Issue 1, Sunday, January 29, 2012
Malice in Wonderland—Tales of
Unprofessionalism in the Teaching Profession
Facebook Follies
School board files tenure charges against N.J. teacher who made anti-gay comments on Facebook
Recently, anti-gay comments posted on Facebook by a high school
teacher caused a nationwide controversy. Now, those comments may cost
the instructor her job. Her school board announced it has filed
tenure charges against the teacher, a longtime teacher and faculty
adviser to the high school’s Bible study group.
Board president Francis R. Perkins said the charges were formally
filed in late December after a three-month investigation of Knox’s
conduct, the first step in what could be a lengthy and costly process
to fire her. "Every student, no matter what race, creed color or
sexual orientation ought to be able to come to school and feel
comfortable in a learning environment that’s welcoming and
nurturing," Perkins said.
The move by the Union school board has rekindled a broader issue
of free-speech rights of teachers in the growing age of social media.
Steven Goldstein, chairman of Garden State Equality, a gay rights
organization, said he was satisfied with the board’s action.
"It’s not a time to be joyful when prejudice exists in
the first place or when anyone loses his or her job because of it,"
he said. "But it is a moment to be joyful and thankful that
someone who is prejudice will no longer be spewing hate to students.
She had in her hands the impressionable mind, which should never be
the recipient of such hate."
It was Oct. 5 when a single online comment on a Facebook page
purported to be the teacher's ignited the firestorm. She was critical
of a Union High School display marking Lesbian Gay Bisexual
Transgender History Month and promoting tolerance of those in those
communities.
A spokeswoman with the Office of Administrative Law said full
details of the charges are not yet available, but that the tenure
charges were based on "unbecoming conduct."
The state Department of Education does not impose a social media
policy on school districts, but a number have adopted or are
considering such policies, along with increased training for teachers
on the appropriate use of Facebook, Twitter and other media, said
Frank Belluscio, a spokesman for the New Jersey School Boards
Association.
What were they thinking?
Before quitting, the teacher admitted that he friended students on Facebook and had three students over to his apartment for "service credits."
Blast from the past
High school teacher fired for refusing to refute communist leanings
In 1953 a 57 year old high school teacher was fired for insubordination after she refused to answer her school board's question as to whether she was or ever had been a communist.
A 27 year old mathematics teacher was suspended the same year for punishing his students by making them crawl across a hot asphalt basketball court.
Little Angels
Students in Hot Water After Racist Comments About Teacher On Facebook
Three high school pupils found themselves in hot water
after they posted racially abusive comments about their teacher
during a discussion on Facebook.
Three UK students were themselves arrested after they made the grossly offensive comments about their mixed-race teacher. Apparently the teenagers were "trying to be
witty" with their remarks.
The
comments were posted during a conversation they had on one of
their Facebook pages. The teacher was later made aware
of the comments about him by another pupil and the school
contacted police. The three students were arrested. One was excluded for a
period of time because of his involvement in the comments.
Shortly after being arrested the trio all wrote letters to the teacher apologising for what they had done, pleadeding guilty to the charge. They admitted they made comments on Facebook relating to their teacher that were grossly offensive, or of an incident, obscene or menacing character in that they did post racially abusive remarks about him.
The students were remorseful. One lawyer said of his client: “(He) is full of remorse and has hand written a letter to the complainer. It was never his intention to cause distress. It was also never his intention that any of these comments would be seen by anyone else, and especially that it would make its way back to the complainer. My client is genuinely upset about what has taken place especially considering the effect on the complainer. He is trying to get an apprenticeship in the army, and sentencing may delay his entry."
The lawyers pointed out the damaging effects of imprudent posting. "It also very clearly shows the dangers of Facebook. If you post something it can go public even if you don't intend it to do that.
Shortly after being arrested the trio all wrote letters to the teacher apologising for what they had done, pleadeding guilty to the charge. They admitted they made comments on Facebook relating to their teacher that were grossly offensive, or of an incident, obscene or menacing character in that they did post racially abusive remarks about him.
The students were remorseful. One lawyer said of his client: “(He) is full of remorse and has hand written a letter to the complainer. It was never his intention to cause distress. It was also never his intention that any of these comments would be seen by anyone else, and especially that it would make its way back to the complainer. My client is genuinely upset about what has taken place especially considering the effect on the complainer. He is trying to get an apprenticeship in the army, and sentencing may delay his entry."
The lawyers pointed out the damaging effects of imprudent posting. "It also very clearly shows the dangers of Facebook. If you post something it can go public even if you don't intend it to do that.
Comic Incompetence
Miscellaneous Mishaps
No criminal charges will be
filed against a St. Albans teacher or the student he allowed to go home, get a
gun and kill a deer during school time, according to the Franklin County
prosecutor.
“That’s good news,” Steve Wunsch, a longtime teacher at the Northwest Technical Center in St. Albans, told the Burlington Free Press when informed Thursday that the investigation had been closed.
“That’s good news,” Steve Wunsch, a longtime teacher at the Northwest Technical Center in St. Albans, told the Burlington Free Press when informed Thursday that the investigation had been closed.
The “Rotten Apple” Award
The behaviour of some “teachers” is
so far beyond the pale, so completely unprofessional or malicious
that they will receive our weekly Rotten Apple award.
And this week's winner is...(drum roll) ...
The potty-mouthed science teacher! Obviously, any sort of sexual misconduct with students is grossly inappropriate, and potentially extremely harmful.
