Teacher Discipline

We've often said that unless a teacher is caught having sex with a five-year-old in the school cafeteria on Parents' Open House Day, it's nearly impossible to fire 'em. Taking their license is even harder.

May 27, 2008 - The state of Florida is considering a settlement with Michael David Smith, 37, to suspend him for two years. He was sentenced on March 28, 2007 to serve three years of community supervision for the drug-related offenses and one year of community supervision for the trespass and petty theft offenses.

He was arrested May 16, 2006 on charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of methadone without a prescription, possession of cyclobenzaprine without a prescription, possession of lunesta without a prescription, possession of Phenobarbital without a prescription, possession of drug paraphernalia and tampering with physical evidence.

TT - Taking the license of a drug-addicted teacher in Florida is virtually impossible without their permission unless they are convicted of felony dealing because drug addiction is considered a health issue for which the teacher is considered temporarily incapacitated and a subject for rehabilitation so they can be speedily returned to the classroom. The same is true for alcoholism or attempted suicide even if it is at an elementary school.

Parents can look online to see if teachers in their district have been disciplined, although the records only go back to Jan 2006.

If you really want to be aggravated, visit the State of Florida - Division of Administrative Hearings web site and search "school" or "school district" or "revocation" or "drunk" or " school and drugs." Skip the cases where the party is identified by initials - those are student names and usually involve requests for services.

Even when a license is revoked, it may only be for a period of time. Revocation is not permanent unless it is specified.