Here’s my story:

I am a parent of 3 gorgeous boys age 22, 13 & 10 and a princess age 6.  I wanted a stable school life for my kids.  When looking for a house to buy I told my husband we had to find a house close to a good school where kids could walk to school.  Also, where kids could play in front of our house.  We did find a place and I was so excited. 

My kids have gone to Hazel Strauch Elementary in Sacramento, CA – Twin Rivers Unified School District for the past 9 years.  My kids were in one school since Pre-School this was great. 

Couple years ago my 10 year old was in 2^nd grade and he was being bullied by a 3^rd grader.  I took the steps I had to take at the time.  Talk to the teacher and the principal.  Nothing was done.  I had to physically be there on recess and lunch time to make sure this boy stopped doing what he was doing.

I then wanted to get involved in our children’s school.  I started attending PTA, School Site Council, ELAC, Parent & Principal Coffee Conversation meetings.  Any meetings I was able to attend.  I then volunteered for Vice President of PTA.  Little by little I started noticing things on how the school was ran.    Everything was so disorganized on PTA, ELAC, SSC and other things.  I started to ask questions and the Principal didn’t like that.

The way some staff members and the principal would treat the kids was not right.  Screaming at the kids on their lunch time because they weren’t quite enough, sitting kids down on the blacktop on extremely high temperatures, discrimination on parent who didn’t speak Spanish or anyone who spoke up.

 I then started talking to people at the district and that was another issue.  Twin River Unified School District is the biggest school district here that I know of.  It’s made up of four North Sacramento School Districts.  They had problems of their own and I guess they didn’t really want to deal with our school or any complaints from parents. 

Just last year again I was going through another bullying situation with my 10 year old and that just drew the line.  My son had to go the emergency room 2 days in a row.  Nightmares and fever over 104 degrees.  I wasn’t going to just sit down and do nothing.

Myself along with other parents did a peaceful protest at school and at the district.  The district all of a sudden didn’t know what was going on.  Then I was threatened by a top district personnel.  I did my police report gathered all my paper work and went in front of the Twin River Unified School District Board and presented my case.   It was a lot of hard work, physical and emotional.  But the Principal was taken out of our school. 

I have also started a facebook page “Sacramento Stand For The Silent”  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sacramento-Stand-For-The-Silent/191682311005490 from the BULLY Project  http://www.thebullyproject.com/  and The original Stand for The Silent  http://www.standforthesilent.org/ and Everything Starts with 1 http://www.everythingstartswith1.org/ to raise awareness on Bullying.

I was so excited for this school year 2013-2014.  We had a new bilingual principal and a new superintendent.  My 10 year old was in 5^th grade and ready to move to Jr. High School and my daughter in 1^st grade.  I thought this would have been a better and brighter school year.  I was wrong.

I have been dealing with Twin River Unified School District for couple years now.  I had this issue with my son being bullied and now this. 

I was told that the teacher my daughter had was for the previous principal.  I didn’t want to think anything bad.  I didn’t think she would do anything to my daughter.  I was wrong. 

I feel this is going to be a long battle because this teacher has be little my daughter in front of the classroom, in front of me and put her hands on my 6 year old daughter. 

This is so frustrating.  First to deal with kids bullying, bad principals and now with a teacher putting her hands on my daughter. 

I’m taking the proper steps again.  I have done a formal complaint (Williams Act) with the district and I have also done a police report.  I can’t just sit and do nothing.  Now there’s much more I need to do.  

This is not right and things have to change.  Children shouldn’t have to go through this.  Especially at school.  Parents send their children to school for an education that will make them succeed in life.  For their children to be in a safe climate where adults have the passion to teach, be patient and motivate our children to be and do better.