Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

hey teacher, leave them kids alone

permalink | tags: education, news
by tommy @ 8:10 am

Yep…

It’s an epidemic. There is now another one - this one from Pasco County schools. It’s happening so often that this one didn’t even make the front page of Trib’s Metro section.

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17 Responses to “hey teacher, leave them kids alone”

Consider the Obvious Says:
March 25th, 2008 at 9:18 am
If the Hills Co. School Board doesn’t get pro-active about this issue, then voters are going to be pro-active about making sure School Board members are not re-elected.
Time for action
Rich Says:
March 25th, 2008 at 9:32 am
Maybe they should be prosecuting these people to the fullest extent of the law and sending them to prison. That might act as a deterent. Turning them into local celebrities like Lafave doesn’t seem to be working!
Reality Czech Says:
March 25th, 2008 at 9:52 am
all in all we’re just another brick in the wall
Steven Tamayo Says:
March 25th, 2008 at 11:15 am
We need a War on Teachers
dreaming Says:
March 25th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
what is the school board supposed to do? put wires on the genitals of all teachers to alert the authorities when in use?
Consider the Obvious Says:
March 25th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Wires? That’s just silly.
But, clearly, whatever the School Board is doing now, it’s not working.
Steven Tamayo Says:
March 25th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
death penalty! that solves every crime.
Clyde Says:
March 25th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
I thought we had a high-powered school superintendent to run the school system. Anybody think she might have something to do with teacher employment?? Has anybody asked about the teacher hiring process??? Any thought that the superintendent might have some responsibility for this? Oh, sorry, I forgot that we’re not in the habit of expecting people to do their jobs. As I say (too often it seems) Florida really knows how to put the fun in dysfunctional.
Reality Czech Says:
March 26th, 2008 at 11:28 am
Clyde, in fairness to MaryEllen, 2 of the most recent incedents happened in Pasco County, so go talk to Heather Fiorentino - and Pasco elects its Superintendant.
Consider the Obvious Says:
March 26th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
I love that thinking - because it’s also happening elsewhere, it’s not such a big deal that it’s going on here.

In fairness to our own students, Mary Ellen DOES need to show a little leadership and demonstrate why she’s worth the big bucks.

Time to bolster the background checks and institute mandatory ethics/respect training and other strategies that might give the district a fighting chance of stemming the tide of sexual abuse.

Just think: If MaryEllen were to be pro-active in her district, then maybe other superintendents in other districts would follow suit. That’s called leadership by (good) example.

Open season on our kids? Sorry, not acceptable at school or in the Catholic Church* So sad - you’d think that those places would be safe.

*(which, by the way, never did clean house after all those horrible cases of abuse; they mainly responded by paying out hundreds of millions in settlements and simply reassigning priests to other churches, where they would be free to abuse again)
Consider the Obvious Says:
March 26th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
It may be happening elsewhere, but Tampa is now getting the “glory” nationally. Yet another feather in our caps!

This morning on the Today show, a report aired on “Tampa Teachers in Trouble” http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/23807041#23807041
WP Says:
March 26th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
CtO- While I think you offer some good suggestions, does a teacher really need special training to know that shagging the student body is inappropriate and unethical?
George Says:
March 26th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
I think this has been going on behind the doors for as long as there has been young males and older females in school. We are just seeing more get caught due to technology. Besides, how much of a worry is this, really? A 17 year old can have sex legally with a 23 year old, but not a 40 year old?
Lexie Says:
March 27th, 2008 at 7:42 am
With the sad state of the Florida public school system and more importantly the fact that the state hires any warm body to fill an empty classroom events such as these are bound to happen. There is no selection process whatsoever. It’s pretty much if you want to teach, they’ll find you a school regardless of your experience, background, etc. We’re doing our children a huge disservice……..
Consider the Obvious Says:
March 31st, 2008 at 11:11 pm
WP, in response to your question - Yes, apparently so …
WP Says:
April 1st, 2008 at 10:14 am
If they don’t know by the time they’re old enough to teach, then I don’t think instruction will sway their opinion much. It’s not ignorance, it’s lack of morality and judgment. Not so easy to teach that to “adults”.
Consider the Obvious Says:
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:17 am
It may not sway their opinion much, but that’s no excuse for not putting together some kind of training/program to help teachers with this issue, since, apparently, they need a lot of help.

You might by surprised by how much positive influence the “peer pressure” of a very strong, very specific ethics program can have on people. Case in point: the huge increase in ethics programs following the biz scandals of several years back (Enron, etc.)

If nothing else, it would make crystal clear what is and isn’t acceptable, and it would give the School Board a stronger legal basis for dismissing teachers who move into the danger area.

What’s the alternative, doing nothing and hoping for the best? As Dr. Phil would say, how’s that working for ya?

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