While a teacher, 11th District candidate Bentivolio's behavior was a problem, records show

[mz10]

http://www.freep.com/article/20120822/NEWS15/308220116/While-a-teacher-11th-District-candidate-Bentivolio-s-behavior-was-a-problem-records-show

On the first day of school last year, Kerry Bentivolio told students in his English class at Fowlerville High School that he had one goal: to make each one of them cry at least once.

Bentivolio, now the Republican candidate in Michigan's 11th Congressional District -- which includes western Wayne and Oakland counties -- also told the students that they were "just a paycheck to me," according to a description of incidents in his personnel file.

The Free Press obtained his records under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act. Bentivolio didn't return calls Tuesday.
Bentivolio's declarations earned him a verbal reprimand from his assistant principal and a formal letter demanding that he correct his behavior.

Nine months later, school administrators reprimanded him for intimidating and threatening students by grabbing their desks and yelling in their faces or for slamming his fists on their desks.

Similar incidents occurred throughout the school year, according to the written reprimand dated June 7 and signed by assistant principal Myriah Lillie. "Most students reported that they felt threatened and unsure of what you would do," she wrote.

A day later, faced with an aggressive teacher-improvement plan, Bentivolio reached a settlement with the district and resigned.

He wrote on evaluations, reprimands and the teacher-improvement plan that the allegations against him were untrue and "politically motivated."

Bentivolio, a Milford Republican, tea party activist and farmer who raises reindeer for exhibitions in which he dresses as Santa Claus, became the beneficiary of U.S. Rep. Thaddeus McCotter's colossal election screwup when he failed to qualify for the ballot because of fraudulent petition signatures. Bentivolio was left as the only Republican on the ballot and easily won the primary against write-in challenger Nancy Cassis, a former state senator from Novi.

He has complained bitterly that mainstream Republicans sought another candidate to run against him when he was left as the only name on the ballot. Among them was Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson, who said Bentivolio's views -- including turning border control over to the U.S. Marines -- were too extreme. After Bentivolio won the primary, Patterson said he'd support him for the November election.

Under his settlement with the school district, Bentivolio will be paid through the end of August and promises not to sue the district, its board of education or any district employee. The agreement also dictated that neither the school district, nor Bentivolio speak ill of one another and that Fowlerville Superintendent Richard Heinrich write him a letter of recommendation.

"I would not hesitate to recommend Mr. Bentivolio for any position for which he is applying," Heinrich wrote. "I would be happy to discuss Mr. Bentivolio's strengths and talents."

Heinrich said Tuesday that the settlement was drawn up at Bentivolio's request.

"These kinds of agreements are unique to each circumstance," Heinrich said, declining further comment.

Bentivolio's campaign manager, Robert Dindoffer, said the letter of recommendation speaks for itself and that Bentivolio left the district to pursue the congressional seat.

But Bentivolio's excuse doesn't wash, said Deb Gordon, a Bloomfield Hills attorney and employment law expert who reviewed his file at the request of the Free Press.

"It's obvious he left under pressure," she said. "This is not a typical resignation. When you have this kind of an agreement, it's because there's an issue brewing and the board wants to cut ties. Those kinds of agreements are entered into when there's a problem between employer and employee."

Bentivolio's other years in the school district were a mixed bag. He got good evaluations in 2004 and 2005, when he was a computer-aided design teacher.

"Mr. Bentivolio is an enthusiastic and creative individual who appears to thoroughly enjoy teaching," his 2004 evaluation stated. "He is a welcomed addition to the staff."

In 2005, his evaluation stated, "He demonstrates a sincere concern for the welfare of his students and maintains positive relationships with them."

By 2006, his evaluation was unsatisfactory, in part, because of repeated problems with some of his students.

"Mr. Bentivolio needs to examine his classroom methodology as to meet the needs of all students. He must also continue to strive for a greater degree of classroom management."

In a 15-page reply to the evaluation, Bentivolio complained of a group of students who were a constant disruption and who ultimately were removed from his class. "Four or five self-absorbed, spoiled brats does not a teacher destroy, nor will I permit it to do so," he wrote. "Nor will I permit it to tarnish my reputation."

But his teaching reputation did take a beating in the 2011-12 school year, after he had taken a leave to serve in the Michigan National Guard in 2007 and 2008 and received repeated layoff and recall notices in 2009, 2010 and 2011. He taught part-time in the 2010 school year.

In the June 7 reprimand, Lillie wrote that students said he often offered little or no lesson planning, that he accused students of getting into his grade book and changing grades and lost a 50-point assignment submitted by the students in one of his classes. They also accused him of talking "constantly in class about political stuff and his war service."

Administration officials met with Bentivolio on May 9 to talk about the issues and complaints received from students and parents, "but you refused to answer administration or offer any explanations for these complaints," the reprimand letter said.

Bentivolio will face Democrat Dr. Syed Taj, a Canton trustee in the Nov. 6 general election. He also will appear -- with four other Republicans -- on a Sept. 5 special primary election ballot to fill the remaining six weeks of McCotter's congressional term.

The winner of that special primary, between Bentivolio, Cassis and Livonia Republicans Kenneth Crider, Steve King and Carolyn Kavanagh -- will face Democrat David Curson of Belleville in the special Nov. 6 election to fill the rest of McCotter's term.

This might hurt his campaign quite a bit.

 

[CaptUSA]

I don't think this will hurt.

Hell, people know how entitled kids act. This might even earn him a few points.

 

[Origanalist]

Sounds like typical bs doublespeak to me. He got in trouble when the progressives running the schools figured out he wasn't one of them.

 

[Tonewah]

Yeah, this seems like a positive, to me. If I didn't have teachers that were willing to grab my attention once in a while, I'd hate to see how I turned out. Typically, the teachers liked to talk about politics when I was in school, ESPECIALLY the liberal ones. If teachers had been let go for talking politics when I was school, there would have been no teachers. Should make him dang-near heroic in conservative circles.

 

[Tonewah]

Also, look at mz10's member date and topics of posts.

Troll much?

 

[mz10]

Troll much?

Not sure how you jumped to that conclusion. Actually a passionate lover of liberty and Ron Paul supporter who didn't happen to join the forum until recently.

 

[mz10]

I just worry about Kerry's candidacy more than I do the others because of the fact that he's a bit of an "accidental candidate," and might not know how to deal with controversy as well as someone like Thomas Massie who has more experience

 

[FSP-Rebel]

This won't hurt him with GOP leaning voters esp since it's alleged the witch hunt was part of PC bs. Most parents and elderly folk do know that a core group of disruptive students affect their kid's and grand kid's learning process not to mention the disruptors are often the bullies. Those kinds of youngsters need someone that is tough to put them in their place for their betterment and those that depend on a quiet atmosphere for learning.

Oh and I just got a robo-call from LFA pushing Kerry for the special election coming up. I feel privileged!!

 

[angelatc]

Good literature is supposed to make the reader cry sometimes. Duh.

 

[mz10]

FSP-Rebel, the problem, in my opinion, is that there is already a demographic of Republicans/conservative independents who will not vote for him because of his Tea Party, Ron Paul affiliation. This article may scare off even more voters. In a district as split as the 11th, he needs every vote he can get, and stuff like this doesn't help. I can't stand the crusade the Free Press has been going on against him.

 

[jct74]

Kerry makes HuffPo

Kerry Bentivolio, Michigan House Candidate, Reportedly Wanted To Make Students Cry
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/22/kerry-bentivolio-students-cry_n_1822399.html

 

[jct74]

more from Detroit Free Press

Stephen Henderson: Candidate Bentivolio can run, but can he hide?

5:14 PM, August 22, 2012
By Stephen Hendrson
Detroit Free Press Editorial Page Editor

I can think of a lot of explanations — bad and benign — for Kerry Bentivolio’s reported abuse of the teenagers in his Fowlerville High School English class last year.

Maybe he was dealing with a personal crisis that made him into a temporary monster. Maybe his experience in the Iraq War left him edgy and intolerant of adolescents.

Or maybe he’s just a jerk.

Problem is, I can’t make any kind of assessment because Bentivolio, the Republican candidate in the 11th Congressional District, has become a political hermit. No publicized campaign appearances. Few interviews. No context.

Was this an aberration? Or is this how he’d behave in Washington? Who knows? And Bentivolio’s not talking.

...

read more:
http://www.freep.com/article/20120822/COL33/120822061/Setephen-Henderson-Candidate-Bentivolio-can-run-but-can-he-hide-?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE

 

[Bastiat's The Law]

Also, look at mz10's member date and topics of posts.

Troll much?

We've been inundated with recently joined trolls lately. Most of them are trying to break up the movement by telling us to leave the republican party or they attack the future of the liberty movement, namely, Dr. Paul's son.

 

[FSP-Rebel]

FSP-Rebel, the problem, in my opinion, is that there is already a demographic of Republicans/conservative independents who will not vote for him because of his Tea Party, Ron Paul affiliation. This article may scare off even more voters. In a district as split as the 11th, he needs every vote he can get, and stuff like this doesn't help. I can't stand the crusade the Free Press has been going on against him.

I understand your frustration and yeah the Freep are a bunch of tools that are sinking with the ship. Very few moderate repubs are not supporting him, most of them are R-ticket lever pullers. The Tea Partiers have way more sway than the insiders yet despite that, public enemy #1 Oakland Co Commissioner L. Brooks Patterson (formerly on the Cassis bandwagon) is now supporting Kerry.

As far as making some student want to cry, that's merely an allegation. From what it sounds like, the guy is just not allowing miscreants and malcontents to take over his classroom, we need more teachers like that all over the country. IMO, any combat wounded vet teacher should be shown extra respect. It's not like if this was a really big deal that the parents of said kids wouldn't have the option to nail his ass to the wall at conferences. We got a great GOTV operation here plus LFA spending some scratch, we good. Plus the district is overwhelmingly GOP, so we may not even need the R-money dead cat bounce.

 

[jct74]

here's more links from the article in case anyone missed it:

letter or reprimand:
http://www.freep.com/assets/freep/pdf/C4193799822.PDF

performance evaluations:
http://www.freep.com/assets/freep/pdf/C4193767821.PDF


look how much prominence the Detroit Free Press gave this story by the way, they are really pushing it.

 

[mz10]

We've been inundated with recently joined trolls lately.

Before everyone jumps to conclusions, please look at my previous posts. Don't make assumptions based on circumstancial evidence, that's how people's reputations get smeared. I can assure you I am not a troll.

 

[jct74]

now they are quoting some anonymous student that tries to portray Kerry as some kind of creepy person and says she is "disgusted" he is is running for office. other students say he was a really nice guy and a great teacher.

Former students share opinions on teacher-turned-Congressional candidate Kerry Bentivolio
http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2012/08/23/news/local_news/doc50368f0a1bf4d008492280.txt?viewmode=fullstory

 

[Demigod]

"grabbing their desks and yelling in their faces or for slamming his fists on their desks,"

I can't stop laughing.My English teacher would hit us over the head with a grade book ( and it was a big,hard cover book which hurt like hell ) and she called the guy next to me "a good for nothing rust " .

It was the funniest when someone would try to challenge her authority and she always found a way to publicly humiliate him.

The good old days .She was a good teacher ,a little arrogant but still a decent teacher.

 

[angelatc]

I can't stop laughing.My English teacher would hit us over the head with a grade book ( and it was a big,hard cover book which hurt like hell ) and she called the guy next to me "a good for nothing rust " .

It was the funniest when someone would try to challenge her authority and she always found a way to publicly humiliate him.

The good old days .She was a good teacher ,a little arrogant but still a decent teacher.

I still remember Mr Schipano calling one of my classmates a stupid dickhead. We were shocked, but he was right.

 

[cajuncocoa]

I still remember Mr Schipano calling one of my classmates a stupid dickhead. We were shocked, but he was right.

I don't know how old you are, but things have certainly changed with regard to what teachers can do from when I went to school.

There is not enough money to get me to be a teacher these days. I wouldn't have the patience for it.