Feb 26 - The headline reads: "Spitzer administration, teachers' union take on teacher sex cases".
The calls for action echo statements by the state School Boards Association and state Education Commissioner Richard Mills following a state study first reported Feb. 18.Almost three in four of the "moral conduct" cases involved sex between a teacher and student.
The study found the number of accusations against teachers doubled in five years. In 2005, 134 cases of "moral misconduct" by teachers and other school employees and some seeking teaching certificates were reported. That compares to 70 cases in 2001, according to the report obtained by The Associated Press through the state Freedom of Information Law.
There is this odd note: [Emphasis mine.] "The union's support is important. It has substantial lobbying strength in the Legislature as well as influence with the 225,000 teachers it represents statewide, some of whom have been reluctant to report rumors or evidence about colleagues." [A damning admission.]
By law, the union must defend its members accused of acts that could lead to discipline, according to the article.
