Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon
From: (Dave Touretzky)
Message-ID: <4345e735$1@news2.lightlink.com>
Date: 6 Oct 2005 23:10:45 -0400
Blame it on Bennetta: Applied Scholastics not only got thrown out of the St. Louis public schools, now they've managed to tick off the Superindendent of the Hazelwood School District.
Slaughter falsely told education journalist Peter Downs that Applied Scholastics would be "partnering" with the Hazelwood Schools to deliver supplementary tutoriing services to district students.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Hazelwood Schools Superintendent Dr. Chris Wright sent Slaughter an irate letter, reminding her that:
"We have repeatedly indicated that we are not interested in your services, not willing to participate in your training programs, do not want your materials, and will not enter into any association with Applied Scholastics."
Dr. Wright was also not happy with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, which granted Applied Scholastics' application for approved provider status without any meaningful review of the organization or its materials. Her letter to Commissioner Dr. Kent King warns that Applied Scholastics is trying to hide its Scientology connection, and suggests that the department should reexamine its approval.
Read both letters at StudyTech.org:
http://studytech.org/archives/000069.php
If someone would like to transcribe these PDF files and post a plain ASCII text version to this newsgroup, that would be helpful.
-- Dave Touretzky: "Blame it on Bennetta: she's got her TRs in."
http://StudyTech.org
Date: Thu, 06 Oct 2005 23:37:30 -0400
From: tikk <trash@tikk.net>
Subject: Re: Applied Scholastics rejected again!
In-Message-ID: <4345ed7c$1@news2.lightlink.com>
Dave Touretzky wrote:
<snip>
> Read both letters at StudyTech.org:
>
> http://studytech.org/archives/000069.php
>
> If someone would like to transcribe these PDF files and post a plain
> ASCII text version to this newsgroup, that would be helpful.
Here are both:
+++++
October 4, 2005
Ms. Bennetta Slaughter, Chief Executive Officer
Applied Scholastics
11755 Riverview Dr
St. Louis, MO 63138
Dear Ms. Slaughter,
I read with considerable dismay an article in the St. Louis Argus last week that indicated that Applied Scholastics is " ...gearing up for a partnership with Hazelwood Public Schools as an approved provider of tutoring services to children, who attend underperforming schools in that north county school district." This statement is patently false.
First, as you well know, the Hazelwood School District has on many occasions declined offers from your organization for training, materials, meeting space, and other efforts to connect us with Applied Scholastics. We have repeatedly indicated that we are not interested in your services, not willing to participate in your training programs, do not want your materials, and will not enter into any association with Applied Scholastics. Please direct your staff to refrain from any future reference to a "partnership" with Hazelwood School District.
Further, while we have five schools listed as "in improvement," at the present time, only one failed to make AYP in both communication arts and mathematics. As a result, we have only one school for which Supplemental Educational Services are required. In the District, we have 12 separate sites that have been approved by DESE to provide SES, and we fully intend to meet the needs of our students ourselves. We do not need or want an association with Applied Scholastics.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Chris L. Wright
Superintendent
Cc: St. Louis Argus
Peter Downs
Board of Education
Dr. Kent King, Commissioner
+++++
October 4, 2005
Dr. Kent King, Commissioner
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
P.O. Box 480
Jefferson City, MO 65102
Dear Kent,
I have attached a copy of a recent article from the St. Louis Argus as well as a copy of a letter I recently sent to Bennetta Slaughter, Chief Executive Officer of Applied Scholastics. The comments of your staff on the second page of the article are particularly disturbing.
First, as background, I need to explain that we are very familiar with Applied Scholastics. They opened their "world headquarters" in the Hazelwood School District about three years ago to great fanfare. They approached the district many, many times to try to get us to send teachers to their training, to get us to use their "instructional materials," or to otherwise connect themselves to our children and families. We investigated them thoroughly at the time and found that they were closely connected to the Church of Scientology. We made the decision that this connection was not in the interests of our children and refused all efforts to "partner" with the District.
Since then, they have gotten much more careful about their materials and their website. It is not so easy to track their connection to the Church of Scientology any longer. They deny that Applied Scholastics is connected to the Church of Scientology. They continue to use the materials and philosophy of Ron Hubbard, the founder of the Church.
As the Department reviews renewal applications from potential providers for Supplemental Educational Services this year, I hope that you will evaluate those programs which have already been approved and establish some criteria for their approval.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Chris L. Wright
Superintendent
Cc: Board of Education
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