwood case, "..the [U.S. Supreme] Court noted that the paper was not intended as a public forum in which everyone could share views; rather, it was a limited forum for journalism students to write articles pursuant to the requirements of their Journalism II class, and subject to appropriate editing by the school."
~~
We can argue about the nature of the recent "bullying" article in the DA and whether Ms. Harouse overreacted to it. What I would hope all can see is that the District bears the final responsibility for the article due to its court recognized authority to censor student publications and the fact that it has done so in years past; one only has to contrast its behavior with respect to the current "satire" piece with how it behaved back in 2006 in order come to that conclusion.
The District's protest of First Amendment rights for the DA's student editors cannot exempt it from its responsibility for what is published in that "magazine." Thus, agree or not, Ms. Harouse's angst over the "satire" piece was properly directed at the District, and not the students.
8:12, Get off your high horse. You apparently know the difference betwen "imply" and "infer" and are too busy patting yourself on the back to bother to learn about compound adjectives and the rule that they should be hyphenated. It's basic Strunk & White.
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