Ortonville school- How much money lost over a coach

I was approached the other day on the street and asked why my children along with others made the decision to attend another school. Fact is it deals with the girls basketball coach and how the administration had dealt with the issue.To some this issue has been a big joke, to our children it has become a long horrifing issue that they will have to live with forever.An adult belittling and degrading to children is no joke, it is a serious issue.The fact of the matter is how much more will this go on, how much more money will our school of Ortonville stand to lose. At the time they school has lost hundreds of thousands of dollars this year and it adds up to many more years of lost money which could reach the millions over a coaches salary. You do the math. Children = our future, coaches= replacable

I agree wiggles our children are the future, you can not put a preice on that. The Administrsation is digging a BIG HOLE to cover it up. Are they hiding somting? If so what? This is what we have to find out. They know it has been a problem for some year's now. Would in not be easer to tell the truth than to lie and spend years covering it up and lose the good TAX payers money.The HOLE GETS BIGGER ..... KEEP GOING WIGGLES WE ARE HERE WITH Y0U

The other day I overheard a conversation that went something like this. Who cares about the money! Do you know how many kids we get from Milbank? WOW!

This is similiar to the prevailing view of the community. If you do not like what we are doing, leave!

Any community that has this attitude is backwards and moving in a negative direction. Please make changes to this saying.

This attitude may work in the coffee shop and it may sound persuasive in a rumor mill but we are better than that and people who say things like this need to be corrected.

However, it is difficult to correct backwards thinking. Whatever happened to the community with a heart?

Our government, our schools and our business will fail if we only serve those who think like we do.

I also believe the school is covering up something. Tell me how many people don't care about our school and the lose they got from losing these children. You tell me it is ok for a coach to verbally abuse children, I am against any form of belittling, degrading and such. How long will the school continue to cover up matters. Think about it this way. No school population, No Ortonville population. It continues to be a fact that our young children continue to leave the community because there is nothing there for them, this fact remains true. We need to stand up for our children and their rights and have an open look on things before there is no school, or a future for our city.When an administration lies to people it gets out, I along with others will not let this abusive matter of a coach go away and will continue to speak out against the school administrations for what they have done, they have harmed our children and lied about it. NO ONE DOES THAT TO MY CHILDREN OR ANY OTHER CHILD AND GETS AWAY WITH IT. YOU HAVE NOT HEARD THE LAST FROM ME, I AM WATCHING.

I am very sorry this has happened to your family. I will admit I do not know what all happened but can understand how frustrating it is dealing with this school administration. I too, had to pull couple of my children out to attend other schools, not because of the teachers but because of an administrator who is no longer working for the school. As of now, none of my children or grandchildren attend Ortonville, nor will any of my future grandchildren will attend this school. (Either they will be home schooled or attend another in the area). I believe that the teachers are wonderful and tried to do the best for us, I fully blame the school administration what happened to us. Even though its water under the bridge what happened to my children, I look back and wonder, how come when I took my children out of Ortonville and went to another school, not once did they have problems or their dad or myself were ever called that they were acting up. Please understand I do not blame the teachers, they truly tried to help us but as I watched this school administrators listened to us, they told us that it was all my children and our faults for their behavior. Yet, my children excelled in this other school with no problems. Makes a person wonder what was going on in the Ortonville school.
Like I said before, I do not know what happened to your family but if your child or any children were physically, verbally, emotionally abused was there ever an investigation done? If so, were you able to read those findings?
Our children are our future. Just because we are able-bodied now and changed their diapers when they were young, what will they do when we as their parents become old and helpless, will they do the same for us? If we as parents don’t stand up for them now, who will stand up for them.
Good Luck wiggles and I hope your children are doing great.

Lil Deb, Sorry to hear about your families problems with the administaration, funny how things are always someone elses fault. I agree with you on how excellent the teachers of Ortonville School are, they have always been there for my children and I appreciate them for it. My problem is with the administration and the lies that we were told about our ordeal. The story is about the girls basketball coach, who verbally abused my daughter along with others until they broke. The board was aware of this through the many meetings that were held and new these girls were seeing therapists. The problem is that they did not take it serious and sided with the coach. That just amazes me, if the coach is not guilty, why did she send out apology letters to the girls stating how sorry she was for what she said or did to make the girls feel this way, oh excuse me, that just made me throw up in my mouth. The real dumb thing about the letters is that it meant nothing to these girls. If you would compare them, like us families did, they were all the same except for 2 and the names were just copied and pasted in. Oh That is a real letter of apology. The sad fact is these girls will be haunted by this ordeal forever. This coach will continue to cause drama and thrive off of it for her own satisfaction. I also feel sorry for the girls who have kept quiet, as I recall you were a team and a team sticks together. God forgive all of you who chose to keep this awful secret to just better yourselves. Remember you will have that with you forever.
As I have said before, this issue will not go away, I will continue writing until justice is served for these young ladies.
You have not heard the last of me!

All summer our family has been stared at, glared at, and ridiculed by many members of the Ortonville community. Up until recently, no one has had the courage to inquire what is going on? Plenty! The school administration has decided that it's ok to allow coaches to belittle and humiliate players year after year. The self-esteem of these young ladies has been altered and not for the better. What is wrong with the adults in leadership roles to think that controlling and demoralizing these teenagers can possibly be acceptable? Is it no wonder these young ladies may struggle with decision making and self confidence issues. It takes a lot of courage to stand up for what you believe in and know is the right thing to do! Our daughters no longer feel the weight of the world on their shoulders! They know that we, as parents, are proud of them and believe in what they do! We haven't gone away-we'll be watching and listening! We have nothing to hide from anyone!

In today's Grant County Review the lead article was about the financial security of the Milbank School system. Congratulations!

However, each and every one of us have a duty to our school. That duty is to assist the school in becoming the best it can be in educating our children.

Parents, educators and adminsitrations should strive daily at reaching this goal. We should constantly be aiming at improvement.

Please note, I include parents. The parents involved in the current controversy in Ortonville are only attempting to meet their childen's needs. They see things differently. If these small communities have one fault, it is, a failure to accept the positions of others that have a different opinion than ourselves.

The coach in this instance, needed to prove that she was more open-minded. What did she do? She brought children in to a school board meeting to support her. This only sends the message that people who disagree with her are going to be bullied into liking her position.

We can do better to improve the quality of our education.

In Ortonville retaliation is the norm. What the Ortonvillians have not taken into account is the number of victims it has left in its wake. When one is a top dog they have no compassion for the underdog. Using the pecking order they bring down anyone who doesn't agree with them. Pushing them out is just another method of getting rid of them.

Prior to this website they could act with impunity. The local media not only allowed the behavior but actually encouraged it. They print letters to the editor castigating the people who have the courage to stand up for justice and make them look like fools. The mayor is given free reign on the radio to put his spin on the city council meetings and no hard questions are asked. People are lulled into complacency while the victims and their families are traumatized. Wake up Ortonville, people are suffering around you.

Where are the Christians? Where are the churches? Do they preach not to gossip? According to Notebook they are being shunned and ridiculed. Is that Christian? According to Wiggles the coach verbally abused the girls under her charge. When it was reported instead of the administration dealing with it they brush it off and stand idly by while the victims are being abused in the community and saying nothing in their defense.

In any situation if a problem is found intelligent leaders fix the problem. What do you call leaders who castigate the people who report the problem? I think now you have another problem. Now you not only have to deal with a coach but you also have to deal with an administration as well. If neither one can change their behavior to improve the treatment of the students then it is time for a change.

I agree notebook, a huge weight has been lifted off my family too having my children who wanted to leave the Ortonville school, do so. My daughter is on cloud nine since school has started and has come to realize in life that adults do respect her. My family has also experienced those stares and critism from some people in Ortonville, but I keep my head up knowing they do not know the real facts of the matter with the school administration and the girls basketball coach. They have read those letters to the editors in the paper from people who think they know what is going on and of course the story the girls basketball coach is feeding them. As the fact remains, they don't know the real truth, and it's funny why they don't ask for the real truth, I sure the heck would be willing to sit and chat with them. But they will continue to have no clue on the real story and just continue to judge by what they think they know. As I know as well as you, the administration will do all they can to continue the cover up and try to make it look like they are concerned and keeping an eye on the coach, sure didn't read that in the paper that she is being watched, HMMMMMMM! But the fact remain true, until people walk in the shoes of our daughters, they will continue to judge and ridicual them. So, let it be. It goes just to prove drama is the best solution and like the girls basketball coach, they probally thrive off of it. I will continue my efforts to change the basketball program for the benefits of others and not let this ordeal fade away.
And to all of those people out there who cared to know the who truth and support our girls, my family thanks you from the bottom of our hearts. You will always hold a special place with our family, and our daughter appreciates all the voice that is being put out there, she has come to realize people in the community do care and thanks you for that. Keep on spreading the word and let's make a effort to stop what is happening with the girls basketball coach and let her find her own self and realize what she is doing is wrong. No matter how many supporters she have lied to about the issue, she will continue to thrive off the drama she is know to live off of.
Keep the forum going and let's get this issue under control, I know you have not heard the last of me. THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!