Fornits
Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform => Aspen Education Group => Topic started by: Anonymous on December 07, 2005, 03:46:00 PM
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I recently worked at MBA as a teacher. Disheartened by the systemic disrespect of students by school staff and policies I saw in the public schools, I thought a private "emotional growth" boarding school for at risk teens was the perfect environment for me. Surely these children would be treated with respect and dignity?.little did I know.
I love working with at risk kids because I was one and know intuitively what they need. However, I was immediately disappointed and disillusioned by what I saw going on at MBA. "Mentors" who should really be called ?tor-mentors? yelling and disrespecting teens while routinely pulling kids out of classes for "work projects" as a result of some minor infraction of the "rules'. I saw seriously depressed kids, suicidal kids, kids so overmedicated that they could hardly form a though let alone stay awake in class.
As a teacher it was disappointing, how do you conduct classes and keep to any kind of curriculum when your students are taken out of class for a week or two weeks at a time? Some days I would only have two or three kids and then suddenly I would have a full class of 15 that were weeks behind. What were they doing all that time? They were on ?self-studies? or ?work projects? which meant; moving rocks, digging stumps, cleaning bathrooms, cleaning the campus grounds, hauling various wheel barrow loads of stuff here or there. The kids who weren?t in trouble would be gone for a week or two for various ?lifesteps?. Parents need to know these kids are not getting a ?college prep? education! Academics are NOT valued at all at MBA. The tor-mentors run the place and could care less that these kids are not getting an education. They ?graduate? them without the academic skills they will need in college. Of course, these kids are some of the most privileged in the country and so come in with superior skills to begin with, but they are not where they should be in the end!
These parents are paying 6000.+ a month and THEIR kids are doing all the cleaning and maintenance! The ?classrooms? (there aren?t enough) are a joke and the kids have no access to technology on a continuing basis because they might email someone and beg them to break them out! That these kids cannot email their parents or anyone and tell them what is going on is creepy, even their phone calls are monitored and if the kids say anything the tor-mentors don?t like, they end the call. If they have nothing to hide, why all the control over communications? One of the final straws for me was that the kids were made to shovel snow and pick ice in very cold weather without the benefit of good gloves.
As a parent, I would never send my child to a place like that. These kids are so alone and misinformed, they are lied to, manipulated and information is withheld from them. I got fired for telling kids they could leave when they were 18 no matter what their parents or the school said. I only stayed as long as I did because I felt so bad for theses kids. I still do and would love to talk to their parents and tell them to yank their kids ASAP.
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What's stopping you? Start talking to these parents NOW!
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I can't talk to these parents because I do not have their names, addresses or phone numbers! Many of the parents/gaurdians have different last names and unlisted numbers. I am working on getting a list from someone who still works there though....we shall see!
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Good luck. But be prepared, many parents do not want to hear the truth. I hope find a few that do.
Sounds very similar to HLA. They're branches on the same tree with it's roots in CEDU.
http://fornits.com/wwf/viewforum.php?forum=41&1931 (http://fornits.com/wwf/viewforum.php?forum=41&1931)
You might consider talking briefly with an attorney first because you could find yourself a victim of a slap suit if you don't handle the situation just so. Hell, you could be sued either way, but know your rights and how to talk about it to better protect yourself.
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I was just talking with a friend about all this and it came to me that you are absolutely right, many of these parents do not want to 'know'. They are simply relieved that their 'problem' children are being "taken care" of elsewhere. Many are not the parents anyway but gaurdians and do not even have a basic parental instinct to guide them. I am looking into the possibility of opening my own school and starting a revolution in education and the way these kids are treated. It is about time. My heart goes out to all those kids in programs and I just hope they can hang in there.
* I did hear however that there is a website where parents of MBA kids can post their thoughts and concerns, that would be a great way to get some of the truth out there anonymously-just have to find it!
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I don't know what you are talking about! I went to MBA and am tired of all this BS about it. It's a great school, and helps tons of people. I still talk to at least 30 people from MBA 3 years after graduating, and we are all grateful for the help we recieved there. I would like to know who this teacher is, because all of my teachers there were amazing, and in support of the program. Yeah we complained about work projects and stuff, but we're teenagers, we complain about lots of stuff. It's not like we wouldn't have to shovel snow at home!
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Sounds like sour grapes to me. All the kids know they can walk away from MBA at 18 so you apparently aren't telling the WHOLE truth about why you left the school. My child graduated from MBA and yes, the academics leave alot to be desired. Luckily, my child is bright and will do well in college. What she was there for, however, was the emotional growth program and she reaped many benefits from the Lifesteps you obviously don't see value in and the level of responsibility she was held to (YES, she did work projects and I knew about them!). The (tor?)mentors are knowledgeable and loving and develop great, respectful relationships with the kids. People who don't know should check out the school, check out a graduation, and after that they would find that your story does not hold any water.
If I wanted to send my kid to a top-knotch college prep school, I would have, but what I got back from MBA was my child, a little less educated than she could have been, but well equipped to negotiate life for the next 60 or 70 years and not just for 4 years of college.
Sounds to me like you, unfortuantely, fancied yourself too much of an advocate for the kid rather than doing your job and teaching to the best of your ability and holding them accountable.
MBA is an outstanding choice FOR THE RIGHT KID and it is up to each parent to decide if it is right for them.
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I want this place shut down!!!!!!!!!!!I was sent there in 93. I have been in therapy for 10 years. I cant live with what they did to me. I need your help! I need to shut them down for good, so I can go on living
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I'm sorry it didn't work for you but it has worked for lots of kids and I know several. Keep up with the therapy as I can see you really need to continue with it. If shutting down MBA is all that will let you live your life then I want you to find new meaning in life. I hope the best for you but I want MBA to keep on helping kids like they helped my out of control kid who is doing great and loves to keep in contact with several of her mentors from MBA.
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The anon already has a therapist, anon program parent. Your comments are out of line. What is it with parents who warehouse their kids? They feel like they have a license to counsel and dx.
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Warehouse our kids. Goes to show your understanding of what these kids and their families went through to get to MBA. Doesn't it seem odd to you that this person is still struggling with his/her experience from 1993? Sounds like a much deeper issue, much more than the MBA experience. Try to understand MBA is not successful with every kid that goes there, just as every therapist does not have the answers for each person. I know from our own experience that therapy did not work, but MBA did.
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thanks for backing me!!! I am never giving up. Just wait and see.
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YOU no shit!!!!!!!!!!!! I know lots of people who are still struggling from MBA.I can prove it too. OH and your child was probably fucked up and better locked up. That was not the case for me!!!!It was the trauma of MBA that put me in therapy asshole.
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will you help me do something about it?
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Mount Bachelor was the worst thing that ever happened to me. I got away. I was there for four monthes. I was there for drug issues/school. I got no school work accomplished,seeing as I was always on self studies, and they didnt think I was ready to move out of "base camp" for 2 monthes. I ran away at the end of July, and made it to Prinville by hitching. I met a nice lady, who let me stay with her room mates. Three days later, a private detective found me. I talked to the admin at MBA, and told them I would refuse to do anything and wreak havoc if they made me go back. My life is much better off now that I'm out of mount bachelor, but it does still haunt me. I try to block it out of my memory, but it has caused some serious damage.
I will do anything to get some of those kids out, and shut down that program.
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On 2005-12-19 14:35:00, Anonymous wrote:
"Sounds like sour grapes to me. All the kids know they can walk away from MBA at 18 so you apparently aren't telling the WHOLE truth about why you left the school.
MBA is an outstanding choice FOR THE RIGHT KID and it is up to each parent to decide if it is right for them."
They really cannot just walk out at 18 and you know it. They may have the legal right to, but the choice often is between the program and homelessness at 18. That is not really a choice.
On the second point, there are plenty of parents that simply are not competent to make the decision about matching program with child. This takes professional qualifications. The child could very well have an undiagnosed mental illness and neither the parents or program staff is qualified to make the diagnosis.
It is a common complaint about programs that qualified intake procedures and staff with mental health qualifications and experience are sadly lacking.
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Whoever posted the comment about being a teacher recently at MBA, please get in contact with me. I recently ran away from MBA, made it to Prinville for three days, got found, but never returned again. Please get in touch with me, it would be great to talk to you. Thanks. My name's Nicole, and my e-mail address is [email protected]
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My son graduated from MBA. I know it was hard work. I know about mentoring and academics . I know about the restrictions. I know that is not magic but a lot of work from the kids, mentors, teachers and us the parents.
The unhappy former teacher, Nicole , the alumni who's struggling, one advice: move on with your life, take accountability for your part and let MBA do their job.
I know is not perfect but is far away from your implications. My son is the proof. Have a nice one!
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It sounds like the teacher is just angry at the school. But I had a child in ASR which is the east coast version of MBA and everything she says is true. The size of the therapy groups are up to 20 or more. Kids do all of the cleaning. The staff is very disrespectful. There is drug abuse going on. Most of the kids are on challenges or self study. All of the kids feel abandoned by the parents because you are not allowed to talk to them for so long and everything that was told to the parents is not true. I'm sure not all experiences are bad but I would be very cautious about MBA and ASR. They scare me. At 6K to 7K a month parents and kids deserve better.
No citizen of a liberal and democratic nation profits from a victorious war.
--Ludwig von Mises
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Wait, you've already sent your kid away to ASR and now you're looking for another one to send him to?
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Yes. I am going on the assumption that not all therapeutic schools are bad. However, I have not found one with a good solid reputation. I think MBA sounds very similar to ASR in the way the kids are treated.
Keep in mind that public school and many private schools cannot and do not provide what some students need. I just have not found a school that I feel comfortable with. I turned to speak to God, About the world's despair; But to make bad matters worse, I found God wasn't there.
--Robert Frost, American poet
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On 2006-03-04 11:43:00, PA320H wrote:
However, I have not found one with a good solid reputation.
Hmmm, let's think about that for a minute.
Keep in mind that public school and many private schools cannot and do not provide what some students need.
No they don't, nor should you expect them to. It's YOUR job to provide what your child needs.
I just have not found a school that I feel comfortable with.
I've been looking into this for years now and I've yet to find one either.
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I went down to MBA in Prineville to see if it could help my son who's a serious substance abuser, chronic truant, failed 10th grade twice although his IQ is in the superior range, and one thing still sticks in my mind -- why can't we drive down and see our son on a Saturday or Sunday, why can't we call him? Why are all these therapeutic boarding schools like this? Why no contact? Okay, my son will beg us to take him home and they don't want the disruption of parents coming to visit on the weekend, but if I can't see my child, talk to my child, the bonds will be broken. I didn't want him to think we abandoned him, so we opted out. One year later, his drug use is off the charts, he's destroying himself and right now he's on a wilderness trek and from there will go somewhere, but it won't be to MBS for 14 months...which leads me to -- why aren't any of these schools 9 months or 12 months?
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I have direct access to the INSIDE of Aspen Education Group and the concerns posted here are WELL FOUNDED. You have no idea of how much is covered up and how many cases AEG settles at the courtroom door. For confirmation check into the whys/whereabouts of why the infamous "Malea" was finally fired after over a decade of abuse. And finally the truth about SUWS and the nutcase running it is under investigation for almost 7 near deaths. If as a parent you are considering these programs, go spend the week watching; you will change your mind.
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On 2006-05-03 11:28:00, Anonymous wrote:
"I have direct access to the INSIDE of Aspen Education Group and the concerns posted here are WELL FOUNDED. You have no idea of how much is covered up and how many cases AEG settles at the courtroom door. For confirmation check into the whys/whereabouts of why the infamous "Malea" was finally fired after over a decade of abuse. And finally the truth about SUWS and the nutcase running it is under investigation for almost 7 near deaths. If as a parent you are considering these programs, go spend the week watching; you will change your mind. "
The Who recently suggested SUWS to a StrugglingParent. AEG is top of the line according to this guy.
Good job with the referral. :roll:
Can you provide some links for the information or expound on it for us? Thanks.
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RTC (Residential Treatment Facilities) are shorter in duration, but are much more intensive.
Many are lock-down facilities and are geared toward kids with more severe mental issues and possibly serious drug abuse. I am not sure, but these may be stricter and could have more abuse potential (I am sure that the former programers will comment more on this topic).
They will suggest drug rehabs, but these rarely work, and usually if they do, the kid WANTS to give up the drug use (not likely).
Each TBS has different amounts of time required. AGain, RTC's are much shorter (3-6 month range). They are quite expensive, too.
Some programs are more open to visitation (perhaps they have nothing to hide?)
If his drug use is increasing, it can't be ignored. Wilderness can best advise you on where to go next (even home, but don't count on it).
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I worked for about 6 months at MBA around 1999. I am very curious to find out from people what's happened over the last several years there. I do remember seeing an article about a student who hung himself in the woods--unfortunately it was a student that I knew fairly well, and it bummed me out to hear that it happened. Any info about students, staff, happenings, whatever are appreciated--particularly from around that time period if anyone was there at that time. Thanks!
(I'll share my personal thoughts on the place later...)
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I too went to MBA in 93 and stayed until '95 and I gotta tell you that the teachers do care. They still call and check up on me. They are all around good people maybe not all of them but I would say most. Also look I read Maia's book I enjoyed it thouroghly but that stuff did not happen to us at MBA. There was no Physicall abuse what so ever.
One thing I agree with in the book is that if you put a sociopath in that situation it only worsens there condition. The problem is finidng out who is a socipath and who is not.
One thing I will also agree with is that it leaves a lasting impact. Ie: Dreams about it and the occasional feeling of fear. Doing the stuff we had to do there was hard but if I was 15 again and knowing what I know now asked to go back I think I would. The friends you leave with are worth the grief you go through.
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I am known around here to be a dedicated activist focused on uncovering Asp's mo. I have finally gotten together a working, albeit, loose, coalition of strategists working with me I have been compiling data in them for over two years, from many angles and I believe we're close to critical mass. We have yet to determine what avenue would be best to take to break their precious wall of secrecy. There are two reasons that we want to gather as much information as possible NOW - one has to do with their vulnerability due to the recent acquisition, the other reason can't be made public. Whether you worked for them or were subjected to them we need to know. We all know what goes on in general in their programs. While lots of stories might not prove anything in court, they make a huge impact on the public, There are other things that can be done through the legal system.
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