12 BOCNEWS.com JUNE 2019 Denver Public School teacher who doesn’t want to disclose his full name but most know him by “John” took a leave of absence from his job. His life was constantly threatened by students. This is a 46-year old black man who has a Army military background and served his country. “Some students were supposed to jump me at my vehicle in the parking lot. I could of taken a beating by these students or use my skill sets and defend myself that could have brought bodily harm to the students and then I would have been sent to jail.” This year alone, John said because of all the stress and such a harmful environment in the school that the students weren’t worth ruining his life. He is currently on Family Medical Leave of Absence (FMLA) and was denied workman’s compensation because of the stress and constant threats against his life. He talked about another female caucasian teacher in her 20s also going through the same thing and was denied workman’s compensation. “If a police officer gets shot he is able to get work- man’s compensation. We’re dealing with fear for my safety, which is not enough,” John explains. “Teaching special education students is different than teaching Algebra.” The safety issue with teachers is basically with those special education programs within the school districts, especially Denver Public Schools. Students who fall into this category are struggling academically, are high risk and have behavioral issues. They are usually abusive to the teachers and other students. Students curse the teachers out so much that there are no repercussions, says the teacher John. “If the student curses you out to your face and calls you the “N” word it happens so much despite any constant punishment or consequences for the repetitiveness of their actions. John mentions three students who were in gangs and attending a school in northeast Denver pulled out guns at the school and had prior gun charges. He expelled one student from his school after tes- timonies, videos and other documentation showed the student selling narcotics to other students at the school. “He will tell you I am SPED (Special Education) and I can do that. You can’t talk to me that way,” said John on how these students already know what they can get away with. And this is a third year 9th grader who has been in and out of juvenile facilities. What happens because of rules and bureaucratic tape that schools are bind too, just harbor those spe- cial education difficult students get into trouble on the streets do get sent to juvenile detention centers. But as John states, they end up in a fight their first day at the detention center to prove themselves. “Once they survive, they are branded as an OG (orig- inal gangster) who has earned his stripes and con- sidered as the local house thug when they are sent back to school. They have been told all their lives they are bad so might as well be bad. Then we no longer have any leverage of fear on sending them to a juvenile center because they’ve already been there.” Students are made to take classes during their period of time in the juvenile facility. They do what they are supposed to do to get out of the facility and allowed to return back into the public school system. It has even becoming a social media game with students to post videos of them punching or curs- ing a teacher out to see how many likes they get. The classroom becomes a fight room and streamed online, John adds. So what is the solution? John strongly expresses that teachers need to be properly trained better on how to handle those severe behavioral students. Get with the detention facilities to learn their techniques on handling these students because they are not misbehaving in these facilities. “Teachers are not supported by administration. Denver police respond to these students as juveniles but then they are returned to the classroom, nothing is resolved and not reprimanded for their actions. Teachers have to come to the classroom terrified. Students tell adult women teachers that they will rape them.” “It’s not just Denver Public Schools but goes on across the nation as part of urban education.” A majority of teachers will agree this shouldn’t be a silent national crisis on teacher victimization. According to the American Psychological Association in 2018 reported that six percent of teachers in K-12 public schools reported being physically attacked in the schools. 12 percent of teachers verbally or physically attacked by a student in schools had to seek out counseling or mental health professional to deal with the attack. And 1 in 5 teachers victims of violence in the schools did not report it to school administrators. National results indicated that there are three million crimes occur on American school campuses. This breaks down to 16,000 crimes per school day or 1 crime every 6 seconds when schools are in session. As John points out, “Many teachers find it difficult to even be in relationships or end up in a divorce because the stress (at school) is so severe.” See the Problem for Your Self: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTvJk4ja-T4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELX9bbhZ6zk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xO5zr5wcDMk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMx89jYUhq0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0D8wksBOiy0 By Sheila Smith By Sheila Smith America's Special Education Problem: The Safety of our Educators Let me first warn you that what I have to say you may not like. But it has to be said. I support and defend our teachers 100 percent to be able to teach in a safe environment. They are the lifeline in educating our future leaders and the future of our society. I was shocked and appalled when I heard about what the teacher John was going through in the Denver Public Schools. Schools are shutting down for the summer as students get ready for their summer break (except year round schools). But hopefully this will be a wake up call for every school administrator, so-called school boards, Denver Police Department and elected state legisla- tors to get it together in protecting our teachers. Forget the red bureaucratic tape and work together to change the rules on what students are allowed to get away with in the schools. Forget the fact you send them to juvenile detention centers and then release them right back into the public schools. It’s not just Denver Public Schools. It was reported that police have been called to Cherry Creek School District to remove guns from students. This is really for those sorry “crack” or alcohol addicted parents, single mothers, grandparents who don’t care about what their child does in school since they are already lost causes and won’t ever be productive members of society when they grow up because they learn from you. They will con- tinue to fill up our prisons. My point is not to tell people how to raise their children, it’s about caring what your child does. School administrators and state leg- islators need to make sure there is a place these students remain and not be released from the juvenile deten- tions centers to go back into the schools to bully, threaten and harass other students and teachers. Keep them locked down. I have family members and friends I went to college with who ended up as single parents for whatever the reason. Some of them now even watching their grandchildren grow up. They raised sons to be responsible black men who never got into trouble. They raised their daughters to be responsible and went onto college to be successful. This can happen. It does happen. If you are someone who cares about your child. Just to know a black male teacher had to take a leave of absence from work, can’t pass on his skills and knowledge to students because his life is constantly being threatened is ridiculous. I feel anger and see it as inexcus- able a teacher can’t teach because his hands are tied from trying to follow rules that don’t work. Young female teachers wanting to make a difference going to classrooms having to break up fights and threatened to be beaten or raped. So again, parents, teachers and oth- ers who really care about what goes on in our schools need to step up and force school administrators and elected officials to make the necessary changes to protect our teachers. Let’s provide a safer environment for not just our students but teachers this upcoming fall when schools reopen their doors. The Safety of our Educators — Commentary Sheila Smith EDUCATION 6% of teachers in K-12 public schools reported being physically attacked in the schools, and 12% verbally or physically attacked by a student had to seek out counseling to deal with the attack. Note: This is Part 1 of a story that needs to be told about what goes on in our public schools. The Body of Christ News will continue with Part 2 in the September edition, when teachers return to the classroom.