Knoxville Asperger Support Group / Dan Murphy Wants KAEC changed

[Doug McCaughan]

Meeting Announcement

The upcoming meeting dates for the Knoxville Asperger Support Group are:

• Novemeber 19, 2007
• December 17, 2007

The support group has a Yahoo Group which can be found on http://groups.yahoo.com/ by searching for Knoxville_Aspie_Support. It meets the third Monday of every month unless there is a conflict or holiday at the West Branch of the Knoxville Public Library (map) at 100 Golfclub Rd from 6pm to 7:30pm.

The Knoxville Asperger Support Group is a no charge, open discussion on the subject of Asperger Syndrome. Typically attendees are caregivers of children teens, and adults although folks with Asperger's often attend to provide input, ask questions, or seek out others with Asperger's. All are welcome!

Potential Special Topic

Dr. Dan Murphy of the School Board has proposed turning KAEC into a middle school to serve the Sequoyah Hills areas. He is making the rounds to several PTOs (will be at Rocky Hill Elementary on Dec 10 at 6:30pm) to garnish support for his proposal. When asked directly as to what would become of the KAEC students, Dr. Murphy gave an ambiguous answer. In my mind that means they either have no plan or will bus the children to Karns. As a parent of a child with Asperger's, you stand a chance that your child will spend some time at KAEC. This is a topic that needs to be discussed immediately.

[Debi]

Would our school board members reading this please respond?

[BP]

You have to remember where Dan Murphy is coming from. He represents the most privileged district in Knox County--Sequoyah. He's trying hard to meet the demands of VERY influential parents (the same ones responsible for the lobbying group Save Our Tennessee Summers) who hate the thought of having to send their kids far away to Bearden Middle, a less than perfect school, especially compared to Sequoyah Elementary. I wouldn't be too worried--it will never pass. The school is small and in very poor shape (I went to Bearden Elementary and we used their gym for major school functions). There are also only about 20 parking spaces. A middle school would never work in such a small location, especially for Sequoyah and Bearden parents who want, and can provide, the very best for their children.

[Doug McCaughan]

Thanks BP. You drive it home with the parking and I believe you are correct that Dan Murphy is primarily representing Sequoyah's interest. The problem is that he obliged to represent me also even though I do not live in Sequoyah Hills and he has repeatedly failed to represent me or my interests from the simple things like providing text books for my children to undermining the track and field improvements at KAEC to the more complex like rezoning.

Now I have to take issue with "Bearden Middle, a less than perfect school." First, all Knox County schools are "less than perfect" but they are all good schools. Secondly, I learned during the rezoning that many people take very powerful stances on certain schools. Try discussing whether or not Bearden High School or West High School is the better school in mixed company and watch friendships dissolve! I can vouch for Bearden Middle. I put 3 children through Bearden Middle; one using CDC and mainstreaming, one straight As and honor programs, and the other is just finishing up the 6th grade. The staff at Bearden Middle is excellent and the education program is very good. The only problem I had this year was that the science class did not have enough text books (isn't that something Dan Murphy might be able to address?). I have heard the children say "it's a rough school" but that's middle school tough talk; all middle school talk that way about their school.

Other people may have had different experiences at Bearden Middle, but unless we are going to backup our statements that "this school is better than that school" I think we need to avoid perpetuating such myths as "school such and such is bad."

[BP]

You make a good point and I understand that middle school is an awkward time and very few felt their middle school was good, but I had some personal issues with the principal that is still there. I felt she treated some students unfairly (I was a member of Science Olympiad and all of us felt like we did not get the support or encouragement we needed, especially after we lost for the first time in 9 or so years). She also promised us a lot of things that we never got. We were 'required' to do service projects (and a ridiculous number of hours for middle schoolers--50!) in exchange for getting a cappuccino machine, open seating at lunch, school t-shirts, and a long list of other things. I realized a cappuccino machine was a bad idea, but we didn't even get shirts. It wasn't the teachers that were bad. I had some great teachers. My class just had a long list of issues with the principal.Secondly, Dan Murphy is my representative too--I remember having ten year old science book in elementary school. I don't know what to tell you for that. My English book in AP English is a reused book leftover from Karns. That may be a county issue.I do appreciate hearing from another generation from Bearden Middle because while I was there, there were several administrative issues.Also, the track and field behind KAEC is owned by someone with no relation to the school and only allows the school to use it out of his own generosity.Sorry, I know that's a lot to process, but I do appreciate your opinions!

[Doug McCaughan]

"Also, the track and field behind KAEC is owned by someone with no relation to the school and only allows the school to use it out of his own generosity"

That is inaccurate. The track and field is owned by Knox County Schools. NAMI and a parent had arranged a grant to pay for improvements to the track and field as well as installation of some playground equipment. Exercise is very beneficial for the treatment of depression and working out anger issues and other such behavioral issues common to the KAEC students. Before the grant could be finalized, none other than Dan Murphy helped to lease (not sell) the property to a private soccer organization that immediately fenced the area and has the students locked out despite Dan Murphy's assurances that the students could use it at any time the soccer organization isn't using it. According to Dan Murphy's faculty profile, he spent a number of years active in Knox Youth Sports. I wonder if Knox Select Soccer is related to Knox Youth Sports and if there wasn't a conflict of interests.

[momto3]

I am a one of those "VERY influential parents" from the Sequoyah area. How offensive. Not everyone who lives in this are is influential or able to provide the very best for our children, although we do try (as parents from every district do).

And as far as the "lobbying group" Save Tennessee Summers (which is actually a group of parents with little money or influence from many counties across the state), it may have been started (in East Tennessee, other parts of the state joined when other parents became concerned over early start dates) by two Sequoyah AND Bearden Middle moms but it soon spread to over 2,000 other Knox County residents (along with Blount, Loudon, Roane, Anderson, Hamilton, Sevier etc.). How do I know this? I'm one of those moms.

Sequoyah does have some wealthy families but it is also filled with families that are attending UT so they come from all over the country and, indeed, the world, and there are also some of us plain old middle class to lower middle class parents. It's a wonderful mix of families, much more diverse than I would say Rocky Hill, Blue Grass or A. L. Lotts. Don't be so quick to judge people based on what school district they are zoned for, your apt to tick some folks off.

While Bearden Middle is less than perfect (what school is perfect?) it's has been a good fit for our daughter along with the MAJORITY of other children who come from Sequoyah.

If we want to better our school system we need less snap judgements than your own about the "type" of parent contained in any one school district.