Dean's State educators bully homeschooling mom

VERMONT HOMESCHOOLING MOM JAILED
Refuses to Present Child to Court

MONTPELIER, SEP 6 (ZENIT).- Last September 1, homeschooling mother Karen Maple appeared in the Vermont circuit court without bringing her 15-year-old son Trevor, whom the school district has diagnosed as learning disabled. As a result, she has been placed in jail for contempt of court without bail.

The story began very typically. Seventh-grader Trevor was bored at school, displayed a short attention span, and read at a second grade level. Academic problems escalated into social problems. He even went to live with his grandparents to give another school system a try, but to no avail.

While discussing Trevor's problems with his school's vice-principal, he advised Trevor's mom that homeschooling could be a perfect alternative. Considering her options, schedule, and abilities, just two and a half months into the school year, Karen Maples decided to give it a try.

Vermont requires homeschoolers to submit a portfolio to the Board of Education or provide a Stanford Achievement Test score. Karen submitted a portfolio the first year, but for efficiency she switched to the standardized test the next year, and the year after. Trevor's score improved markedly, as did his self-confidence when he was in a learning environment that didn't call him "learning disabled." School officials deemed the test results suspect.

http://www.sover.net/~auc/home-ed.htm


Maple fails to show at hearing
By Associated Press, 09/17/99 15:26

ST. ALBANS, Vt. (AP) Karen Maple, the home-schooling mother who spent two weeks in jail on contempt of court charges, failed to show up at the Social and Rehabilitation Services office with her son Friday as ordered.

Maple, 36, of Bakersfield, was released from jail on Tuesday. She was ordered on her release to take her 15-year-old son to Vermont's child protection agency Friday at 9 a.m. to have his educational needs evaluated.

Because Maple didn't show up as ordered she will remain in contempt of court and also face fines of $100 a day.

The SRS district director said officials were ''very disappointed'' by her apparent decision to defy the order.

http://www.sover.net/~auc/no-maple.htm


Home-school mom's plan was proper
May 27, 2000

MONTPELIER - A Bakersfield woman jailed for two weeks in a dispute with the state over a home-schooling plan for her son had properly set up the program when he was declared truant and ordered into state custody, the Vermont Supreme Court ruled Friday.

The high court reversed a Franklin County family court decision that found the 15-year-old son of Karen Maple was a child in need of supervision because he was not in school and not participating in a state-approved home-schooling plan.

In the late summer of 1998, the family court ordered Trevor Maple into state custody after Karen Maple and the Vermont Education Department were unable to agree to the details of a special component of his home education plan.

In September 1998, Karen Maple went to jail for two weeks rather than turn her son over to department of Social and Rehabilitation Services. Until Friday, her son was still legally in state custody, although officials do not know where he is.

The Supreme Court decision said that under state law governing home schooling, Maple met the legal requirements for telling the state she planned to educate her child at home. The state Department of Education did not follow the procedures needed to contest a home-schooling plan.

http://rutlandherald.nybor.com/News/Story/7907.html

Where does it say that this is:

1) Dean's fault?

2) NOT the mother's fault for not showing up to court?

3) Homeschooling is a good thing?

I wonder sometimes how you get away with posting this tripe again and again....

Dean. It's the mother's own damn fault, no one else's. As far as I'm concerned, she's guilty of child abuse and child endangering. It has nothing at all to do with "bullying" home schoolers, although I frankly have a lot of concerns about home schooling. The mother has the responsiblity to ensure that her son is properly educated and prepared for life in the real world, and she is totally at fault in this. What the hell does Dean have to do with it anyway, he's not even governor anymore!

Its local school board idiots.

And taking the kid away... Supreme Court Over-ruled him

The Vermont State Board of Education has 7 members, ALL are appointed by the governor for a 6 year term.

Dean appointees.

sign the order for contempt? I've never heard of a court having to get the signature of the Governor to execute a court order. I just read the first link, but it had nothing about Dean signing anything. Can you point me in the direction of where you got the info? Many thanks.

before the case got to the supreme court level. AIthorizing the School Comissioers, ALL his appointees, to act against the mother.

"Last September 1, homeschooling mother Karen Maple appeared in the Vermont circuit court without bringing her 15-year-old son Trevor, whom the school district has diagnosed as learning disabled. As a result, she has been placed in jail for contempt of court without bail."

I don't see where the Supreme Court jailed her. Didn't a lower court jail her and then the Vermont Supreme Court later rule in her favor?

Do you have a link that tells the details of Dean signing this court order? My dad is a state Superior Court judge and I've never heard about a Governor signing any court order for any level of state court.

N_J is making it up as he goes along.

really? I can't imagine ANY state constitution giving a governor that power.

Vermont not Paradise on earth. Film at 11. :eyes:

Guess if that defender of 600,000 odd people cannot make things work in that little tiny "PARADISE" Whats he gonna do with a nation of 270 million.

As a matter of fact,this articlet had to be found on ZENIT, a News agency from Rome, as a large number of people who have been placed in similar circumstances have accused Governor Dean and the Head of the Department of Education in actively trying to cover up such state authorized situations in which parents wished to homeschool their children. Something to do with dollars per kid who attend school.

Again, much of this is very quiet. There are a number of events regarding Dean in Vemront that you can find hists at, but since his records are sealed, cannot get to look at the signed records of.

Dean and his government officials were also involved in things that killed a large number of family farms, by bringing in McFarms, but again, you can find references, but Deans own records are sealed.

been there, done that

Christ, is your entire EGO riding on YOUR candidate winning, or is it more important to just beat Bush*?

You sound like the little boys on the schoolyard who say "My team is better than yours."

"No it isn't."

"Yes it is."

ad nauseum...

Grow up...Or don't. But posting 25 posts on THE SAME TOPIC just makes you look whiney...

And all starte by Nick_J.

I guess he cannot find anything good to say about the candidate of his choice, which is funny, because although Dean is my favorite, I like Kerry and see lots of good things in him.

I'm convinced.

:freak:

Let's see. The guy cuts education funds in Vermont. Then homeschoolers get punished for trying to give their kids an education. Millions of lost votes. Oh, well. By the way, homeschoolers always vote.

meaning her child was forcibly weaned from the breast. A forced weaning like that is traumatic for the child, with the separation of the child from her jailed mother for two weeks being another trauma.

How could a doctor who supposedly cares about people sign off on sending a nursing mother to jail? It was even a violation of Vermont law, which prohibits jailing a nursing mother whose child is under three years old.

It was the adulation Dean gets from his supporters here, and the fact that they get very upset by the mildest criticism, that made me start investigating his history in Vermont. Up until then, I counted him as my second or third choice in the race, assumed he was pretty much like his press. Now I've seen the other side of Dean and I don't see how I could vote for him and live with my conscience.

And it is an interesting history for a so-called progressive.

And frankly, there are as many Dean threads, and I remember the attacks on other candidates from members of DU.

So skip the threads if they bug you. They are informative to some here.

Daan supporters give Dean all kinds of Kudos fro crap he had nothing to do with, like his Vermont Health Care for the working poor.People who fall below 150 percent of federal poverty levels recieve medicaid...Well thats the rule for ALL federal medicais in EVERY STATE. Vermont is SO small that when the federal government RAISED the levels, all off the people at that level in Vermont were covered.
Since Vermont has 25 percent of its population living om minimum wage, which in Vermont is below 150 percent of FPL, they are covered.
But when stuff goes wrong, Dena was NOT RESPONSIBLE...

What does that say about the LEADER of the state. After all, Dean supporters keep trying to compare Dean to Truman. Well as Truman so bluntly put it "THE BUCK STOPS HERE"

Dean put the homseschooling rules in place, he signed off on them, he APPOINTED all seven members of the Vermont Education Board to act in HIS behalf, carrying out HIS programs and ideas.

Thats the job of a leader. Is he a leader or not. Was he responsible or not. If not, then ALL Deans arguments about Bush being responsible for false intellegence, coming from other agencies and the FBI and the CIA falls apart, after all, the USA is not perfect. It not the presidents fault what other people decide to tell him and no tell him about. Not his fault that his court appointees make decisions to get rid of abortion, or that his labor department tries to get rid of overtime pay, is it?

If Dean was not in charge, was not where the buck stopped, WHO WAS.

Sorry, again, thats not a leader, but a follower.

First, the words Howard Dean are no where to be found in the thousands of words in the three linked articles. I read every last word and they are no where to be found.

Second, she went to jail because she refused to follow the then lawful order of a judge. The fact that the Supreme Court eventually decided the state school board had to hold hearings to reject education plans doesn't alter the fact that she was indeed in contempt of court. And, no Dean didn't sign her order for prison no matter what some posters like to say.

Third, I would be willing to bet that no one here knows what that law said or didn't say. From what the press accounts say she was in violation of the law. She was supposed to file a portfolio and didn't. It seems to me that she a) violated the deal and b) should have known she did. But since the account is so fuzzy I have no idea if that is accurate or not.

Finally, there are proceedures to deal with laws one thinks are unjust. Spiriting away ones children isn't one of them. She chose to behave in a way that she should have known would put her at risk to be in jail. She was put in jail. Dean didn't do it. The Supreme Court evidently didn't address that issue at all (which speaks volumes).

The post that I'm responding to here just generated $2 for Gov. Dean's campaign.



http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=108&topic_id=9385&mesg_id=9385

I have upped my Drinking Game/Eats Puppies contributions to Dean to $5 for every thread or post from you. It remains at only $1 for others. I hope you appreciate the amount of (monetary) support you will be generating for Dean. Thank you for your support.