I understand your reference here, but I quickly skimmed your post and ended up reading a whole ***-load of propoganda. Oops...
For clarity, the original Intrepid Net Reporter very recently died, after a long-term disability. She was an advocate for children everywhere, and it is a travesty that WWASP is using her domain name. I guess I should've expected such undignified behavior.
As for the plaudits (and they seem to be fairly "new"), keep in mind the following, sent to parents of spring Creek Lodge students, on July 2, 2003, as the press was feasting on the Dundee repercussions:
"We would like to ask all parents, who are willing, to send a Support Letter. We would like to have it on file in case the recent press at other Schools prompt inquiries from our local Press or Others. Many times people don't understand that while we are in an Association together, all Schools and Programs in the Association are independently owned and operated. Many people think we are run by WWASPS when in reality WWASPS just provides services for the Member Schools and Programs. WWASPS provides some great services for the individual members but as outlined in the enrollment agreement they don't own, control, or direct the Schools. The point being that the Individual Schools and Programs do have some distinct differences and do operate independently. For Example: As outlined in the WWASP Catalog Dundee and Tranquility Bay are Behavior Modification Programs while we are a Specialty Boarding School. As a Boarding School we will expel students where Tranquility and Dundee have had good success managing highly behavioral or combative students. We all have the same core model but our services and operations can vary quite a bit as determined by the type of facility we choose to provide and the bad press at another school gets casts on us. Let me be perfectly clear. We absolutely feel the press accounts on the other schools are totally slanted and not accurate. But our point is we are not them and they are not us. Unfortunately, there are a small but vocal group who have no experience with our School or Operations that are trying to cast concerns on our School based on their experience with another Facility in the WWASPS Association. No pun intended, it is from their perspective guilt by association. We feel this is unfair because we are a independent entity and there are significant differences in the way we operate from some of the other Schools or Programs. But fair or not we have to deal with these misperceptions, so we need support letters from each of you.
If you are willing to help, please send an e-mail or letter to:
scl@blueslide.com., Spring Creek Lodge, 1342 Blue Slide Road, Thompson Fall, MT 59873.
In the letter or e-mail you should cover the following points: Your experience and support of our School. We suggest that you don't go into the details of your child's problems, but rather the progress and the benefits you see by having your child attend the School.
Your desire that your child's progress be not disrupted because of the opinions of the press or others. If someone or some other parent is dissatisfied with the School, by all means they should remove their child but you don't want your child affected by it. That you are exercising your Parent Right to choose the education and environment you want for you child. Please refer to us as a School not a Program.
Thank you for your support, we have the best parents. SCL Administration"
(copied verbatim, spelling and grammar errors and all)
Is this the same SCL that offers a $1000 bounty to locals in Montana for capturing a run-away? Is this the same "boarding school" that takes kids blindfolded in the night to a small bridge in the countryside, tells them it is a cliff, and then pushes them off? Is this the same boarding school that has bought the local sheriff who now stays out of all SCL staff trespassing and vandalism transgressions which happen when they are out chasing down run-aways? [all claims verifiable by witnesses, BTW]
When Al Anceldua, the Consular staff person in Tijuana, was asked to investigate abuse which later caused Mexico to close High Impact, he received more than 350 urgent letters from parents asking he not "close" Casa. He didn't have that authority, but he was moved by the onslaught of "inspired" pleas to leave Casa alone. Each WWASP facility website has a section for "accolades" (they all appear so similar; they must be designed by the Lichfield who is a web designer). A flurry of similar mailings ends up on a tote sheet of a Congressman's office. I'm not sure John Q. Public is as perceptive when reading canned praise.
