Olympia School District Accountability Legal Fund
Donation protected
The OLYMPIA SCHOOL DISTRICT is Currently in violation of Parental Rights in Education laws, as well as district policy on multiple fronts. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident, in fact this has been going on for years. The McCullough family has bravely come forward at this time to tell their story, and they need your support. Our goal is to make funds available to families in need of legal support to address the Olympia School District.
The McCullough family is the current family we are sponsoring and they have shared a recent update below:
Hi, I’m Jake McCullough, a parent of twins attending ORLA. I previously shared an incident that occurred in May that was so egregious it prompted my child to record what was being taught. To summarize, a teacher was scheduled to give a science lesson on bugs. Instead, the teacher gave a highly political, factually inaccurate “lesson” on Reagan, Trayvon Martin, white supremacy, and other topics that had nothing to do with science or bugs. I am not a proponent of phones out during instruction but my child’s phone was in her backpack until she got so uncomfortable in the lesson she felt she needed to record to share with us.
When brought to the school’s attention, the principal’s main concern was the recording, NOT the fact that a teacher abused her authority and violated school policy. In fact, this teacher has a history of violations as well as creating a hostile, socially activated classroom for years. (Please see interview below for more detail). This teacher is back in the classroom teaching this year and the district has failed to report her for violation of code of professional conduct for education practitioners for two incidents now (previous incident 2019).
What has followed:
· I requested the class curriculum (as per law 2081). The district refused to provide me with the full curriculum, stating the teacher was using “personal supplemental material which is not subject to parental review”.
· I was made to submit public record requests for information I was entitled to by law.
· I have made repeated attempts over the last 3 weeks to request curriculum review for the new school year and courses. I have received none as of today.
· ORLA is changing policy for device use that permits confiscation of all devices regardless of use or abuse by a student with punishment more severe than physical altercations in the district.
· One of my children was denied a class for reasons that were only applied to him.
· TA policies and procedures are secretive and appear to give preference.
· My husband was told he was not permitted to visit our child's classroom on the first day and asked to leave.
· By the second day, I was followed into the building to the visitor station in the office singled out and told I can’t go beyond the office anymore without a background check to supervise my own child. This is not to enter a classroom but just to be with my own child. None of this was required before nor is it district policy. I like, numerous parents at ORLA enter the building to monitor and supervise my own child during a gap(study hall) hour. Not only have other parents not been asked to do this, but some staff have shared they’ve never heard of this or seen a policy.
Here is the bottom line. We were naïve in thinking this school district would handle a situation in which a teacher was clearly in the wrong. Instead, they have chosen to target our family for asking them for accountability. We have now sought legal counsel, and we are hoping for community support!
Organizer
Jamie Hinton
Organizer
Olympia, WA