UGOTNERVE Promised Bring Your Stories About John Rolfe Middle To The Public…

Our lives since last Friday have been a true whirlwind!  The whirlwind grew to hurricane strength after Thursday night’s school board meeting.   YOU are sharing your stories of injustice, intimidation, discrimination, and much more as it involves our children, the educators, and the administration of John Rolfe Middle School. While we are still helping in the filing of OCR complaints, we have now transitioned to assisting with completing complaints to the Virginia Department of Education (VADOE).  While many are special education-related, many of us are also requesting that the central office staff, administrators, and department head in question have their licenses either suspended or revoked based on their blatant violations of district, state, and federal laws as well as for consistently endangering the lives of our children and educators.   If we do not want these people over John Rolfe’s students, families, and teachers, then we should not want them over anyone’s students, families, and teachers.  We shared the letter that was sent to the VADOE demanding that an investigation be completed to determine whether they are fit to carry the license afforded to them by this state based on their pattern of extremely unethical behaviors.  Several parents and educators are forwarding similar letters to VADOE in support of the investigations.   Even if Mr. Morton continues to turn a deaf ear to the reality of our plight, even if the school board tries to put band-aids, like cameras, on the gaping wounds of injustice that are festering within our children, our educators, our families, an our schools;  even if central office staff like Dr. Jepson and Ms. Royal continue to serve their own selfish interests instead of the interests of our children, our families, our educators, and our schools;  even if Mr. Armstrong, Mr. Rokenbrod, and Ms. Ellis continue to be allowed to disregard, ignore, and repeatedly violate district, state, and federal guidelines without consequence, to the detriment of the welfare of our children and educators; UGOTNERVE WILL BE YOUR VOICE!  WE PROMISE!   WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED BY BULLIES THAT HAVE AS THEIR PRIORITIES,  POWER,  POSITION,  AND POLITICS.  So, keep sharing and we will get YOUR voice heard! This past week, we heard from everyone from substitutes to parents.  Here are a few of the stories that we will share regarding the state of crisis that John Rolfe Middle School is in.  We know it.  We live it.  Mr. Morton, Central Office, and the school board just don’t get it!  We have removed the names of the individuals that provided the stories for their own protection.  We know that once their identities are realized, they will become a target for Mr. Morton and the other central office and Rolfe bullies.           VOICE ONE:   A substitute that has served at almost every school in the county stated that their last day at Rolfe was the day that the middle school student was restrained and pepper sprayed by school officials.  The substitute stated that they told John Rolfe NEVA’, I repeat, NEVA’ to call them again!  The substitute shared that the “inmates run the prison” at John Rolfe Middle School and the teachers are scared to speak out about the state of crisis because then they will be targeted and their contract nonrenewed (imagine that!)  The substitute also shared that the principal, Mr. Armstrong, and  7th and 8th grade principals, Mr. Jordan and Mr. Rokenbrod, would never make it in corporate america.  Their incompetence would have gotten them the boot a long time ago.  So, the question is if they would not make it in corporate america, how are they making it in educational america.  The answer is simple, corruption and racism; racism and corruption.  The are over BLACK children and BLACK families and BLACK communities that are not valued by these WHITE men that have no present ties to these majority BLACK communities.  They have no vested interest  and they have no heart for our children.  So, for them, this is just a job and the children and educators are just slaves that they have to tolerate to get the big fat paychecks that our taxpaying dollars give them.  They are actually stealing their paychecks.  Think about it, when you fail to do what you are hired to do and still get paid, that is stealing.            VOICE TWO:   A parent shared  a story of how her son was suspended for five days by Mr. Rokenbrod for cursing in the halls.  This is the same Mr. Rokenbrod that was (and probably still is) months behind in his discipline referrals.  He is also the same Mr. Rokenbrod that yelled at Ms. Lucas because she would not permit three abusive students into her classroom.  This is also the same Mr. Rokenbrod that falsified documents during two mediation meetings with Ms. Lucas in which she confronted her peers about violating state and federal special education laws with students and breaking school rules for students.  That Rokenbrod!  Parents and educators alike are sick of him and he JUST got here in September 2007.  We all agree that he needs to go back to where he came from, that is if they will take him back.  They may have been glad to “get rid of him” too.  Oh, one more thing, this is the same Mr. Rokenbrod that refused to send a suspended student home that was trespassing because he was (and still may be) scared of BLACK parents.  The student that he refused to send home was free to terrorize all of the other students and educators within the school with no consequence from Mr. Rokenbrod or Mr. Armstrong.  So much for protecting our children and educators from potential safety threats!  Ms. Royal, Mr. Morton, and the school board are all aware of these incidents, but have done NOTHING!             VOICE THREE:    A substitute teacher shared how out of control an eighth grade class was while they were attempting to give a test to the class.  The students were yelling, walking around the room, hanging out the door, trying to leave the class, and so on.  The substitute called for an administrator and supposedly, Mr. Jordan, the seventh grade principal arrived.  The substitute became extremely upset when Mr. Jordan reportedly gave the students the answers to the test in order to calm them down so that they would be quiet and sit down.  WOW, THAT IS DEFINITELY A NEW EVIDENCE-BASED BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION INTERVENTION:  CHEATING!  The substitute stated that they were so outraged and offended at Mr. Jordan’s behavior and violation of school rules that they walked out of the room and let him have the class.  Now we understand why he does not give consequences for cheating, because, based on this account, he promotes cheating among the children.  HOW IS THAT ACTING IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF OUR CHILDREN?  HOW MUCH RESPECT DOES AN ADMINISTRATOR HAVE FOR OUR CHILDREN WHEN HE SUPPOSEDLY HELPS THEM TO CHEAT ON AN EXAM AND DOES NOT CARE WHETHER THEY KNOW THE MATERIAL OR NOT?  WHY DOES MR. JORDAN STILL HAVE HIS JOB?  SO MUCH FOR TEACHING OUR CHILDREN CHARACTER AND INTEGRITY OR IS HE JUST TREATING THEM LIKE THE “NIGGAZ” THAT HE THINKS THEY ARE THAT LIE AND CHEAT ANYWAY?!            VOICE FOUR:   A parent shared their story of going up to John Rolfe Middle School to question an administrator about the severe consequences that their child received for an incident in the cafeteria.  The parent stated that they ended up being escorted out of John Rolfe by the Henrico County police this past week and did not resolve the issue regarding their student.   Hmmmmm…..we heard the same story at Thursday night’s school board meeting.  The parent there stated that it was because of the color of her skin that a white administrator felt “threatened” and called the police.  Sounds like this is a growing trend in Henrico by white administrators that do not try to understand BLACK parents and BLACK children and BLACK educators.  They call the police on them instead of speaking with them.   WHY DOES THE SCHOOL BOARD PERMIT THIS TO CONTINUE?  IF PARENTS AND EDUCATORS CANNOT ADVOCATE FOR OUR CHILDREN WITHOUT RETALIATION SUCH AS THIS BY SCARED, INCOMPETENT, AND RACIST ADMINISTRATORS, THEN WE NEED TO CLOSE HENRICO COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS DOWN NOW!   Now, while all white administrators are not like this, AND while some black administrators are like this (ie.  Marilyn Royal and Davina Johnson), the fact is that JOHN ROLFE MIDDLE SCHOOL IS IN A STATE OF CRISIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!      Everyone seems to know it except the ones that are in leadership over it, or perhaps they know it, but refuse to acknowledge it because then they would have to acknowledge their part in contributing to the crisis and make drastic changes. Regardless, the fact still stands that the crisis is growing more severe.  A student is pepper sprayed today, a parent is escorted out by police today, stampedes take place in the halls injury students today, educators are targeted, lied on, and forced on for demanding a safe school today…..we dare not think of what tomorrow will bring if something isn’t done TODAY!    We know, we know, there are those that are saying that this is not a racial issue and that we are wrong for bringing race to the forefront of this crisis.  We a have a few words for those “ostrich heads in the sand” people.  When we fail to acknowledge that race is playing a part in any injustice, especially when the pattern of behavior by those in power supports it, that is just as bad, or worse than saying that it is a race issue when it isn’t.  UGOTNERVE ain’t scared to throw the “race card” on the table if we are justified in playing it!  and right now….it is the right time to play it.  To say that this is not a racial issue would be perpetrating an even greater injustice!  Sorry to all of you “cain’t we just go along to get along” folks.  Thank you to all of the administrators in Henrico that are supporting us on the “down low” in central office and in the various schools.  We will never reveal who you are, but we are grateful for what you are…..people who see the injustice and are working to stop it while encouraging those of us that are in the line of fire.     KEEP UP THE NERVE!  Keep your stories coming, we will get them out there!