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To the Editor-
“You have a keen insight to characterize these actions by administrators as bullying. For the sake of the adult system, shut up,” she said in those exact words. She is a strong advocate for the nonprofit Wisconsin Family Ties. I am a parent who has read about the school-to-prison pipeline and has a file of expert reports. He is a 2008 high school graduate from a broken, parochial special education system who is interested in refining strategies of deception, delay, and double-representation.
Wisconsin Family Ties (WFT) is Wisconsin’s only statewide parent-run organization supporting families with children who have social, emotional or behavioral challenges. Peer professionals are a valuable resource for parents seeking to navigate painful discrimination and judgment from biased professionals. We are currently seeking a Peer Professional in Portage County.
Three years ago, Wisconsin Family Ties announced that they would no longer participate in children’s mental health awareness efforts, and would instead devote their time and resources to working to change the trajectory of children’s mental health in Wisconsin: “Wisconsin’s children’s mental health system remains one of the worst in the country…. We will continue to fight for a more humane, compassionate and supportive system that will permanently change the trajectory of our most vulnerable children.”
I have many impressions over the last 20 years. It’s always the same story… Why is Wisconsin so bad? My experience working in mental health for over 30 years as a parent and educator has only recently revealed an insidious and deep-rooted evil in the workplace: Family Courts and their horrific practices. Author Bandi X Lee, MD, PhD, has written a series of articles based on her own experiences and reports from others. Her scathing and relatable tone is that Family Courts and their allies are the worst and commit genocide. Think cancel culture.
For over 20 years, I have witnessed bullying and patriarchal power structures against people with mental illness too many times. Thanks to the internet, people with common experiences can form alliances and take action in hopes of improving outcomes and moving our state forward. A growing body of data shows that the end goal of these intentional abusive processes is child trafficking. These systems continue to severely impact and traumatize the health and well-being of our most vulnerable children, mothers, fathers, and families. Do these lives matter?
Cheryl Geske
Amherst
