NJ- School Superintendent blames girl’s family for her suicide after she was beaten by a group of girls in the hallway of her school.

[BrownRice]

https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/new-jersey/districts/central-regional-school-district/central-regional-high-school-12503

This is a poor performing school. 22 out of 100 in college readiness. State testing is abysmal (below 31% in all categories). Yet, 92% graduation rate lol (just goes to show what a farce our public education system is - NO BLAME ON TEACHERS).

 

[BrownRice]

I think we actually agree, in that you mentioned in an earlier post the talented staff at more challenged schools decamping for easier roles with higher pay in more affluent districts. That’s the spirit in which I MOO’d staff working on resumes this weekend. Why stay in this now-leaderless district with a crushed national reputation when Point Pleasant Beach and a bunch of other District Factor Group I and J districts are in commutable?

True. The state I worked in, teachers were paid the same step/level regardless of the school/grade they taught. However, a portion of their salary was based on their school’s overall state score and testing. Hmmm. If a teacher works at an underperforming school, most likely, it’s in a poorer part of town and
lack of parent support. Often parent working multiple jobs so no time for homework, extra curricular activities etc. kids are just getting by. So teachers are doing their damndest to help these kids but can only get thru to a few. And they’re working a lot harder than the teachers in the suburbs. When a teacher vacancy at the suburban schools opens up, there’s lots of transfer requests. And who blames them!

 

[caradana]

True. The state I worked in, teachers were paid the same step/level regardless of the school/grade they taught. However, a portion of their salary was based on their school’s overall state score and testing. Hmmm. If a teacher works at an underperforming school, most likely, it’s in a poorer part of town and
lack of parent support. Often parent working multiple jobs so no time for homework, extra curricular activities etc. kids are just getting by. So teachers are doing their damndest to help these kids but can only get thru to a few. And they’re working a lot harder than the teachers in the suburbs. When a teacher vacancy at the suburban schools opens up, there’s lots of transfer requests. And who blames them!

Fascinating. In NJ, teacher pay varies wildly by district.

 

[Tired Professor]

One very telling moment in this particular case was when that teacher saw A being beaten, and turned and closed the door.

This says a lots about the culture of defeatism at that school. It tells me the kids were on their own, because the things were so bad, that the adults found it pointless to get involved.

There are a lot of FB posts about the school system being paid a large amount per child to take children from other districts. If that transfer child was a problem and expelled, it was a money hit. But the bullies seem to not just be transfers. But they certainly know violence is tolerated.

Look away! Shut the door!

The students seem to know that they can act out with aggression, and face no consequences. What’s the life lesson here…you can beat up your boss and keep your job?

That teacher in the doorway needed no crystal ball. She CHOSE not to intervene and let A be beaten by FOUR other girls!

What a hopeless, terrifying environment for the kids who were bullied or just trying to learn. Maybe no administration can change homelife, but they have a DUTY to provide a safe environment. These bullies should have had the police called to deal with them and charges pressed.

I didn’t see the video but maybe the teacher was calling for help? I have been in that situation before and have been knocked to the ground breaking up these types of fights. One time though, there were two huge dudes bigger much than I, and I knew it best to just run for help after they ignored my yelling to stop. Maybe the teacher was pregnant or had a medical condition and calling for help was just the best she could do at that time.

 

[Zella]

I didn’t see the video but maybe the teacher was calling for help? I have been in that situation before and have been knocked to the ground breaking up these types of fights. One time though, there were two huge dudes bigger much than I, and I knew it best to just run for help after they ignored my yelling to stop. Maybe the teacher was pregnant or had a medical condition and calling for help was just the best she could do at that time.

<modsnip - no link from an approved source>

The impression I get is that, unfortunately, these kinds of attacks are very common at the school, and the staff doesn't want to get involved, so when it erupts, they largely stay out of it. MOO

 

[arisam]

I've been wading through the tangled web of public school politics because of work recently, and this just breaks my heart. I've seen a lot of kids where I'm from falling through the cracks with seemingly nobody caring for them, and this just solidifies it for me that it's a widespread problem.

Liability for injury or harm, in my experience, seems to be a huge motivating factor in school policy. As much as I don't want to say this, I'm not surprised that teachers would shut the doors and not involve themselves - they're making sure they don't get injured. If I were investigating this, I would be asking if the "back away from the violence" mentality is policy. Wouldn't surprise me at all if it was.

What DOES shock me is the articles that explain that NOT calling 911 was a system policy. That is just plain unacceptable and REALLY UNSAFE. My guess is that the "don't call 911" policy probably has some really subjective wording, though. Higher-ranking professionals like superintendents know how to play the "I technically didn't lie" game.

But really, the thing that infuriates me the most is that this so-called administrator had the gall to smear the reputation of a teenaged girl and her grieving family. All he had to do was keep his mouth shut. Even a simple "We understand the community has questions for us, and we are working to gather all the relevant facts so we can answer them soon" would have sufficed. To me, the fact that he felt so comfortable coming out and saying those things against that family tells me he's probably said things like that to other families.

All my own opinion, of course.

 

[Zella]

But really, the thing that infuriates me the most is that this so-called administrator had the gall to smear the reputation of a teenaged girl and her grieving family. All he had to do was keep his mouth shut. Even a simple "We understand the community has questions for us, and we are working to gather all the relevant facts so we can answer them soon" would have sufficed. To me, the fact that he felt so comfortable coming out and saying those things against that family tells me he's probably said things like that to other families.

Yes and also at the end of the day, there is nothing about the family that is relevant to this situation. It doesn't matter what her home life and family is like. What happened to her at school is unacceptable, and the way the school handled it is unacceptable.

His response just pretty much solidified the impression that the school badly mishandled it because they just don't care, and it's not surprising people are now coming out of the woodwork with more stories like this about the school and superintendent.

MOO

 

[Zella]

<modsnip - quoted post was removed>
I've seen no indication that campus security intervened or that police were called, though. Per the father, he wasn't even told his daughter was attacked and had to take her to the police himself on his own initiative to file a report. MOO

It does seem like 2 adults eventually did intervene, but I've seen no indication it was because they were summoned, though I could be wrong.

 

[stmarysmead]

I wish we could have a discussion about the state of public education where we all agree to take some share of the ‘blame’…because whether it’s avarice, hopelessness, ignorance, politics,greed, or whatever…our children desperately need us to find solutions.

 

[stmarysmead]

I've seen no indication that campus security intervened or that police were called, though. Per the father, he wasn't even told his daughter was attacked and had to take her to the police himself on his own initiative to file a report. MOO

It does seem like 2 adults eventually did intervene, but I've seen no indication it was because they were summoned, though I could be wrong.

Then there’s the teacher shot by the 6 yr old…who seemingly did everything she could to avert the situation…and was ignored until she was shot.

 

[Erutan]

Once your child is on the school campus and out of their parent's care, it's the staff's job to provide a safe environment.
I can't emphasize this enough.

Fights like the one Adriana endured shouldn't have been allowed to progress as far as it did.
The bullying that happened before the fight should have been dealt with and the aggressors disciplined.

Certainly parents or caregivers bear some of the responsibility to raise children at their home, to not bully and to teach them that there are consequences if they commit acts of violence to a teacher or student.
But at the school they're temporarily away from their home environment and it becomes the school staffs' responsibility for the children's care and well being.
M00.

 

[LaborDayRN]

Please, please, press charges against the school and most of all this pathetic excuse for a human principal.

I haven't been this mad since Amanda Todd.

JMO

And then this......did not one teacher or facualty member want to be there for her & her family? Discusting!!!

"Kuch's family said the teen's funeral, which was due to take place on Saturday, has now been canceled.

There were no members of Central Regional High School's faculty present at the visitation on Friday evening."

Teen girls have their charges upgraded in after attack on Adriana Kuch

The four teenage girls accused of orchestrating the beating of 14-year-old Adriana Kuch that her father says drove her to take her own life have had their charges upgraded in New Jersey.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Cryptic]

Once your child is on the school campus and out of their parent's care, it's the staff's job to provide a safe environment.
I can't emphasize this enough.

Fights like the one Adriana endured shouldn't have been allowed to progress as far as it did. The bullying that happened before the fight should have been dealt with and the aggressors disciplined.

Though I full agree with you, some times actually doing say, "A", "B" and "C" can be more difficult than simply calling for action.

 

[stmarysmead]

And then this......did not one teacher or facualty member want to be there for her & her family? Discusting!!!

"Kuch's family said the teen's funeral, which was due to take place on Saturday, has now been canceled.

There were no members of Central Regional High School's faculty present at the visitation on Friday evening."

Teen girls have their charges upgraded in after attack on Adriana Kuch

The four teenage girls accused of orchestrating the beating of 14-year-old Adriana Kuch that her father says drove her to take her own life have had their charges upgraded in New Jersey.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Remembering that this Supt threatened the children who were holding the rally for A…I wonder if he (advised) threatened the teachers not to attend the visitation.

 

[Erutan]

Though I full agree with you, some times actually doing say, "A", "B" and "C" can be more difficult than simply calling for action.

Fair enough.

Yes, it can be much more complicated; I understand.
It's just in Adriana's case, my opinion is that the school admin. could have done more !
Imo.

 

[Erutan]

Remembering that this Supt threatened the children who were holding the rally for A…I wonder if he (advised) threatened the teachers not to attend the visitation.

Sad -- if the bolded occurred.
I'd read that the students were indeed treated despicably for a rally for Adriana.
There was nothing wrong in what they did and indeed they were right to show concern for not only the events that led to her death but I'd imagine many other worries and complaints about the handling of student abuse that weren't being addressed ?
My goodness.

 

[stmarysmead]

I think when this Supt said he didn’t want to”double whammy” the bullies by calling police as well as suspension, we are looking at one of the causative factors for the violence in our schools. Not the ONLY reason…but a major one.

His attitude seems to be that even violence must not be REALLY punished. That would victimize the bullies. The empathy these days seems to be focused away from the real victims. Far away….

I deleted a long post about the bullying of my granddaughter in an “very upscale’ private school. So i am not neutral in this discusdion. I know the fear and devastation bullied kids face as they walk into class each day…or come home to see themselves mocked and verbally torn apart on social media. Sure, you can take away their phones so they can’t read it…but next day in school they are told it all.

Bullying is a pandemic across all demographics…inner city, rural…private schools.

It is relentless. Luckily, we could just move her. I wish everyone had that option.

I can understand why teachers start to become apathetic…if there is no support from the district. And certainly a suspension, to a bully who hates school and is barely passing…is a vacation. These particular bullies are not exactly future scholarship material. Bullying is their claim to fame.

Even jail might be like a familiar ‘internship’ in their home situation with their ‘families’…not any big deal.

I really like the idea of taking away their internet service…like we take away the drivers license of an habitual drunk. And any violation by anyine else to enable them…they are lifetime banned as well.

Their power…their ability to spread their bile needs to be shut down. And no phones st school. Trash them, confiscate them. if you are ‘violent’with a phone, lets allow the school to smash it…in yr presence. Then back to class..no vacation.

 

[Laughing]

And then this......did not one teacher or facualty member want to be there for her & her family? Discusting!!!

"Kuch's family said the teen's funeral, which was due to take place on Saturday, has now been canceled.

There were no members of Central Regional High School's faculty present at the visitation on Friday evening."

Teen girls have their charges upgraded in after attack on Adriana Kuch

The four teenage girls accused of orchestrating the beating of 14-year-old Adriana Kuch that her father says drove her to take her own life have had their charges upgraded in New Jersey.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Wait, what???

I agree with the suggestion that they were told to stay away.

I've been to services for students, student's parents, students' grandparents, etc from my class & building -- not pleasant, but in my professional & personal opinion, the family deserves this brief support.

Their child stolen, publicly insulted by the Superintendent, now this.

Unbelievable.

 

[LaborDayRN]

Remembering that this Supt threatened the children who were holding the rally for A…I wonder if he (advised) threatened the teachers not to attend the visitation.

He may have scared (threatened?) the children but if A had been one of my students you can bet your life I would have been at the viewing to grieve and show my respects and support for her family. MOO

 

[Laughing]

He may have scared (threatened?) the children but if A had been one of my students you can bet your life I would have been at the viewing to grieve and show my respects and support for her family. MOO

Unless perhaps the bullies threatened those students?

At this point, that wouldn't surprise me much.