Spring Hill Elementry/Keystone Elementry/H Bell Child Care

Dr. Mayor Willie W. Herenton

I am a concerned and angry parent.

Last year was my 8 year old Joshua E. Johnsons' first year in Memphis city schools and after our experience it will be his last.

Joshua was attending Keystone elementary and in the optional program. He was doing fine outside of his spelling. After consulting with my friend who is a Dean of schools in MI. and another friend who is a teacher in GA., implementing my own childhood technique, I was able to turn his F's in Spelling to A's.

I drove Joshua to and from school every day. In September I had a traumatic car accident and was no longer to continue his education at Keystone. Keystone was a great school academically but socially he was deprived and bullied by his teacher Mrs. Jones. Joshua told me she jacked (grabbed) the children up by their collars. Counselors’ were concerned because he had no friends and described him as shy.
I.E. of bullying: The class took pictures and when picture were delivered to Mrs. Jones class she commented that all the children's pictures were ugly except Joshua's.
I.E. of unprofessionalism: She has even hung up the phone in my face when I have tried to reason with her. I had left multiple messages with the Principal and talked to the Principal. They had no response for the way she treated my son or me. But was simply concerned of his crying, shyness and not making friends.

I had no choice but to transfer Joshua because of the circumstances. I.E. lack of transportation and feeling threatened and unwelcomed. We transferred to Spring Hill Elementary the zoned school.
Incident: 1. Joshua’s teacher Mrs. Lopez threw a folder at him, which grazed the side of his head. This matter was resolved in the Principals office. Resolution: I was satisfied because she humiliated him publicly and she apologized publicly and promised it would not happen again. She did not have to because it was not enforced by the Principal that she does so. As a matter of fact his attitude was “you can’t tell me what action to take” but thankfully Mrs. Lopez agreed to the apology though Mr. Vasser did not support it.
Incident: 2. The day of the tornados' I left early walking to meet Joshua. He was nowhere to be found and the school was in total chaos. None of the children had been dismissed yet. I went to the office to check him out and was told they sent the walkers out the side door. Had the walkers been coming out the side door I would have seen them. There is about a 50-75 ft. open space when walking to the main entrance pass the side door. I went to my sons’ teachers’ room and she informed me the walkers were sent to the office. I came through the side doors to double check I waited for over 30 minutes. The guidance counselor Mrs. Smith got on her walkie-talkie and helped me cover every inch of the bldg. 10 minutes later still nothing. I called the police and reported him missing. I was angry and terrified. After there were no children left and I was still standing outside waiting for the police. The Principal comes out of his office and asks ME where my son was. I was so angry I couldn't speak. With tears welling in my eyes. I just stood there and continued to wait on the police. The Principal speaks to me every morning I walk Joshua to school and every evening when I walk him home. He knows us by name. He proceeded to ask me how does Joshua get to school? If its 1 thing I cant stand outside of a liar is for someone to ask me a rhetorical redundant question in a state of emergency.

Just as the police were arriving a child from the neighborhood called my cell phone and asked where I was because they had found Josh walking alone and stopped at a friends house to call me. Thankfully they brought him back to the school and he had not been harmed. There are a lot of stray dogs in the neighborhood and I've heard gun activity immediately after children are dismissed from school.
Incident number 3. The school opens at 8 a.m. and children are lined up outside of the door. It’s was a few days before the tornado storms I was using the parent lounge and Joshua's teacher called and told me he was not feeling well. I walked down the hall to get him and he proceeded to tell me that while lining up for lunch a teacher by the name of Bernice Cockrell stopped the line to go into the cafeteria for breakfast. Joshua was afraid he was going to miss breakfast and proceeded to go into the cafeteria. Mrs. Cockrell grabbed him by his single strap FedEx backpack and began to shake him from side to side. This force caused the backpack strap to choke him. She sent him back outside the building in the cold and made him come in the building again. She also jerked him around by his backpack one more time before allowing him to go into the cafeteria for breakfast.
ACTION: The principal was out of town the secretary set up for me to speak to a lady who I presumed was the assistant Principal since he was out of town. I believe her name was Mrs. McCain. She said they did not condone that type of behavior and Joshua should not have gotten out of line. I agreed with her however the teacher was totally OUT-OF-LINE. She said she would inform the principal. The end of the next school day I returned to the school to pick Joshua up and asked the Principal what was the result of Mrs. Cockrell's actions. He said he knew nothing about it and no one had reported anything to him. This is when I discovered I was not speaking to the assistant principal. He said he would look into it. I never heard any more about until I had to call the police the day Joshua was missing. When I vented to the police officer about this previous event it was at that time the Principal spoke up and said, "I talked to her and she said it didn't happen." This is a haunting phrase with me in MCS. When was I going to be informed? When was Joshua going to get a chance to tell his side of the story? Resolution: I had to call the police for it to be investigated. It was turned over to DCS and I never heard anything else after several inquires.

Incident 4: Johnny Rudd or a teacher’s assistant told Joshua he had a mental problem and he was going to pull his hair out of his head. I braid Joshua's hair straight to the back. Joshua told me Mr.. Rudd or reached across the cafeteria table grabbed the end of his braids and proceeded to swing his head left and right. This caused cuts across the back of his neck and blood inside his shirt collar. Like I said I don't cover wrong his rage was because Joshua felt the need to help the assistant out by yelling for the class to shut up. Joshua was wrong for yelling out in the cafeteria.
Now I'm not one of those parents who thinks my child can do no wrong but when is it necessary to use physical force to discipline a child!

This case is currently being investigated. Christy Munson is over this case with DCS and after serious digging I discovered she was over the Cockrell case and closed it without my knowledge. She stated to me it is confidential and I am not permitted to know why MY case was closed.

On Friday 06/13/08 I got a phone call from Mrs. Gatlin at H. Bell Child Care Center she asked me if Joshua threw tantrums and if he had a problem sharing. I said No. He is an only child but he shares with his family and friends. Sometimes he gives away too much.

I heard crying in the background. She said he was throwing a tantrum. I was shocked because Joshua had not done this in at least 5 years. After 3 requests she finally allowed me to speak to him. He said some kids knocked over his blocks he was building. <<<< Not a sharing issue. I told him that was no reason to throw a tantrum. I asked him if I needed to spank him. He said he already got a whipping from Mrs. Gatlin. I asked him what did he mean? Mrs. Gatlin took the phone from him. I told her what Joshua stated. She said she never whipped him. She said she held him by his arm to calm him down. I told her about the spatula like utensil he showed me in my sister’s kitchen days before and said he saw her hitting children with it. His exact words was, "mommy this is what she whips us with."

I am from the old school where paddling was allowed in school. I approve of paddling however the laws have changed. I thought maybe she just tapped them with it. I checked back with Mrs. Gatlin later that day she said everything was fine. I picked Joshua up at about 5:05 p.m. she said everything was fine the rest of his day was great.

As we were riding down airways Joshua said mom I have to show you these scratches on my arm. I said what scratches? He said, I told you she whipped me. She grabbed me by my arm and squeezed me real hard and she whipped me with that thing I told you.

When I saw those for red scars wrapped around his arm that were obvious fingerprints I was furious. I went right back to the childcare and Mrs. Gatlin came out of the main room and asked, "what did you for get?" I showed her his arm and she immediately denied it. I told her you know the situation we just left. Why would you do this? She said she didn't mean to scar him and asked me what she should have done? I told her, "You should have called me" She stated I did. I said no you called me after you put your hands on him. You did not have my permission to whip him or be physical with him further more its against the law. I asked her why couldn't she discipline a child without assaulting him/her. I am a graduate of MCS including elementary. I have been paddled but had no scars. "I have never been physically attacked by a teacher." I understand in this day and time parents are no longer rearing their children. We have a whole new breed of children in the schools and a whole new breed of teachers and directors who are not trained or refuse to accept new methods of disciple for a new generation of children.

I am pleading for an appointment with you. I am assembling an organization and a board of directors to resolve these types of situations. Though I am removing my son from MCS altogether I am concerned for the children who are left behind. Because of these consistent assaults being swept over the rug. Yes, I meant to say "over the rug" because the scars and negligence are in plain sight and the MCS story remains "It didn't happen."

I am an active parent in MCS, a fulltime mom, and a part time business owner. I’ve been on so many field trips other children at the school call me Mom and have even and on in Mrs. Lopez class has even made the statement, “I wish you were my mom. My mom had to work.”

Attached are some pictures from the incidents and a utensil Joshua showed me she hits the children with. I also have a number of parents who share my voice and I will shortly send you that list and a bullet point of what MCS organization, what incident occurred and when. I recently discovered another parent complained about H Bell day care for the same reasons recently.

Thank you for your ear. Please respond soon.