I have two children in a local public here in Salisbury they both have a death allergy to bee stings. At the beginning of the year it was set up that their Epi-Pen is to be in the classroom. The teachers are to take them on the playground and on field trips with them. On field day this year I went to the school to watch both my children. My first grade son's teacher did not have his Epi-pen with her outside. When I asked where it was she stated that the aid had it, so I asked the aid and she had no clue what I was talking about. So i took my child into the school and found the principal. When i asked him why the Epi-pen was not with my son he told me that he did not know and that he tells his teachers what to do at the beginning of the school year and if they do not do it then it is not his problem but we could go find out why. So we did they found the Epi-pen in the class room on the teachers desk. When I asked them which one would have take the responsible of his death if he had gotten stung. They said neither one of them. So I went to the Board of Education told them what had happen. They told me that someone would be calling me. A week later I still heard nothing from anyone so I wrote a e-mail to Marten O'Mally still have not heard anything. I think that it is important for parents that have children who have an Epi-pen on hand in the school system how they may think when they send their child to school that they will be safe. I don't feel this way. I am feared everyday when my kids get out of my car and walk on to the side walk of their school that that maybe the last time I see them alive. We as parents should not feel this way. We should feel that our children are safe in the care of their school. And as a parent of two children with allergies I think that there should be more people in the school system that care about the situations that occurred with my child. How can we expect our children to follow directions with the teachers that they are with five days a week don't follow directions.
Thank you
A very concerned parent
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32 comments:
Simply called Home Schooling.
Life is full of risks and your child has a very unfortunate situation. My hunch is the teachers could have found the Epi pen in time if an emergency occured.
This is not a situation that requires intervention by the governor. Good grief...If its that serious maybe the child shouldnt be outside at all.
First off, it's Martin O'Malley!!! 2nd - It is your responsibility as a parent to teach your child about their allergies and I know kids who know how to use their Epi-Pens on their own. I am sorry that your child has allergies - but, please do not make it EVERYONE else's responsibility. Our teachers are at school to teach our children - not be their Doctor's!!!!!
Here is an perfect example of why the school system are failing. Here is a parent that thinks that it is reasonable to send their child to school, who is alergic to bees, and place the responsability on teachers and administrators. We are asking teachers to carry epi-pens, be aware of every childs food allergy, make sure they wipe the butts, wash their hands, and are nice to others. Teachers are there to teach not raise your children. The only pen they need to worry about has ink in it. How about you buy your child a fanny pack and they have the responsibility to carry it with them on the playground or how about you go to the school daily during recess and have the epi-pen with you afterall it is "your" child. Let the teachers teach and stop expecting them to be the parents of your child
I am sorry for your worry. That is just terrible.
I think it is stupid and dangerous that children with reported medical needs cannot keep their medication with them and a small first aid kit is not kept with every teacher and aide.
Why is this done? Because SOME kids might use this as a cover to carry, use and dispense illegal drugs! So good kids with health problems must be endangered in order to control the bad kids.
What a lousy deal -- good children always suffer because of the bad ones and bureaucratic overkill.
I empathize with your position. Your children could have been put in harms way. But just imagine how many children in the school system are allergic to whatever it is they may be allergic to. There should be a first aid kit somewhere outside in the area where the children are playing. They can not look after one or two kids individually.
As previously mentioned home schooling would solve this issue.
Either that or your child should be taught to always ask the teacher to grab the epi-pen for his own safety.
A first grader probably shouldn't be put in charge of an epi-pen, guys.
But they could certainly remind the teacher to take the epi-pen with them when the glass goes out to recess.
And I do empathize with the teacher. I have a script for an epi-pen. But it's a PITA to carry around all the time. I'm better off stashing benedryl all over the place in case I have an attack. It's not as effective, but if I catch the reaction early I'm saved without having to go through the headache of getting a new one. Or, it can buy me time until I get in touch with people who have them.
All you have to do is have the child's doctor sign the form available from the school nurse to allow him to carry his own Epi-pen. We had to do it with my son's inhaler. Each child should know about his own allergens and how to treat them.
I have no sympathy for this parent.
I used to require an epi-pen back in middle school/elementary school. My teachers didnt carry it with them everywhere they go. Why?
Because if I got stung by a bee, its not like I would instantly die. It takes a while for reactions to occur. I dont care if you have the worst case of bee allergies in the world, you will NOT die instantly.
Stop being so up-tight, these teachers have enough on their plate. Dont get me wrong, I will be the first to say that teachers are paid appropriately and do NOT need pay raises.
But at the same time, they do not need overly concerned parents breathing down their neck about something as minute as this. The teacher had the pen on her desk. If your child was stung, he would not have died. Plain and simple.
To those blaming the parent for making it the school's responsibility, get a clue.
It is the government and the school boards that have taken away the parent's right to make their children responsible for carrying their medicines because as someone said, the thugs in school used that to grow their drug trade.
While it may not be the best thing to entrust a 1st grader with their medicine, some kids are good at managing such things as epi-pens and inhalers at VERY YOUNG ages.
To those saying "there would probably be time" to go get the epi-pen from inside, the answer is "it depends." For some, the reaction rises over a few minutes. In others, the airways close very rapidly and if the medicine is not administered soon enough, it cannot help in that dosage to reverse that point of progression.
The real kicker in this story was not, "We'll look into this right away and make sure everyone knows what they are supposed to be doing." The typical bureaucrat's answer was, "It's somebody else's fault, it's not my job, blah, blah, blah."
Not everybody can home school, chums. Get real. In today's society, this parent did everything that was asked of her or him, and the other side is not delivering.
wow looks like everyone in agreement that this parent (i use the term loosely) is blaming everyone else and looking for entitlements. who does that remind you of?
As of July 1st it will be mandatory for all schools to have epi-pens. WBOC did a story on this last month-- Gov. Martin O'Malley this week signed Senate Bill 621 into law, which requires Maryland schools to have on hand an emergency supply of "EpiPens" for students with allergies.Lilliana Franklin of Berlin had an allergic reaction to peanut butter in school last year and she said the school nurse did not know how to administer the shot. Her mother, Marianne, said the law being passed will force staff members to be educated on how to use the pens."Now we're getting educated. Now all the staff, all the people who are with our child six hours a day will know how to keep her safe," she said.The Asthma and Allergy Foundation estimates 50 million Americans have allergies. Of that number, approximately 6 percent suffer from food allergies. The AAF said food allergies are more common in children. SB 621 will go into effect on July 1.
Teachers are just too busy to worry about that kind of stuff, I am sure they are paying strict attention to kids while they are playing. I mean they dont text, or talk on phone or BS on play ground....
Teachers Aid, AKA Principles pets, play toys... Yeah right Education system and teachers are so over whelmed.
Bad and irresponsible teacher. I took it upon myself to call a friend, a 30 yr plus teacher in a western shore county.
She said it is the teachers responsiblity to look out for their students safety, health and well being just as much as it is to teach. Parents trust them to do this when they leave their children at the school.
The Epi pens should be in easy reach at all times was her answer. When on field trips they are brought along and the parent/aid who is responsible for the student who has the allery has the pen with them or the student themselves do with the chaperone given instuctions.
It's is part of the job and a very important part to protect the child you have been trusted with.
9:57, a first grader is too young to be self administering.
It appears this parent did their end of what was required at the beginning of the school year and as required the school came up with a policy which wasn't followed through on.
BOE didn't respond? Sure is O'malley's problem. Afterall he makes the appointments.
Lol you as parents can't even keep track of your child let alone if you had to watch hundreds of children a day. Teacher's definitely keep a close eye on children when they are playing on the playground contrary to popular belief. Bee stings do not instantly kill someone so there would have been plenty of time to get the pen. Also the fact you email the governor shows how over the top you are. But at least you showed up to school to support your kids....more then most around here can say after they are done blasting the teacher's for thier horrible job.
YOU DO NOT INSTANTLY DIE WHEN STUNG BY A BEE IF YOU ARE ALLERGIC.
I doubt very seriously if this would be even an issue had the teacher/school/BOE showed some concern, 1:19.
If teachers can't handle watching hundred's of children then they need to quit and let someone do it who can. Remember the old saying-There is a rear end for every seat esp with teachers where 100's graduate a year from MD colleges and universities.
FYI-Anaphylactic is a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment, so it is imperative that epinephrine (Epi-Pen) is given ASAP if a child, allergic to bees, is stung in order to prevent this emergency from occuring.
The teacher really should have had a better grasp on the situation as is required when dealing with students with allergies.
There are policies and it does seem as if the teacher/school failed in holding up their end.
While the child is in school the school is responsible to do more than teach them. Their health and safety is one of those responsiblities.
If a teacher can not handle the rare responsiblity of keeping track of an Epi pen then she's incompetent. It's not rocket science.
no harm no foul..
I can't believe all the negative comments about this parent....it is a parent's job to advocate for their child's well being & that is exactly what this parent was doing...I had two children educated in Wicomico County schools & found the elementary school teachers to be the worst offenders about things like this.....when my daughter was at N Sby Elem. Mrs Shakely wrote me a note telling me to keep my child home if she couldn't go outside for recess because of illness.
You can die from a bee sting. My grandmother had a friend who did. This was a grown man who had no epi-pen and was home alone and was not able to get inside to a phone to call for help. He was found outside in the yard deceased.If it was her kid, I'm sure she would have that epi pen in her hand. Like always if it is not your family you just don't know.
My nephew has a number of serious allergies and from a very young age, when he attends school,he carries the EpiPen in a fanny pack. When he was very young, he didn't administer it, but it was on his person for an adult to administer it when needed. Now that he's older, he can administer it.
If it was out on the teacher's desk, did she intend to take it outside and she forgot it...and placed the blame on the aid, or did the aid forget it?
When children are in school, it is the teacher's responsibility to ensure the safety of all children. If you have a child with known bee sting allergies, and you are going outside, it is their responsibility to take the Epipen (if it is not on the child's person).
Yes, I think this parent is overreacting, but her point is valid.
"Bee stings do not instantly kill someone so there would have been plenty of time to get the pen."
WRONG!
If you are DEATHLY allergic, if the bee stings you in the head, neck or chest, we can be talking seconds, NOT minutes.
I agree it was over the top to contact the governor. Most people don't know who to go to after the first 3 layers give them the runaround.
Some of the comments in here are amazing. While your kids are in school, on YOUR tax dime, the people getting PAID by that tax dime are responsible for your children.
Period.
That's not a liberal view. Duh.
If you don't know the difference between an addled-brain parent who expects the teachers to make sure little Susie brings her sweater to school vs. knowing how to react if an allergic kid gets stung and immediate, easy-to-administer help can prevent a death, then you people are as messed up as the liberals you attack.
Don't feel to bad there was a fire at Salisbury middle in class of kids an no teacher in room
Yea my son told me the teacher was at lunch with 8 kids in the room. And he did not get in trouble
OMG!! I can't believe what ridiculous bunch of jerks some of you are. Here you have 2 children who do have allergies. Their parent does the right thing by bringing in the prescription to the school and advising the teacher about the seriousness of the situation. So your answer is to home school the kids?? Talk about discrimination. Do you really think it's fair to "exclude" an individual just because they have a medical condition to attend public school?? Don't all children have a right to get an education?? Oh I know we will just seal them up in a bubble and treat them as outcasts. It's hard enough for children these days to feel like they belong so let's make them stay home because that's the answer to everything. How would you feel if that was your child, your niece, your nephew?? So in your "little world" all children who have something "wrong" with them need to be home schooled. Yet I bet your a$$es would be the first to complain if your child were treated any differently. I don't think what the mother asked was an unreasonable request. What is ridiculous is the teacher not doing what they were supposed to. The other ridiculous thing is the bunch of hypocritical, small-minded people who get on here and make such hateful comments.
In Wicomico County assistants do not do playground duty.Instead they do cafeteria duty. At my school one of the many teachers on duty carry out a hand held radio. The nurse is only a radio call away. She can be on the playground in less than a minute. Teachers aren't nurses but at one school our nurse trained all of us on how to use an Epipen because of field trips. Because of HIPPA your child's medical issues aren't supposed to be disclosed to any staff member without your ok.
If your child goes to college, will you require their instructors to carry their epi-pen? When they enter the workforce, will you require their employer to carry their epi-pen for them?
Teach responsibility and teach your child to understand their allergies and implications.
Teachers are not babysitters.
I can only hope your child learns better grammar and spelling than you.
12:47
You are a moron. When you go to college and to work you can carry the epi-pen with you. Last time I checked children could NOT carry their own meds with them in school. To ask a 5 or 6 yr old to be responsible for something like this is absurd! You must be a teacher that doesn't want the responsibility of doing their job.
I can empthasize with both sides of this issue.
However, are we to expect our teachers to now become EMT's?
Say the teacher administers and epi-pen, or some other drug to a child and the child has a reaction to THAT? Then what? You're going to sue the school and the teacher.
It's become a no-win situation.
Stop coddling your kids so much and stop expecting teachers to do more than teach!
They're not babysitters, they're not doctors or nurses or EMT's.
They are TEACHERS!
Maybe YOU should have had the epi-pen with YOU on field day if you were really that concerned with your child's safety!
Another letter unsigned, and personally, that takes away from the trueness of the story to begin with.
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