<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)"><!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Tahoma;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
h1
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 1 Char";
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:24.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";
font-weight:bold;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
p.MsoAcetate, li.MsoAcetate, div.MsoAcetate
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Balloon Text Char";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:8.0pt;
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";}
span.Heading1Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 1 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 1";
font-family:"Cambria","serif";
color:#365F91;
font-weight:bold;}
span.BalloonTextChar
{mso-style-name:"Balloon Text Char";
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Balloon Text";
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";}
p.yiv1417097390msonormal, li.yiv1417097390msonormal, div.yiv1417097390msonormal
{mso-style-name:yiv1417097390msonormal;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
p.yiv1417097390msochpdefault, li.yiv1417097390msochpdefault, div.yiv1417097390msochpdefault
{mso-style-name:yiv1417097390msochpdefault;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
p.yiv1417097390msonormal1, li.yiv1417097390msonormal1, div.yiv1417097390msonormal1
{mso-style-name:yiv1417097390msonormal1;
mso-style-priority:99;
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
p.yiv1417097390msochpdefault1, li.yiv1417097390msochpdefault1, div.yiv1417097390msochpdefault1
{mso-style-name:yiv1417097390msochpdefault1;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
span.mark
{mso-style-name:mark;}
span.yiv1417097390msohyperlink
{mso-style-name:yiv1417097390msohyperlink;}
span.yiv1417097390msohyperlinkfollowed
{mso-style-name:yiv1417097390msohyperlinkfollowed;}
span.yiv1417097390heading1char
{mso-style-name:yiv1417097390heading1char;}
span.yiv1417097390emailstyle19
{mso-style-name:yiv1417097390emailstyle19;}
span.yiv1417097390msohyperlink1
{mso-style-name:yiv1417097390msohyperlink1;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.yiv1417097390msohyperlinkfollowed1
{mso-style-name:yiv1417097390msohyperlinkfollowed1;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.yiv1417097390heading1char1
{mso-style-name:yiv1417097390heading1char1;
font-family:"Cambria","serif";
color:#365F91;
font-weight:bold;}
span.yiv1417097390emailstyle191
{mso-style-name:yiv1417097390emailstyle191;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle34
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle35
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>A bit off topic: This classroom incident reminded me of my own childhood schoolroom humiliation. When I was in the 3<sup>rd</sup> or 4<sup>th</sup> grade, we had ‘music’ during the day. One day the teacher asked us all to close our eyes and imagine a ‘picture’ in our minds while we listened to Grieg’s ‘Morning Mood’ from Peer Gynt. Each student was called on in turn, describing their ‘waterfalls,’ or pretty forest scenes. But when my turn came, I could offer nothing. I had no mental imagery. Nada. I was mortified. I felt like I was defective. Nevertheless I was instantly enchanted by the music (and it was the first classical recording I ever requested for a Christmas present). But I don’t blame the teacher; I doubt that she had any idea that I was having that reaction, nor did she intend this to happen. After all, most people easily form mental pictures while listening to music. I have NEVER cared to do so. And although I became a composer with international prizes and performances, and numerous publications, the memory of the experience gives me shudders to this day.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Kids are delicate.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Bob Dickow, troublemaker<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Tom Hansen [mailto:thansen@moscow.com] <br><b>Sent:</b> Sunday, November 18, 2012 3:53 PM<br><b>To:</b> Shirley Ringo<br><b>Cc:</b> Robert Dickow; <vision2020@moscow.com><br><b>Subject:</b> [Spam 5.51] Re: [Vision2020] This is Wrong on So Many Levels . . .<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>The impression I was left with, after reading the article, was that the "powers that be" we're merely going to let sleeping dogs lie . . . at least until the next reading assignment and those with marked faces board the bus again.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>If this were done at home by parents, what would the charges be?<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>Esto perpetua, VPeeps!<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>Seeya round town, Moscow, because . . .<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>"Moscow Cares"<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.MoscowCares.com">http://www.MoscowCares.com</a><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Tom Hansen<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Moscow, Idaho<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div></div></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><br>On Nov 18, 2012, at 3:51 PM, "Shirley Ringo" <<a href="mailto:ringoshirl@moscow.com">ringoshirl@moscow.com</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p></div><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Has anyone heard how the District plans to handle this? The very idea of using humiliation as a teaching tool is beyond belief. There should be strong disciplinary action against the teacher. </span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Shirley</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid black 1.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt;margin-left:3.75pt;margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>----- Original Message ----- <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:#E4E4E4'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <a href="mailto:dickow@turbonet.com" title="dickow@turbonet.com">Robert Dickow</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>To:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <a href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com" title="vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Sent:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> Sunday, November 18, 2012 1:48 PM<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Subject:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> Re: [Vision2020] This is Wrong on So Many Levels . . .<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Yes, this was a really disturbing situation. One question I have is would it be best to fire/discipline the teacher straight away, or primarily turn it into a constructive lesson for the students in the class. It was the students in the class who chose the marking-pen-on-the-face punishment rather than a learning rewards pattern. Of course the teacher should have caught the problem right then and there. But the students need to learn that this sort of choice is demeaning, socially unacceptable behavior. Have there been any follow-up news items on this story? </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Bob Dickow, troublemaker</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> <a href="mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com">vision2020-bounces@moscow.com</a> [<a href="mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com">mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com</a>] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Donovan Arnold<br><b>Sent:</b> Sunday, November 18, 2012 12:28 PM<br><b>To:</b> Tom Hansen; Rosemary Huskey<br><b>Cc:</b> Moscow Vision 2020<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Vision2020] This is Wrong on So Many Levels . . .</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>This is child abuse. Not to mention telling other students what another student scored on a test is illegal and a violation of their rights to academic confidentiality. </span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'> </span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>Donovan J. Arnold</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'> </span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> Tom Hansen <<a href="mailto:thansen@moscow.com">thansen@moscow.com</a>><br><b>To:</b> Rosemary Huskey <<a href="mailto:donaldrose@cpcinternet.com">donaldrose@cpcinternet.com</a>> <br><b>Cc:</b> Moscow Vision 2020 <<a href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</a>> <br><b>Sent:</b> Friday, November 16, 2012 5:24 PM<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Vision2020] This is Wrong on So Many Levels . . .</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><div id=yiv1417097390><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>Exactly, Rose.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'> </span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><span style='color:black'>Those students who are struggling to achieve, in spite of their learning handicaps, are being told by Ms. Summer Larsen that they are failures. </span><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span class=mark><span style='color:black'>Seeya</span></span><span style='color:black'> round town, Moscow, because . . .</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'> </span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>"Moscow Cares"</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'><a href="http://www.MoscowCares.com">http://www.MoscowCares.com</a></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'> </span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>Tom Hansen</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>Moscow, Idaho</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'> </span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><span style='color:black'><br>On Nov 16, 2012, at 5:17 PM, "Rosemary Huskey" <<a href="mailto:donaldrose@cpcinternet.com" target="_blank">donaldrose@cpcinternet.com</a>> wrote:</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'>I am sick as I read this. I think if might be useful, or at the very least informative to Ms. Summer Larsen, if she heard from folks in North Idaho who have had the benefit of caring, compassionate, and mentally healthy teachers. She is a monster. Her email address can be found here: <a href="https://sites.google.com/a/cassiaschools.org/declo_elementary/faculty-staff" target="_blank">https://sites.google.com/a/cassiaschools.org/declo_elementary/faculty-staff</a> . It might also be useful if the school principal, Mrs. <span class=mark>Hunsaker</span>, who apparently lacks the mother wit to identify the horrendous abuse taking place under her leadership had her own failures acknowledged. Her email address can be found on the page above. Unluckily for them (and sadly for the State of Idaho), the national press has picked up the story. It is to be hoped that the notoriety will end Ms. Larsen’s pathetic career. One hardly knows what to think about the rest of the faculty who apparently continued business as usual in this hell hole masquerading at as school.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'>Rose Huskey </span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:black'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:black'> <a href="mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com" target="_blank">vision2020-bounces@moscow.com</a> [<a href="mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com" target="_blank">mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com</a>] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Tom Hansen<br><b>Sent:</b> Friday, November 16, 2012 12:18 PM<br><b>To:</b> Moscow Vision 2020<br><b>Subject:</b> [Vision2020] This is Wrong on So Many Levels . . .</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'> </span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>Courtesy of the Magic Valley Times-News at:</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'> </span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;color:black'><a href="http://tinyurl.com/ca7hgxf">http://tinyurl.com/ca7hgxf</a></span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;color:black'> </span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>-------------------------------------</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'> </span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><div><h1 style='margin-bottom:7.5pt;background:white'><span class=mark><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black;font-weight:normal'>Declo</span></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black;font-weight:normal'> Teacher Allows Students to Draw on Faces as Reading 'Incentive'</span><o:p></o:p></h1><div style='margin-bottom:11.25pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span class=mark><span style='color:black'>DECLO</span></span><span style='color:black'> • Fourth-graders who failed to achieve reading goals had their faces scribbled on with permanent marker by other students last week at <span class=mark>Declo</span> Elementary School — under the supervision of their teacher.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div style='margin-bottom:11.25pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>Some parents and Cassia County School District leadership are now decrying the consequences for the nine students, some of whom have learning problems.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div style='margin-bottom:11.25pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>When Cindy Hurst’s 10-year-old son arrived home from school Nov. 5, his entire face, hairline to chin, was scribbled on in red marker — including his eyelids. He also had green, red and purple scribble marks over the red, and his face was scratched by a marker that had a rough edge.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div style='margin-bottom:11.25pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>“He was humiliated, he hung his head and wanted to go wash his face,” said Hurst. “He knows he’s a slow reader. Now he thinks he should be punished for it.”</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div style='margin-bottom:11.25pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>Hurst said her son is a quiet, tender-hearted boy who is always “extremely worried about pleasing his teacher.”</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div style='margin-bottom:11.25pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>“I want to see positive changes made at the school and I’m not after anyone’s job,” she said.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div style='margin-bottom:11.25pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>Teacher Summer Larsen, who has taught at the school for six years, did not respond to a request by the Times-News for an interview.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div style='margin-bottom:11.25pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>But District Superintendent <span class=mark>Gaylen</span> <span class=mark>Smyer</span> confirmed what took place in her classroom, though he declined to name Larsen.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div style='margin-bottom:11.25pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>The 21 students in the class have Accelerated Reading goals where they read a set number of books in a given time frame, <span class=mark>Smyer</span> said.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div style='margin-bottom:11.25pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>Larsen allowed the students to choose their own incentive to meet the reading goal. The class chose to have students who did not meet the goal either stay inside at recess until the goal was met, or have their faces written on by their classmates who met their goals.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div style='margin-bottom:11.25pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>Nine of the students in the class did not meet their goals. Of those, six chose to have their faces marked on and three chose to forgo recess.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div style='margin-bottom:11.25pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>“Although all the students in the class agreed to the incentive, once it occurred it was not so well received. Nor should it have been,” <span class=mark>Smyer</span> said.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div style='margin-bottom:11.25pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>Administrators believe the students’ incentives may have been inspired by a recent PTO activity at which <span class=mark>Declo</span> Elementary Principal <span class=mark>Rebecca</span> <span class=mark>Hunsaker</span> allowed staff to paint her face and students to paint her hair, <span class=mark>Smyer</span> said.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div style='margin-bottom:11.25pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span class=mark><span style='color:black'>Hunsaker</span></span><span style='color:black'> did not respond to phone calls from the Times-News Thursday.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div style='margin-bottom:11.25pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>“What occurred with a principal is not the same when it occurs with a child,” <span class=mark>Smyer</span> said. “This is a serious concern.”</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div style='margin-bottom:11.25pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><u><span style='color:black'>Parents’ Opinions Split</span></u><o:p></o:p></p></div><div style='margin-bottom:11.25pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>Not every parent agrees with <span class=mark>Smyer</span>. Karla Christensen’s daughter, who made her reading goal, is in Larsen’s fourth-grade class.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div style='margin-bottom:11.25pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>Christensen sometimes helps out in Larsen’s classroom and she said Larsen puts in extra effort — playing classical music and wearing a microphone so she <span class=mark>doesn</span>’t have to raise her voice to the children.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div style='margin-bottom:11.25pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>“I don’t feel like this was bullying. Bullying has a malicious intent. This was someone trying to get them motivated,” Christensen said. “I think it upset the parents more than the students.”</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div style='margin-bottom:11.25pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>Christensen said if her daughter had come home with similar marks, she would have felt it was a reflection on her own parenting for not making sure her daughter reached her goal.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div style='margin-bottom:11.25pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>“I think (Larsen)is just a very creative teacher who was trying to do something to motivate the students and it went astray,” Christensen said.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div style='margin-bottom:11.25pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span class=mark><span style='color:black'>LeRoy</span></span><span style='color:black'> Robinson, a grandfather of two of the marked-up students, said Larsen made a “poor choice and basically, it was bullying.”</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div style='margin-bottom:11.25pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>“I think children should feel safe at school and know the adults there will protect them,” he said.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div style='margin-bottom:11.25pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>Robinson said the children had their faces marked on in the morning. They had to leave it on all day, but were told to wash it off before they went home.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div style='margin-bottom:11.25pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>“It was a humiliation because they had to wear it all day and other kids were asking them about it and laughing at them,” he said.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div style='margin-bottom:11.25pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>The marker was hard to wash off, <span class=mark>LeRoy</span>’s wife, Karla, said. Both their grandchildren suffer from self-esteem issues and one child has learning problems, she said.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div style='margin-bottom:11.25pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>“Most of these kids were totally embarrassed and wanted to hide it from their parents, but the marker <span class=mark>didn</span>’t wash off,” Karla Robinson said.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div style='margin-bottom:11.25pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>Children who rode a bus home with junior high and high school students then suffered further humiliation, she said.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div style='margin-bottom:11.25pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>As a reward a child should never be allowed to belittle, make fun of or hurt someone else, she said.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div style='margin-bottom:11.25pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span class=mark><span style='color:black'>Smyer</span></span><span style='color:black'> said he could not confirm if the teacher faced disciplinary action, but parents reported she was absent from the classroom Nov. 7-9 and back in the classroom on Nov. 12.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div style='margin-bottom:11.25pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span class=mark><span style='color:black'>Smyer</span></span><span style='color:black'> said the district received some complaints from parents, while others were supportive.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div style='margin-bottom:11.25pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>Although teachers are allowed some latitude in class, he said, this incident comes down to an issue of safety in the classroom and school environment.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div style='margin-bottom:11.25pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>“There are things there that we questioned,” <span class=mark>Smyer</span> said.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div style='margin-bottom:11.25pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>Hurst said she has since removed her child from the situation.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div style='margin-bottom:11.25pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>“I am really saddened that the teacher <span class=mark>didn</span>’t use better judgment, as well as the principal when she learned about it,” Hurst said. “They marked the children as being less.”</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><div><div style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>-------------------------------------</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span class=mark><span style='color:black'>Seeya</span></span><span style='color:black'> round town, Moscow, because . . .</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'> </span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>"Moscow Cares"</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'><a href="http://www.moscowcares.com/" target="_blank">http://www.moscowcares.com/</a></span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'> </span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>Tom Hansen</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>Moscow, Idaho</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='color:black'> </span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><span style='color:black'><br>=======================================================<br>List services made available by First Step Internet,<br>serving the communities of the <span class=mark>Palouse</span> since 1994.<br> <a href="http://www.fsr.net/" target="_blank">http://www.fsr.net/</a><br> <span class=mark>mailto</span>:<a href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">Vision2020@moscow.com</a><br>=======================================================</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div></div><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><hr size=2 width="100%" align=center></div><p class=MsoNormal>=======================================================<br> List services made available by First Step Internet,<br> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.<br> <a href="http://www.fsr.net">http://www.fsr.net</a><br> <a href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com</a><br>=======================================================<o:p></o:p></p></blockquote></div></blockquote><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><div><p class=MsoNormal>=======================================================<br>List services made available by First Step Internet,<br>serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.<br> <a href="http://www.fsr.net">http://www.fsr.net</a><br> <a href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com</a><br>=======================================================<o:p></o:p></p></div></blockquote></div></body></html>