Carey,
In reply to this email I must say that you sound very defensive. I will answer your questions to the best of my ability without sounding neither defensive or judgmental. I am curious though...if you didn't know where your boys were how did you get access to the BBS? Not the general site but the BBS?
The schools have a school board, I agree. They are suppose to check everyone out but apparently some fall through the cracks; such as the coaches arrested for porno, the teachers accused of sexual relations with teens, and teachers and counselors who have drug or alcohol problems? You see no one is perfect- not you, me or our children or the people we entrust them to. Also, in case you haven't heard there has been problems getting certified teachers in our school systems.
As a parent I do not have a choice in who our schools hire, as in the hiring process. It is after the person has been exposed to our children that we may find out about their personality, work ethics etc.
My daughter entered the school because she was involved with internet chat rooms, lying about who she was etc. She was defiant, depressed related to her father's death, would not cooperate with counselors, hung with kids who drank and probably used drugs and she was in a private school! Before she got to the point that your children did (according to the news article) I did the best thing I could before I possibly would have found her dead. She is a temporary student at Dundee and has been in the program for 16 months. It is the best thing I could have done for our family.
I am sorry that you feel that you cannot see both sides of the program. No program is perfect. You apparently tried with your boys, "their mother, exasperated by their drinking and cavalier attitude toward curfews and other parental safeguards" sent them to their father and the behavior continued. This is in your news article also. It would seem that both of you made attempts to help them and someone entrusted the program based on their history. This was an attempt to help them become accountable for their actions. Drinking at age 15-16 is illegal, as well as being unhealthy and dangerous.
You have your right to an opinion just as I and many others. Your article came across as a tool to help you when you go to court or whatever. It was very negative and was not accurate. It appeared as if you were exposing your dirty laundry for all to see, was this fair to your boys? News sells for negative things and the article was very one sided....your view. Hopefully in the future another article will be written that will show a better happier side of not only the program but of local La. teens who have been through the program and survived the changes and live on in their integrity.
I am proud to be a "program parent" to be able to sleep at night to know where my children are, who they are with and that they can be accountable for their actions. They have direction in their lives as I do and together we are happier and are goal oriented. There are consequences for our actions and consistency, and I am happy that the system has worked for my family. There are no guarantees in life, as my ex-husband found out, death can get anyone and then there are only regrets.
I read your letter on the bbs. The one in reference to the news story about Dundee.
Well I ask, how can you have an opinion about boys that you don't know?
Have you done any research independent of the information provided to you by WWASP or Dundee? Have you asked any questions about the people who work at Dundee? Well I have. I asked both directors, Amberly and Joe, about the people who work there. I explained to them that I needed to feel comfortable with the people who would be working with my kids. After all, these are teens with problems. So I wanted to know how the employees were trained. I asked what kind of credentials the employees had. I asked for their first and last names so that I could do background checks on them. As a parent, should not I be allowed to have access to this information. I would think if everything were on the up and up, they would be more than willing to furnish that information to parents. But you know what Joe's response was? He said, I don't have time to provide me with that information.
Now as for Amberly, she did not provide me with the answers to my questions because she was fired. Do you know why she was fired? Well, she was fired because of an assault and rape that took place at Dundee in August. The US Embassy knows about the assault and rape. But I bet, Dundee has not informed parents about it, have they? No they haven't.
First, I am not writing to you to try and justify my actions. I am just trying to ask you to take a step back and look at the situation from your own persepective and not that of WWASP. You have a right to question me and you have a right to question WWASP. You have the ability to form your own opinion separate and apart from me or WWASP.
You cant' say the program has worked for your daughter, she is still there. It won't be until she comes home and once again has to make decisions for herself in which she will then be held accountable for. Right now decisions are being made for her. I see that the program is working for you because you aren't having to deal with her.
Your daughter suffers from depression. Did you not read the Enrollment Agreement? They state on page one that Dundee Ranch is not recommended for students who are depressed. Did you not read what you signed? The girl at Tranquility Bay that commited suicide was depressed. WWASP claims that she was depressed befor she got there. Is that not the same for your daughter. Your daughters father died and instead of seeking professional help you send her to Dundee? With no trained therapist how can the "program" at Dundee help her?
In this letter your daughter has behavior that needs to be modified. Make up your mind, does she or doesn't she? Do you know? Well, if you email WWASP they will tell you what she needs. Is that the way it should be?
Schools in the United States, good schools, will disclose to parents information concerning employees. If a teacher rapes a student they do not try to hide it. That is public information. That is the difference. But keep in mind the risk of good schools having incidents like that occur are less likely than WWASP schools because teachers are fingerprinted and a criminal check is done before they are hired. That greatly reduces the risk of a child being abused physically or mentally. I prefer that my children be protected to the fullest extent. Why risk a child to save a child?
I pray for you and your daughter. I think you are confused and truely think you are doing what is best for your child. I don't think you are deliberatley trying to hurt your child or that you want anyone else to hurt your child. I just think you see what they want you to see.