Latest news with #DeeringHighSchool
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Yahoo
South Portland police launch policy review after Deering High School student 'mistakenly' detained by police
May 14—The South Portland Police Department has launched a review after officers "mistakenly" handcuffed and pointed their guns at a 16-year-old Deering High School student who "closely matched" the description of another teen who was suspected of committing a burglary in the city. The student was standing next to a vehicle about a block away from the high school as his friends were getting ready to drive to McDonald's for lunch, according to his mother. South Portland police, who were executing a search warrant at a nearby house on Orkney Street, say the 19-year-old they were looking for was "known to associate with" people who use and carry firearms, so they drew their guns after spotting the student near the house, which they say is standard protocol when arresting someone who may be armed. Officers ordered the 16-year-old to stop and lie down, and escorted him away from the house so they could pat him down — before realizing he wasn't the teen they were looking for. After less than five minutes, the teen and another person in the vehicle who was also detained were released, according to a release by the department. Amber Miller, the student's parent, said she spoke with South Portland police Chief Daniel Ahern Wednesday morning and felt the department did not provide a satisfactory explanation about why her son was apprehended. She said she believes her son was racially profiled because he is multiracial and "identifies as a light-skinned Black male," and added that there are clear differences in her son's appearance compared to the suspect police arrested later that afternoon. "We'll be holding them accountable," Miller said in a phone call Wednesday. "They have to take a deep dive into what happened here." Ahern said in an emailed statement that he believes the officers acted "reasonably and appropriately" given the information they had at the time. He said the department will review this incident to ensure officers adhered to all policies. "As a parent myself I completely understand how this incident could be very upsetting for innocent young people caught in the middle of a police action," Ahern wrote. "I'm grateful to school administrators for providing resources to anyone affected by this incident." The 19-year-old who police were looking for was arrested at his workplace in Cape Elizabeth later that afternoon. Miller said her 16-year-old son and his friends have heard of the suspect in the burglary, but the suspect was not near or inside the vehicle with the high school students that morning. Several law enforcement officials, including Southern Maine Regional SWAT members, South Portland police detectives and Portland police officers assisted in the search and arrest, according to a statement from the South Portland Police Department. "They could have gotten (my son's) identification in so many different ways prior to trying to detain him," Miller said. "It's not just the trauma that he faced that's so upsetting, but all the other kids that were with him. All of the kids had to observe that. I don't know how long it's going to take to unpack that." Miller said she's concerned that South Portland officers aren't being sufficiently trained in how to interact with and identify people of different races. She said she hopes her son's experience sparks a policy change. Copy the Story Link We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others. We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion. You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs. Show less
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Yahoo
Family of high schooler 'mistakenly' detained by police say he was racially profiled
May 13—A Deering High School student was mistakenly apprehended by South Portland Police during lunch period late Tuesday morning, officials said. His family contends that he was racially profiled. Portland resident Amber Miller said her 16-year-old son was handcuffed, placed on the ground and had guns pointed at him by police officers while he and a group of friends attempted to drive to McDonald's for lunch — as they do almost every day. Miller said her son is multiracial and "identifies as a light-skinned Black male," but otherwise bears no resemblance to the suspect police later apprehended. "We got a phone call from one of his best friends, who watched it," Miller said. "It was based 100% on the color of his skin. That is the only reason that they believe my son is the person who did it." Miller said Tuesday has been "one of the worst days for our family." South Portland Police acknowledged that they detained two individuals near the high school at around 11:30 the home of their intended target, city spokesperson Shara Dee said in a written statement. They were detained for less than five minutes. She did not provide details on why or how police approached the teenager. Neither Dee nor police Chief Daniel Ahern returned calls or emailed messages requesting details on the incident, including officers' motivation, and requesting a response to Miller's allegations of racial bias. Police officers were in the area of Orkney Street, across from the campus, to execute a search warrant and arrest a burglary suspect, Dee said. They later arrested the man, a 19-year-old from South Portland, at his workplace in Cape Elizabeth. "I still do not understand how they came to the conclusion that my son was the suspect," Miller said. NO ID Miller said that her son had just turned 16 and does not yet have a driver's license, so he was unable to provide identification to the officers. She added that Black youths are often mistaken for being older. "They were yelling another kid's name," she recalled her son saying in the principal's office. "There are so many steps that they could have taken to make sure that they had the right person." Miller said she called the police department demanding answers but was told that no one was on duty to discuss the incident. "They haven't called me," Miller said at around 6:30 p.m. — about an hour after the city released its statement acknowledging the incident. "Can you imagine if this was your child, and this happened, and nobody called you?" Without hearing anything from the police, Miller is relying on her son's word, videos captured after he had already been put on the ground, and limited information from school officials. Though he was released within a few minutes, "the incident was upsetting to the student involved and to other Deering students who witnessed it," Principal Jake Giessman wrote in a letter to families. Miller said the incident was emotionally scarring for her son and those he was with, all of whom were Black. She was not sure what her next steps will be, but said there was no way that the department could undo that harm. "I think we're all still in shock," Miller said. "He's a resilient kid, but I just don't know. I don't know how we move on from here. I don't know what the next step is." Copy the Story Link We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others. We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion. You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs. Show less
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Portland schools adopt 2025-26 calendar with Yom Kippur and Eid al-Fitr
Apr. 8—Yom Kippur and Eid al-Fitr will be included in Portland's school calendar next year following a unanimous vote by the school board Tuesday night. The district administration proposed adding the Jewish and Muslim holidays as a recognition of the district's growing religious diversity, an idea that originally came from students. All of the religious holidays in the district's current calendar come from the Christian faith. The board heard strong support for the inclusion of Eid from students, school employees, parents and community members, who said Muslim students currently miss out on school because the holiday is not recognized. Safa Mohamed, a Deering High School sophomore representing the Deering Muslim Student Association, thanked the district for taking up the new calendar. "Eid on the calendar means more than a day to us," she said. "It means recognition in our respective schools. It means recognition in the district." Fellow Deering student Khalid Mahamed, who serves as the school's student body president, testified about the challenges of missing school for Eid. "I have been set behind on days, missing hours of sleep, and from time to time when I can't make up those days of school hours, I do get set behind, and that does affect my GPA," he said. Portland City Council Member Pious Ali, a former member of the school board, also spoke in support of the calendar. "No child should have to pick between their religious holidays and their education," Ali testified. "Recognizing these holidays ensures that all students feel valued, included and supported in their learning environment." Deering High School teacher Tyler Jellison said he is never able to teach new material on Eid because so many students miss school. "Overall, it feels like a wasted educational day for all students in Portland public schools," Jellison said. "Additionally, my understanding is that my Muslim colleagues are asked to take a personal day. We are given two personal days a year, so they have one less than myself." Portland Public Schools doesn't keep data on student religion, but the Muslim population in the greater Portland area has grown dramatically over the past decade. Portland isn't the first district in Maine to make this change: Lewiston Public Schools added Eid to its calendar in 2021. Each added holiday will cost the district an additional $65,000, because they would add a paid holiday for hourly staff like ed techs. The district is required to maintain at least 175 in-school days for students and at least 180 days for teachers. In response to questions about how the district will handle scheduling of the holidays, which are not on set dates each year, Director of Strategy Sarah Warren said the district will plan for them similarly to snow days. "We have the projected date, but if something changes at the last minute, we have the flexibility to move it," Warren said. Tuesday's vote isn't a policy change — the school board will have to vote on a calendar each year, but Superintendent Ryan Scallon said the plan would be to include Yom Kippur and Eid going forward. District administrators and board members have described the addition of these two holidays as only a first step toward acknowledging the religious diversity of students. "The attempt in this calendar is to move towards including all major holidays from the holidays that our students celebrate. But we can't get there all the way yet," said board Chair Sarah Warren. "So we chose one high holiday from Judaism and one high holiday from the Muslim religion, and I think that after we get feedback, we can see what we can do in future years. But this is an attempt to move us in the right direction." The calendar vote happened during the board's final budget meeting. The board had not taken up the budget vote yet at press time. This story will be updated. Copy the Story Link We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others. We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion. You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs. Show less
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Portland teachers, parents join national protests against Trump's cuts to education
Mar. 19—"Education is a right, that is why we have to fight," a group of educators, parents and teachers chanted outside Deering High School early Wednesday morning. To a chorus of loud honks from passing cars on Stevens Avenue, they waved signs opposing staff cuts to the federal Department of Education and other actions President Donald Trump has taken that could affect public education. The group of about 80 were participating in a nationwide walk-in, organized by the National Education Association, the country's largest teacher union. More than 100 similar events took place across 26 states; the event was scheduled for today, the day that elected officials return to their home districts as Congress goes to recess. "Now is the time to send a message: Their decisions in Washington, D.C. matter here at home," the NEA said in a statement on its website. The federal Department of Education, under Trump-appointed secretary Linda McMahon, laid off about half of the agency's workforce last week. Maine joined several other states in filing suit last Thursday, arguing that the workforce reduction will have massive implications for the department's ability to deliver on its statutory obligations to fund public schools and investigate civil rights complaints. Trump has often discussed his plans to dismantle the department entirely, which could jeopardize funding for disabled students and those from low-income families. Maine K-12 schools received $250 million in federal funding this year, through sources like the Individuals with Disabilities Act, known as IDEA, and title grants, which support students with learning, economic and language barriers in public schools. On Wednesday morning, teachers, parents and students showed up in vocal opposition to the federal cuts. At Deering, a crowd gathered at 7:50 a.m. Jennifer Brady, a parent of a Deering student, was among them. "We're just appalled at the state of affairs right now, with gutting the Department of Education, and we're concerned about all students getting access to supports that they need," Brady said. "We also want to make sure that our tax dollars are supporting our students and not being redirected toward nefarious things." Her son Emmett also joined before the start of his school day. "I think it's really important that we're here, and I think it would be really scary if our education system was defunded too much because then I wouldn't be able to get a good education, and that's really important to me," he said. "And I think it's really important to a lot of my peers as well, so I'm glad we're all out here." Kerrie Dowdy, president of the Portland Education Association, the union that represents teachers in the district, said the vast majority of all American students, including 95% of all students with disabilities, attend public schools. "All students benefit from programs run by the Department of Education, and we're here today to protect our students and to protect our public schools," Dowdy said. One of the organizers of Deering's event, special education teacher Jessie Muldoon, said participants were inspired by more than just last week's DOE staff cuts. She said some people turned out because the loss of IDEA and title funding could threaten vulnerable students at Deering, and others were motivated by the administration's attacks on transgender students. At Amanda C. Rowe Elementary School, hundreds of parents, kids and educators gathered in a wooded area outside the school at 8:20 a.m. to hear from speakers and chant their support for schools. "We are here today because love isn't enough. No matter how much teachers give, they cannot do their jobs without the resources to support their students," Audrey Bartholomew, a parent of a Rowe student and substitute teacher in Portland schools, told the group. She said many schools in the district, including Rowe, rely on funding through IDEA and title programs that could be at risk. "If these cuts go through, they won't just hurt schools. They'll hurt the students who need them the most." Bianca Winship, an instructional coach at Rowe, helped organize the school's action. "We're already depleted of resources, and even more are being cut. So we felt that we needed to do something, and needed to rally and organize," Winship said. "We were really excited for our community to come out in support of our school." At the end of both rallies, teachers and students walked inside to begin their school day. Jesse Hargrove, president of the Maine Education Association, was at both events. "The partnership between national efforts, state efforts and local efforts, particularly involving the parents, is really inspiring, and I hope that our national leaders are paying attention," he said. Copy the Story Link We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others. We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion. You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs. Show less
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Proposed bill could help students with intellectual disabilities go to college
Feb. 13—Kate Worden is a busy high school senior. She plays basketball and volleyball, runs track and leads Deering High School's chapter of the nonprofit Best Buddies. She also works two jobs, is busy with her senior capstone project, and volunteers at her church. So of course, she has her sights set on college. But Worden, who has an intellectual disability, has limited higher ed options Maine, where few colleges and universities have what she needs: an Inclusive Postsecondary Education, or IPSE, program. These are higher education programs for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, housed within colleges and universities, usually with their own admissions process and special support systems. A bill before the Maine Legislature this session would provide grants to five colleges to create these programs and offer scholarships for disabled students. A version of the bill passed the House and Senate last year, but never got a hearing in the appropriations committee. Advocates are hoping it gets another chance this year. EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES Carrie Woodcock, president of the Maine Parents Federation, said Gov. Janet Mills' free community college program opened affordable higher education up to many Maine high schoolers, but not all of them. "In our state, for individuals affected by intellectual/developmental disabilities or autism spectrum disorder, that programing isn't accessible to them," she said. "There's nothing in the state of Maine with that equivalent opportunity, for individuals to have that type of education after they either graduate or age out of high school." Woodcock said there are 965 students in Maine with intellectual disabilities and 3,813 students with autism, according to the latest state data on K-12 public school students. She said colleges might offer some accommodations, but students who are developmentally disabled often need a fully modified curriculum. Those students usually aren't working toward a degree, but might be earning a certificate, auditing classes or gaining workforce skills. They'll often need support, from an administrator or peers, to safely live on campus and complete work. That's why she worked with Scarborough Democrat Rep. Kelly Murphy to craft LD 46, which would give Maine colleges money to create inclusive programs. It would provide five $100,000 competitive grants, available to both public and private colleges, to start up IPSE programs. That grant size is based on the reimbursement rate for the state's community college program, and an estimated 50 students. A quarter of the funding would go toward student scholarships. "It's not an extraordinary amount to get these programs up and running, and the impact will be largely positive for all those who come in contact with it," Woodcock said. IPSE programs, she said, can also benefit the general student body. "Studies do show that when individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities are included into typically developing learning environments, their rate of learning is increased by 55%," she said. "But their typically developing peers around them, their rate of learning is increased by 17%, by having that experience." After the bill failed to progress during the last legislative session, Woodcock said, the Maine Department of Education did agree to set up a $100,000 program at the University of Maine at Farmington. Samantha Warren, a spokesperson for the University of Maine System, confirmed that a program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities is in the works, although in the earliest stages of development. Warren testified in support of the bill last year and said she expects to provide similar testimony this session. 'EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE A CHANCE TO GO TO COLLEGE' Kate Worden takes both special education and mainstream courses at Deering. She wants to find a college program with similar accommodations. "My goal is to go to college, and find a program that can support me. And it's hard, but I'm definitely not giving up, because I believe that everyone should have a chance to go to college and be with typical peers and feel included," she said. Worden wants to be a therapist, and she's eyeing an IPSE program at Villanova University in Pennsylvania called VUnited Scholars. She would live in a dorm and participate in work opportunities while taking a mix of classes among the general student body, as well as specialized courses. She wants to play intramural basketball, and possibly join a sorority. It's too late for Worden to benefit from LD 46, but she and her mom, Kelly Lannon, are both advocates for the bill. Lannon said having IPSE programs in Maine would open the opportunity of college to a whole new population. "Not everybody has the resources or the ability to leave the state. It's a really big deal that Kate will be traveling by plane to get to school," Lannon said. "There's children that would not be able to travel like that, for one reason or another, and not having the opportunity to model after typical peers is a disservice to them." Lannon said with her older son, the college search was focused on things like location and academic programs. "But then when it came time for Kate to start pursing that, which is something she's talked about pretty much all her life, it was a different process. We didn't have the opportunity to say 'Oh gosh, I'd love to learn about sociology, or actuarial science.' Kate didn't have those options. She has options based on the type of education she was looking for," Lannon said. There is one IPSE program in Maine, the Integrated Studies Program at Saint Joseph's College in Standish which launched in 2023; Lannon said she and Worden were looking for something more established. There's also a program at Southern Maine Community College, although it didn't have the modified curriculum they were seeking. With more options in Maine, Lannon said, students like her daughter could base their educational choices on typical factors. Woodcock said she's preparing for the worst but hoping for the best as the bill takes its second journey through the Legislature. She knows the governor is already warning about a tight budget. But she said the bill has a pretty small price tag in the scheme of things, and would have an outsized positive impact. She's encouraging impacted families, especially students, to speak out once the bill has been scheduled for a public hearing. "There are no negatives, there are only positives," she said. "It just increases their ability to have as independent of a life as they wish to have, and have experiences just like their peers." Copy the Story Link
