August 1, 2007 - A Maryland senator is planning to introduce a bill that would require School systems throughout the state to be informed when teachers face allegations of sexual or violent crimes, The teacher's license would be flagged.
Sounds simple enough, right?
Only one of the 25 members of the state Professional Standards and Teacher Education Board voted for the regulation when it came up.
“The large number, the majority of these cases result in no finding, so they were concerned with identifying and tarnishing [suspects’] professional reputation, or causing an adverse reaction, when they are innocent,” [assistant state superintendent for certification and accreditation John] Smeallie said.TT - County school officials asked the Maryland State Department of Education to revoke Gounaris’ teaching certificate, and it did — but not before he was hired to teach eighth grade at Chinquapin Middle School in Baltimore. TT - LINK for Gounaris.
Timothy Gounaris was sentenced to 18 months in jail for sexual crimes this month, only after being forced to resign from Harford and Baltimore county school systems because of criminal sexual allegations.
Shame on the Maryland Professional Standards and Teacher Education Board. Tarnishing a reputation is FAR MORE IMPORTANT than protecting children.
Also see Don't Move to Maryland TT - Link
See teacher hired despite drug convictions TT - Link
See student forced to confront teacher TT - Link
See volunteer coach coerced girl to commit prostitution TT - Link
Two-thirds of Baltimore students do not graduate. About 4,000 students in Baltimore are educated in charter schools, while more than 80,000 students attend traditional public schools. In order to handicap the charter schools, Baltimore City Public Schools paid the charter schools less than what they give traditional public schools. The Maryland Supreme Court ruled 7-2 school boards must give charter schools the same amount of money as traditional public schools.
