Why is Adam Baker not in jail?

[dar107]

I am not surprised in the least.:cursing:

 

[dar107]

My opinion is AB most definitely knew. Why would he not contact DSS when they moved and notify them of their new address. If he felt there was nothing to hide, would he not want to be open with them so they could close the file. (yet again) And then let Zahra be kept home from school, to be home schooled by the woman who he claims abused him, the woman who is being reported for abusing his child. I cannot logically believe that he was fooled. I think he went along with EB in trying to avoid DSS, by moving and taking Zahra out of public school. DSS may not have been that hard to fool, they come and do a short visit and ask questions. Adam was living there and was privy to what was going on in that household on a daily basis.

 

[Soulmagent]

I do think he knew. I also think he thought it was not anyones bussiness how they treated Zahra. I think he Helped hide the crime. I dont think he helped murder her. He knew about the abuse.

He may have fell for a story on how her murder happened but I think he abused Zahra as well.Not to the same degree but enough to make himself feel a party to her abuse. So he saw nothing wrong with the way Eliza was treating Zahra.

 

[NoeticSoul]

Looks like his 'neighbors' in NC don't believe he SAW NOTHING either:

The Washington Post

"....But people in the community say they can't understand how Adam could not have known that his daughter was missing for two weeks, and they have pressed police and the district attorney's office for answers.

"It's incredible they're saying no one else was involved than Elisa," said Eddie Mitchell, who lived across the street from the Bakers' last home in Hickory. "You're telling me he didn't know anything? That was a tiny house. How can you go more than two weeks without seeing your daughter in such a small house? The community is really upset about the way this case was handled."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/25/AR2011022503615.html

 

[Mountain_Kat]

My opinion is AB most definitely knew. Why would he not contact DSS when they moved and notify them of their new address. If he felt there was nothing to hide, would he not want to be open with them so they could close the file. (yet again) And then let Zahra be kept home from school, to be home schooled by the woman who he claims abused him, the woman who is being reported for abusing his child. I cannot logically believe that he was fooled. I think he went along with EB in trying to avoid DSS, by moving and taking Zahra out of public school. DSS may not have been that hard to fool, they come and do a short visit and ask questions. Adam was living there and was privy to what was going on in that household on a daily basis.

You bring up a good point with respect to the home schooling issue. Zahra had never been home schooled before, not to my knowledge anyway. So I'd like to hear from AB why exactly she was to be home schooled this year. She was, by all accounts, an outgoing girl, made alot of friends, did well in school. He claims it isn't possible that Zahra died from natural causes, so I can only assume, from his statements, that she didn't have a long term illness. Why the sudden decision to home school her?

According to the Hudson Elementary School calendar, the first day of school was Aug. 25 . Assuming Zahra didn't die until Sept. 24, that's an entire month when Zahra would have been out of school. Surely, he doesn't claim that Elisa kept this fact from him too, for an entire month...while Zahra was alive and well and speaking to him on a daily basis. So I'd like to know what he told LE with respect to why this child was suddenly being home schooled (for the first time), a mere month and a half before she is reported missing. I'd also like to ask him if he ever asked Zahra to show him her school work, ever asked EB how Zahra was progressing with her lessons? Surely a loving, concerned, CUSTODIAL parent would want to know how his only child was progressing in her education.

 

[vjlaw]

You bring up a good point with respect to the home schooling issue. Zahra had never been home schooled before, not to my knowledge anyway. So I'd like to hear from AB why exactly she was to be home schooled this year. She was, by all accounts, an outgoing girl, made alot of friends, did well in school. He claims it isn't possible that Zahra died from natural causes, so I can only assume, from his statements, that she didn't have a long term illness. Why the sudden decision to home school her?

According to the Hudson Elementary School calendar, the first day of school was Aug. 25 . Assuming Zahra didn't die until Sept. 24, that's an entire month when Zahra would have been out of school. Surely, he doesn't claim that Elisa kept this fact from him too, for an entire month...while Zahra was alive and well and speaking to him on a daily basis. So I'd like to know what he told LE with respect to why this child was suddenly being home schooled (for the first time), a mere month and a half before she is reported missing. I'd also like to ask him if he ever asked Zahra to show him her school work, ever asked EB how Zahra was progressing with her lessons? Surely a loving, concerned, CUSTODIAL parent would want to know how his only child was progressing in her education.

I would love to hear his explanation on how he can see "his life" every day and do all the fatherly things and then kabam---don't see her for 15 days. Except, of course, the lump in the bed in that small bedroom.

 

[whiterum]

Just for the first time reading the posts about this poor little girl. Those words of her dad " something was in the bed" chilled me to the bone. Unbelievably cold, she was his little girl, he should have hugged her and cared for her, looked out for her well being, every single day of her life. His neglect allowed his own child to suffer at the hands of this evil creature. He too is guilty by showing no concern at all for his little girl's welfare. I hope they both get their just deserts for what they have done.

 

[TrixieBelden]

You bring up a good point with respect to the home schooling issue. Zahra had never been home schooled before, not to my knowledge anyway. So I'd like to hear from AB why exactly she was to be home schooled this year. She was, by all accounts, an outgoing girl, made alot of friends, did well in school. He claims it isn't possible that Zahra died from natural causes, so I can only assume, from his statements, that she didn't have a long term illness. Why the sudden decision to home school her?

According to the Hudson Elementary School calendar, the first day of school was Aug. 25 . Assuming Zahra didn't die until Sept. 24, that's an entire month when Zahra would have been out of school. Surely, he doesn't claim that Elisa kept this fact from him too, for an entire month...while Zahra was alive and well and speaking to him on a daily basis. So I'd like to know what he told LE with respect to why this child was suddenly being home schooled (for the first time), a mere month and a half before she is reported missing. I'd also like to ask him if he ever asked Zahra to show him her school work, ever asked EB how Zahra was progressing with her lessons? Surely a loving, concerned, CUSTODIAL parent would want to know how his only child was progressing in her education.

I have a feeling that Zahra was removed from school because abuse had been reported by the school faculty. poor Zahra-she didn't have a chance.

 

[tlcya]

I also would like to hear why AB thought Zahra was suddenly being home schooled. What excuse was given to him by EB if she is the one who made that decision? Was he a part in making that decision to yank her out of public school, and if so, what was he thinking was going to be accomplished by that move? I would really like to know - was he a part of his daughters life at all? In even some minute way? Or was this poor child just handed over to a woman who by AB's own words was manipulative, abusive, not very nice, etc?

 

[Mountain_Kat]

I have a feeling that Zahra was removed from school because abuse had been reported by the school faculty. poor Zahra-she didn't have a chance.

That's also my feeling. But let's not forget that EB had no legal responsibilities where Zahra was concerned. AB, however, did. He was her legal guardian. I don't know how things work in Aus. but here in the US it is against the law not to either have your child registered in school, or apply for homeschooling certification . Adam Baker did neither. And as her legal, custodial parent, I'm fairly certain his failure to do so falls under the legal definition of "child neglect".

JMO

http://www2.hickoryrecord.com/news/2010/oct/15/no-record-zahra-was-home-schooled-ar-458423/

 

[panthera]

Just for the first time reading the posts about this poor little girl. Those words of her dad " something was in the bed" chilled me to the bone. Unbelievably cold, she was his little girl, he should have hugged her and cared for her, looked out for her well being, every single day of her life. His neglect allowed his own child to suffer at the hands of this evil creature. He too is guilty by showing no concern at all for his little girl's welfare. I hope they both get their just deserts for what they have done.

BBM

My thoughts exactly. He did nothing to stop what was going on inside the house and continues to come up with excuses why he didn't notice anything wrong in the time frame LE has established for Zahra's death, yet has himself called EB "manipulative and abusive". :maddening: MOO

 

[Mountain_Kat]

I also would like to hear why AB thought Zahra was suddenly being home schooled. What excuse was given to him by EB if she is the one who made that decision? Was he a part in making that decision to yank her out of public school, and if so, what was he thinking was going to be accomplished by that move? I would really like to know - was he a part of his daughters life at all? In even some minute way? Or was this poor child just handed over to a woman who by AB's own words was manipulative, abusive, not very nice, etc?

BBM

My question is...COULD she have made that decision? She was Adam Baker's wife, yes (or maybe no, who the hell knows at this point?), but what were her legal rights/responsibilities when it came to Zahra? I've always assumed that the only person who can register a child in school is his or her legal guardian. Am I mistaken in that assumption? And DID Elisa have legal guardianship? I don't know.

 

[Flakes]

The home schooling issue has played on my mind too. The thing that always seems frustrating is, we have no information on the details of Zahra's academic history. We don't know if this change to home schooling was done officially, if the school was involved in the decision, or anything else. We have received no information from the school about how Zahra was performing academically, or how she related to her peers.

I have come to the point where I wonder if little Zahra may have been struggling in the school environment. This is very common for students who have missed large periods of school, and for those who have disabilities. Zahra had both, plus the stress of relocating to a new school in a new country with a totally different education system. This is not only in an academic curriculum sense, it is also based on the fact the Australian school year is from the end of January to early December. We have kindergarten then prep (early learning for 3-6 years of age), followed by years 1-4 at primary school, years 5-8 at middle school, then years 9-12 at senior school (also can be kinder + prep + years 1-6 at primary + 7-12 at senior). This is different to the US system I gather.

In Australia, sometimes students with these obstacles are kept back a year to repeat, to give them a chance to catch up on missed curriculum content, and to develop learning and social skills that their absence may have undermined. They also employ private out-of-school tutors (costly) to teach the child in addition. Sometimes schools or parents employ classroom support by assistants who sit with these children all day in class ("integration aides", who are not qualified teachers). In Australia the supply of integration aides is means tested, so chances are someone from the demographic of Zahra's family would receive this support for free, but it is also dependent on the number of high needs children in the school already (there are funding limits), so such an aide may be split between a number of children. This is a common process for ADHD children for instance. This process is generally followed when it's considered the child is capable of re-integration into the system. Alternatively there are 'special schools' for students with special needs, which are very capable at assisting such children to maximise their learning potential. What system exists in the USA???

I think Zahra missed considerable months, potentially adding to years, out of school. In addition she was physically handicapped, and hearing impaired. We're not aware whether she was considered "deaf" prior to the hearing aids which was relatively recent judging from the knowledge this occurred in the US. We have no idea how long her hearing impairment was an issue, we simply know it was a side-effect from chemotherapy. This doesn't give us any idea of the deterioration timeframe, or its extent of damage. Or how it impacted on her ability to function in learning at school.

We know she was awarded a certificate at school – this may have been a participation award to give her acknowledgment and encouragement. She may have been excelling academically, but she may have been struggling as well. The latter would not surprise me given the obstacles she had faced on so many levels.

The final thing I want to suggest is Zahra may have been bullied at school - possibly unmercifully. This is a reality for so many children, and those with disabilities, or those who are "different" are treated in very cruel ways by their naive peers. Zahra was an Australian, was physically disabled, wore hearing aids, plus had a prosthetic leg that was too small for her ... ample fodder for nasty children to bully her. We, as adults, see no reason to bully such children, but their peers relish in it as if it's a game.

So I wonder if some of the above possibilities explain why Zahra was taken out of school for home schooling. They are simply logic based on the reality suffered by so many other children before Zahra. We don't know the truth on this; it's all speculation. Above all, I don't honestly think we can accuse AB of neglect or turning his face on the abuse on the basis of Zahra being home schooled, unless we obtain more facts.

 

[NoeticSoul]

The home schooling issue has played on my mind too. The thing that always seems frustrating is, we have no information on the details of Zahra's academic history. We don't know if this change to home schooling was done officially, if the school was involved in the decision, or anything else. We have received no information from the school about how Zahra was performing academically, or how she related to her peers.

I have come to the point where I wonder if little Zahra may have been struggling in the school environment. This is very common for students who have missed large periods of school, and for those who have disabilities. Zahra had both, plus the stress of relocating to a new school in a new country with a totally different education system. This is not only in an academic curriculum sense, it is also based on the fact the Australian school year is from the end of January to early December. We have kindergarten then prep (early learning for 3-6 years of age), followed by years 1-4 at primary school, years 5-8 at middle school, then years 9-12 at senior school (also can be kinder + prep + years 1-6 at primary + 7-12 at senior). This is different to the US system I gather.

In Australia, sometimes students with these obstacles are kept back a year to repeat, to give them a chance to catch up on missed curriculum content, and to develop learning and social skills that their absence may have undermined. They also employ private out-of-school tutors (costly) to teach the child in addition. Sometimes schools or parents employ classroom support by assistants who sit with these children all day in class ("integration aides", who are not qualified teachers). In Australia the supply of integration aides is means tested, so chances are someone from the demographic of Zahra's family would receive this support for free, but it is also dependent on the number of high needs children in the school already (there are funding limits), so such an aide may be split between a number of children. This is a common process for ADHD children for instance. This process is generally followed when it's considered the child is capable of re-integration into the system. Alternatively there are 'special schools' for students with special needs, which are very capable at assisting such children to maximise their learning potential. What system exists in the USA???

I think Zahra missed considerable months, potentially adding to years, out of school. In addition she was physically handicapped, and hearing impaired. We're not aware whether she was considered "deaf" prior to the hearing aids which was relatively recent judging from the knowledge this occurred in the US. We have no idea how long her hearing impairment was an issue, we simply know it was a side-effect from chemotherapy. This doesn't give us any idea of the deterioration timeframe, or its extent of damage. Or how it impacted on her ability to function in learning at school.

We know she was awarded a certificate at school – this may have been a participation award to give her acknowledgment and encouragement. She may have been excelling academically, but she may have been struggling as well. The latter would not surprise me given the obstacles she had faced on so many levels.

The final thing I want to suggest is Zahra may have been bullied at school - possibly unmercifully. This is a reality for so many children, and those with disabilities, or those who are "different" are treated in very cruel ways by their naive peers. Zahra was an Australian, was physically disabled, wore hearing aids, plus had a prosthetic leg that was too small for her ... ample fodder for nasty children to bully her. We, as adults, see no reason to bully such children, but their peers relish in it as if it's a game.

So I wonder if some of the above possibilities explain why Zahra was taken out of school for home schooling. They are simply logic based on the reality suffered by so many other children before Zahra. We don't know the truth on this; it's all speculation. Above all, I don't honestly think we can accuse AB of neglect or turning his face on the abuse on the basis of Zahra being home schooled, unless we obtain more facts.

Are you suggesting that the Public School may have ordered that she be home-schooled? Or that EB and/or AB chose to withdraw her and homeschool her out of some sort of compassion?

 

[Flakes]

Are you suggesting that the Public School may have ordered that she be home-schooled? Or that EB and/or AB chose to withdraw her and homeschool her out of some sort of compassion?

All I know for absolute certain is that I have no facts to base any conclusions on. LE may.

So in the absense of facts, I (like all others here) think about all possibilities. I don't think anyone who cares about this case would fail to wonder what reason is behind the home schooling decision.

Over months WS posters have proposed [eta: AB and EB had] selfish, manipulative or neglectful explanations, so I've contemplated a different perspective to give us a fuller spectrum of options. I think it's best to consider as many angles as possible in an attempt to be thorough. Each suggestion has as much validity as next in the scheme of things.

The scenarios that I offer are all highly possible, I suspect highly likely. This is the reality of school for children who miss extended periods through hospitalisation, recuperation and rehabilititation, and those who face the challenges of a regular classroom environment with complications such as hearing loss and physical disability. And then of course the social side that I outlined above.

This doesn't mean that the other possible explanations did not occur simultaneously ... they do not necessarily exist in isolation.

I asked a pertinent question, as my point of view is only be based on what I know occurs in my own country. How does the US system deal with all these issues? Can you assist by answering that question please?

To summarise: How would Zahra's local school have dealt with the issues that Zahra may have have faced as outlined in my previous post? Do they keep children down a year? Do they offer free integration aides, do they provide free tutors out of school, or is this support all financially the responsibility of the parents? Did Zahra require assisted learning? Was she coping academically? Do special schools exist for children who have learning difficulties - and are they free? Did Zahra face bullying? What action did the school take if this occurred? Was it successfully managed if this occurred? Did the school discuss any problems with the Bakers in regard to Zahra's learning and social situation? Did the school support the idea of home schooling? Did the school assist with curriculum support for the home schooling? Or was Zahra functioning at the anticipated level for her age group and enjoying school? Did Zahra request to be home schooled, was it the school's recommendation or was it AB and/or EB's decision? Did the school recommend that Zahra required special school assistance rather than regular school enrollment? Would that have been free or would the Bakers have to pay for this? Confirmation of any of the above would be great.

There are so many possibilities and so many questions.

I ask these questions because I think they're valid. I'm currently studying the regulations in Australia with regard to adult education (which will possibly contain some differences to childhood education, and education in the USA) – there is strict legislation regarding fostering, promoting and providing an "all inclusive" environment for learning. This is based on the laws we have including: Disability Discrimination Act, Racial Discrimination Act, Racial Hatred Act, Commonwealth Sex Discrimination Act, and the Age Discrimination Act. I have friends who have children that require integration aides that pay exorbitant fees for these (as stated earlier it is means tested). I have a friend who is an integration aide and have seen her move from working full time with one child, to splitting her time across a number of children, owing to funding costs to the school being reduced, and the reduction in scaled assistance offered to families as their children progress through the levels at school (after all, the concept is "integration" and the goal is for no assistance to be required for these students). I also know people who work in the special school sector, and who deal with disabled and deaf students daily. I have also worked closely with profoundly deaf adult students (who require Auslan interpreters) plus handicapped and acquired brain injury students. I am very sensitive to this, and am also not afraid to discuss it ... it is not a politically incorrect line of discussion by any means. I hope no-one interprets it that way.

 

[lauriej]

the home schooling issue has played on my mind too. The thing that always seems frustrating is, we have no information on the details of zahra's academic history.we don't know if this change to home schooling was done officially, if the school was involved in the decision, or anything else. we have received no information from the school about how zahra was performing academically, or how she related to her peers.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

http://charlotte.news14.com/content/video_stories/631393/case-of-missing-girl-turns-into-homicide-investigation/

the school system says she was enrolled for fifth grade at hudson but never showed up. Her parents told the school that she was being home schooled but the north carolina division of non public schools says there is no record of adam or elisa baker currently operating a home school.
~ ~ ~

i have come to the point where i wonder if little zahra may have been struggling in the school environment. This is very common for students who have missed large periods of school, and for those who have disabilities. Zahra had both, plus the stress of relocating to a new school in a new country with a totally different education system. this is not only in an academic curriculum sense, it is also based on the fact the australian school year is from the end of january to early december. We have kindergarten then prep (early learning for 3-6 years of age), followed by years 1-4 at primary school, years 5-8 at middle school, then years 9-12 at senior school (also can be kinder + prep + years 1-6 at primary + 7-12 at senior). This is different to the us system i gather.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
---the australian school fiscal year may be different, but i doubt the curriculum would be much different at a grade school level.
----zahra arrived in december of 2008---and completed grades 3 and 4 by the end of the 2010 school year.

"records show baker attended hudson elementary school in caldwell county in march 2009, finishing third grade. She moved to granite falls elementary school through march 2010 then finished fourth grade back at hudson."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

in australia, sometimes students with these obstacles are kept back a year to repeat, to give them a chance to catch up on missed curriculum content, and to develop learning and social skills that their absence may have undermined. They also employ private out-of-school tutors (costly) to teach the child in addition. Sometimes schools or parents employ classroom support by assistants who sit with these children all day in class ("integration aides", who are not qualified teachers). In australia the supply of integration aides is means tested, so chances are someone from the demographic of zahra's family would receive this support for free, but it is also dependent on the number of high needs children in the school already (there are funding limits), so such an aide may be split between a number of children. This is a common process for adhd children for instance. This process is generally followed when it's considered the child is capable of re-integration into the system. Alternatively there are 'special schools' for students with special needs, which are very capable at assisting such children to maximise their learning potential. What system exists in the usa???

I think zahra missed considerable months, potentially adding to years, out of school. In addition she was physically handicapped, and hearing impaired. We're not aware whether she was considered "deaf" prior to the hearing aids which was relatively recent judging from the knowledge this occurred in the us. We have no idea how long her hearing impairment was an issue, we simply know it was a side-effect from chemotherapy. This doesn't give us any idea of the deterioration timeframe, or its extent of damage. Or how it impacted on her ability to function in learning at school.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

---we do know that while in australia:

wendy wieck, of toowomba, in southeast queensland, met zahra when zahra and wieck’s daughter were both receiving treatment at the royal brisbane children’s hospital in 2007. Between rounds of chemotherapy, the two girls did their homework together and played.

the community and giru state school raised money for a wheelchair for zahra, and for a laptop computer so she could do schoolwork from home.

..she was then in remission for most of 2008.

------she may have missed some time "out of school", but i don't think it impacted her getting her lessons done and passing grades 0ne and two.

-------as to the "hearing impairment"----grandmaK has never mentioned it, and AY, who knew her well in the U.S. also never brought it up----in fact he stated more than once that zahra could do all and then some! that any of the other kids could do..
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

we know she was awarded a certificate at school – this may have been a participation award to give her acknowledgment and encouragement. She may have been excelling academically, but she may have been struggling as well. The latter would not surprise me given the obstacles she had faced on so many levels.

The final thing i want to suggest is zahra may have been bullied at school - possibly unmercifully. This is a reality for so many children, and those with disabilities, or those who are "different" are treated in very cruel ways by their naive peers. Zahra was an australian, was physically disabled, wore hearing aids, plus had a prosthetic leg that was too small for her ... Ample fodder for nasty children to bully her. We, as adults, see no reason to bully such children, but their peers relish in it as if it's a game.

------if zahra was treated any differently, i think she'd had that before--from what we've come to hear of zahra-----she was an inspiration to others that were "different", and faced life full-on.

"she was always hopping around on her crutches flat out through the ward and was always full of life, energy and always happy considering the illness she had been fighting.”

“she was the life of any camp we went on, the kids loved her,” said mark mcgregor, camp quality’s north queensland manager. “other kids were so inspired by her enthusiasm and her fight to live against all odds.”

"they don’t make them much tougher than little zahra baker,” reporterjessica johnston wrote on sept. 22, 2008."

so i wonder if some of the above possibilities explain why zahra was taken out of school for home schooling. They are simply logic based on the reality suffered by so many other children before zahra. We don't know the truth on this; it's all speculation. Above all, i don't honestly think we can accuse ab of neglect or turning his face on the abuse on the basis of zahra being home schooled, unless we obtain more facts.

-----in order to home school a child in NC, there are certain criteria to be met. There is no record on file that adam or elisa applied to operate a home school. I would believe in an instant that adam, dumb as rocks as he is, wasn't aware of that.

...but that gives him no pass if he THOUGHT that she was being home-schooled.

...i would wonder if he ever saw any school work being done? Did he ever talk to zahra about it? look at her homework? help with it?

..or was she also the -----"it looked like something was in the bed"---- for the entire month of september too??

 

[NoeticSoul]

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

http://charlotte.news14.com/content/video_stories/631393/case-of-missing-girl-turns-into-homicide-investigation/

the school system says she was enrolled for fifth grade at hudson but never showed up. Her parents told the school that she was being home schooled but the north carolina division of non public schools says there is no record of adam or elisa baker currently operating a home school.
~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
---the australian school fiscal year may be different, but i doubt the curriculum would be much different at a grade school level.
----zahra arrived in december of 2008---and completed grades 3 and 4 by the end of the 2010 school year.

"records show baker attended hudson elementary school in caldwell county in march 2009, finishing third grade. She moved to granite falls elementary school through march 2010 then finished fourth grade back at hudson."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~


~ ~ ~ ~ ~

---we do know that while in australia:

wendy wieck, of toowomba, in southeast queensland, met zahra when zahra and wieck’s daughter were both receiving treatment at the royal brisbane children’s hospital in 2007. Between rounds of chemotherapy, the two girls did their homework together and played.

the community and giru state school raised money for a wheelchair for zahra, and for a laptop computer so she could do schoolwork from home.

..she was then in remission for most of 2008.

------she may have missed some time "out of school", but i don't think it impacted her getting her lessons done and passing grades 0ne and two.

-------as to the "hearing impairment"----grandmaK has never mentioned it, and AY, who knew her well in the U.S. also never brought it up----in fact he stated more than once that zahra could do all and then some! that any of the other kids could do..
~ ~ ~ ~ ~



------if zahra was treated any differently, i think she'd had that before--from what we've come to hear of zahra-----she was an inspiration to others that were "different", and faced life full-on.

"she was always hopping around on her crutches flat out through the ward and was always full of life, energy and always happy considering the illness she had been fighting.”

“she was the life of any camp we went on, the kids loved her,” said mark mcgregor, camp quality’s north queensland manager. “other kids were so inspired by her enthusiasm and her fight to live against all odds.”

"they don’t make them much tougher than little zahra baker,” reporterjessica johnston wrote on sept. 22, 2008."



-----in order to home school a child in NC, there are certain criteria to be met. There is no record on file that adam or elisa applied to operate a home school. I would believe in an instant that adam, dumb as rocks as he is, wasn't aware of that.

...but that gives him no pass if he THOUGHT that she was being home-schooled.

...i would wonder if he ever saw any school work being done? Did he ever talk to zahra about it? look at her homework? help with it?

..or was she also the -----"it looked like something was in the bed"---- for the entire month of september too??

:goodpost:

Sweetheart, you are the Tasmainian Devil of timely, archived, information

That definitely rules OUT the public school ordering home-schooling, AND Zahra being home-schooled out of the goodness and compassion uke: of her "parent's hearts.

AB knew plenty and I'm sure that included that she was getting NO education.

OT: I'd give my last Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce Latte to know what became of Zahra's laptop, which, if any computers LE confiscated and WHAT AY was loading onto his EXTERNAL hard drives at 2 am on October 9th while posting QUITE INAPPROPRIATE comments under Zahra's photo. (just sayin)

~ all moo ~

 

[Flakes]

lauriej thank you for all that valuable information. You certainly have a good handle on this stuff I haven't seen this elsewhere, other than your link which gives information on the schools Zahra attended; I trust this was reliable journalism (I admit I have an inherent distrust of the media, an industry I've worked with for many years).

So in NC if a family chooses to home school I gather from your post that it's necessary to enrol as a registered home school provider after meeting certain criteria? Is there an application and appraisal process required before the government permits a parent to home school their child? Does it cost $? Do they provide the curriculum or is it up to the parent to determine what is taught?

I attempted to give an explanation in my post above (responding to NoeticSoul) for why I adopted this course of questioning. Please understand that just because I propose a theory does NOT mean I necessarily agree with it, or that I think it's true. In any deductive process (here at WS or anywhere in my life) I feel it's beneficial to consider things from all angles; especially when there are no defining black and white answers. Ideas out of left-field can often make a valuable contribution.

Customarily I do not openly state my opinions or position; however, for clarity in this discussion, I want to add that I'm NOT an advocate of home schooling. As a result of sporting commitments my child aged 15 misses a quarter of the school year. I have a tutor to work with her two full days a week in that time, and my daughter has constant correspondence with her school, so she can meet the requirements of the full curriculum, and submit all assessment pieces. So you see I do understand the responsibilities with alternative teaching responsibilities. I certainly would not take on that role myself, in spite of the fact that both my partner and myself are/have been involved at tertiary and professional industry level teaching and training. I have serious doubts that EB would have provided adequate expertise at teaching to take on this role. This is why I'm so curious to discover the reasons WHY the decision was made, and why I speculate so broadly on these.

Regarding curriculum between the US & Australia, historically, if a child came from a US school to an Australian one at primary level, they usually were kept down a year, as the teaching and age at cut-off dates were different. Not sure how it operates the other way around, which is the reason for my questioning in that regard.

I wonder why she moved from Hudson to Granite Falls and then back to Hudson? Are they far from each other? I don't think that these dates coincide purely with moving house from what I have read in other threads here (or do they?).

Like you, I would hope that Zahra's progress at school wasn't adversely impacted by her taking time off as the result of her illnesses. It is courageous and admirable that Zahra took on doing homework in this difficult time. I would not be surprised to find that in a small town like Giru that her teacher may have visited her after hours to help as much as possible. We certainly know that the community was very supportive in their gifts to Zahra to assist with her learning and mobility. To Zahra's credit it sounds like she was put up a grade each year; quite an achievement for a child who has faced her issues of health (2 bouts of cancer treatment including chemotherapy and operations that include amputation and lung removal). It's not uncommon for Australian students to repeat at this age for a variety of reasons in our schools; subsequently the education department has recently adjusted the cut-off ages for enrollment, as they've found students advantaged and disadvantaged on a basis of maturity at various levels. So you see, this is an issue that is topical, hence I questioned this here.

Yes, having a hearing aid certainly would have helped Zahra considerably, my questions relate more to how she coped prior to receiving one, and whether as a result she may have fallen behind at school over the longer term. Please do not misunderstand my motives with this line of questioning. I am not in any way being cruel or judgemental of Zahra. I am trying to be realistic based on personal experience and knowledge in a private and education provider capacity. I have a niece (also my God-daughter) who suffered hearing impairment and has had a real struggle as a consequence of this with her early learning (she has been operated on and we hope this has fixed her problems). She has poor speech as a result. Of course her immediate family understands her without too much difficulty – just as I'm sure those close to Zahra understood her – though it's a big struggle for others who do not know my niece well. And as mentioned in my above post, I have taught adults with hearing loss ranging from impairment all the way to deaf (where they require an Auslan interpreter, which is similar to sign language). So I do understand the educational and social implications. I treat this subject with compassion and respect, as it is important to do so, and as I outlined above it is my legal obligation.

Like you, I'm quite certain that Zahra coped extremely well and was an incredible inspiration to others – in every circle she would have mixed in, be that the Camp Quality camps for children with cancer, to people she'd meet at school, through her family or in the community. Her life was inspirational to me! This doesn't necessarily mean that she didn't have problems in an educational sense nor does it mean that she was free from bullying which is a terrible stain on our education system. I have dealt with insidious bullying, and am a strong advocate against it. So these are all valid questions and ideas to discuss.

As per Mountain_Kat's comment earlier on this page, I will be very eager to find out what explanations AB gave LE for why Zahra had not attended school after the August 25th start of year, whether she had in fact completed any studies, and why they had not completed any official registration as a home school (whatever the requirements are).

 

[Flakes]

I have re-read my post, and can see how you could have misinterpreted it. I will try and edit it, but am not sure the time lapse will allow me to

 

[NoeticSoul]

Mountain_Kat, you have completely misunderstood my comment. I was saying that WS posters have indicated that AB and EB had "selfish, manipulative or neglectful" motivations for taking Zahra out of school.

Didn't you think that my comment – the way you interpreted it – was strange? Didn't that make you look back at my comment to try and grasp if there was another way that I had intended for my sentence to be read? There is no way that I would say such an appalling thing about other posters here. I am literally sitting here shaking like a leaf at the idea that anyone would think that's how I view people. I always try to be 100% respectful and put an incredible effort into my use of language to ensure there are no misunderstandings. Clearly I have failed. For that I apologise.

Please understand that your interpretation was about as far from my mind as we are geographically. I am very upset that anyone could misunderstand me so badly. I can't do anything more than ask you to re-read the original post (and those below it) with my above explanation in mind, and understand my comment in the context it was intended. Perhaps then my entire post would be read in a different light!

I was very confused by the tone of lauriej's response to me (bolds, underlines, colours). Your above post possibly offers an explanation for that (though maybe not). I hope my subsequent posts and this opportunity to respond to you serve to explain that I in no way meant what you thought. Not by any stretch of the imagination.

bbm

Don't be offput by lauriej, luv. That just her posting style =)

SNAZZY and succinct ...............

(see my Tasmainian Devil reference a post back lol)