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In what was apparently a slow news day, Channel 3 (which has experienced continued layoffs due to declining viewership) created "news" by
attacking Challenge Charter School and North Pointe Prep. The station went on air Tuesday night with two separate stories filled with misleading
facts and biased reporting.
Ironically, both schools are recognized as two of the top charter schools in the State. And yet, to create viewership, Channel 3 attacked Challenge
Charter for their dress code and used a single parent's complaint as the basis for their story. Challenge Charter, as is the Prep, is a school of
choice. Students and parents choose to attend.
"This reminds me of Channel 10's non-story two years ago about a teacher being fired who wasn't fired," said Principal Gow. "At the end of his
reporting I asked the veteran reporter why he went with a non-story. He said he tried to pull it but his producer said they had invested too much
time and the story had to run."
"I'm not sure why Channel 3 attacked a great school like Challenge Charter because of a single complaint by one parent," continued Principal
Gow. "Many of their students come to the Prep for Jr. High and High School and do very well. As for their segment on the Prep, your guess is as
good as mine. They took a two-year old story, tried desperately to engage our students and parents and apparently found only a couple who
would even talk to them. They stuck a microphone in their face, asked questions that contained misleading information and got the response they
had prompted and were looking for."
In the segment on the Prep, the reporter tried to create a dramatic moment by being filmed walking into the Prep's front office. Apparently he had
hoped to get a shot of someone asking him to leave while they escorted him out the door. Unfortunately for the reporter, Principal Gow was aware
the "news" crew had returned to the campus and anticipated their intent. "When I saw them pull back in after being asked to leave, I knew they
were trying to get that dramatic shot of a school principal refusing their interview and kicking them off campus. So I circled around behind them,
reminded them of the laws they were violating, by filming on school property without permission, and asked them to leave."
In the "news" story, the reporter mentions being kicked off the campus when the subject of asbestos came up and that he went above Principal
Gow to get answers. "As we all know, factual news reporting is a thing of the past for many local stations. Declining ratings have created an
environment where stations have to create a story and biased reporting has replaced the presentation of fair and balanced information," said
Principal Gow. "He wasn't kicked off because asbestos was brought up. He was kicked off because they continued to film on school property after
they were asked to leave. In fact, he said on the piece that he went above me to get answers. He did this because I had already set up an
interview with Superintendent Johnson at the District Office and invited him to attend."
Pointe Schools has prepared the following "fact based" response to Channel 3's inaccurate, misleading and biased reporting.
Pointe Schools is committed to provide and maintain safe and healthy conditions for its employees, students, and visitors. In accordance with the
EPA and AHERA, Pointe Schools developed an Asbestos-Containing Materials (ACM) management plan a couple years ago. Any ACM will be
managed in accordance with all applicable Federal, State, and Local regulations.
In 2007, soon after Superintendent Johnson assumed responsibility for the operation of Pointe, she hired a company to conduct a full asbestos
inspection of all three Pointe schools. Most of the buildings were built in the mid 1990s through 2004 after asbestos stopped being used in
schools, but the Prep’s administration building and theatre were built around 1970. The final report stated that NO friable asbestos containing
material was found at any of the Pointe Schools. However, three samples at North Pointe Preparatory were identified as having low levels of
non-friable asbestos containing material. The following materials/areas were identified:
- Floor tiles and mastic in a storage room in the administrative office building
- Caulking/Putty around some windows in non-classroom areas
- A door in the administrative office (the door has since been removed)
When intact and undisturbed, asbestos building materials do not pose a health risk for building occupants. North Pointe Preparatory has
conducted regular inspections of the areas in question as a part of its ongoing Asbestos Management Plan. The materials in question remain in
good condition and the school has not removed them.
Although the three year re-inspection is not due until October of 2010, Pointe Schools has begun to take steps to complete it ahead of schedule.
During the inspection process, abatement options will be considered. Any removal will be done with the safety of students and employees in mind
and will be conducted by a licensed asbestos abatement contractor.
DEFINITIONS
Asbestos: A natural material made up of tiny fibers. Asbestos is a group of six different fibrous minerals including: amosite, chrysotile, crocidolite,
tremolite, actinolite, and anthophyllite. Chrysotile is the most common.
Friable Asbestos: Material containing at least one percent asbestos which, when dry, can be rumbled, pulverized, or reduced to a powder by
hand pressure.
Non-Friable Asbestos: Material that contains more than one percent asbestos, but cannot be pulverized under hand pressure.
Asbestos Regulated Materials: Any material containing at least one percent asbestos that is friable, non-friable, material that becomes friable, or
will be made friable by sanding, grinding, cutting or abrasion. In addition, non-friable material (cannot be crumbled to a powder by hand pressure)
that may be subjected to excessive forces during renovation is also regulated. Asbestos-containing material (ACM) is regulated by the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA).
Asbestos Operations and Maintenance (O&M): The manner in which (any known friable or potentially friable) asbestos materials are managed, as
required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This may include the repair, removal, inspection or encapsulation of asbestos materials.
http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/abcsfinal.pdf
http://www.asbestos.com/asbestos/schools.php
In what was apparently a slow news day, Channel 3 (which has experienced continued layoffs due to declining viewership) created "news" by
attacking Challenge Charter School and North Pointe Prep. The station went on air Tuesday night with two separate stories filled with misleading
facts and biased reporting.
Ironically, both schools are recognized as two of the top charter schools in the State. And yet, to create viewership, Channel 3 attacked Challenge
Charter for their dress code and used a single parent's complaint as the basis for their story. Challenge Charter, as is the Prep, is a school of
choice. Students and parents choose to attend.
"This reminds me of Channel 10's non-story two years ago about a teacher being fired who wasn't fired," said Principal Gow. "At the end of his
reporting I asked the veteran reporter why he went with a non-story. He said he tried to pull it but his producer said they had invested too much
time and the story had to run."
"I'm not sure why Channel 3 attacked a great school like Challenge Charter because of a single complaint by one parent," continued Principal
Gow. "Many of their students come to the Prep for Jr. High and High School and do very well. As for their segment on the Prep, your guess is as
good as mine. They took a two-year old story, tried desperately to engage our students and parents and apparently found only a couple who
would even talk to them. They stuck a microphone in their face, asked questions that contained misleading information and got the response they
had prompted and were looking for."
In the segment on the Prep, the reporter tried to create a dramatic moment by being filmed walking into the Prep's front office. Apparently he had
hoped to get a shot of someone asking him to leave while they escorted him out the door. Unfortunately for the reporter, Principal Gow was aware
the "news" crew had returned to the campus and anticipated their intent. "When I saw them pull back in after being asked to leave, I knew they
were trying to get that dramatic shot of a school principal refusing their interview and kicking them off campus. So I circled around behind them,
reminded them of the laws they were violating, by filming on school property without permission, and asked them to leave."
In the "news" story, the reporter mentions being kicked off the campus when the subject of asbestos came up and that he went above Principal
Gow to get answers. "As we all know, factual news reporting is a thing of the past for many local stations. Declining ratings have created an
environment where stations have to create a story and biased reporting has replaced the presentation of fair and balanced information," said
Principal Gow. "He wasn't kicked off because asbestos was brought up. He was kicked off because they continued to film on school property after
they were asked to leave. In fact, he said on the piece that he went above me to get answers. He did this because I had already set up an
interview with Superintendent Johnson at the District Office and invited him to attend."
Pointe Schools has prepared the following "fact based" response to Channel 3's inaccurate, misleading and biased reporting.
Pointe Schools is committed to provide and maintain safe and healthy conditions for its employees, students, and visitors. In accordance with the
EPA and AHERA, Pointe Schools developed an Asbestos-Containing Materials (ACM) management plan a couple years ago. Any ACM will be
managed in accordance with all applicable Federal, State, and Local regulations.
In 2007, soon after Superintendent Johnson assumed responsibility for the operation of Pointe, she hired a company to conduct a full asbestos
inspection of all three Pointe schools. Most of the buildings were built in the mid 1990s through 2004 after asbestos stopped being used in
schools, but the Prep’s administration building and theatre were built around 1970. The final report stated that NO friable asbestos containing
material was found at any of the Pointe Schools. However, three samples at North Pointe Preparatory were identified as having low levels of
non-friable asbestos containing material. The following materials/areas were identified:
- Floor tiles and mastic in a storage room in the administrative office building
- Caulking/Putty around some windows in non-classroom areas
- A door in the administrative office (the door has since been removed)
When intact and undisturbed, asbestos building materials do not pose a health risk for building occupants. North Pointe Preparatory has
conducted regular inspections of the areas in question as a part of its ongoing Asbestos Management Plan. The materials in question remain in
good condition and the school has not removed them.
Although the three year re-inspection is not due until October of 2010, Pointe Schools has begun to take steps to complete it ahead of schedule.
During the inspection process, abatement options will be considered. Any removal will be done with the safety of students and employees in mind
and will be conducted by a licensed asbestos abatement contractor.
DEFINITIONS
Asbestos: A natural material made up of tiny fibers. Asbestos is a group of six different fibrous minerals including: amosite, chrysotile, crocidolite,
tremolite, actinolite, and anthophyllite. Chrysotile is the most common.
Friable Asbestos: Material containing at least one percent asbestos which, when dry, can be rumbled, pulverized, or reduced to a powder by
hand pressure.
Non-Friable Asbestos: Material that contains more than one percent asbestos, but cannot be pulverized under hand pressure.
Asbestos Regulated Materials: Any material containing at least one percent asbestos that is friable, non-friable, material that becomes friable, or
will be made friable by sanding, grinding, cutting or abrasion. In addition, non-friable material (cannot be crumbled to a powder by hand pressure)
that may be subjected to excessive forces during renovation is also regulated. Asbestos-containing material (ACM) is regulated by the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA).
Asbestos Operations and Maintenance (O&M): The manner in which (any known friable or potentially friable) asbestos materials are managed, as
required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This may include the repair, removal, inspection or encapsulation of asbestos materials.
http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/abcsfinal.pdf
http://www.asbestos.com/asbestos/schools.php
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Faltering local station creates news by attacking schools
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