This is the first article of a three-part series on claims of mismanagement at the Stanislaus Military Academy. For more information on SCOE's response, read part two and part three on TurlockCityNews.com now.
Parents of students at Turlock's Stanislaus Military Academy are accusing SMA administration and staff of a host of overt violations to students health, safety and welfare.
SMA, located at the J.B. Allard Educational Complex in Turlock, is a military-style high school that serves at-risk youth from Stanislaus County with both academic instruction and military drill training. SMA is operated by the Stanislaus County Office of Education, to which parents have submitted numerous documented complaints.
A large group of parents, many of whom wish to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, claim myriad injuries have occurred due to mismanagement – and not been reported to parents. They also claim instructors verbally assault students while ignoring academics.
SCOE says it is investigating the allegations, while SMA staff call the allegations “preposterous.”
Suicide, Head Injury, Blamed on SMA
Amid the numerous allegations from various parents, perhaps the most serious stems from the SMA administration’s alleged denial of access to Student Support Advocates, which are similar to counselors, for a 16-year-old female student who later committed suicide.
The girl’s legal guardian and aunt, Frances Sanchez, says her niece, Alexandria Flores, committed suicide on April 3 after attending SMA for several months. Sanchez says Alexandria made repeated attempts to reach out to a Student Support Advocate for help, only to be denied by teachers, administration and office personnel.
“She had serious problems and she needed help, guidance and counseling. I believe that if she had received help she would be alive today. They just told her to go away when she would go to the office in tears,” said Sanchez. “When she started going there the school told us they provide that kind of help. These kids that go there, they need help, but they never helped Alexandria.”
SMA Director of Support Services Fred Bigler said that the suicide cannot be blamed on SMA, and he was not aware of any denial of services to Alexandria.
“She was in our school, then moved to San Jose and some months later she committed suicide. They seem to blame us for that suicide, however we’d like to think we kept her in one piece while she was here. While it was tragic that she committed suicide, for them to blame us is quite a stretch,” he said.
Sanchez says Alexandria left the school on March 3 of this year and went to Santa Cruz to visit her grandparents, where she committed suicide just a month later. She believes Alexandria was reaching out to SMA for help and Sanchez says she knows for a fact other kids are being denied access to counselors or student advocates.
California School Employees Association Representative Kyle Harvey explained the role SSA personnel have at the military academy. “When you develop a program to serve at-risk students who have emotional, physical and psychological needs there has to be accountability. The young girl looked for help and they refused her for whatever reason,” he said. “SSA personnel act similar to traditional school counselors and they are experts in providing students and families with mental health help and referrals, food assistance and homeless needs.”
Harvey also noted that due to budget constraints the school elected to lay-off support advocates thus creating less access for the predominantly at-risk student population.
Sanchez says another serious alleged incident occurred at the school, this time involving her son, a senior at SMA.
She says that on Sept. 17 of this year a Drill Sergeant at SMA physically assaulted her son. She explained her son was lying on a table during lunch because he was ill and that the school never called her. She says the sergeant proceeded to lift the table and shake it back and forth, causing her son to fall off the table, hitting his head enough for blood to be shed. She also says he fractured his wrist, which is now in a cast.
Again, she claims, the school never called her to report the incident nor did they act accordingly as mandated reporters to law enforcement.
Bigler declined comment other than to say that the incident is under investigation.
This is the first article of a three-part series on claims of mismanagement at the Stanislaus Military Academy. For more information on SCOE's response, read part two and part three on TurlockCityNews.com now.
Related Article:
Part 2: SCOE Launches Independent Investigation into Stanislaus Military Academy Mismanagement
Part 3: “Culture of Fear” at SMA Leaves Parents In Fear of Retaliation
Watch the video news coverage from Tim Daly at News10/KXTV at the link below:
"Military high school under fire after suicide"
[quote][/quote]Director of Support Services Fred Bigler said that the suicide cannot be blamed on SMA, and he was not aware of any denial of services to Alexandria.[quote][/quote]
What happen to accountability and responsibility?
Fred Bigler do you keep your head buried in the sand or do you just turn a blind eye? Services are needed for these children, why are they not rendered? We as tax payers pay for these services for all children. How much money did you think you would save by not having student support advocates? What did you do with that extra money? Did you just give yourself a raise? Where are the student support advocates?
This is total BS. I was directly in front of that Cadet when he was “thrown” from the table. He never left the bench portion of the table he had attached himself to. He never hit the ground. This is just a case of dishonest, unhonorable trash trying to make a quick paycheck by abusing the system. I was not here last year, but I know this school has a strict policy of referring Cadets to counseling who seem to need it OR say they need it. I am so sad that these people are trying to drag what we do here through the mud and dirt just for a payout. We work with the most difficult children out there, and we care enough to come back day after day. Come and see what we do hear, and make a decision for yourself.
SickNTired ~
The manner in which you responded to this report speaks volumes about your disrespect for students and parents. SMA is a zoo and the students there are very poorly served. Screaming in an emotionally disturbed child’s face makes you neither and educator nor a roe model. It makes you a thug. Its way past time to find new leadership at both Allard and SMA.
Why does this article have Debbie Barrera’s name all over it. Its funny she is calling and messaging parents of the program all day, to read her “handy work” but did not include in the article, her sons dismissal, due to her continued attacks on the staff, at every turn, and her constant reference to her “Nuestra Familia” ties, including throwing up gang signs while trying to work cross walk duty. Lets paint a full picture of the whole story.
Lets also address the young lady, and 16 years of very failed parenting, for her to end up in her predicament. This school needs to draw a line, and admit that some kids are just too screwed up, from years of failed family leadership, and refuse to enroll these kids. Some of these kids are already beyond help before this school gets them. unfortunately, you just cant save them all.
If you would like a parents perspective on what this program is really about, and what screaming drill sargeants can do for some kids, I would be more then happy to share with this reporter, the other side of this coin.
This school was not intended for the Emotionally disturbed children, they have much deeper problems then this school is about. This schools focus is students who need a wake up call, and a turning point in there lives. Lets talk to some of those parents about some of these kids. I am sure for every one (or in this case 2) disgruntled parents, you can find 1000 or maybe 2000 grateful parents who this program, and these committed people are impacting every day, and who’s kids futures are bright!
If this woman believes the school was responsible for her nieces death, in April, why was her son still a student there in September? Seems strange.
Why are these kids emotionally disturbed? Before you blame the school why don’t you check out how much of a “zoo” their home life is or maybe why they are at the school in the first place! These drill sargents are all respectful veterans. I cannot even believe how many lies there are in this article.
A “respectful” Drill Sargent is and Oxymoron. Just sayin’.
I would highly suggest that motives are looked into regarding the accusations being spewed. How many “run-ins” with Administration and teachers has this family had? Why were these students at this school in the first place? This is an Alternative Education school, meaning that the students attending are there for a reason, and it sin’ because of stellar grades and being a model citizen. These students were either expelled, or perhaps dropped out of their traditional school. They also could be there because they are so far behind on credits they would never be able to graduate from a traditional high school. Plus, to attend this school is purely by choice. No one is forced to attend this school. There are other options. If this school was so terrible, why didn’t these caring families transfer their kid(s) to PACE or another alt. Ed. School? Finally, if the school was soo terrible, why was the son still attending months after the niece was led to suicide by the lack of proper care and attention by the school staff? Something smells. I believe it is the slander and name trashing that’s the cause.
One more thought, where were the family when all of this was going on? Sitting back and expecting the school system to raise their kids? Parents, I believe you need to drop and give us all 10!! Or do you expect the school to do it for you?
This is all lies , Blaming the school for their problems. As usual it is always someone else’s
fault in this day and age. No one is responsable for their own actions. These kids come from broken homes where there are no rules or structure. Then when they are held responsable they blame the instructors. What a shame/
Smarty if you are a parent of a child that attends this school you should have done the research before sending your kid there. Learn the facts I agree with you completely! Raise your own kids and don’t expect the school to do it for you! I hear every day how disrespectful MOST (not all) of these students are to staff members and I am disgusted! These teachers and drill sargents never lay a hand on these students so for you to make such false accusations is pathetic. Theses kids should have been spanked more as children then maybe they would have know what respect is for adults and especially members of the military!
Homeschool…..Just sayin….
SMARTY COULD USE SOME 4th TO 6th GRADE EDUCATION HERSELF. ILLITERATE IGNORANT PEOPLE EEESH. GET A DICTIONARY AND STOP MAKING YOUR SELF LOOK SO STUPID.
Why is it that parents who lack parenting skills are always the first to blame others when their children are uncontrollable, drug using, gang banging(or wanna be gang bangers), disrespectful brats? Is this school not their last chance at teaching these kids how to be law abiding, respectful adults? If they were to back time up and actually teach the children these basic life skills at a earlier age then they wouldn’t be at a school that does the parents job for them. I have always been a active part of my children’s lives, and to date they are all respectful, well adjusted adults and teens. How did the aunt know the girl, yes its tragic she committed suicide, was in need of counceling? how did she know she would cry at the school asking for help? I guarantee had any of my children ever came in and said mom I cried for help at school today and was denied, I as a parent would get my child the counceling they needed, not let it continue to the tragic loss of a life.
Cin hit the nail on the head!!! The parents need to take responsibility!! If you did your job as parents your children wouldn’t be at that school in the first place!!! If my child came home and said the school wouldn’t help me you bet your A** I would find my child help. That is just BS!! That poor girl who committed suicide had way deeper issues that didn’t have anything to do with that school. Please people if you don’t have the ability to properly raise a child don’t have them!!!
1st of all…. All you shut the (*edited by tcn) up. That’s all
This article has not been properly reviewed. The author fails to mention why the students are sent to a Military Acadamy. I understand the concern for what a parent says, but as far as I’m aware, the military school’s in Stanislaus County are for students that have been expelled from every school in the district, or else a Judge has given the students to attend this school as a final option, or else go to Juvenile Hall. Not enough evidence, too one sided.
Of course, this is only my opinion.
Not all students are there for expulsion families can choose to place their child there. My husband and I did because our son was looking to go into the military. If you talk to the administrators it is a school of CHOICE that means you can choose to go there. So for all of you who keep saying that all of the students have issues you need to get your facts straight because not EVERY child that goes to SMA, TCA or SAA are bad kids.
I sent a comment this morning and it wasn’t posted
In response to recent articles on Stanislaus military acadamy,
My name is Jim Herr, My son was in the first graduating class from SMA in 2010. My experience as a parent of a student is only positive. My son Jordan was not responding well to traditional education. SMA did nothing less than transform him. He responded to the positive peer pressure. The accountabillity standards are high. Many of the students are very close to their last chance of an education here in the county. Many choose now to go there due to the unique and successful environment. The article about parents wanting to complain anonymously due to fear of retribution seemed quite far fetched to me having so much positive experience with the school. To keep this short, I feel it must be said that in every institution, when levels of accountability are high that there will be folks that will not respond well. Students and parents alike, It would be ridiculous for me to blame SMA for the behavior of my student that I agreed to send there in part due to his poor behavior in traditional school. ~~~Greatful SMA Parent
My son Jordan is currently serving in the United States Army in Afghanistan as a combat engineer. His skills of teamwork and respect learned at SMA have been highly beneficial in his career in the Army.
We are very proud of him and SMA for the work they did together.
Jim, HOOAH ๐ and thank your son for his service and sacrifice, I am a proud mother of a Afghanistan Army veteran. It makes me smile to know that some from the school have gone on and are leading productive lives.