It s a charge that Maresca, Tina Osceola, spokeswoman for the Collier County Police Department and representatives of WINK all denied to Insight, but nonetheless one that friends of Harrison and the Grace Community Schools believe to be true. Harrison s trial is scheduled for April, but due to a heavy court docket it probably will be moved forward. If convicted, he could be sentenced to five years in prison. It s a time children are open to a lot, he says are wasted with too much TV and too little intellectual challenge. Grace has a program for aides that pays young men and women a small salary and provides them with free housing and medical insurance while they spend three years teaching and earning a degree in Christian education in conjunction with Colorado-based Patriot University.
Grace schools have a rule that no teacher ever is alone with children in a classroom.
Usually there are two, three or more. The schools have baby rooms for kids still in diapers. Classes now are offered through junior high, but most students are in the age range of 3 to 7. No one instructor is in front of the class for more than 20 minutes or so. Often classes are broken into smaller groups in which the youngsters work on particular problems.