Court to Hear Case Against Kanawha School Board

[Ich bin Ala-awkbarph]

Court to Hear Case Against Kanawha School Board (West Virginia)
http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/16176872.html ^ | March 3, 2008

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - The state Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case of a functionally illiterate man who says the Kanawha County school system failed to provide him a proper education.

An attorney for Thomas Sturm says that although Sturm was allowed to graduate from Sissonville High School in 2004, the 21-year-old man can read only on a third-grade level.

The attorney, Mike Clifford, says the school board failed to abide by state and federal laws meant to monitor and protect the rights of students with disabilities. Sturm allegedly suffers from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Kanawha County Judge Tod Kaufman dismissed the 2006 lawsuit last year, saying Sturm didn't exhaust all his administrative remedies.

School board general counsel Jim Withrow says Sturm could have complained about his lack of education and requested a hearing with education officials.

Clifford expects the high court to take up the case this summer.

I wondur iff'n I can jine this soot--as a klass aktion soot?

[Ich bin Ala-awkbarph]

If you send your child to the doctor and the doctor does not professionally treat your child, can you file a malpractice suit against her or him?

If you hire a professional gymnast to train your child, and the the gymnast leaves your child as functionally untrained as the day you took him or her for the first lesson, could you sue the gymnast?

[ziggy]

School board general counsel Jim Withrow says Sturm could have complained about his lack of education and requested a hearing with education officials.

Until he got out in the "real world" beyond high school, how in the hell would he have even known that he had any "lack of education"?

[Ich bin Ala-awkbarph]

School board general counsel Jim Withrow says Sturm could have complained about his lack of education and requested a hearing with education officials.

Until he got out in the "real world" beyond high school, how in the hell would he have even known that he had any "lack of education"?

Do comprehensive tests mean anything?

[Aaron]

School board general counsel Jim Withrow says Sturm could have complained about his lack of education and requested a hearing with education officials.

Until he got out in the "real world" beyond high school, how in the hell would he have even known that he had any "lack of education"?

Do comprehensive tests mean anything?

How about the simple fact that his classmates could read beyond Cat in the Hat and knew that 2+2 wasn't 5!!!

[ziggy]

School board general counsel Jim Withrow says Sturm could have complained about his lack of education and requested a hearing with education officials.

Until he got out in the "real world" beyond high school, how in the hell would he have even known that he had any "lack of education"?

Do comprehensive tests mean anything?

To the people who do the testing, yes, they should mean something. But to the person taking the test, they may or may not mean anything.

[ziggy]

Do comprehensive tests mean anything?

How about the simple fact that his classmates could read beyond Cat in the Hat and knew that 2+2 wasn't 5!!!

And what if he didn't know but what 2 and 2 is 5, or that Cat in the Hat wasn't among the world's advanced literary works?

We who are here, on these forums, obviously know that there is far more that we do not know than what we do know. And so we come here and match what little wits we have in little games of "Gotcha!".

When all we know is what little we know, we often don't know or care that there might be more to learn- until we try to get a job in the real world where an employer expects us to be able to read road signs, safety manuals, maybe even a pay scale sheet. And then maybe a few of us start asking why we didn't learn more basic skills in 12 or however many years of school.

[Aaron]

If you really think this guy went through high school and didn't know he wasn't getting an education I feel sorry for you. You were shortchanged as well.

Hey, didn't you say you're a graduate of Sissonville High School as well!!!

I guess it's a long term thing.

[ziggy]

If you really think this guy went through high school and didn't know he wasn't getting an education I feel sorry for you. You were shortchanged as well.

I am known for it.

So why are you always overestimating me?

[Stephanie]

It's obvious that some people think this lawsuit frivilous. The argument is he should have known he wasn't being educated or his parents should have intervened etc. What about the taxpayers? If the taxpayers are spending thousands of dollars each and every year for over a decade, don't they have a reasonable expectation that the schools will produce citizens that can read above a 3rd grade level?

[Aaron]

If you really think this guy went through high school and didn't know he wasn't getting an education I feel sorry for you. You were shortchanged as well.

I am known for it.

So why are you always overestimating me?

That's probably one of the better questions you've ask.

I'll work on it.

[SamCogar]

We who are here, on these forums, obviously know that there is far more that we do not know than what we do know. And so we come here and match what little wits we have in little games of "Gotcha!".

When all we know is what little we know, we often don't know or care that there might be more to learn- ...............

We all know for sure that that was a true and honest "self assessment" on your part.

.

[ziggy]

We who are here, on these forums, obviously know that there is far more that we do not know than what we do know. And so we come here and match what little wits we have in little games of "Gotcha!".

When all we know is what little we know, we often don't know or care that there might be more to learn- until we try to get a job in the real world where an employer expects us to be able to read road signs, safety manuals, maybe even a pay scale sheet. And then maybe a few of us start asking why we didn't learn more basic skills in 12 or however many years of school.

We all know for sure that that was a true and honest "self assessment" on your part.

.

And so what about SamCogar?

[wvsasha]

This kid had an IEP. That should tell you something there. Now - I don't know this particular young man - don't have any KCS rumor mill to add to the gossip fest but I wonder what type of diploma he "earned". I will guess that it was a "modified" diploma - meaning he had goals on his IEP that would have to be met before he graduated and he did not have to complete the typical high school classes that typical students have to pass in order to get a regular diploma in WV, i.e. algebra, geometry, grade level english courses, etc.

He would have received an education based on life-skills according TO HIS NEEDS - basic sight words to his ability, road signs, packaging labels, basic job training/job shadowing and so on. All this decided yearly by a committee WHICH INCLUDED HIS PARENTS and the committee must come to a consensus about these decisions. Any dissenters has the right to file a dissenting opinion and take their complaints/issues to the next level through the due process system. According to the news article - HIS PARENTS NEVER DID THIS.

The articles I've read mention that Junior didn't receive a vocational education either. The last several years the vocational schools in KCS - Carver and Ben Franklin - have been much more demanding of their applicants and their skills. They say it's because the state certification tests are harder now and the vocational schools receive part of their funding due to number of students passing these tests (or something like that) that they have to use the slots they have available for those students who are most likely to finish the courses and pass the tests.

I think that even though some of the kids wouldn't pass the certification tests - the skills they would learn would be invaluable. They would learn real-life skills, learn what type of behaviors real-life bosses expect, and learn how to interact with real-world people. And who knows - some might surprise you and be the best mechanic/cosmetician/plumber/electrician/HVAC/whatever assistant you've ever seen.

[SamCogar]

And so what about SamCogar?

Well Zigster, for what it is worth, ...... I will give you permission to "sue the School Board" ....... in whatever County you attended school.

I will even volunteer to be an "expert witness" in your Defence.

.

[Aaron]

And so what about SamCogar?

Well Zigster, for what it is worth, ...... I will give you permission to "sue the School Board" ....... in whatever County you attended school.

I will even volunteer to be an "expert witness" in your Defence.

.

If I recall correctly Zig is a product of the same high school as this yourg man.

Coincidence???

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