Frankfort Kansas And Public School Textbook Rentals

While your faithful blogger is digging up posts from the past, concerning public schools, here is another oldie but goodie. This one is about textbook rentals.

Textbook Rentals. That's what someone from the superintendent's office at Vermillion, USD 380, in Kansas told yours truly about the unlawful tuition that Dean Dalinghaus, the principal of Frankfort School, in Frankfort, Kansas, charges the parents of the unlucky children who attend his institution. According to federal law, there is no such thing as a "textbook rental" in a public school for a required course. If a student loses or destroys a textbook, it is, of course, another matter; but Frankfort has no legal business charging any parent 50.00 for its moth eaten, outdated, information-challenged tomes that are seldom even read by students.

Prior to paying for a "textbook rental", each parent should inspect the property for which the unlawful tuition is purported to pay. Is the textbook torn up or missing pages? Was it published in 1953? Was it written and compiled by authors whose contributions to the subject matter have been superseded by better authorities? If so, the school should not charge, in the name of state and federal government, for the use of the published material.

The savvy parent should also call the publishing company used by the school and inquire about the actual prices paid by the school for these textbooks. Have the books already been paid off, many times over, by parents who have paid "textbook rentals"? If so, it is very inappropriate and legally questionable, even in cases wherein such a fee is legal, to force a parent to pay for such a thing. How much would the publishing company charge a parent for a new or used textbook? Shouldn't the parent have this information, up front, before paying rental fees? One would not rent a car, or a home, without knowing the actual cost of purchase, so why not find out how much a used book would cost?

USD 380 and Dean Dalinghaus should stop charging tuition for public school. If Dalinghaus wishes to charge parents more money than the actual value of his product, he should attempt to pimp his product in the private market for childhood education, and find out, there, the actual value of his services and textbooks.

Lucas Hernandez Missing

Five year old Lucas Hernandez has been missing from Wichita, Kansas, for almost a month; since February 14. Since then, his stepmother has been arrested and detained on charges of child endangerment, and his father and mother have not given any interviews wherein they make clear requests of the general public to simply help find Lucas and bring him home. This is troubling, but as of today, there is a dedicated tipline, 316-268-4407. Crime stoppers is 316-267-2111.

Another Word About Public School Enrollment Fees

Textbook Rentals. That's what someone from the superintendent's office at Vermillion, USD 380, in Kansas told yours truly about the unlawful tuition that Dean Dalinghaus, the principal of Frankfort School, in Frankfort, Kansas, charges the parents of the unlucky children who attend his institution. According to federal law, there is no such thing as a "textbook rental" in a public school for a required course. If a student loses or destroys a textbook, it is, of course, another matter; but Frankfort has no legal business charging any parent 50.00 for its moth eaten, outdated, information-challenged tomes that are seldom even read by students.

Prior to paying for a "textbook rental", each parent should inspect the property for which the unlawful tuition is purported to pay. Is the textbook torn up or missing pages? Was it published in 1953? Was it written and compiled by authors whose contributions to the subject matter have been superseded by better authorities? If so, the school should not charge, in the name of state and federal government, for the use of the published material.

The savvy parent should also call the publishing company used by the school and inquire about the actual prices paid by the school for these textbooks. Have the books already been paid off, many times over, by parents who have paid "textbook rentals"? If so, it is very inappropriate and legally questionable, even in cases wherein such a fee is legal, to force a parent to pay for such a thing. How much would the publishing company charge a parent for a new or used textbook? Shouldn't the parent have this information, up front, before paying rental fees? One would not rent a car, or a home, without knowing the actual cost of purchase, so why not find out how much a used book would cost?

USD 380 and Dean Dalinghaus should stop charging tuition for public school. If Dalinghaus wishes to charge parents more money than the actual value of his product, he should attempt to pimp his product in the private market for childhood education, and find out, there, the actual value of his services and textbooks.

Kansas Public Schools Charge Tuition

Some of the public schools in Kansas have taken to the unlawful practice of charging "enrollment fees". This is against federal law, and every time a case concerning enrollment fees has gone to court, brought by either the school or parents, the parents have won because the practice of charging for public education is unlawful. The American Civil Liberties Union has gotten involved in a few cases involving this issue, as well.

It appears that the (ahem) school, and I use the word "school" very loosely here, in Frankfort, Kansas is up to their usual unlawful stunts again in regard to extorting money from parents. The "tuition" charged this year for each student is $50.00. This does not include activity fees. There is no information revealing the purpose of the fee, or what is actually covered by it. Frankfort does, after all, garner state and federal dollars, in order to pay staff to yak on their cell phones most of the day, or surf the internet. Why is it all-encompassing to charge money that is legally not allowed to be charged?

In the past, when yours truly sent children to school in Frankfort, she refused to pay the "enrollment fees", stating emphatically that her "fees" were already covered by the mill levy and property taxes she pays each year. This would naturally bring on threats from the principal, promising everything from refusal to admit students to crying to a collection agency. The principal discovered that he cannot refuse to enroll any student in his district, regardless of fees; and that legitimate collection agencies are loth to intervene in matters wherein the so-called obligor owes nothing.

Disrespectful Christian Children

Today I read a post from someone on Facebook, whose son, a Christian of the born-again variety, didn't like her Tarot cards. The cards disappeared, and my Facebook friend was unable to find them, and this morning her son finally told her that he tore them up and threw them out, on an isolated country road near their home. She's really disgusted with his behavior, and I don't blame her. I've met Christians in the past who destroy property.....the more superstitious ones often burn books on matters occult and throw any jewelry that reminds them of a pentacle away. In extreme cases, occultists or suspected occultists have been assaulted and murdered, and homes and buildings have been set on fire or otherwise destroyed.

Why would an adult young man bear his mother such disrespect? This is something else about Christians that I have never understood. Just what is it, about another person's differences, that frightens them so badly? And what is it about respect for other religions that is so difficult? Especially when we are dealing with born again types whose parents are not Christian? And why is it so easy for some of these born-again congregations to encourage children to disrespect their parents? First, to condescend to a parishioner's parents while cheering on the parishioner to do the same, followed by destruction of property, in this case, the Tarot cards. Another word for the latter is theft, but apparently "thou shalt not steal" goes out the window with "honor they father and thy mother" when keeping the ten commandments requires empathy and manners. Feel free to believe me when I state that the Christian "God's" permission to his faithful to exclude yours truly from the respect he insists must be granted other elders and parents is enraging, and does not foster any family atmosphere or relationship.

If any of my sons had destroyed a deck of my cards, or any other tool connected to the Craft or matters occult, I would probably film myself ceremoniously burning the culprit's bible and put it on YouTube. That said, I suppose it is a good thing it was only the Tarot cards that were destroyed and discarded on an isolated rural road. Born-agains do some strange things.

A Fourth Reason To Consolidate Kansas Schools

Wouldn't it be nice if Kansas schools, like schools everywhere else in the nation, were administrated by educators, rather than politicians? Wouldn't it also be nice if every principal in Kansas had a degree in teaching and a few years of experience in the same? This provides yet another reason for consolidation of schools: tiny, often errant, independent little school boards comprising "unified" school districts, sometimes do not bother to hire qualified people for this post, making victims of all the students and their parents. That's what happened in Kansas USD 380. There should probably be an audit of USD 380's standardized test scores for the past ten years or so, too.

Another Question For Terri Horman

Hey Terri, I have a question for you. Remember when you bombed those two polygraphs, because your answers indicated deception after your stepson, Kyron Horman, disappeared from school? I was just wondering, now that you no longer live in Portland, did you and one of your parents meet Kyron behind the school, instead of in front of it? Was there an idea, between you and your parents, that you could secretly pick up Kyron that way, that no one would notice? Was it your idea, or was it your mom's idea? If I had been watching from the air, is this how the spot you chose as a place to meet Kyron would have looked?

Reward For Tip Leading To Adam Herrman

An anonymous donor has offered a $50,000 reward for the tip that leads investigators in Kansas to Adam Herrman, (born Irvin Groeninger III) the eleven year old adopted boy who disappeared from Towanda, Kansas sometime in the fall of 1999, and was not reported missing until the fall of 2009. He was taken from his biological parents during their divorce and auctioned off by Kansas to the highest bidders, who were Doug and Valerie Herrman. The Herrmans did not report Adam missing when he disappeared; and their adult relatives followed suit and ignored the situation. While they told their relatives and friends that young Adam was "returned" to social services, it was rather common knowledge that they still received monthly stipend checks which actually belonged to Adam. We will probably never know exactly how receiving funds that belong to a child correlates with the child no longer living at address of the check cashers, but friends and family apparently did not find anything particularly out of the ordinary about all this. Meanwhile, Adam's biological parents and siblings, who were never offered reintegration, await information.

 

Dr. Phil Trailer For Kyron Horman

I should have included this in the last post, but didn't think of it until someone on Facebook posted it. I truly wish Dr. Phil didn't have to cover this, and that Kyron had been found by now. He's been missing for much too long. Hopefully, Dr. Phil can inspire Kyron's parents to work together, once again, and with new determination. A missing child's best asset and hope of being found is a devoted and committed family working together. Criminals who prey on children often get away with it much more easily when communication breaks down between parents. Tuesday, September 17.
 

One More Reason Religion does Not Belong In Public School

 

Northeast Kansas. The land of academic sighing. The place where sixth grade teachers use the movie, The Ten Commandments, starring Charleton Heston, as source material to teach about middle eastern cultures..........(these kids did not even know which religious holiday the movie was about) The place where children in school are told how to get to heaven or hell, but not how to find the Dominican Republic, or any other country, on a map. The place where children are not encouraged to become fluent in any language at all, including their native language(s).

 

There are alternatives, thank the Gods. Cyber districts have become much more sophisticated in recent years, and some are free. They have the same title programs for students who need assistance in reaching certain goals, and they have excellent teachers. There are also many more choices in foreign languages and other electives. The online schools that charge fees are often less expensive than enrollment fees that are extorted from parents in places where public schools are unconsolidated. Students are also much more free to personally investigate locations discussed in online classes.

 

Cyber schooling is a godsend for the student who is academically ahead of the other students in a geographic location more given to intolerance and below average thinking. A gifted and talented child is usually miserable sitting a classroom, day after day, with students whose skills are several grade levels behind the level of the gifted student. In some instances, cyber schools will even allow dual enrollment, in cases wherein there is a reason to send a child physically to a local school, as well.

 

As for bullying, it is much harder for the strata of bully cultures to flourish in online schools. It is also nearly impossible for religious discrimination to play the role it plays in person by tormenting a child whose parents do not conform socially to accepted religious and meaningless hierarchy or conform physically to the genetically unvaried phenotypes found within an isolated and undersocialized population.

 

Of course, the fewer children personally enrolled in the public school system of a locale, the less money that locale will garner from state and federal agencies to run their public schools. So this eventually affects the quality of education for the children whose parents do not care about education enough to remove their children from negative influences. It also reduces the need for public school teachers; and as teachers for cyber schools are usually better educated and more qualified than many public school teachers, especially in Frankfort, Kansas, the need for public school teachers becomes reduced, as well, as a result of alternative choices. What a quandary for the local school! It might have been a more strategic choice to simply resist the urge to force religious conversion upon students in a public school!

 

Terri Horman Off To See The Wizard

Hey Terri....if you click your heels together three times and tell the truth, you might get to move out of your parents' house one day!

 

 

Private Message

To the person who thinks that following me from one location to another in her car is an appropriate means of self expression, (and if you are reading this, you already know who you are) let me inform you of this: stalking another person is unlawful. If you continue to stalk me, and if you continue to harass me and continue to instruct your son to harass me, I will involve law enforcement. No kidding. If you have a problem with the fact that my daughters are not allowed near your sons because you do not supervise your sons properly, and your house is nothing short of an STD-fest when you are not home....probably when you are home too, that's just too bad. No loving parent allows his or her children to spend time with children such as your sons. If you have a problem with anyone in my home, get an expert opinion about what's really going on. I just spoke with faculty at the school, and discovered that what you told me was completely false, so you actually DO NOT have a problem with anyone in my home. What you have is a whining, dishonest son. Do not stalk and threaten others. This is the only time I am going to warn you: LEAVE ME AND MY FAMILY ALONE!

P.S. If you have something to say to me, say it to me. DO NOT take your whiny-assed little problems and complaints to ANY of my children, you dumb bitch.
 

Oregon Has Some Missing Parents

National Missing Childrens Day. But someone in Oregon decided to commemorate this day by becoming a missing parent. According to witnesses, a woman simply left three children in a shed and didn't even tell anyone her name. Luckily, someone heard them, called police, and found them within a day. It is hard to imagine any circumstance that would make a parent feel the need to do something such as this, but it is wonderful that the children are alive and well. If anyone recognizes these three children, two little girls, about one and two years old, and a boy, about three years old, authorities in Portland, Oregon would like to hear from you.

Update: The mom for these three children has been found. No other details have been given, as of this post, by police in Oregon about this situation, but it could have been a lot worse.

Isabel Celis And Her Parents

One of the first things I noticed about the coverage of the Isabel Mercedes Celis disappearance was the absence of statements and pleas from Isabel's family. The first day, I was simply hoping she would be located before anyone needed to hear a statement from Mr. and Mrs. Celis. I found it a little unusaul that there was only one picture of her in circulation in this age of digital camaras, but soon, a decent missing persons poster of her was put together, with the day, time, and place relevant to the missing persons report, so I went ahead and posted a copy of it on this blog. Also, there have been numerous pleas from law enforcement, begging for help from the public, but just one short, monotone, pre-fab statement read from Isabel's parents. Now, there has been another assault in Tucscon, involving three preteen girls and an unidentified male stranger, and I can't help but wonder why Isabel's parents have not reacted vocally to this. It's a very big deal, in light of a missing six year old girl from the same geographic area, and these parents, theorectically, should be sensitive to each and every possible lead. Eagerly. Where is their reaction? I certainly have not seen it, and the police deny interceding it. The media has begged Mr. and Mrs. Celis for interviews. Why haven't they made their hopes for the return of little Isabel common knowledge? It has now been eleven days.

To Whoever Took Kyron Horman

To whoever took Kyron Horman, would you allow him to be found if someone promised you the material assets you desire and a new start? Or if you had those things up front? I'm just curious. I'd also like to see him returned to his parents.

Update On Lisa Irwin

Police still have no leads or information to help lead to Lisa Irwin, or find her kidnapper. Lisa's parents have put out a plea to whoever is responsible, begging for Lisa's safe return. To this, I would add, if you know someone who suddenly has a female infant in their care or custody that was not there before, or if you work in a doctors' office or daycare and suddenly have someone bring in a patient or client who wasn't part of their original family, please insist upon seeing a birth certificate and court order (if applicable) indicating that this person actually has custody. I know, from personal experience in Northeast Kansas, that these steps and precautions are often ignored by professionals, to the detriment of the children and families who depend on them. Here's a case in which routine professionalism can save the day, and a child's life.

Could Carol And Larry Moulton Have Something In Common With This Parent?

"This defendant sought to conceal one of the most violent terror plots in recent times," Loretta Lynch, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a news release. "He also enlisted others to help him spin his web of lies and to destroy key evidence. His actions, had they not been thwarted, would have left Americans at grave risk."............CNN, on Mohammed Wali Zazi

In September of 2009, the FBI foiled a plot to bomb a segment of New York's subway system by a young man named Najibullah Zazi. He was hiding explosives in his backpack. Had he actually carried this out, many, many people would have been injured and killed. But Najibullah's dad still wanted to protect his son..........................to the extent of lying to the FBI and hiding and disguising evidence. The Underwear Bomber's dad didn't feel that way, so it must just be some parents of thugs, not all.

That brings me to a couple in Oregon, with a surname that is easier to pronounce and a daughter whose antics are also the subject of interest to the FBI: Carol and Larry Moulton. They also want to protect their daughter, even  if it means an eight year old will never go home. Their fortyone year old so-called daughter, Terri Moulton Horman, is just more important. Well......if they hide evidence or lie for her, covering up for ANY criminal activity, this is a crime. Just a friendly reminder, Carol and Larry. Just a friendly reminder.

Please believe me when I tell you that the FBI, the local police, the court system, and the general public all support Kyron's interests rather than your daughter's. It's time for Kyron Horman to come home safe and unharmed. Be part of the solution, not part of the problem.