The Story of One Child in Georgia’s Alternative Schools
This is the story of one child who was placed in one of Georgia’s alternative school.
Many special needs children are being taught in the public school’s regular classrooms but Georgia’s special needs children continue to be taught in separate facilities. Georgia has more than 6,000 children with disabilities that prevent them from attending public schools. These children are emotionally disturbed, autistic, brain injured, and public schools are not equipped to control their erratic behavior. These special schools offer an alternative to institutions.
One such school is Alpine. Pioneer Regional Educational Service Agency, a government service operates Alpine for 14 northwest Georgia school districts. Unlike jails or psychiatric hospitals these Georgia alternative schools are not required to report disciplinary tactics. Jonathon Zimling, an Atlanta lawyer says, “They are just archaic and essentially lawless.”
Jonathan King’s parents found out that Alpine answered to no one. When Jonathan came home from school and his mom asked how his school day was, he always answered, “Its just school.” He didn’t complain of ill treatment. His parents later found that Jonathan was locked in a small room without a bathroom, water or food for hours at a time. Don King, the father said, “They didn’t tell us.”
Jonathan was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity in kindergarten and put on medication. He was disruptive at school and in the sixth grade was sent to Alpine where he attended for two years. His mother was told students were sent to a time out room when they misbehaved. She said she thought of his time outs at home when she made his sit still for ten minutes. “I had no idea” she said that it meant being up locked up in a room for hours on end where you can’t eat, drink, or go to the bathroom.
A log book at Alpine showed that Jonathan was locked up many days and hours. He was often sent to lock up for very minor incidents. Over a two day period he was locked up 15 hours. On the first day of this two day period he ripped up his shirt and tried to hang himself, as noted in the log. It also noted that he spent seven hours and ten minutes that day in lock up. Evidently the second day was uneventful. A few days later the log showed he was fighting and was taken to lockup. He hated to wear a belt and had a rope around his waist to hold his pants up. The log showed that Jonathan beat on the walls for fifteen minutes, curse and sang.
A teacher told him to calm down and be quiet. He did become quiet. In the lock up room Jonathan had made a noose, put it around his neck and hanged himself from a grill in the door. When the police report came in, Johnathan’s parents were unbelieving of what their child had experienced at Alpine. He had spent so many days locked up and had threatened to kill himself three weeks before he did actually do it. Jonathan was thirteen years old.
Alpine is still open in Gainesville, Ga. State school officials have put into place non-binding guidelines for disciplining students and may pose regulations later this year.
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George W Whitehead
On August 2, 2009 at 3:23 am
This is rather disturbing, Ruby. Can’t Washington step in and do something about these schools?
CHAN LEE PENG
On August 2, 2009 at 5:15 am
I think this issue should get the authority’s and public’s attention. This was such a fear and pressure for those who’d to bear on. The victim should go through a proper education to curb the nagative thought. I doubt that he might have been under depression, and thus proper teaching is needed badly to educate him towards the right path.
Thanks and have my liked it.
Katien
On August 2, 2009 at 5:30 am
That is a very disturbing account. It is appalling that places like this exist nowadays.
chitragopi
On August 2, 2009 at 5:38 am
Reporting disciplinary tatics in schools should be made mandatory.
rizzei
On August 2, 2009 at 8:42 am
nice post ruby but yeah i agree with the comments posted here.
also, schools are the second home of the students:)
Christine Ramsay
On August 2, 2009 at 9:26 am
What a dreadful thing to happen. While teaching myself had considerable experience of very disruptive children, who needed so much attention that the rest of the class suffered and were actually frightened of being in the same class as one of these children. Disruptive children can be extremely difficult to deal with and need specialist help, but I don’t think teachers are trained well enough to deal with these cases. A very good article, Ruby.
Christine
Inna Tysoe
On August 2, 2009 at 5:48 pm
Aren’t there laws in Georgia about child abuse?
Mystify
On August 2, 2009 at 6:13 pm
What a horrific case of neglact and mistreatment cause by a school,I am shocked to know this actually happens!Another excellent,well written article as always Ruby.I am pleased I can at least respond this this unlike in the sciencary which I never can respond for some reason.You also wrote a really great article about technology yesterday
Lostash
On August 2, 2009 at 7:28 pm
What a disturbing report. I have a few friends with special needs children….thank god this doesn’t (or rarely….how do we know?) happen over here!
PR Mace
On August 2, 2009 at 8:33 pm
What a horrible thing to happen to a child. I can’t believe this so called school is still open. Are the parents trying to close it down? Another eye-opening article, Ruby.
Angela DiAngelo
On August 2, 2009 at 10:57 pm
Sad, so sad. All of this could have been avoided. Adults need to be adults. Proper channels could have been taken with this child. Ignorance can cause such tragedy! It angers me.
ashan1614
On August 3, 2009 at 9:57 am
This is appalling to say the least. I hope this “teacher” is being brought up on charges. If the school knowingly allowed this type of punishement, then the school officials need to be charged as well. An unneccesary waste of a young life.
Ruby Hawk
On August 3, 2009 at 6:54 pm
I thank you everyone for your interest and comments. You are good friends. Our alternative schools should have bylaws that must be followed. At present it’s not the case in Georgia. I think in the near future that will be acomplished. Alpine is still open and nobody has been charged with anything. Non binding rules have been put in place but the school is at liberty to follow them or not, as I understand it. It is up to the parent to keep a close check on their child to be sure he is being taught and not mistreated.
RS Wing
On August 4, 2009 at 7:35 am
That is so, so, sad. Where’s the government intervention when they are really needed. Failed government, failed system, failed education system. Really enlightening article on a very sad occurrence. Those poor parents. My God, What Have We Done To Our Children?
Bhumika Ghimire
On August 4, 2009 at 12:13 pm
very disturbing..thank u for letting us know
Rajiv Sighamony
On August 12, 2009 at 7:46 am
strange things happen in schools these days.
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