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A Baltimore County teacher contacted The Baltimore Post and gave us some troubling information.
The teacher provided details about unabated and continued instances of mayhem and violence on a daily basis within the county school system. In addition, our source told the Post that more teachers want to come forward with their experiences but are afraid their jobs will be at risk if they speak out.
It appears that not much is changed since 2014, when the Post covered a very similar version of what’s taking place in BCPS hallways and classrooms. As bad as all of this is, we believe the worst part is the complete lack of transparency when it comes to getting the truth, as this article demonstrates.
The Baltimore Post has a long history of getting stonewalled when it comes to pulling facts and information out of BCPS, our county government, or local law enforcement.
But we will digress on that … for now.
According to the teacher, one of the main reasons for the destructive and disruptive behavior has been the implementation of the BCPS SEL Program, which stands for Social Emotional Learners. Also according to our source, many of those who interact with the students are not trained to deal with such violent or disruptive situations.
The only reference the Post could locate regarding this new program is found below in the BCPD budget. This program began in Baltimore City.
Providing behavioral and mental health services for students with educational needs, including
psychological counseling, crisis response, threat assessments, traumatic loss support, and consultation
with school staff, parents, independent providers, and community agencies.
• Providing professional learning and training to school staff and parents to support high academic
achievement and positive behavior in schools
Publisher’s Note: What you’re about to read may be upsetting to some, so discretion is advised.
The Baltimore Post was able to get the following first-hand accounts involving the implementation of the SEL Program:
They run up to students from general education classes who were in line walking down the hallway, scream in those students’ faces, and then run away. They curse at the teachers, students, and helpers all day, calling teachers [specific terms omitted due to extreme profanity]. … This goes on all day from 9 AM to 3 PM both inside and outside of the classrooms.
Counselors are being put into situations where they’re being asked to help restrain and remove some of the students. After a student is removed from the class, the student is generally returned shortly thereafter and given candy or food along with video games in an effort to calm them down.
The teacher also described a particular incident during which a student locked the classroom door while the assigned teacher stepped out of the room for a moment. During that brief time, the student was alone in the classroom and, according to the source, “completely destroyed the room.”
The teacher also spoke of assaults on teachers, students, and other staff occurring on a regular basis.
In another disturbing incident described by our source, SEL students were locked in an empty classroom across from a group of first-graders who became alarmed at the constant yelling, cursing, and screaming. “The children were frightened by the sounds coming from the room across the hall. The first-grade teacher had a difficult time explaining what was taking place.”
Folks, unfortunately these tales are just the beginning.
We will provide updates on this story with additional information from our source, as well as other teachers who are willing to come forward. We are very protective of our sources, and we will never divulge the names of any teachers who are willing to discuss what happens inside BCPS.
We understand why teachers are afraid because we have witnessed various retaliatory acts in the past.
At this early stage of our investigation, we question whether the legal liability that stems from this new BCPS program. Can the school system be held accountable for any injuries to the general population or the SEL students?
We invite the BCPS administration to weigh in on these allegations, but we won’t hold our breath waiting for a response based upon previous experience.
Stay tuned, folks. We get the feeling that this one will get much worse as more information is revealed.
