May 18 2008
Loosing a student - a tragedy for Alternative Education
Last Thursday May 7, 2008 a freshman died because he got to close to the railway tracks in Ripley. The circumstances of his death are still unknown. Suffice it to say that there are many versions of what happened. I prefer to think that it was an accident because no human being chooses death willingly at least not in my realm. I have seen abject poverty and degredation in my life and have never seen a human beings choose death over life. As a child I saw beggars on the street with no limbs, blind and covered in sores they cried for food, money but not death!
I was unwillingly called to speak to the press who wanted to interview me because I was Ken’s principal and apparently knew him best. I wish I knew him better! I think our Alt. Ed teachers were priviledged to see his mind and know him in ways better than myself. I was appointed spokesperson for Alt. Ed. I hope I did Ken justice. I spoke to the television crews t because I wanted to celebrate his life not the circumstances of his demise or question why it occurred. I was surprised to see how the press needed to glamorize this instant news. I kept being pushed to declare Alt. Ed. a program for troubled, disturbed youth, just the kind of youth who would go out and play “catch the chicken” and be slammed by a train!. I am glad I got to celebrate Ken’s life ” a boy with a zest for life, a beautiful smile”.
Friday May 8, 2008 is a day I will re-live in my career. I and the high school teachers of the Hewes Center lost one of our students. This goes against our grain. Just like no parent should outlive a child, no teacher should outlive a student. We had crisis counselors on hand for our staff and students. The teachers modified their teaching schedules. The BOCES Superintendent sent us who work at the Hewes Center an email note of condolence. We all had to be proud Americans on this day even though our hearts hurt. We modelled appropriate grief for our students and each other.
Ken was buried this past Monday. Some of our teachers and his fellow classmates travelled to Erie, PA for the funeral.
