Teacher standards: Inspired by porn video

[MAKmom]

That's an important point: If we legitimately want to apply standards outside competence and capability, then we're going to have to be willing to pay more taxes (since in each case the folks we're talking about are paid from tax revenues).

Who here wants to pay more taxes?

Only if there was a teacher shortage. In PA that is not the case.

Some actions can ruin your life & keep you from doing things in the future.

 

[golfgal]

No my children have never been at the mercy of a police officer. They are in a school without a parents from 9-3 five days a week.

I am not at the mercy of my Doctors I have a choice who I see & I can leave at any time. My children can not.

Children are taken away from parents with Drug & Alcohol problems who are CAUGHT not taking care of them. Then given back when they are clean & sober.

A year sober for a teacher with a Drug/Alcohol problem is not unreasonable to expect.

You are at the mercy of your dr when he prescribes a med that you need, you trust him to give you the right thing, not much you can do from the grave if he gives you the wrong med. Kids are not always, infact rarely, taken from their parents that have drug or alcohol problems. They still have to live with the parents and the damage that they do to those kids until they are caught. Again, if you have an alcohol problem would you expect not to work for a year until you have been sober that long???? The other thing that you are not factoring into the equation is that there are other adults around the school. If a teacher was drunk in class, there would be MANY kids down to the office telling someone, trust me, it will happen. You are condemning an entire profession on the acts of a VERY FEW bad eggs.

If you are so concerned about the behavior of the teachers in your area, get on the school board, do something about it. You can always homeschool too.

 

[DVC Sadie]

When people expect teachers to live with higher standards than any other profession than the other professions will also be held to higher standards if for no other reason than "equal rights under the law".

I see no reason to fire a teacher for a past discretion that happened 10 years before her certification.

 

[declansdad]

I see no reason to fire anyone for something they did in their past that was legal.


I also fail to see the reason for firing or suspending a teacher for a DUI conviction. Unless they are the drivers ed teacher, how does this affect their ability to teach?

 

[MAKmom]

You are at the mercy of your dr when he prescribes a med that you need, you trust him to give you the right thing, not much you can do from the grave if he gives you the wrong med. Kids are not always, infact rarely, taken from their parents that have drug or alcohol problems. They still have to live with the parents and the damage that they do to those kids until they are caught. Again, if you have an alcohol problem would you expect not to work for a year until you have been sober that long???? The other thing that you are not factoring into the equation is that there are other adults around the school. If a teacher was drunk in class, there would be MANY kids down to the office telling someone, trust me, it will happen. You are condemning an entire profession on the acts of a VERY FEW bad eggs.

If you are so concerned about the behavior of the teachers in your area, get on the school board, do something about it. You can always homeschool too.

What are you talking about? Your comments make no sense to me. This is not a problem in our District. Teachers are let go for less than a DUI. We have teachers waiting in line to teach in our District.

I am not condemning an entire profession on the acts of a VERY FEW bad eggs. I'm condemning a few bad eggs. BIG difference lady.

 

[disney junky]

Teachers are let go for less than a DUI.

Could you be specific? What sorts of things are teachers let go for?

 

[bicker]

Only if there was a teacher shortage.

What about a "good" teacher shortage? FWIR, that problem is everywhere. And chasing the good teachers out of the career because of anectodal indiscretions in their past will damage America's ability to educate its children on par with, much less superior to, other nations.

 

[golfgal]

What are you talking about? Your comments make no sense to me. This is not a problem in our District. Teachers are let go for less than a DUI. We have teachers waiting in line to teach in our District.

I am not condemning an entire profession on the acts of a VERY FEW bad eggs. I'm condemning a few bad eggs. BIG difference lady.

You want to put this gold standard up for teachers because a few teachers have done some very unprofessional things. You want them to not work for an entire year if they have had a DUI. Those are VERY unreasonable requests even if you think they are not. Yes, teachers are responsible for kids and unless they are driving the kids around while drunk, their DUI does not harm the kids. Yes, if a teacher or anyone has a drinking problem, they should seek help but if a doctor goes through treatment he can jump right back into his profession but you think a teacher should have to wait a year to go back to work. You are condemning the profession by wanting unrealistic standards put in place. You are basically saying that we can't trust you so we need to put these rules in place. Again, if your profession or all professions require a year waiting period to go back to work after alcohol treatment, great, then require that of teachers but don't single them out.

 

[disney junky]

'"Since most in a Depression can not get to work or out of bed that takes care of itself."

This is a pretty generalized statement. Don't know how you can make it, but I assume that in your opinion then, a depressed teacher would also be a teacher you wouldn't want teaching your children as well. Wow. The very nature of the job can be depressing, so I hope your kids' teachers are all really emotionally stable.

 

[cteddiesgirl]

I do not think that a teacher should be suspended or fired for DUI. Unless of course, they are the Driver's Ed teacher or the bus driver.

Fact is, you people need to distinguish between having a DUI and a drinking problem. Just because a person may have a DUI does not mean they have a drinking problem. Have none of you ever gotten drunk? And maybe made the bad judgement to drive? With today's policy on drunk driving set so low, many people can have just one beer and be considered too drunk to drive. This happened to someone I know. He was in a bar and had only one beer. Then left to drive home (less than 1 mile away). Police were watching for people coming out of the bar and getting into their cars. This guy got into a turn only lane to turn and after he made the turn, he was stopped. Why? He didn't use his turn signal for the right hand turn out of a turn lane. They automatically gave him a breathalizer test and he just barely failed. The slapped him with a DUI, put him in jail for the night, took away his DL and made him take and pay for AA classes.

And all over 1 lousy beer after working all day. So do you think he has a drinking problem?

But this is the kind of thing some of you are trying to persecute teachers over. I do happen to think that it's a problem if there are multiple (more than 3) instances of DUI, that a teacher should be suspended and must get help before coming back to work. But certainly not for a year.

btw: I've known lots of officers who have several drinks at a bar, then get in their cars and drive home. Talk of your double standards.

And things that teachers have done in the past should not be held into account in the present (unless it deals with children).

And many things should not be cause for firing of good teachers. Yes, in many areas there are an abundance of teachers. But are they good teachers. That should always be taken into account.

Things teachers should be fired over:
Mental and/or physical abuse of children
Stealing from the school/students, etc.
Selling hot items out og the back of their car on school property (has happened here with a principal)
Possession of illegal drugs on school property and/or Selling/dealing illegal drugs
Committing other violent crimes (should not even be hired if happened prior to teaching)

 

[taximomfor4]

I do not think that a teacher should be suspended or fired for DUI. Unless of course, they are the Driver's Ed teacher or the bus driver.

Fact is, you people need to distinguish between having a DUI and a drinking problem. Just because a person may have a DUI does not mean they have a drinking problem.

Geez, I was reading this thread, just now, for the first time and was just WAITING to find a post like this one. I think I am quite cautious about drinking and driving. HOWEVER...I know I have driven when I would have been considered legally drunk. Was I too impaired to drive? I don't think so, but I'd bet, looking back, that a breathalizer would have considered me DUI. I avoid this now, but I know that, had I been unlucky on one or two occasions (leaving a wedding reception once, and a class reunion another time), I'd be the one with the DUI. I have a feeling that many assume anyone with a DUI must drink and drive often. This is a faulty assumption. A teacher who has a couple of drinks on a summer night gets a DUI. He/she is not necessarily a bad influence or a danger to America's innocent little children.

My 12 yr old dd told me to let you all know: she hears much worse stories about fellow students (true stories, involving alcohol,I might add) then she does about teachers.

 

[MAKmom]

Could you be specific? What sorts of things are teachers let go for?

Teachers are "not asked back" for the next school year is a more accurate description. You are not asked back if you are not a "team player", you complain or just do not fit in. My neighbor thinks she was not asked back for sending letters to the parents telling them what the students were doing each week. Her team leader said we do not do that. She was not a team player.

The teachers are making a decent living in our District this is what is on the web site this year.

Salary - $38,576 for a beginning teacher with a Bachelor's degree.

Maximum salary for a veteran teacher with 15 years experience and a Master's degree plus 30 approved credits is $85,754.

Benefits - A premium healthcare plan with out-of-network provisions, dental, prescription and vision supplementals for employee and dependents, tuition reimbursement, life insurance and disability income insurance.


I'm not trying to get teachers fired. I'm just answering the OP with what I think.

 

[disney junky]

Wow! Not being a team player gets you not asked back. And a teacher agrees not to come back! Sounds like you don't have the whole story. Teachers pay dues to their associations to protect them from that sort of practice. When a teacher climbs the salary schedule, what's to stop the administation from playing the not a team player card and replacing that larger salary with a smaller one. I don't think I'd want to work there with that type of job security....

 

[MAKmom]

Wow! Not being a team player gets you not asked back.

And a teacher agrees not to come back! Sounds like you don't have the whole story. Teachers pay dues to their associations to protect them from that sort of practice. When a teacher climbs the salary schedule, what's to stop the administation from playing the not a team player card and replacing that larger salary with a smaller one. I don't think I'd want to work there with that type of job security....

Not being a team player will hurt you in most Corporate America jobs. I know with DuPont & Kimberly Clark it is a must.

I don't think the the association if they have one is for new teachers.

I think some places after 7 years you may have some protection. I can find out. I have never given it much thought. It is a very cookie cutter district. I'll have to ask DD about some of the teachers she knows that were let go. I know the students were very upset about one of them.