Post by Concerned Columbus Parent on Feb 17, 2007 3:19:28 GMT -5
Here is the CHALLENGE I issued via email on 02/16/07
to Dr. Gene T. Harris and the CPS Board (see below)...
I have tried to recreate the bold/colored areas, but it may not be exact. The text however, is a copy and paste and IS indeed, exactly what I sent (with the exception of some info hidden and indicated as such in order to protect my private info).[/size][/color]
----- Original Message -----
To: B. Drummond CPS BRD ; C. Weddington CPS BRD ; Carole Perkins CPS BRD ; Dr. Gene T. Harris, CPS ; Jeff Cabot CPS BRD ; Shawna Gibbs CPS BRD ; Stephanie Groce CPS BRD ; Terry Boyd CPS BRD
Cc: [hidden major local news sources email adresses]
Sent: Friday, February 16, 2007 6:52 PM
Subject: a CHALLENGE issued for Dr. Gene Harris & CPS Board to walk 2 miles with a concerned Columbus parent in this kind of weather!!! cc: Press & News Media
Dear Dr. Gene T. Harris and the Columbus Public School Board,
Please Note: Due to time constraints with feeling the urgency to get this out today, below is the original email I composed that journals MANY details of why I present you with this invitation, so heads up that it would possibly serve you to read the details below, as I am copying this and following up with phone calls to every local news/press organization I can think of. I am also collaborating with other parents and students to collect stories from the kids and parents in Columbus about what they've had to endure to get to school during this weather for public exposure if need be. They can email their complaints to me at CPScomplaints@yahoo.com.
I'd like to extend to you a formal challenge. I'd like to challenge you, Dr. Harris, your entire school board, and any news crew that would like to accompany us, to meet me at 6am on any below zero day of your choice (including with wind chill factors), or on any day with excessive amounts of snow or ice, to walk with me for two (2) miles - the maximum distance many of your students are required to walk to get to school or to their bus stops. I will gratefully welcome ANY ONE or more of you who will accept the challenge. I understand from the current weather forecasts that there should be several opportunities for us to do this next week. We can start at my apartment, it's as good as anywhere. The dangerous wind chill, snow and ice conditions (and need for cleanup of walking areas as a result of same) make it near impossible to tolerate or even make the walk, and are definitely endangering our children's health & safety, and I want to be clear that I am VERY concerned about ALL the children in this district and in Columbus having to attempt to do so simply because you say it's safe because you can get the buses out. Other schools and districts follow your lead much of the time, and I've personally heard that as an excuse used by some when asked why they are having classes on days like this. It's not safe in these weather conditions, and if you'll accept this challenge, I can and will prove it. No excuses matter at this point. The bottom line is that this comes down to which is CPS's higher priority...having to make up school days, or protecting the health and safety of our Columbus children? My point is that you can't anticipate every situation that could be dangerous in this weather, so you shouldn't even try to. You should adhere to a policy that it's simply dangerous weather so you won't have school when that is the case. Period. No matter HOW it has to be made up.
I do respectfully request and fully expect that I will hear from you in a timely fashion on these complaints and this challenge. If you would like to accept, please contact me by email or telephone, and I will give you my specific address to meet at and we can set up a time & date.
Have a great, warm evening and stay safe out there...
[hidden]
a VERY concerned Columbus parent
(614) [hidden]
The Details: (from my rough draft written this morning)
Dear Dr. Harris and Columbus School Board,
I hope this finds you having kept warm and cozy this morning as you got in your (most likely) garaged cars and traveled to your jobs today. As I begin this email, WCMH is reporting -16 (that's 16 BELOW ZERO) with the wind chill factored in. In case the fact has COMPLETELY gone over your head, that's EXTREMELY dangerous to be outside in for more than a few minutes.
And lest we forget, there are the added factors right now of 1) MOUNDS of snow (some FEET high) covering the sides of the roads and many of the sidewalks that are 2) iced over, making them dangerous to walk on, as you either slide on it or crack through it. But alas, I digress and need to break here to go back out for the 3rd time this morning to try and simply get IN to my car (unfortunately MANY of your student's parents don't have garages) in order to get my daughter to school that you've kept in session AGAIN in this terrible weather. I'll get back to writing ASAP, please excuse me.
Okay, back for a few minutes now and FYI was finally able to get into my car through a back door, my passenger side door broken weeks ago trying to get her to school in this frozen weather, and now the driver's side appears to be following. Great. Single mom, works from home to be here for her daughter, no money to replace a car simply because we'll now have to enter from the back seat and crawl to the front. I may officially own a "hoopty" now. Awesome. Not your fault, except that I'd have never even attempted to use it today if not for your decision to not call off school in these conditions.
Sorry to rant, but I am so tired of hearing you say how the buses can get to the kids and therefore they are safe. You are not factoring in many things here ASIDE from the wind chill even, all the while stating that SAFETY is your main concern. MANY of your students have to walk FAR to get to those stops through high snow that's iced over on dangerous roads with high speed limits and no sidewalks or berms (TOO dangerous in normal weather conditions even, as my daughter would have to do for the almost half mile distance it is to her stop if I were unable to drive her). What about all those KIDS WHO HAVE TO WALK UP TO 2 MILES TO THEIR BUS STOP or TO SCHOOL? WHAT ABOUT THE KIDS WHO'S PARENTS DON'T HAVE CARS OR HAVE TO BE AT WORK BEFORE THE KIDS LEAVE FOR THEIR BUS? WHAT ABOUT THE KIDS WHO'S PARENTS DON'T CARE ABOUT THEM AND IF THEY GET THERE WARM AT ALL? HOW ARE YOU KEEPING THEM SAFE? And what about the piss poor condition of the buses? On my daughter's bus about half the windows won't even close, allowing this below zero weather right into the bus, as has been the case with almost every bus she's had through all these years with your district, including the buses of the outside bus companies that you use. The answer is, simply, that YOU ARE NOT PROTECTING THE KIDS. You are endangering them in SO MANY ways simply by calling school in session in this DANGEROUS weather! I am also tired of hearing about how childcare issues for parents are a factor - childcare is OUR issue as parents. Being able to keep kids safe if you insist on keeping school in session in this weather is YOUR ISSUE and you're NOT doing that.
So, I'd like to extend you a formal challenge. I'd like to invite you, Dr. Harris, your entire school board, and any news crew that would like to accompany us, to meet me at 6am on any below zero day of your choice (including with wind chill factors), or on any day with excessive amounts of snow or ice, to walk with me for two miles - the maximum distance many of your students are required to walk to get to school or to their bus stops. I will gratefully welcome ANY ONE or more of you who will accept the invitation. We can start at my apartment, it's as good as anywhere. In fact, my inclination is almost to dare you to walk down [hidden reference to a street location] on any given day, let alone in this mess, as you require my daughter to do to get to her bus. It is DEADLY dangerous even in the best of weather, another issue I've already been meaning to further take up with you/your transportation department. Instead, due to the lack of adequate response from your transportation department on that complaint, I have made sure she is safe myself. That aside, the dangerous weather conditions (and need for cleanup of walking areas as a result of same) make it near impossible to tolerate the walk and are definitely endangering our children, and I am concerned about ALL the children in this district having to attempt to do so simply because you say it's safe. It's not in these conditions, and if you'll accept this invitation, I can prove it.
By the way, it's now 7:44am, and my car is still running, still completely frozen, and it may be another hour before I can even move it...if it's even a possibility then. But I'll certainly give it the old college try. I'll try and get her to school and then will come back and edit and send this email to you and all the news stations. I do fully expect that I will hear from you in a timely fashion on this complaint and challenge. If you accept the invitation, contact me and I will give you the specific address to meet me at.
Have a great, warm day and stay safe out there...
[hidden]
a VERY concerned Columbus parent
(614) [hidden]
p.s. 8:35am now (a FULL 2 1/2 hrs since I began working to get into my car and be able to get through the ice on the windows) and I'm ready to go out and attempt to try and leave.
9:30am and I'm just returning home after finally getting her to school, and having missed out on a full 2 1/2 hours of my own work day already. That's not counting whatever I'll have to do to get out to get to her bus stop this afternoon by 3pm. After the last entry, it took me a full 20 minutes just to break through the rest of the ice on my windshields, STILL never getting down to the wipers and taking her without the use of them, which is also dangerous in this weather, but I took the chance. I recount all these extra details just to give you a clue about what some of us parents who do care about or kids go through to try and keep our own kids safe when you have school in this dangerous weather...and believe me, I could have given you many more details of this morning's woes that I didn't include.
10:20am - as I sit editing this, my daughter calls from school to say they have to close school now due to power issues. No power = no heat. The school has been told that for safety, they must evacuate the building within 1 hour. hmmmm...weather related perhaps? The problem was outside the building to my understanding. THIS IS RIDICULOUS! Oh well, I'm off again to get my daughter...will have to attend to this after I get back. Does this drive home the point? WE LIVE IN OHIO for God's sake. What's there not to understand about calling school in this weather?!
11:35am - just returned from picking her up. She spent most of the time she was there in IN SCHOOL SUSPENSION, being punished because her lateness was not "due to a bus problem or sickness." Where does it end? Also, I just witnessed SEVERAL STUDENTS walking ***ON*** [hidden] Rd. because they couldn't access the sidewalks (which are pretty much impassible, some of the snow looked as tall as me and I'm 5'3"!), which I also witnessed the same in taking her to school earlier. As well I saw one student get into a car that pulled up along side them (seemingly) unexpectedly. I'm inclined to wonder how many kids wouldn't accept a ride, even from a total stranger, having been forced into braving these weather conditions to attend school? This is crazy and TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. I guess I better get busy collecting email addys, fax & PHONE numbers, etc. for all the organizations I'm sending this out to so that I'll have it ready for by today. AS FOR MY CHILD, SHE WILL NOT ATTEND SCHOOL AGAIN WHEN THE TEMPERATURE IS BELOW ZERO (OR THE WIND CHILL MAKES IT FEEL THAT WAY), OR WHEN THERE'S SO MUCH SNOW AND ICE THAT IT'S DANGEROUS, as NO child should have to, including CPS students. You need to get a grip and stop worrying about YOUR lost summer vacations, the extra finances, etc. and PROTECT THE KIDS. The state mandated 182 days (or whatever it is) has NOTHING to do with it, so PLEASE stop throwing it out there as a big part of the problem. Neither does the fact that people are supposed to keep their sidewalks clear have anything to do with it - because bottom line, they're not clear. Missed days can be made up in decent weather...IT'S YOU AND YOUR DECISIONS on these matters that are ENDANGERING OUR CHILDREN's lives and wellbeing.
2pm - I was just informed by a student that SOME BUSES THAT ARE PROVIDED BY COLUMBUS PUBLIC SCHOOLS TRANSPORTATION NEVER SHOWED UP AT ALL YESTERDAY. I don't have first hand knowledge of this, only that it is what some of the students at my daughter's school are saying is why they never made it to school yesterday. Incidentally, the student that informed me of this said that she herself had to walk in the road to get to her bus stop today and that she had fallen and hurt herself while trying to make it there due to the walking conditions.
Another note: My daughter's principal said that there were only 1/3 of his students even in attendance yesterday. I'd be very curious to know the overall Columbus Public attendance rates on these types of dangerous weather condition days when school is not cancelled.[/b]
to Dr. Gene T. Harris and the CPS Board (see below)...
I have tried to recreate the bold/colored areas, but it may not be exact. The text however, is a copy and paste and IS indeed, exactly what I sent (with the exception of some info hidden and indicated as such in order to protect my private info).[/size][/color]
----- Original Message -----
To: B. Drummond CPS BRD ; C. Weddington CPS BRD ; Carole Perkins CPS BRD ; Dr. Gene T. Harris, CPS ; Jeff Cabot CPS BRD ; Shawna Gibbs CPS BRD ; Stephanie Groce CPS BRD ; Terry Boyd CPS BRD
Cc: [hidden major local news sources email adresses]
Sent: Friday, February 16, 2007 6:52 PM
Subject: a CHALLENGE issued for Dr. Gene Harris & CPS Board to walk 2 miles with a concerned Columbus parent in this kind of weather!!! cc: Press & News Media
Dear Dr. Gene T. Harris and the Columbus Public School Board,
Please Note: Due to time constraints with feeling the urgency to get this out today, below is the original email I composed that journals MANY details of why I present you with this invitation, so heads up that it would possibly serve you to read the details below, as I am copying this and following up with phone calls to every local news/press organization I can think of. I am also collaborating with other parents and students to collect stories from the kids and parents in Columbus about what they've had to endure to get to school during this weather for public exposure if need be. They can email their complaints to me at CPScomplaints@yahoo.com.
I'd like to extend to you a formal challenge. I'd like to challenge you, Dr. Harris, your entire school board, and any news crew that would like to accompany us, to meet me at 6am on any below zero day of your choice (including with wind chill factors), or on any day with excessive amounts of snow or ice, to walk with me for two (2) miles - the maximum distance many of your students are required to walk to get to school or to their bus stops. I will gratefully welcome ANY ONE or more of you who will accept the challenge. I understand from the current weather forecasts that there should be several opportunities for us to do this next week. We can start at my apartment, it's as good as anywhere. The dangerous wind chill, snow and ice conditions (and need for cleanup of walking areas as a result of same) make it near impossible to tolerate or even make the walk, and are definitely endangering our children's health & safety, and I want to be clear that I am VERY concerned about ALL the children in this district and in Columbus having to attempt to do so simply because you say it's safe because you can get the buses out. Other schools and districts follow your lead much of the time, and I've personally heard that as an excuse used by some when asked why they are having classes on days like this. It's not safe in these weather conditions, and if you'll accept this challenge, I can and will prove it. No excuses matter at this point. The bottom line is that this comes down to which is CPS's higher priority...having to make up school days, or protecting the health and safety of our Columbus children? My point is that you can't anticipate every situation that could be dangerous in this weather, so you shouldn't even try to. You should adhere to a policy that it's simply dangerous weather so you won't have school when that is the case. Period. No matter HOW it has to be made up.
I do respectfully request and fully expect that I will hear from you in a timely fashion on these complaints and this challenge. If you would like to accept, please contact me by email or telephone, and I will give you my specific address to meet at and we can set up a time & date.
Have a great, warm evening and stay safe out there...
[hidden]
a VERY concerned Columbus parent
(614) [hidden]
The Details: (from my rough draft written this morning)
Dear Dr. Harris and Columbus School Board,
I hope this finds you having kept warm and cozy this morning as you got in your (most likely) garaged cars and traveled to your jobs today. As I begin this email, WCMH is reporting -16 (that's 16 BELOW ZERO) with the wind chill factored in. In case the fact has COMPLETELY gone over your head, that's EXTREMELY dangerous to be outside in for more than a few minutes.
And lest we forget, there are the added factors right now of 1) MOUNDS of snow (some FEET high) covering the sides of the roads and many of the sidewalks that are 2) iced over, making them dangerous to walk on, as you either slide on it or crack through it. But alas, I digress and need to break here to go back out for the 3rd time this morning to try and simply get IN to my car (unfortunately MANY of your student's parents don't have garages) in order to get my daughter to school that you've kept in session AGAIN in this terrible weather. I'll get back to writing ASAP, please excuse me.
Okay, back for a few minutes now and FYI was finally able to get into my car through a back door, my passenger side door broken weeks ago trying to get her to school in this frozen weather, and now the driver's side appears to be following. Great. Single mom, works from home to be here for her daughter, no money to replace a car simply because we'll now have to enter from the back seat and crawl to the front. I may officially own a "hoopty" now. Awesome. Not your fault, except that I'd have never even attempted to use it today if not for your decision to not call off school in these conditions.
Sorry to rant, but I am so tired of hearing you say how the buses can get to the kids and therefore they are safe. You are not factoring in many things here ASIDE from the wind chill even, all the while stating that SAFETY is your main concern. MANY of your students have to walk FAR to get to those stops through high snow that's iced over on dangerous roads with high speed limits and no sidewalks or berms (TOO dangerous in normal weather conditions even, as my daughter would have to do for the almost half mile distance it is to her stop if I were unable to drive her). What about all those KIDS WHO HAVE TO WALK UP TO 2 MILES TO THEIR BUS STOP or TO SCHOOL? WHAT ABOUT THE KIDS WHO'S PARENTS DON'T HAVE CARS OR HAVE TO BE AT WORK BEFORE THE KIDS LEAVE FOR THEIR BUS? WHAT ABOUT THE KIDS WHO'S PARENTS DON'T CARE ABOUT THEM AND IF THEY GET THERE WARM AT ALL? HOW ARE YOU KEEPING THEM SAFE? And what about the piss poor condition of the buses? On my daughter's bus about half the windows won't even close, allowing this below zero weather right into the bus, as has been the case with almost every bus she's had through all these years with your district, including the buses of the outside bus companies that you use. The answer is, simply, that YOU ARE NOT PROTECTING THE KIDS. You are endangering them in SO MANY ways simply by calling school in session in this DANGEROUS weather! I am also tired of hearing about how childcare issues for parents are a factor - childcare is OUR issue as parents. Being able to keep kids safe if you insist on keeping school in session in this weather is YOUR ISSUE and you're NOT doing that.
So, I'd like to extend you a formal challenge. I'd like to invite you, Dr. Harris, your entire school board, and any news crew that would like to accompany us, to meet me at 6am on any below zero day of your choice (including with wind chill factors), or on any day with excessive amounts of snow or ice, to walk with me for two miles - the maximum distance many of your students are required to walk to get to school or to their bus stops. I will gratefully welcome ANY ONE or more of you who will accept the invitation. We can start at my apartment, it's as good as anywhere. In fact, my inclination is almost to dare you to walk down [hidden reference to a street location] on any given day, let alone in this mess, as you require my daughter to do to get to her bus. It is DEADLY dangerous even in the best of weather, another issue I've already been meaning to further take up with you/your transportation department. Instead, due to the lack of adequate response from your transportation department on that complaint, I have made sure she is safe myself. That aside, the dangerous weather conditions (and need for cleanup of walking areas as a result of same) make it near impossible to tolerate the walk and are definitely endangering our children, and I am concerned about ALL the children in this district having to attempt to do so simply because you say it's safe. It's not in these conditions, and if you'll accept this invitation, I can prove it.
By the way, it's now 7:44am, and my car is still running, still completely frozen, and it may be another hour before I can even move it...if it's even a possibility then. But I'll certainly give it the old college try. I'll try and get her to school and then will come back and edit and send this email to you and all the news stations. I do fully expect that I will hear from you in a timely fashion on this complaint and challenge. If you accept the invitation, contact me and I will give you the specific address to meet me at.
Have a great, warm day and stay safe out there...
[hidden]
a VERY concerned Columbus parent
(614) [hidden]
p.s. 8:35am now (a FULL 2 1/2 hrs since I began working to get into my car and be able to get through the ice on the windows) and I'm ready to go out and attempt to try and leave.
9:30am and I'm just returning home after finally getting her to school, and having missed out on a full 2 1/2 hours of my own work day already. That's not counting whatever I'll have to do to get out to get to her bus stop this afternoon by 3pm. After the last entry, it took me a full 20 minutes just to break through the rest of the ice on my windshields, STILL never getting down to the wipers and taking her without the use of them, which is also dangerous in this weather, but I took the chance. I recount all these extra details just to give you a clue about what some of us parents who do care about or kids go through to try and keep our own kids safe when you have school in this dangerous weather...and believe me, I could have given you many more details of this morning's woes that I didn't include.
10:20am - as I sit editing this, my daughter calls from school to say they have to close school now due to power issues. No power = no heat. The school has been told that for safety, they must evacuate the building within 1 hour. hmmmm...weather related perhaps? The problem was outside the building to my understanding. THIS IS RIDICULOUS! Oh well, I'm off again to get my daughter...will have to attend to this after I get back. Does this drive home the point? WE LIVE IN OHIO for God's sake. What's there not to understand about calling school in this weather?!
11:35am - just returned from picking her up. She spent most of the time she was there in IN SCHOOL SUSPENSION, being punished because her lateness was not "due to a bus problem or sickness." Where does it end? Also, I just witnessed SEVERAL STUDENTS walking ***ON*** [hidden] Rd. because they couldn't access the sidewalks (which are pretty much impassible, some of the snow looked as tall as me and I'm 5'3"!), which I also witnessed the same in taking her to school earlier. As well I saw one student get into a car that pulled up along side them (seemingly) unexpectedly. I'm inclined to wonder how many kids wouldn't accept a ride, even from a total stranger, having been forced into braving these weather conditions to attend school? This is crazy and TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. I guess I better get busy collecting email addys, fax & PHONE numbers, etc. for all the organizations I'm sending this out to so that I'll have it ready for by today. AS FOR MY CHILD, SHE WILL NOT ATTEND SCHOOL AGAIN WHEN THE TEMPERATURE IS BELOW ZERO (OR THE WIND CHILL MAKES IT FEEL THAT WAY), OR WHEN THERE'S SO MUCH SNOW AND ICE THAT IT'S DANGEROUS, as NO child should have to, including CPS students. You need to get a grip and stop worrying about YOUR lost summer vacations, the extra finances, etc. and PROTECT THE KIDS. The state mandated 182 days (or whatever it is) has NOTHING to do with it, so PLEASE stop throwing it out there as a big part of the problem. Neither does the fact that people are supposed to keep their sidewalks clear have anything to do with it - because bottom line, they're not clear. Missed days can be made up in decent weather...IT'S YOU AND YOUR DECISIONS on these matters that are ENDANGERING OUR CHILDREN's lives and wellbeing.
2pm - I was just informed by a student that SOME BUSES THAT ARE PROVIDED BY COLUMBUS PUBLIC SCHOOLS TRANSPORTATION NEVER SHOWED UP AT ALL YESTERDAY. I don't have first hand knowledge of this, only that it is what some of the students at my daughter's school are saying is why they never made it to school yesterday. Incidentally, the student that informed me of this said that she herself had to walk in the road to get to her bus stop today and that she had fallen and hurt herself while trying to make it there due to the walking conditions.
Another note: My daughter's principal said that there were only 1/3 of his students even in attendance yesterday. I'd be very curious to know the overall Columbus Public attendance rates on these types of dangerous weather condition days when school is not cancelled.[/b]