With Mrs. Duncan still in classrooms, she can continue to bully and verbally abuse the kindergartners that she teaches. These students need to be in a learning environment where they feel safe and welcomed. She needs to be removed from all classrooms, whether it be by resignation, termination, or early retirement.

As of now, the school had "disciplined in accordance to school board policy and procedures." This is unacceptable. We will continue to fight this until Mrs. Duncan is removed so that she can no longer bully any children.

The news story can be found here: https://abcn.ws/2X0m27M

 

Below you can find an explanation on how this all began.

 

UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR FROM KINDERGARTEN TEACHER

We moved to the area in February. Our daughters' loved going to school. The were nervous going to a new school, but excited as well. After the first day, our 5 year old came home crying. She told us that she did not want to go back to school. After some talking, she let us know that it was because her new teacher was mean and always yelling. She was scared to go back. We went to the school the next day to speak to the principal. When we explained what was happening, the principal told us that the teacher was just naturally loud and our daughter just needed to get used to her. "Kids get to an age where they shouldn't be sheltered" is what they told us. So, we continued to send our daughter to school, hoping she would adjust. She never did. Every day, she would come home crying about school and every morning she would cry about going.

I admit, I was apprehensive at first. "Kids are kids, and sometimes they don't like school or their teachers." I thought to myself. This really hit my wife hard, though. She would cry every night as well. We were too late in the year to do school choice, so we were pretty much stuck at this school. My wife got the idea to place a recorder on our daughter to see what was going on. I told her she was insane and paranoid. I was wrong. After checking with the sheriffs office, we found that it was perfectly legal to place a recording device on our daughter in school, as schools and classrooms are seen as public settings. So we did.

When our daughter came home, we listened to the recording. What we heard was worse than I thought. I expected to hear some yelling hear and there, as this was a room full of 5 year olds. Instead, the teacher spent the entire day screaming at, bullying, and belittling the little kids. This is not how kindergartners should be treated. They come to school to learn. For some, this is their first experience with school. They should feel safe to learn. Not scared to ask questions because the teacher will bully them.

I captured some of the clips that show the way this teacher treats her students. Some might say that the clips are out of context. I can assure that they are not. We have the full 6 hour school day recorded and it is filled with this screaming and bullying from the teacher. This should not be allowed to happen. I know that this happens all the time in schools and nobody knows about it. I also know that much worse things happen in classrooms. That being said, we have 100% definitive proof that this is happening. Just because it could be worse, or it happens all the time, does not mean it should be accepted.

Anyway, we took the recording to the principal. We informed other parents and they joined us in the meeting. The school refused to listen to the recordings. The entire meeting was spent with them defending the teacher. They informed us that an investigation was going to be held. The recordings, however, ARE NOT PART OF THE INVESTIGATION. The undeniable proof of what is occurring is not going to be used in the investigation. Instead, they will talk to students and other teachers. Thats it. I still do not understand how a principal can claim to care about the students, and say this behavior is not tolerated, but then completely ignore the one thing that proves it is happening.

We asked the principal what would happen in the meantime. We refuse to send our daughter to school while that teacher is still there. She told us that as she was in kindergarten, she can just miss the rest of the year and she would excuse it. That is not what we want. We want the teacher to be held accountable for her actions. The principal has suggested we just switch her to another teacher. That does not resolve the issue. The teacher would still be there, and she would still treat 5 year olds like trash. It is not just about our daughter. It is about all the students she will still treat this way.

The school is trying to brush this under the rug, as its the end of the school year and we will transfer to a different school next year. We will not allow that to happen. We spoke to the School Board and nobody will give us any information. We have not had any update from the School Board or the school in 2 weeks All we ask is that the recordings be used in the investigation. The investigation is pointless without them. If you take 5 year olds out of class, to the principal's office and ask them if their teacher is mean, do you really expect to get the whole story on what is happening? I know I don't. That is why I shrugged it off at first. That is why we got the recorder. We have the proof that this is happening and nobody cares. People need to know. Parents need to know that this teacher is treating their kids this way.

The school is Pine Grove Elementary and the teacher is Mrs. Duncan. I told the principal that what the teacher did was wrong and she told me "No, recording this was wrong". She does not care at all about the kids of this school. Parents deserve to know what is happening. Please share as much as possible so any parents that have children at this school can be aware of what is happening.

This is a small fraction of the 6+ hour day. This is how the teacher is to her class EVERY day. From 8:25am-3:10pm Monday through Friday. She belittles them and bullies them all day long. Shes heard saying... actually yelling the following things..
'I didn't ask you!' (After she asks a question and someone answers her)
'Are you deaf?'
'That's common sense!'
'Zip it!'
'Mind your business'
And 'Didn't you get the impression that I was ignoring you?' (After a kid says her name to ask her a question)

This is NOT how a KINDERGARTEN class needs to be taught everyday. This lady should absolutely not be teaching small children.