Used to teach at CEDU middle and high school

[FormerTeacher]

Somehow I got lured into coming to CEDU to teach by friends.  When I got there I quickly realized something weird was going on and made it very clear that I would not participate in raps since I had no formal training as a psychologist or therapist.  Turns out no one did, eh?  They hired me right out of college and tried to feed me their B.S.  I only taught there for 9 months or so, and I still haven't forgiven my friends for helping to lure me there.  We now refer to it as the "School from Hell."

I recognize at least one person here as a former student.  I'm not sure how she feels about me, and it's probably best if I just stay anonymous.

I just wanted you all to know that not everyone that was employed there bought the therapy stuff and believed in the school.  Looking back I really realize how terrible that place was and I'm sorry for all the shit you all got put through.[ This Message was edited by: FormerTeacher on 2005-12-14 20:24 ]

[Anonymous]

When were you a teacher there?

[elaina27]

:smile: Im just curious as to when you taught at the high school. i was there from 93-95. all the teahers that i had werent that awful. it was the family leaders and the higher ups who were kind of abusive. i mean i see all this stuff about physical abuse and students having sex with faculty. that never happened when i was there. it was pretty strict and the school was under the control of the staff, not the kids. i mean yeah there was sex contracts and kids splitting but we rarely heard of alcohol or drugs on campus. i remember an instance where a kid asked a parent of another kid to bring him a pack of ciggerettes, and the parents told him flat out that they believed in the program and that they wouldnt do that. i mean at that time it seemed like the school was a lot different from recently. So what did you teach? Whos family where you in? or i think they started calling them teams. My family leader was Pam Abell. She was harsh. God she loved to scream.  :evil:

[Son Of Serbia]

I was also wondering when you taught at Cedu-Rs.
I was there from 1991-1992.  Several new teaching staff were hired about 5 months before I split for good, they were certainly far more mellow and didn't preach the program to us constantly, like the old staff abusers did.  Of course these staff members were new at the time, and they may have assimilated a more program-orientated outlook later on.  

I agree with Elaina that Pam Abel loved to yell in raps and shower female students with degrading labels.  Just being a girl at cedu made you a "cum-guzzling whore" in Pam's eyes.  
Pam went easy on the guys, preferring insted to flirt with, or even to play "mother" to us in her own twisted way.  She was indeed a very sick woman, that Pam Abel.

[Son of Montenegro]

you're a cum guzzling whore you bitch

[Son Of Serbia]

Back again coward? I thought you were "thru
with me", y'know ever since I called you out
and you rabbited like the worthless little chicken shit that you are.

I guess you must have "a thing" for Pam Abell
or something, why else would you come out of that closet you're always hiding in?

And by the way eunich, the only "cum-guzzling whore" around here is you!

[FormerTeacher]

I taught there in 1998... mostly high school, but some middle school too.  I remember Pam Abell, but I can't say I knew her well.  Like I said, I avoided raps -- I think I attended one and never went through propheet... thank god.

The friends that 'lured' me there (I say this jokingly because they didn't really do much to bring me there other than pass along the info about me being a young, recent graduate) were teachers also, but did get more involved in the raps and other 'therapeutic' aspects of the school.  Neither of them are particularly gullible or cultish, so it still puzzles me as to why they got as involved as they did.

Anyway, I hated that place, just like most of you all did.  There was a dark cloud that hung over the whole damn school.

I do think about my former students from time to time and wonder how they are.  I also wonder if they look at me like just another evil bitch... I am still a teacher and I think the "evil bitch" thing is tough to get away from, no matter how cool/understanding of a teacher you are.

Based on the info I've just given, I think the one student I recognize might be able to figure out who I am.  If not, that's probably just as well.

[shanlea]

When I was at CEDU, I think most people drank the Kool Aid... it (program bullshit)was that good.  I think even intelligent people gravitate toward any program that says it will give you tools to lead a more successful, rewarding life.

Now take the students who are stuck there without recourse.  At some level, buying in is almost survival. Even when you spout program dogma knowing it's all crap, the line between truth and bullshit gets blurred after you put on the same act for a sustained amount of time.

Look at the multi billion dollar diet industry for proof of something that makes a lot of dough turning people on to program after program for the diet "tools" that will finally work.

[Anonymous]

I was a RS HS student from 97-99. What did you teach?

[FormerTeacher]

I taught English and Social Studies, but for the NPS program.

[Anonymous]

Damm straight you should appologize.  I suffer from PTSD now from my Cedu experience.  If you were there when I was 87-90 then I accept you appology if not then then you have a lot of explaning to do.  Your friends may have lured you there but you could have left anytime you wanted no told you you had to stay

[Anonymous]

woah!  annonymous this person is appologizing.  no need to attach him or her.  I mean obviously she or he regrets it now.  Personally I have a lot of good mememorizes from Cedu and in some ways it helped me very much.  Yes in other ways I have some PTSD symptoms as well and still am haunted by the place.  but no need to place any blame especially for someone who was just a teacher and was there long after you were.

[Anonymous]

I have a right to chew this person out.  He puts blame on his friends luring him.  His friends don't control him.  He controls himself and he could have left sooner then he did if he did not like what was going on.  Cedu did nothing good for me and I have right to say that for the rest of my life and make sure that people here my story and how my life has been turned upside because of the so called school

[former CEDU therapist]

Well, the teacher was just teaching. It's the "counselors" who are the real issue here. That teacher was just educating - the business was in two parts. The "emotional growth" part and the school. I never worked for CEDU, but was in a private practice up there using offices and seeing kids.

I relate to this teacher. I also wasn't there very long, but it was enough to see how terrible it was for the kids. I started looking for a job - it takes a while sometimes. The teacher who posted here couldn't just quit without another job. And teaching jobs usually come up annually.

Be mad at the counseling staff and the administrators. They should be your real target! And I think someone here posted Brandi Elliott's information - email and phone number, I believe. She was abusive and ignorant. THAT is someone to be mad at! Or Russ or Guy or Teresa... there are a lot of them. But I wouldn't put this teacher in that category. The teachers didn't participate in any of the abuse.

[Son Of Serbia]

On 2005-12-19 04:16:00, former CEDU therapist wrote:

"It's the "counselors" who are the real issue here. That teacher was just educating - the business was in two parts. The "emotional growth" part and the school."

I agree with FCT that the Cedu program was broken down into 2 parts: "emotional growth" & academic. However, I also must add that Cedu failed miserably in both areas.

Everyone here who isn't brainwashed knows that the so-called "emotional growth therapy" is totally worthless. It's a sham, because "Emotional Growth" is not therapy. It is interrogation coupled with verbal abuse and psychological torture.

I did not "grow" emotionally at cedu.  Cedu did not give me any useful "tools" to take with me. What I did take with me was a ton of unecessary stress, horrible memories of suffering, and nightmares, which lasted for the better part of a year.  Suffice to say that Cedu failed me in terms of meeting my  "emotional" needs.

It is also a known fact that Cedu's academic program was sub par at best.
Actually, when I was at Cedu (1991-92), the academics were almost non existent.  

We had formal schooling (english, math, history) only 2 mornings per week!  We didn't have science class at all. Cedu gave science credits for chopping wood ("earth science") and shoveling shit on their farm ("farm science")!
We never had homework either.  Additionally,work assignments were done during class time! That means that people on full times or indefinates missed classes for weeks or even months at a time. I probably spent 2/3 of my time at Cedu on work assignments, when I was supposed to be getting an education.

When I left cedu, I was Years behind other kids my age academically.  I spent the remaining 2 years of high school playing catch up and doing extra credit work, just so I could graduate on time. Obviously, Cedu completely failed to meet my academic needs.

I agree with FCT that there is a difference
between someone who was just at Cedu to teach, and seasoned child-abuser veterans like Guy Bonanno, Russ Decker, and Rudy Benz.  However, even back then at the age of 15, I remember being fully aware that Cedu's academics were shit and that my education was being seriously neglected.  The few real Teachers we did have at cedu (meaning staff who actually had teaching degrees from real colleges), must have seen this too.  I always wondered why they didn't speak out more, or notify the proper authorities and try to change the program.  I realize that the teachers needed a paycheck, but isn't it considered unethical to knowingly give your students a sub par education?  

I for one am still trying figure out how I got straight A's & B's on all of my Cedu
report cards, when I spent 2/3 of my classes digging ditches or scrubbing pans!