BALTIMORE (WBFF) – A shocking discovery out of a Baltimore City high school, where Project Baltimore has found hundreds of students are failing. It’s a school where a student who passed three classes in four years, ranks near the top half of his class with a 0.13 grade point average.

Tiffany France thought her son would receive his diploma this coming June. But after four years of high school, France just learned, her 17-year-old must start over. He’s been moved back to ninth grade.

“He’s stressed and I am too. I told him I’m probably going to start crying. I don’t know what to do for him,” France told Project Baltimore. “Why would he do three more years in school? He didn’t fail, the school failed him. The school failed at their job. They failed. They failed, that’s the problem here. They failed. They failed. He didn’t deserve that.”

France’s son attends Augusta Fells Savage Institute of Visual Arts in west Baltimore. His transcripts show he’s passed just three classes in four years, earning 2.5 credits, placing him in ninth grade. But France says she didn’t know that until February. She has three children and works three jobs. She thought her oldest son was doing well because even though he failed most of his classes, he was being promoted. His transcripts show he failed Spanish I and Algebra I but was promoted to Spanish II and Algebra II. He also failed English II but was passed on to English III.

“I’m just assuming that if you are passing, that you have the proper things to go to the next grade and the right grades, you have the right credits,” said France

As we dig deeper into her son’s records, we can see in his first three years at Augusta Fells, he failed 22 classes and was late or absent 272 days. But in those three years, only one teacher requested a parent conference, which France says never happened. No one from the school told France her son was failing and not going to class.

In his four years at Augusta Fells, France’s son earned a GPA of 0.13. He only passed three classes, but his transcripts show his class rank is 62 out of 120. This means, nearly half his classmates, 58 of them, have a 0.13 grade point average or lower.The student’s transcripts show his class rank at 62 out of 120. His GPA is 0.1373 (WBFF)

“He’s a good kid. He didn’t deserve that. Where’s the mentors? Where is the help for him? I hate that this is happening to my child,” said an emotional France.

Project Baltimore talked with a City Schools administrator, who works inside North Avenue, but asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation. That administrator says the school system absolutely failed France’s son.

The administrator told FOX45 News, City Schools failed because it has protocols and interventions set up to help students who are falling behind or have low attendance. In France’s son’s case, they didn’t happen.

“I get angry. There’s nothing but frustration. We see on the news the crime that occurs, the murders, the shootings, we know that there are high levels of poverty in Baltimore. Things like this are adding to that. His transcript is not unusual to me. I’ve seen many transcripts, many report cards, like this particular student,” said the City Schools administrator.

The district says students received a letter about their academic status this past summer, and records can be accessed through the campus portal. When a student is absent, an automated call is placed to the number on file. The statement also said the school conducted recent home visits and the student’s parent visited the school. France says none of that happened.

What the statement does not address, is why France’s son was promoted despite failing classes. It doesn’t discuss his class rank, or the 58 other students with a GPA of 0.13 or lower. But it does say North Avenue is “reviewing actions that impacted student outcomes” at the school prior to this year.

“It took a lot for me to just build the courage to do this,” France told Project Baltimore.

Project Baltimore asked the City Schools administrator what they would say to France. The administrator replied, “I didn’t have a hand on this student, but I worked for City Schools. So, he is one of my kids. I would hug her, and I would apologize profusely.”

“He feels embarrassed, he feels like a failure,” France said of her son. “I’m like, you can’t feel like that. And you have to be strong and you got to keep fighting. Life is about fighting. Things happen, but you got to keep fighting. And he’s willing, he’s trying, but who would he turn to when the people that’s supposed to help him is not? Who do he turn to?”

The entire statement from Baltimore City Schools is below:

“Our goal is to provide resources and support to students and their families struggling with academic or attendance challenges. We hold schools and staff members accountable if that does not occur, including making appropriate staffing changes to improve outcomes. City Schools does not publicly discuss the individual academic or attendance records or data of its students. However, City Schools has taken multiple steps with the student’s family to support the young man, including:

• In summer 2020, students at Augusta Fells Savage Institute of Visual Arts received a letter explaining their academic status.
• Per Board Policy, teachers will provide students and parents with information about student achievement by regularly updating grades using Campus Portal. All families have access to this tool. In many cases, the school or teacher will notify the student of a potential course failure and allow work to be made up to support the student. Schools also provide parents the option for a conference following each report card.
• Anytime a student is absent from a class, the student’s family receives an automated phone call at their listed number advising the missed time. If necessary, families may respond to the call by noting if the absence meets the criteria to be excused.
• School staff also attempted to contact the student’s family. The school later mailed a letter and conducted a home visit. Ultimately, the student’s parent visited the school and met with its leadership.
• The student’s family has met with or talked recently with school and district level staff. regarding the student’s progress.

ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

Communication is important. If a student has poor attendance or the school cannot contact the family and develop an intervention, the student may fail the course, which may alter their ability to graduate.

School leadership is also key to ensuring the appropriate interventions take place. City Schools requires leadership that will effectively address student academic performance and support. City Schools is reviewing actions that impacted student outcomes at the Augusta Fells Savage Institute of Visual Arts before the 2020-2021 school year. Additionally (and separately from recent events at Augusta Fells Savage Institute of Visual Arts), City Schools will take prudent steps to intervene, including school leadership changes, to ensure our standards for student achievement are uniformly and consistently achieved throughout the district.

ATTENDANCE INTERVENTIONS

Children between the ages of 5 and 18 must attend school — it’s the law. If an absence occurs, the student’s family receives a daily automated phone call advising of the absence. If necessary, families may respond to the call by noting if the absence meets the criteria to be excused. Otherwise, the absence is recorded as unexcused.

Students who are absent for 10% or more of school days are considered chronically absent. If a student is chronically absent, the following interventions should occur:

• The school calls the family to check in and understand what issues may be contributing to the absence so that appropriate supports may be provided. This outreach may also occur through emails, text messages, and sometimes social media when phone calls fail. Communication may break down if the family’s contact information has changed or they cannot be contacted.
• When making outreach efforts, a meeting will be scheduled with the family to develop a plan to provide support around attendance. Where appropriate, this may be a Student Support Team or IEP meeting.
• If these outreach efforts fail, a home visit should be conducted to check on the student and arrange for a follow-up meeting with the school.
• If the absences continue, then the school should send a letter to the family to notify the family of the number of school days missed and again attempt to set up a meeting with a school representative.
• If the school is unsuccessful in their outreach efforts, the district’s office may be contacted to assist in reaching out to the student or the family.

Truancy is a legal term used to identify students who have missed more than 20% of school days (about 3.5 days per month) without a lawful reason.

If a student has missed 15 days of school without a legal reason, the school may make a truancy referral to the district office. At that point, the district office issues a letter of concern to the family and conducts a case review to determine if due diligence has been done in trying to reach the family and support the student’s re-engagement in school. The district office also monitors the student’s data to determine if the letter of concern has an impact on the student’s attendance.

If the district determines that the school has made every effort to work with the family and offer support but that the student has continued accruing unexcused absences, charges will be filed against the parent or guardian in district court.”

via: https://foxbaltimore.com/news/project-baltimore/city-student-passes-3-classes-in-four-years-ranks-near-top-half-of-class-with-013-gpa

Photo Credit: foxbaltimore.com

O’FALLON, Mo. — The St. Charles County branch of the NAACP and several parents are calling for change after five teachers were pictured on social media holding up a racial slur.

“I’m angry, I’m hurt because I trust you with my child,” said one parent with a child in the Christian School District.

It started as a game of human Scrabble. The photo shows faculty from the Christian School District rearranging letters to form the word “coons”. Someone then posted it to social media, parents say it was even on the school district’s website.

“They were running around trying to spell raccoon, but they didn’t have the R and the A,” said Pastor Raymond Horry who has two children enrolled in the district. “I don’t believe it that five Caucasian teachers, not one of them knew that. Maybe one didn’t know it, maybe two didn’t know it, but all 5 didn’t know it?”

Pastor Horry has two sons enrolled in the O’Fallon, Missouri, private school. He, along with other parents, said they’re speechless at how a slur like this one could be used by educators.

“He absolutely told me, ‘Mom, I’m tired of it, do what you need to do because this is not fair and I’m tired of feeling like this,'” said one parent quoting her conversation with her teenage son.

But John Smith, a graduate of Christian High School and a current basketball coach stood behind the educators saying this was not who they are.

“This isn’t our school this was a mistake,” Smith said. “Everybody in the world makes mistakes, everybody in the world has faults and this is just a little fault that we’ve had. This is not our school. I truly believe that they did not know what they were posting.”

In a statement, the district said they are investigating and will take the appropriate disciplinary actions after their investigation is complete. they also added this.

“We recognize that this ill-informed action caused hurt and offense to many students and families in our school and in the wider community. We offer no excuse as to why this word was used. In a statement to families last night, we apologized for the incident and sought their forgiveness. We also ask that of anyone who has been impacted by this picture.”

“It’s a blanket statement, it’s the same thing we always have to forgive them for their transgressions because they don’t know how to handle racial issues,” said one parent.

5 On Your Side also spoke with the St. Charles County NAACP. The branch’s president said they will be reaching out to school leaders.

via: https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/education/christian-school-district-racial-slur-teachers/63-db0930eb-e38e-47a4-b647-df9eb4409021

Photo Credit: ksdk.com

A woman was busted for a home invasion in Oklahoma — thanks in part to “Cheeto dust” found in her teeth, authorities allege.

Sharon Carr was arrested on a first-degree burglary charge after allegedly committed the dangerously cheesy act Friday at a home in Tulsa, police said.

Cops say they arrived at the home that night, where a mom of two young kids had called 911 to report that another lady had pried a screen off her window and gotten inside.

The snack-loving sneak had already fled — but cops say they found “a bag of Cheetos and a bottle of water on the floor near the open window.”

A few seconds later, however, Carr allegedly emerged from the shadows, police told news station KTUL.

The mom ID’d her as the invader — and the bust was further cemented when they found the incriminating orange snack-food residue still stuck in her teeth, the outlet reported.

Cops think she dropped the bag while making her escape.

“A good reminder that Cheeto dust can be pretty hard to get rid of,” Tusla police wrote on Facebook.

via: https://nypost.com/2021/03/01/burglar-busted-thanks-to-cheeto-dust-on-her-teeth-cops/

Photo Credit: Tulsa Police Department

A California high school teacher is under fire for making a “shocking” anti-Asian gesture during a Zoom class last week.

Nichole Burkett, a Spanish teacher and adviser for the class of 2022 at Sacramento’s Grant Union High School, is shown on video intentionally narrowing her eyes during an online class last week, according to local reports. 

“If your eyes go up, you’re Chinese,” Burkett said, as she stretched her own eyes. “If they go down, they’re Japanese. If they’re just straight, you don’t know.”

“I should leave your class right now!” someone can be heard saying after Burkett finished.

In a statement issued to the Sacramento Bee, Twin Rivers United School District spokesperson Zenobia Gerald called the video “shocking” and “disappointing,” adding that the district has opened a probe. 

“The video … does not represent the values held by Twin Rivers and the community,” Gerald added. “An investigation was immediately launched when we were notified about the video. Please know that Twin Rivers is committed to providing all students with a safe and civil learning environment in which all members of the school community are treated with dignity and respect. We do not tolerate any form of racism from any member of our school community.”

School principal Darris Hinson issued a similar statement to staff, according to the report. 

Burkett declined to comment to the paper, but a response from an email address associated with her said: “I have been advised to not make any statements until my union representative gets back to me.”

Burkett’s staff biography on the school website indicates that she is the club adviser for Lao Xang Noy, and KPOP. 

“I love teaching and supporting all students at Grant,” she wrote. 

The incident comes amid a recent wave of assaults on Asian victims in California and other parts of the country. 

via: https://nypost.com/2021/03/02/california-teacher-makes-anti-asian-gesture-during-zoom-class-video/

Photo Credit: twitter

Texas mother Trista Hamsmith lost her 17-month-old daughter, Reese, in December due to complications from swallowing a battery — and she’s doing her part to ensure the toddler did not die in vain.

“Kids are dying,” Hamsmith, 39, told the “Today” show. “We’ve got to do everything we can to get this information to parents and put pressure on the industry to make changes to protect the kids.”

Hamsmith, who lives in Lubbock, noticed that Reese, who was typically a lively character, began wheezing. She was also congested and lethargic, and a pediatrician said croup — an upper-airway infection that generally affects children — was the cause.

Not long after, Hamsmith noticed a button battery had gone missing from a remote control; later, at a local emergency room, doctors confirmed that Reese had swallowed it, and it burned a hole in her esophagus.

“This story needs to be told,” Hamsmith added. “It didn’t have to happen.”

Dr. Emily Durkin, the medical director of children’s surgery at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan — who did not treat Reese — told “Today” that swallowed batteries can cause serious harm if they lodge in the esophagus, which has two narrow ends.

“If you get a narrow, flat, pancake-like button battery that gets stuck at one of these natural narrowings, then the front wall of the esophagus collapses against the button battery and the back wall,” she said. “[This] completes that circuit, and the electric current actually flows through the esophageal tissues. And when that happens, it starts to kill the tissues at the burn.”

Reese had surgery in October, then returned home. But several days later, she returned to the emergency room after more complications arose.

“We found out that a fistula had been created, which is like a passageway,” Hamsmith said. “There was a hole burned through her trachea and through her esophagus. When that tunnel formed, it was allowing air to go where it didn’t need to be. Food and drinks also went where they didn’t need to go.”

From that point forward, Reese had a feeding tube and was sedated on a ventilator. She even needed another surgery, then had to receive CPR twice after falling into distress. That second time led to Reese’s death on Dec. 17, 2020.

Now, Hamsmith is calling for action, demanding manufacturers make safer batteries and Congress address it. She also hopes that manufacturers can make safer device covers, like having batter-storage compartments secured by screws, to add a layer of safety for children.

“We just need safer batteries,” she said.

via: https://nypost.com/2021/03/02/texas-mom-takes-action-after-babys-battery-swallow-death/

Photo Credit: Pray for Reese Hamsmith/Facebook