[Vision2020] Testimony at Logos Hearing

[Saundra Lund]

Thanks, Rose, for sharing that information.

For those interested in learning more about Logos School's & Tom Garfield's
attitudes about learning disabilities, I suggest reading his article
entitled "Who's Got the Right Diagnosis?" that can be found at:
http://www.accsedu.org/files/ARCHIVE%20Classis/1996%20CLASSIS/9%20Who%20Has%
20the%20Right%20Diagnosis%20E.doc
OR
http://tinyurl.com/72gqy

Here's a sample:
". . . there has been such a flood of previously undetected "disabilities"
diagnosed as to make floods on the Mississippi look like a minor leak by
comparison. FDR's "alphabet soup" of programs doesn't hold a candle to the
burgeoning list of labels issuing from the educationists today --  LD, ADD,
ADHA, to name just a few. The truly sad aspect to this is that all these
recently revealed "handicaps" are being brought to us by the same
establishment that has produced over twenty million functionally illiterate
adults in the last twenty-five years. . . The real sinister aspect of this
plethora of misdiagnoses is that what used to be considered just plain bad
behavior is now considered part and parcel of a learning disability. . .
This trend really shouldn't be that surprising since we live in a culture
that is actively seeking new names and causes for old sins. Drunkenness,
homosexuality, even spewing foul-language, have now been "linked" to
genetics. God calls them all sin; the world calls them "syndromes." . . .
No, the Bible does not tell us directly how to help a child struggling with
math, but it does directly tell us why children misbehave the way they often
do. . ."

There's another short article entitled "Admissions" by Tom Spencer
immediately following that first article.  Here's an excerpt:
"The amount and kind of discipline that your school will enforce each day is
directly related to your adopted mission statement. . . As a school that has
a mission to encourage Christian students, we generally will not admit
students who have records of misconduct at a government school.  Paul warned
the church at Corinth that, "Don't you know, a little yeast works though the
whole batch of dough" (1 Corinthians 5:6). . . Think twice before you admit
the "yeast" into your school. . . As a private school, you are under no
compulsion to admit every student who applies for admission to your school."

And, if you want to read even more, there's an article entitled "Teaching
Disabilities" written by Doug Wilson, Logos School co-founder, which can be
found at:
http://www.accsedu.org/files/ARCHIVE%20Classis/1996%20CLASSIS/12%20Teaching%
20Disabilities%20E.doc
OR
http://tinyurl.com/b7s33

Here's an excerpt:
"We are certainly confronted with a multitude of children who are not
getting it, but we must also acknowledge that this multitude of struggling
students has appeared at just the time when our education system is in
crisis, and with some portions of that system already in ruins.. . The words
have certainly not been slow to enter our everyday vocabulary. Dyslexia,
learning disabilities, hyperactivity, Attention-Deficit Disorder (ADD),
Attention-Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and not a few more, have
all become commonplace in discussions between parents of school age
children. . . Rare is the conversation between parents on the subject of
education which does not end with a discussion of the various forms of
learning disabilities. What the entire subject cries out for is large
infusion of biblical thinking and common sense. . . Consider the fact that
our "better classroom discipline through chemistry" approach has become
necessary at just the point in history when parents and teachers en masse
have abandoned the biblical view of the nature and necessity of discipline.
. . Consider the fact that we have adopted the medical model for just about
everything that afflicts us at just the time when we as a culture have
rejected the importance of personal responsibility and accountability for
anything."


HTH,
Saundra Lund
Moscow, ID

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do
nothing.
Edmund Burke

***** Original material contained herein is Copyright 2005, Saundra Lund.
Do not copy, forward, excerpt, or reproduce outside the Vision 2020 forum
without the express written permission of the author.*****


-----Original Message-----
From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]
On Behalf Of DonaldH675 at aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, 28 June 2005 6:50 PM
To: vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: [Vision2020] Testimony at Logos Hearing

Visionaries:

 

There has been some discussion on other blog sites about material I
presented at the BOE hearing on Logos School yesterday afternoon.  Although
the entire record is available at the County Commissioners office in the
Court House, I offer a copy of my testimony on two topics here on V2020.
These policies are taken verbatim from

 

Logos School Board Policy Manual 

 

10.13 Learning Disabilities        pg. 78

Dates: Approved: January 18, 1994 (re-approved every year since)

Objective: To clarify the educational goals of Logos School.

Scope: This policy applies to all students and teachers in all the
classrooms of Logos School.

Definitions:

Severe Learning Disability: Any condition in a potential student which would
require a separate classroom, program, and staff in order to provide the
educational services desired by the parents. e.g. Down's syndrome,
deaf/mute, blind, etc.

Learning Disability: Any condition in a potential student or student which
does not require a separate classroom, program, and staff in order to
provide the education services desired by the parents E.g. Hyperactivity,
Attention Deficit Syndrome, dyslexia, etc. For the purposes of this policy,
it is not important whether or not the condition was accurately diagnosed
and is a genuine learning disability.

Guidelines:

Children with a severe learning disability will not be admitted to Logos due
to the lack of adequate staff, funding, and facilities.

Children who have been diagnosed as having a learning disability will be
required to meet the same academic standards as all the other children in
their grade level. 

Children who have been diagnosed as having a learning disability will be
given as much individual instruction and encouragement as their classmates

 
9.4 Separation Policy

Dates: Approved: August 22, 1994

                        Revised: September 29, 1997

                        Revised: January 15, 2001

                        Revised: July 16, 2001

Objective: To provide a clear policy describing the steps by which employees
may be separated from Logos

            School.

Scope: This policy covers the procedure and avenues of separating an
employee.

Definitions: N/A

Guidelines: 

 

Unforeseen Circumstances: Due to events such as death, disability,
pregnancy*, school closure, etc., the employee may not be able to continue
work. The expulsion from school of an employee's child may also be grounds
for separation, at the employee's or the administrator's determination. As
part of that determination, the employee's gender and home situation may be
considered. Separation would be mandatory should the expelled child continue
to live in a publicly disreputable manner. *That is if, while under contract
with Logos School, a teacher becomes pregnant, a work agreement will not be
issued for the subsequent school year. Also, normally women with infants
(under school age) will not be allowed to return to work.

 

9.13 Emergency/Sick Leave Policy

Dates: Approved: December 21, 1993 (to date)

2. Emergency leave -- unplanned but necessary time off due to serious
circumstances Logos School does not recognize any form of "maternity leave."
If a female staff member becomes pregnant while under a work agreement with
the school, under the direction of her husband and doctor, she may work as
long as considered wise. If she needs to leave before the final working date
stated on the work agreement, a replacement will be obtained to fill the
entire remaining period."
 
Further, it is the case that any private conversations that I have, which I
believe contains confidential disclosures, have never been, are not now, and
never will be brought forward in a public venue..
 
Rose Huskey