Not all the "bullying" incidents were, the outgoing superintendent says on his last day.
Phillips Middle School responded to most of the incidents appropriately but failed to record all the incidents properly and notify parents and staff thoroughly in some cases.
Read the full statement below.
Several concerned parents reported a bullying problem at Philips at the beginning of this month.
Neil Pedersen, outgoing superintendent, received letters from parents about bullying. He said he looked into the reported incidents to determine if they were fact or rumor.
Pedersen said there were consequences for the aggressor in all the incidents he had looked into. Bullying is no more of a problem at Phillips than any other school, he said.
We requested the letters from the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools and just received them today.
Only a portion of the letters were deemed "public." All of the letters containing specific examples of bullying were categorized as "confidential."
However, there were several comments from the School Improvement Team parent survey which reiterated that bullying at Phillips is a concern.
Here are some of the comments:
"Consequences seem non-existent. Kids see this and perceive that there are no repercussions for violent behavior. Many kids are too intimidated to report bullying and assaults."
"...bullying among girls is rampant..."
"Last year one of my child's friends left Phillips because of bullying."
"Get rid of the bullying program, it is not enforced equally..."
Among these comments there were also several containing praise for the way discipline was handled.
"This school intervenes well before the situation escalates."
Today's Phillips story already has prompted a new letter, our sixth, from a parent saying there is too a problem and he's tired of seeing it swept under the rug. We'll bring that to you later.
Here are our local headlines:
BULLYING PROMPTS REVIEW: Superintendent Neil Pedersen says the Chapel Hill-Carrboro school district has reviewed bullying complaints at Phillips and found enough to merit a review of procedures there before school reopen this August. Lana Douglas has the story.
COLONY APARTMENTS UPDATE: Town Council members Penny Rich and Sally Greene had said they were worried the sale of Colony Apartments on Ephesus Church Road might remove affordable housing stock from Chapel Hill (Greene has called the apartments "organically affordable" because they're old and cheap.) Well, they were partly right. Read my story today.
MASTER CLASS: Lois Winkler is a new writer for The CHN, and a good one. She has a story today on a program that puts therapy dogs into some Orange County Schools classrooms, where they help children with autism and other special needs learn to read and de-stress. Chris Seward took our photos.
We have a page of your letters on the bullying complaints at Phillips, columns on growth and development, more on that shooting at a sheriff's deputy (a near miss; a bullet hit his radio belt), and much more. If your letter did not get in today, please look for it this coming week. And look online and in Wednesday's paper for photos from this weekend's high school graduations.
Thanks for reading,
Mark
Sunday's story about bullying at Phillips Middle School has prompted several letters running in this Sunday's Chapel Hill News. Here is an excerpt from reader Jeanette Bench's letter, one of two we received supporting principal Cicily McCrimmon:
"Our family has had the pleasure of working with the Phillips principal, Cicily McCrimmon, on several occasions while our sons were at Phillips Middle School. Our experience with Cicily has been nothing but positive as I have seen her personally go out of her way, on her personal time, to make sure that one of our sons was treated fairly. There are many very dedicated professionals that teach and lead because they care about all of the children at Phillips. We moved into our current neighborhood so that our children would be able to attend Phillips. It was our school of choice, and I find it difficult to believe that it is now “a drowning school that needs a lifeline.”
Our story about bullying at Phillips Middle School has already drawn one reader's letter, which will appear in Sunday's print edition. Here is an excerpt:
The concerns being raised have caused some parents to suggest that such issues should not be discussed outside of the school for fear of tarnishing the reputation of the school or district.
It is important to note that it is the actions, or lack thereof, that have occurred that have tarnished the reputation of Phillips, not the process of shedding light on the problems and seeking their solutions.
We, in Chapel Hill, need to bring our great resources to bear on problems, not suppress or conceal them behind a façade for the sake of reputation.
Here is a look at some other local headlines in today's Chapel Hill News edition:
ROAD PROJECT HURTING BUSINESS: The Spotted Dog owner says the restaurant may close because of a 50 percent drop in business during the East Weaver Street Road project. Maple View Ine Cream owner Bob Nutter is meeting with his landlord and suppliers to see if he can stay open. Read Tammy Grubb's story for more on the project.
HILLSBOROUGH SCULPTURE TOUR: In this month's Brush Strokes column on the visual arts, correspondent Deborah Meyer reports on the Hillsborough Arts Council's first ever sculpture tour. Read Debbie's story and check out the 2nd Friday Art Walk this week in downtown Chapel Hill-Carrboro. Summer is a great time to stoll through our local galleries.
We have a rundown on this week's local high school graduations, seven letters on the editorial page and two pages of local sports in today's edition. Check it out.
Thanks for reading,
Mark
Phoenix Academy has got its first real principal.
LaVerne Mattocks has been named the new principal of the alternative high school, which is transitioning from a program to a fully-functioning high school this fall.
The transition would make the school eligible for federal and state funding. It also requires Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools to develop a School Improvement Plan and to participate in state accountability measures - with relaxed standards.
North Carolina requires each school district to operate an alternative high school program.
Mattocks comes from Orange County Schools' Orange High School in Hillsborough, where she was assistant principal. She has also been assistant principal at both Riverside and Hillside High in Durham. She replaces director Burmadeane George, who retired last month.
In other appointment news, Cicily McCrimmon has been named the new principal of Phillips Middle School. She replaces Eileen Tully, who was named principal of East Chapel Hill High last month.
McCrimmon has been the assistant principal at Smith Middle School since September 2008. She assumes her new job July 8. The search for a new assistant principal at Smith Middle is underway.
