We received a letter in the mail saying, “You don’t actually reside with your father,” and they wanted us to come to a meeting. We tried to make it right. So we got my father a power of attorney but they didn’t want to accept that, so it went to a judge. We pulled them out when the school year ended. Seventeen months later we received an indictment, even though they had not been in school for almost 18 months.
A spoof of Glee.
And of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” — in the same video.
Yes, this is all kinds of awesome.
(And the new season of Sesame Street starts Monday.)
Letter to former principle
Mr. Johnson,
My son has a WIAA eligibility appeal hearing this Friday. If you would like to write a statement I can present to the committee on his behalf we would appreciate any help from former teachers and administrators. I know this is a super busy time. Mr. Barnard, VP, wrote a supportive statement on the eligibility packet that was seemingly ignored?
WIAA has enforced a newish rule saying that any out of district transfer student is not eligible for varsity team play for one year. Regardless of age or grade level at time of transfer. Last year a freshman transfer could play varsity, this year no.
1A Rainier HS has 30 players on the whole football team, 9th-12th, everyone suits up for the varsity games, freshman rarely get game time, unless the game is ahead or behind in the last quarter, then they put in the underclassmen.
With the enforcement of this WIAA rule, my son would not be allowed to suit up with the team.
I don’t think he should be penalized because we choose to go to a smaller school, with smaller class sizes, study time scheduled into the day, later start time, all these are benefits, and yet the fun activity of after school sport, that I use as a ‘good grades’ motivator, is limited by this new rule?!
All of the research I have done on this transfer rule is to prevent ‘scouting’ HS sports teams, super seniors/5th year from dominating state tournaments?
My son is a freshman going to a new school that offers a more supportive education and social atmosphere.
If football only, was motivating the transfer, he would go to Tumwater, a 2A HS with smaller classes and state championship winning football team.
We are looking forward to the change of school, as a parent I just want my son to be involved in high school without limitations.
—-Letter to Ridgeline Middle School principle John Johnson (first week of school)
WIAA eligibility hearing committee not qualified family therapists
An example of the type of harassment my son encounters daily occurred during the WIAA eligibility hearing. A committee member made a statement to my son that is hard for me to forget, but upsetting enough that I cannot recall it word for word. “Why would kids harass you? You’re so big? I wouldn’t mess with you!”
I sat dumbfounded that an adult could be so insensitive and stereotype my son, as if to say: “big people don’t have feelings” or “a boy your size should be tougher and not let the words of others affect you”
As my son prepared himself to answer, it was extraordinary to watch his emotional self-control. The same self-control he has had to “muster up” the last 8 years of his life. As he struggled with feelings of hurt and embarrassment, that an adult made him feel bad that he wasn’t “tough enough”, his eyes filled with tears that did not fall, and his mouth quivered, he answered, “I guess they knew by now that I am harmless”.
—exerpt of my letter requesting appeal to WIAA executive board, this was ignored by Dele Gunnerson and Mike Colbrese, Executive Director of the WIAA.
I just want my son to experience high school without limitations
That is the newly enforced rule one year of restricted eligibility. Last year a freshman transfer student could play varsity sports, this year no.
A total of 30 students turned out for football, only four freshman, with the enforcement of the rule this year my son is not able to suit up with the team for varsity games. Would he actualy play? Maybe if the game was far ahead or far behind and the coach put in the underclassmen? That is the coaches decision alone, but he can only choose from eligible players.
I want my son to experience high school without limitations.
How the WIAA defines the rules to apply to one student to another should be public disclosure. Any other state or county rulings are listed publicly and the WIAA is hiding behind its lack of transparency on the matter of transfer eligibility.
I understand that the reason this rule is in the books it to prevent scouting at the high school level or stacking the team in a way that transfer students take away positions on the team. I have seen this rule abused even at yelm with the head coach transfering his son from out of district to play varsity QB as a freshman.
A yelm cop and football coach asked me why didnt I lie on the paperwork and enter a Rainier address to avoid the question of eligibility. Silly me, I trusted the process?
The WIAA is not made up of qualified family therapists, they are former coaches and athletic directors, a group of people I had respect for, but now I question the authority they have on my sons education and his desire to have a fresh start without limiting stereotypes of his (former) peers.
I know I have made the right decision in transfering my son to a new school, I see it in his attitude every day since school started.
KING 5 Investigators
Amy Edwards-Domgaard ▶ KING 5 Investigators I might have info on DB Cooper if KING5 investigators helps me confront the WIAA. the orginization is corrupt and self serving, my experience with them was discriminatory, they should be required to publicly disclose all meetings and hearings.
comment thread with seasoned blogger
- postbyxxx I used to use Blogger but moved to Wordpress after looking around bit:)
- xxx, do you know anything about tumbler? Or is that another facebook? Twitter? I gotta get some stuff of my chest.
- postbyxxx Not a ton. Both are abbreviated formats—do you have lots to say;)?
- i will most likely use my iphone for the blog, but ya i have a big strong opinion about the corrupt members of the WIAA and how they should be required to publicly disclose all of the hearings…. i really want to make sure that the next parent that goes into these hearing/committee venues will be more prepared than i was. so i am gonna do my part and make my experience public.
- postbyxxx Interesting! Can’t wait to read it!
- I am not much of a writer, but the last time i used the internet and twitter to “expose” a situation, i got a polite call from the police. I hope to “expose” more and get to go before a judge on this venture. #ambition
- postbyxxx Wow.
- I have to vent my frustration somehow, i can only run so many miles, and if i dont get this off my chest, i may spontaneously combust.
- its good to have goals :)
Feel my words
I wanted to name this feel my wrath, but alas, I am not a ninja.
Blogging is new to me and so I thought that I would try to tackle the recent personal experience with Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association or WIAA.
I will name everyone in the WIAA that I had interaction with during this experience. I will question the authority of the WIAA. I believe that it is a corrupt and self serving organization. I would like to use my personal experience to publicly expose the corruption of the WIAA and the members within to prevent what happened to me happening again to another family. The WIAA members that I have interacted with will be my main focus of this blog along with twitter posts.
Wish me luck!
Amy Edwards Domgaard
