Request for Open Dialogue at TAS

Your comment seems revengeful and biased. We’re you fired by the school?

In my opinion, this is a moment ripe with opportunity for real change, provided the will is present among board members, the parent community, and leadership of the school to accept the realities of the institution with unflinching honesty. I left the Lower School in June of this year after a three-year teaching stint, during which time I felt increasingly demoralized by the rampant corruption and culture of self-service that characterizes the institution. The lack of concern for the welfare of our predominantly Chinese students manifests itself in everything from the lack of selective admissions criteria that make an academically rigorous curriculum inaccessible to far too many given the wholly inadequate English language teaching even at the youngest ages, to the cozy employment arrangements awarded to spouses with no prerequisite skills and professional teaching experience. The abuse of trust exercised by this administration is appalling given the knowingly false hope this school nurtures among affluent parents all too willing to pursue the dream of a "brand-name" education. The tragedy is that the children are twice victims--once to overzealous ambition on the part of uninformed parents, again to a school that doesn't truly serve their needs but rather doggedly pursues the frequently mismatched standards of an elite, white private American school. We will recall that there is now an anti-racism committee, newly chaired by two white senior administrators. I've written to head of school and board chairperson to point out that this committee needs to be be co-led by community members of color. I suggested that "[w]hile most people of color wholeheartedly endorse the notion that white people must educate themselves to their privilege before they can become agents for change, an anti-racist agenda must be led equally by people of color in both agenda- and policy-setting as well as day-to-day functioning." I voiced this concern not solely be

The behavior of the students was clearly wrong. However, I think that the school has a responsibility to help rehabilitate and teach the students...as opposed to giving up on them without providing them a chance to correct their mistake.

Lots TAS parents are talking about this handbook issue. The parent chat groups are suggesting not to sign or sign but demand appeal and fair process

Let's use this occurance as a learning opportunity. We all need to get better. This dark cloud can have a silver lining if we open the dialog, create an environment of inclusion and growth, and expand the curriculum from k-12 so that future middle schoolers will be much, much more aware and empathic.

As a former TAS board member (1994-2000) and board chair (1996-2000), I have followed TAS’s evolution with interest over the years. In my time on the board, we dealt on many occasions with situations where the administration reacted to minor infractions with excessive punishments, in the process threatening to derail students’ academic futures. The role of the board as a final court of appeal was an essential counterbalance in the discipline process. TAS was founded to serve the expatriate community in Taipei. There are limited options for families seeking a fully American-style education for their children. TAS legal standing in Taiwan is as a contractor to the USG (AIT). TAS enjoys the use of prime Taiwan government-owned land at subsidized rent. The idea was TAS should be available to serve all American families. In the past few years TAS has been restructured from “community school” to become an “elite private school.” The change in title from “Superintendent” to “Head of School” is emblematic of this evolution. Private schools are minimally accountable to the community. They rely on selective admissions to achieve the student body that the administration desires. The board was restructured a few years ago to add members not drawn from the parent community and not subject to election or reelection, in order to give more power to the administration to achieve this goal. Parents should not be surprised that the school no longer responds to the wishes of the parent community. To restore accountability will require more than a petition: parents must organize, put up candidates to oust the current board, and then revise the bylaws to return to a structure more recognizably accountable and transparent. This will be hard work. I am happy to help if I can. One suggestion: interested parents should ask the school for a copy of the Form 990 filed with the US Internal Revenue Service. The school is required by law to share this information. Forms

Finally!

We have attained our initial goal of 500 signatures and have increased our goal to 700 to invite more parents and alumni to give further input. Thank you.

Education should extend far beyond the boundaries of school itself. Do better by having dialogue, transparency, and giving second chances. My heart goes out to the parents and students going through this. It doesn’t sound like there has been due process, or any attempt to turn this into an opportunity for positive change.

This case is quite surprised to me. Those teens were made mistakes without sincerely, and it can be easily identified a bunch of kids just rubbished around. This is what school need to do to telling them what is wrong and changing their attitude. They didn't make something unforgettable, then youngers should not get such punishment, kicking out of the school! These teens could abandon their hope, future dream, and many other positive things. I thought the school suppose gives students hope, and telling them what mistakes they made then giving them chance. This is not what I know of "TAS" original spirit! TAS has lost what an educational institution should do... Giving these teens appropriate way to tell them right and wrong, and let them not making mistakes again. This should be the principle of being a school should do. People can make mistakes, but as long as they can work for change. Working with the kids. They will change for sure and they will learn the lesson! Please giving them chances, but not abandon them!

My Son is 14... and their generation is probably the most tolerant IMO... expulsion seems too extreme!

自從我來到台灣，我覺得台灣最溫暖的是人情。 雖然我不認同請願書上對於總校長的質詢，但是我可以感受到家長們的憂慮以及對孩子未來的擔心。 我們是一個社群，在這個社群裡面我們倡導的是愛與協助，而不是對立與攻擊。 TAS是我們孩子的學校，孩子應該被允許犯錯，學校有責任給予他們教育，如果這些孩子犯錯，學校難道沒有責任嗎？學校除了教育孩子書本上的知識以外，是否有教導孩子們如何避免種族歧視？如何面對種族歧視？有一天我們的孩子去美國讀書的時候，我們的孩子可能就會變成被種族歧視的對象，我們的孩子要如何自處？ 此次事件以及處理方式，我相信每一個人都有自己不同的理解與看法，但是這些不同之中，我們都有一個共同點，我們愛我們的孩子！我相信這是無庸置疑的。 如果我們出於愛，我們愛我們的孩子，就算他們犯了錯，我們依然愛他們！我們會教給他們更好的方法，更好的處事之道，而不是與他們切割！ 切割只會造成這個社會更多的對立，恐懼與不信任。 我相信一個偉大的教育家，出於愛我們的孩子，首先要自己誠實而勇敢的面對我們自己的困境，也協助孩子們誠實而勇敢的面對他們的困境，孩子在我們的樣子裡學習如何成為一個溫暖，善良，誠實且勇敢的人。

OK, so this was a case of racial slur which I'm not supporting or advocating at all. But put it in perspective, it's nota case of physical assault, rape, carrying weapons, coerce, narcotics, etc, which all would definitely warrant expulsion. From my understanding, these kids came out to apologize for their behavior. As an education institution, TAS should educate and put these kids back onto the right path for matter like this and not get rid of the issue by a simple way of expulsion. Moreoever, there are other suitable disciplinary actions such as community service that could be considered instead of expulsion. TAS is a school, not a penitentiary or a draconic correction facility. I can understand some parents might be offended or would hold others to high moral standards, but heck, no kid is perfect. I support the call to open a dialogue between the school and representative of these kids. Also, TAS might want to revisit its Code of Conduct to incorporate similar issues and to clarify the allowed disciplinary actions.

Transparency and dialogue are the hallmark of any great institution, which I firmly believe TAS to be, and I encourage any action which would foster both.

The punishment on some TAS students on grounds of certain racist behavior is simply too much “political correctness”. Education is certainly not that way....

Having graduated high school from TAS in 1991 I credit the school for preparing me well to deal with life in the real world. I believe this should be the approach we try to take in preparing the current and future generation of students

Transparency enables the school to collaborate with parents on educating and advising students at home.

Class of 1993. I don’t condone racist behavior, but believe in giving kids the benefit of the doubt.

I fully support this petition

A golden opportunity is missed thus.