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When she finally landed the phone to talk to a county school board member in December, she said she feared that a "perfect storm" was coming "for something like a Columbine shootout. ".
The woman's concerns were detailed in a CNN article this week following a shootout at a school in the Denver suburbs that left one dead and eight injured. The mother, who showed CNN evidence of her affiliation with the school but asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation against her or her child, gave an interview Thursday, in which she told AFP. worried about the environment "pressure cooker" on campus.
"When you do not listen to parents' concerns, when you do not support them, when you do not give them the kind of training they need or the support they need … here are the elements that : We need a perfect storm, a Columbine or an imminent threat to the safety of our children at school, be it a bomb, an active shooter or a suicide, "she said in an interview.
Following the parent's appeal to the school board in December, a district official urged the school principal to investigate the allegations to determine if the parent's fears were well-founded and if any measures were taken. had to be taken.
"The concerns expressed by this person are very serious and need to be addressed as much as possible," wrote Daniel Winsor, head of the Douglas County School District, in a December letter to STEM Executive Director Penelope Eucker. "Please keep the district informed of your investigation and your findings."
Eucker made a statement to CNN via a public relations agency on Thursday, claiming that STEM officials had contacted all the parents of the school following the woman's complaints "in the hope that any student or family member knowing the charges would share this information confidentially. " Eucker said that the school had not received any response containing information about the allegations.
As a result of the investigation, Eucker sent a letter to the parents to challenge the woman's allegations and inform them that the school officials had filed a defamation suit against the parent, while they did not know his identity. The mother told CNN that this lawsuit was another reason she wanted to make herself known anonymously.
Eucker did not comment on the lawsuit in his statement.
In his statement on Thursday, Eucker said, "The safety and well-being of our students and staff is our highest priority." She said, "Like any school with more than 1,800 students, we receive complaints that we all take seriously and conduct a quick investigation."
The mother said that even if there are well-meaning teachers, she thinks the school leadership could have done more to protect the students.
"Have the children been aggressive towards each other and have they perpetrated the aggression I saw Yes What my children have experienced Yes What their friends have lived and what whom I spoke to, what other parents have spoken to me about, absolutely, "said the parent. "I also think that there has been a conflict between people's ideas and cultures."
The mother was not alone to fear for the school.
An online petition signed by several parents and a publication on a Facebook page aimed at the school district community also raised concerns about school leadership. And the report of a meeting of the "School Accountability Committee" at the school describes "a small group of people who speak against STEM".
District officials also criticized the school, although parents interviewed by CNN said the district was not doing enough to investigate the parents' concerns that had led to the attack on the school. Tuesday.
In a letter to STEM's board of directors last year, school district officials asked about "court fees related to special education issues," saying they had received more complaints. since the beginning of the previous school year than any other charter school in the district – including one that resulted in a financial settlement agreement and two that resulted in corrective measures.
In another 2018 letter, the County Board of Education said it had "significant concerns" about STEM's compliance with the charter school contract and legal requirements, and questioned its willingness to serve students with disabilities. He also cited "ineffective leadership," saying "the content of the comments from our meetings suggests that the relationship between STEM and some of its parents is irreparably damaged."
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