Former Charter School Principal Fired For Refusing To Shame Poor Kids In Lunch Room
by Nick Goroff
From
the insult-to-injury desk of Americans Against The Tea Party, comes the
latest example of how the privatization of education is leading the
nation to ruin. In Lafayette, Colorado a former charter school principle
is speaking up after being fired for what she claims was her refusal to
shame the less privileged students during school lunches.
The
dispute arose from a policy in the school mandating that poor
children- either those who qualified for school lunch assistance, or
those who merely lacked the necessary funds for lunch- were required to
have their hands stamped whenever they were found to be without money in
the lunch room. Noelle Roni states she first became aware of the policy
in September and immediately upon learning of it, took steps to stop
it. In an interview with The Daily Camera, Roni had this to say about her reaction,
[box
type="shadow"]“As soon as I saw it happening, I was like, ‘No, this is
not OK. The students felt so humiliated, like they had done something
wrong. They didn't want to go into the lunchroom any more. It's
unethical and disrespectful.”[/box]
Roni
says upon learning of the policy, she approached the cafeteria worker
in charge of the stamping, insisting that it stop. Despite the
principal's decree, the stamping continued. Eventually the cafeteria
worker in question resigned. Peak to Peak charter school executive
director Kelly Reeser shortly placed Roni on administrative leave prior
to terminating her, citing claims that it was Roni refused "to accept
responsibility" for the resignation of the cafeteria worker, calling her
conduct "unprofessional."
Parents
throughout the school district and especially those with children
attending Peak to Peak, have expressed outrage at the firing and the
policy, leading to a public outcry which has caused a recall election
for two of the board members. Voting is expectedd to be to finalized on
January 15th.
Peak to Peak President Thomas Willetto, who records show
has been a supporter of the Republican party and conservative
politicians such as Mitt Romney, Herman Cain and Michelle Bachmann,
refused to comment directly on the matter under advice from legal
counsel. However in the email statement in which he declined to offer a
direct comment, Willetto did reference the public reaction to Roni's
firing as cause for Peak to Peak board members to review the decision.
This
case of poverty-shaming in schools comes just on the heels of another
recent classist suggestion floated by a Republican in regards to schools
and school lunches. Last month Georgia Tea Party Congressman Jack
Kingston told a Jackson County Republican forum that he believed poor kids should be made to sweep the floors
and clean the cafeteria in exchange for their meals. This most recent
case of a private charter school, run by an apparently dedicated
Republican conservative, does give on pause when held in the context of
the larger class war being waged by the right, which in this sense,
seems to have developed yet another battle ground in which children with
no other business but that of schoolwork, are seen and used as pawns in
their sick game of rich versus poor.
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