I received the following message regarding my article that the School Board was selling off babies as surplus from their CTE programs. Please read my original article again and read this excellent message closely as there are sad, very sad, parts to this story.
“Robert, those dolls appear to be simulated-babies that have all of the functions of a real baby. They were used in Atlanta as part of parenting skills classes to let teenagers know of the difficulties associated with motherhood. They record how they were or were not treated over time; typically over a weekend. They (the simulated babies), as I heard, cost about $1,000 each. I hope these are not of that type.”
Emanuel Hunt, Jr.
At the School Board meeting Monday night, Tony Fogelman. Head of the CTE (Vocational Education) Program at CCS indicated that there were 18 of these infant simulators that were no longer needed because the classes were no longer taught at CCS. The classes had been moved to Cleveland Community College. Fogelman also stated that the infant-simulators were not only of the black and white races but other races too. School Board member Jo Boggs asked if these were the babies that were taken home and would “cry” in the middle of the night? They were.
Now for some facts:
Cleveland County Schools has for some time been transferring vocational type classes to Cleveland Community College. Welding, carpentry and such. Therefore, whatever this program that used infant simulators (baby dolls) was called. Being a part of the CTE-Vocational Program, moving it to Cleveland Community College would make sense. But only to a nit-wit bureaucrat with no common sense.
The sad part is, with all the teenage pregnancy nowadays and at an earlier age, CCS should have kept the program at the high schools as well as expanded it to the middle schools too. The difficulties of motherhood as noted in the comment above are hard enough on grown women. But are especially hard on children having children. And, not only for the girls. The boys that are the fathers will quickly have their futures impoverished with child support obligations. There are no winners here.
And, just think about this. If schools, with Cleveland County Schools leading the pack, are only barely teaching basic education-reading, writing and arithmetic- at less than a proficient level and teaching vocational courses less and less. Just where is the $10,000 per student per year going? Common Core indoctrination is a big part of that waste of time for our children’s education. Taking the Bible (and citizens) out of schools and teaching every other religion except for Christianity. Teaching “New Math” when the “old math” was plenty good enough.
Then, consider the wasted tax-dollars to pay over $1,000 each for 18 glorified baby dolls and then stop teaching the class. The pictures of the infant simulators provided in my previous article look like the dolls are brand new and never used.
Now, think about this. When this item came up on the agenda, none of the former educators and long-time school Board members, like Shearra Miller, Richard Hooker, Roger Harris, Jo Boggs, Jack Hamrick, Phillip Glover and Coleman Hunt said a word. Superintendent Fisher either. Sell the dolls at pennies on the dollar was totally OK with them. Failing to teach morals and the “facts of life” to our children was good enough for them too.
Yet, you can be sure as the 2020 Elections gets a little closer, these incumbents will be telling everybody how much they care about children and will make children their number on priority. When every moment they have spent on the School Board has drug our children further and further behind in every aspect of their young lives.
I have said it time and time again. And I will repeat it here. Vote for the following School Board Candidates:
Robert Queen
Ron Humphries
Joel Shores
Rodney Fitch
Samantha Davis
They will make Cleveland County Schools educate your children such that you will be getting what you pay for. And More!!! Vote the incumbents back into office and kiss your children’s education good-bye! Especially since the COVID crisis and the way Gov. Roy Cooper and CCS handled it has already ruined this past year’s education for your children already.
This is the infant simulator-they call it a “Reality Baby-African American”
This is the infant simulator-they call it a “Reality Baby-Caucasian”
