Powder Springs, GEORGIA

Child Pornography

News date Apr 12, 2007 - Brian Krupa, 34, a special education teacher at Lovinggood Middle School, was arrested and charged with sexual exploitation of children.

Krupa was charged after an undercover internet investigation by Smyrna detectives. Harvey said that during the investigation, detectives discovered Krupa hadchild pornography. Krupa offered the pornography to undercover detectives for distribution.

Krupa has been a teacher in Cobb public schools since November 2001. The school has given him until Friday to resign.
Full Name: Brian Paul Krupa

St Petersburg, FLORIDA

Child Pornography

News date Apr 12, 2007 - Charles Taylor, 36, an eighth grade teacher at Tyrone Middle School, was arrested and charged with seven counts of computer pornography and one count of distributing computer pornography.

Detectives say more charges may follow.

Agents learned he was using his home computer to download and distribute child pornography.
Prior to his arrest, investigators searched Taylor's Pinellas County residence and confiscated a large collection of both videos and images.

Taylor was also a Boy Scout leader.

Full Name: Charles Franklin Taylor

Apr 13 - St. Petersburg Times: Taylor is the third Tampa Bay area educator to be arrested in recent months. They cite Gerald Stadler [TT link] and Anthony Giancola [TT link].

Education Reform

Apr 10, 2007 - An article from the Harvard Political Review unintentionally explains EXACTLY why education reform is a buzzword phrase with absolutely no meaning to those who control our schools.

The author, Zoey Orol, asks "Are teachers' unions part of the solution or the problem?" and concludes that they are part of the problem and can be part of the solution.

With union leaders pushing contractual stipulations that hold negative consequences for public school students, it is apparent that the unions do place substantial barriers in the way of reform.

TT - Amazingly, however, the word, "children" only appears once in the 708-word article. They want to improve public schools. That's on the agenda. But without " interference by governmental policies" (code word for No Child Left Behind Act that mandates school improvement when a school consistently fails to teach.) And then there are those "competing union interests" whatever the heck they are. And absolutely no explanation why that has anything to do with reform.

Not one word about how schools are failing to teach or the children who are being cheated out of a decent education. (That could be the"negative consequences for public school students" part but how would you know?) They - the Harvard Political Review and unions want to "reform" education, for what purpose? They can't even bring themselves to admit the extent of the failure.

They do make it clear that more money would help, though.

They've screwed the pooch for forty years. It's time to recognize that these people shouldn't be looked to for any kind of reform. They're just looking to be included in the next deal.

Smyrna, TENNESSEE

Apr 11, 2007 - Julie Shelton, 49, a Smyrna High School teacher was arrested at school and accused of shooting at her neighbor, an Eagleville City Councilmember.

Police said Julie Shelton called them early Wednesday morning to complain about her noisy neighbors. When she was told there was not much police could do, dispatchers said she told them she would shut Councilmember Matthew Smitty up herself by shooting a gun at him.

Smitty said Shelton fired one shot. She was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. A hearing is set for June 5.

TT - she teaches Environmental Science according to the school website.

Apr 12 - Shelton was suspended without pay. We will see what the resolution is in the court system,” [spokesman] Evans said. “If vindicated she may be able to get her back pay while on suspension.”

She was charged in 2005 [under name Julie Morales] with simple assault after being accused of shoving a student while students were unruly.“She crossed the line and shoved him,” Evans said. The case was bound over to the Rutherford County grand jury whose members chose not to indict her on the charge, thus ending the prosecution.

July 23 - The assault charge was "retired."

Under a retirement, the case will be dismissed if Shelton completes 18 months of good and lawful conduct, doesn’t possess a firearm and refrains from verbal or physical confrontations with Smitty

August 11 - The Daily News Journal reports that she is one of two arrested teachers who will be returning to class this fall. She was briefly suspended but was given her back pay when the felony charge was dropped.

Fort Collins, COLORADO

Mar 11, 2007 - A chess teacher who owned the Fort Collins-based Chess For Juniors that operated out of his home pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a child was sentenced Wednesday to two years in County Jail with 10 years to life of probation.

Robert Snyder pleaded guilty to one count each of sexual assault on a child and unlawful sexual contact after being accused in 2005 of sexually assaulting three of his male students. The recent charges weren't the first to surface regarding Snyder who moved to Colorado from California in 2000

In 1983, he was found not guilty on four counts of sexual assault a California student. A judge dismissed the fifth count against him, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The charges were filed after the father of one of his students found Snyder and his son in the boy's room with a chair wedged against the shut door, the Times reported.

The not guilty verdicts came after a four-week trial and two hours of deliberation by the jury.

Snyder is the author of several chess books published by Random House, which includes the bestseller "Chess For Juniors," and has written articles for "Chess Life" and "School Mates" magazines, according to his Web site. The Web site also said that Snyder taught the game to students such as actor Will Smith, and the son of actor Nicholas Cage.

The district attorney's office said that for the duration of his probation Snyder will be on a sexual intensive probation, which is meant to make sure he is always monitored and has no contact with children.

Glasford, ILLINOIS

Parents fed up with current School Board and current administration.

Apr 22, 2007 - The arrest of an Illini Bluff social studies teacher for alleged sexual involvement with a student still resonates in the community. Seven parents are attempting write-in candidacies, most saying they are fed up with the current administration and School Board.

Four of the seven write-in candidates went as far as to pool their efforts. They mailed a flyer out to residents in the school district, not only announcing their intentions and who they are, but also explaining how voters can vote for them using the electronic ballot machines.

They also are holding a "Meet the Write-in Candidates" forum from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Butler-Haynes Park in Mapleton.

The teacher, Ian McDonald, 31, is scheduled to be in court Apr 12. TT link.

Lively discussion at the news site.

Hixon, TENNESSEE

Apr 11, 2007 - A Hixson High School who is accused of inappropriate behavior with a student, has resigned. The teacher turned in his resignation, effective immediately.

He was an award winning music teacher at Hixson High School for more than 12 years. Since he resigned, the school system says it will no longer investigate the allegations against him.

N-9.

Shreveport, LOUISIANA

Apr 11, 2007 - Greg Frazier, 45, who coaches girls softball at Southwood High School, was arrested and charged with four counts of molestation of a juvenile. KTBS says Frazier was arrested today "on charges that, for years, he had sexual relations with underage students at the southwest Shreveport school."

The case is still under investigation. Again, KTBS reports that the investigation began when a parent complained, alleging improper conduct by the longtime coach. The Sheriff's Department was already investigating allegations of improper conduct with student athletes.

All of the girls are under age 16. Behavior ranging from touching and kissing to sexual intercourse occurred on school buses, parking lots, hotel rooms and Frazier's apartment, Prator said. Frazier is the father of two teenage daughters.

Frazier is the second Southwood High School teacher arrested this year. Chris Barbee, 34, is accused of having sex with two driver’s ed students and an inappropriate relationship with 14-year-old student starting in November 2005. TT - link.

[ Be sure to read the comments at the Shreveport Times site.]

UPDATE May 10 - Frazier pleaded not guilty. Arguments and hearings in his case have been scheduled for June 18.

Frazier was arrested in April while out on bond on four previous molestation charges. In those cases, Frazier is accused of kissing and touching at least four underage female students since 1991.

UPDATE June 20 - Frazier was fired. He's been on paid administrative leave since April.

Caddo School Superintendent Ollie Tyler filed charges against Frazier which prompted a tenure hearing. Any teacher with three or more years experience within the school system must have a tenure hearing before they can be fired.

Through his attorney Craig Smith, Frazier pleaded his case for more than seven hours. Nearly a dozen witnesses testified in the case.

Lexington, SOUTH CAROLINA

The Dian Fossey Teacher Award goes to... Oooo Oooo Oooo Oooo

Apr 11, 2007 - Harold Skinner, 45, a drama teacher at White Knoll High School, was arrested for assaulting a student.

The 17-year-old male student objected when Skinner "grabbed a student by putting his hands on his torso from the rear, and then thrust his pelvic into the student several times, acting as a gorilla would act under a sexual type situation," said Sheriff Metts."

The investigation report says it happened in a drama class at White Knoll High School, where the students and teachers were working on improvisational skills. In particular, they were practicing how gorillas might act. Metts says, that's when Skinner performed the questionable improv act on the student in front of several classmates.

Full Name: Harold Jeter Skinner

West Haven, CONNECTICUT

Our teacher, the bookmaker. Five to one, he gets tried.

Apr 11, 2007 - Edward McCarthy, 60, a teacher and popular coach at West Haven High School, was arrested, along with four others, with participating in an illegal book making operation.

McCarthy is charged with professional gambling, possession of gambling records, and using a telephone to transmit and receive gambling information. State police from the organized crime unit raided McCarthy's home in January and also seized items from The Dugout sports bar, which is also run by McCarthy.

May 24 - From the New Haven Register:

Legendary West Haven High School football coach Edward McCarthy was allegedly running a bookmaking operation as far back as 1989, but he ended up charged in an organized crime scheme only after an informant tipped off a state police task force last year, according to an arrest affidavit unsealed Tuesday.

At his arraignment, McCarthy pleaded not guilty to charges of professional gambling, possession of gambling records, and using a telephone to transmit and receive gambling information.

The West Haven Board of Education said that it began an investigation into the allegations when McCarthy was arrested, but as of Tuesday the district had taken no action and McCarthy is still a teacher

Flint, MICHIGAN

Nice PR but no credibility. Whatsoever.



Apr 11, 2007 - Flint, Michigan schools will now require background checks for volunteers, new employees and consultants.

Why? A top administrator's check revealed a misdemeanor sexual battery conviction in Georgia. That charge has since been set aside. He was a district consultant before he was hired as a key administrator in August 2006. He resigned in September.

However, the new policy changes will allow the district to employ some individuals before background checks come back, such as to fill an immediate teacher vacancy, said David Comsa, the district's executive director of human resources/legal affairs.

Volunteers will not be fingerprinted. "(The fingerprinting) process costs us $54 a person," board member and policy subcommittee chair Paul Jordan said, adding that board members drafting the policy felt the state police screening would be sufficient.

Other policy changes will require prospective volunteers to be screened through a state police check. However, they have been using the state police check on volunteers for some time.
--------------------------------------------
TT - 2000 Demographics for Flint, Michigan. Scroll to the Households By Type. See Wikipedia entry for Flint, Michigan. "There were 48,744 households out of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 29.0% were married couples living together, 27.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families."

At Great Schools www.greatschools.net the Flint City School System has 43 schools. Only two are above a rating of 4. Of 25 elementary schools, every school except two rate 3 and below.

What a disgrace. Bad education is a crime against all children, but the poor are targets so that remain poor (and constitutents) forever. Yet Michigan lawmakers want to give an iPod to every Michigan student even while Michigan faces $680 million budget shortfall.

Instead of promoting schools in Africa, Oprah should visit Flint, Michigan and shame a few bureaucrats.

Geneva, OHIO

She said she did not know he was a dealer but admitted that she gets her marijuana from him. Trial ordered.

Jan 14, 2007 - Elizabeth Berly, 23, an Austinburg Elementary School tutor, was arrested late Wednesday for drug abuse and the use of drug paraphernalia.

Police went to her apartment looking for Davy Canter, 25, to question him about an assault. They found him and

a jewelry box with marijuana, a glass marijuana pipe, a wooden marijuana pipe and a "roach clip" used to hold the drug while it is being smoked, police reports show. Another marijuana pipe was found in the bedroom closet.
Officers also found 24 burnt marijuana "roaches," or partially smoked marijuana cigarettes; a fourth marijuana pipe; rolling papers; and a small bag of marijuana in the living-room closet. More marijuana was found in a kitchen drawer, police reports show.

And then, officers found a cardboard box in the bedroom closet with a drug ledger containing drug amounts, prices and names of buyers; small plastic bags with marijuana residue; and $120 in cash during the search of the apartment. Berly said she did not know about the contents of the box, police said.

Police said Canter admitted to selling marijuana. He was arrested and charged with drug abuse. He was also charged with aggravated burglary and three counts of abduction for his role in an assault in Geneva and a related incident in Ashtabula. According to police dispatch records, Berly is listed as "a person of interest" in Wednesday's assault in Geneva.

Update Jan 19 - School officials won't confirm if Berly is suspended or still working in the district.

Update Feb 21 - Berly pleaded not guilty. She was living with the drug dealer.

Berly's arrest came during an investigation into a fight that spanned Geneva and Ashtabula and involved several victims. Berly was living with an alleged aggressor of the fight, Davy Canter. Canter, 25, is an admitted marijuana dealer, police said.

The case has been moved to Apr 10.

Update Apr 11 - A judge determined that Berly will go to trial. It is scheduled for sometime in May. Austinburg Elementary Principal Kaye Haskins said the school board looks at every personnel case individually and the district will not discipline Berly unless she is found guilty in court.

"We operate on an 'innocent until proven guilty' mentality, and we are waiting until there is some adjudication in this case," he said

Those background checks

Apr 11, 2007 - Two New Jersey teachers were fired after school officials confirmed they had criminal records. A third is expected to be fired soon.

Their criminal records were found by a the News-Journal, a New Jersey newspaper. They searched criminal records and public employee records and reported their findings. [TT link.]

Gannett found six educators who were apparently convicted of serious offenses after entering the school system, including a drug offender and an assistant principal caught carrying a gun.

Five other teachers committed offenses before becoming teachers, but were hired by schools anyway.

Courier-Post has a link to their free database.

From the Home News Tribune: Superintendent Robert Holster said he wants to perform background checks on all district personnel routinely, but the local teachers union has so far balked at the idea.

Hmmmmmmmm

Just to lighten up here. Things could be worse. We could, for example, live in New South Wales, Australia.

The new boss of the NSW Education Department says he understands the interest in his conviction, but doesn't think it will make any difference to his performance.

Reportedly, Michael Coutts-Trotter pleaded guilty more than 20 years ago then served three years in jail. Since then he has carved out a career in the public service.

Mr Coutts-Trotter has to undergo police checks, but says he's not concerned by that.

"It's normal procedure to conduct a Working with Children check for everyone that comes into contact with children in the school system," he said."I am subjecting myself to that as I should."

They were heroin offenses. He was, by his own admission, a drug user and a drug seller. He became addicted to heroin at age 12. He has, of course, no background in education whatsoever.

McDonough, GEORGIA

SENTENCED Apr 10, 2007 - Marvin King, 48, a band teacher, pleaded guilty to a charge of distributing harmful material to a minor and was sentenced to 12 months probation. He sent nude pictures via cell phone to a 16-year-old female student.

King taught at Eagle’s Landing Middle School. He resigned in October 2005 after a witness who saw the pictures informed school officials. King was arrested Oct. 31, 2005, and indicted in February of this year on the misdemeanor charge.

Full Name: Marvin Lee King

King will not be allowed to teach during probation and must serve 100 hours community service, continue counseling and stay away from the girl and her family, court records show.

Princeton, WEST VIRGINIA

Apr 10, 2007 - Timothy Simpson, was arrested and charged with first-degree sexual assault. Simpson was an ROTC instructor at Pikeview High School until he resigned last summer.

He is accused of sexually abusing a 17-year-old girl. [No other information available.]

His next court appearance is Apr 25.

Deny, Deny, Deny

Apr 10, 2007 - "School misconduct cases relatively rare," is the title of an article in the Spokesman-Review.

TT - Education establishment (teacher union) view. Summed up in final paragraphs, with this from Jerry Painter, an attorney for the 76,000-member Washington Education Association, who has spent the past 15 years educating teachers about sexual misconduct

Painter said that about a third of those accused of sexual misconduct are "just slimeballs" who don't belong in a school. "They're not willing to abide by any kind of boundaries," he said.

The remaining third of educators facing sexual misconduct allegations just don't get it, Painter said. "They're usually the middle-aged person who grew up and started teaching in a totally different world. They haven't adapted for the new world.

"They get themselves in trouble, but once they sit through a presentation, they're safe to put back in the classroom," he said.

UH, thanks. Parents must be so happy you are in charge.

Prescott, ARIZONA

Apr 10, 2007 -

James Armstrong, 59, a social studies teacher at Prescott Mile High Middle School, pleaded guilty to viewing sexually explicit images of children younger than 15 on his school computer.

He pleaded guilty to charges that include a Class 2 felony of sexual exploitation of a minor under the age of 15 and four Class 3 felonies of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor under the age of 15. Anderson admitted in each count that pictures he saw on the computer involved girls younger than 15 engaging in sexually exploitive conduct, which the statute describes as children having sex, children committing lewd acts or exposing their genitals, according to Hughes.

A student at the middle school spotted Armstrong viewing pornographic images on a school computer. After the student told school officials, they immediately seized the computer and called the police. Armstrong was fired.

Per the plea agreement, Anderson must register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. Sentencing will be May 7.
Full Name: James Lynn Armstrong

Armstrong was sentenced to 10 years. Information found in a story about another Prescott teacher arrested for child pornography - David Chauncey. TT link.

Gilbert, ARIZONA

Trust your children to us. We're careless.

Apr 9, 2007 - As a result of the arrest of Jeremy Ross Calvert, the Higley Unified School District is considering a policy to require people in supervised, non-certified positions to be fingerprinted as a hiring stipulation. They will vote on the issue on Apr 11.

District administration conducted an internal audit after Mr. Calvert’s arrest, in which the district discovered 53 employees — who were required to have fingerprint clearance cards because they were not supervised — had not followed through with fingerprinting.

TT - Calvert

Seminole, FLORIDA

Apr 9, 2007 - Osceola Fundamental High School Gerald Stadler, 51, was arrested after a month-long investigation.

Stadler was arrested on for attempting to illegally obtain a duplicate prescription for a controlled substance. Narcotics detectives say Stadler had obtained prescriptions for Adderall from at least two different doctors.

Stadler allegedly told a school resource deputy in March that his prescription for the pills had been lost or stolen, but when a doctor's office tried to verify those claims with the sheriff's office, investigators noted some discrepancies.

Stadler faces one count each of doctor shopping and trafficking in a controlled substance. He may faces charges of filing a false police report based on the incident that sparked the entire investigation.
Full Name: Gerald A. Stadler

Press Release from Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.

(Booking photo from Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.)

TENNESEE

It's been a bad week and a half for one school district.

Apr 9, 2007 - James Davis, facing two charges of aggravated statutory rape after being arrested last week, resigned .

Sumner County Schools said two other teachers have also gotten in trouble in the last week and a half, which did not sit well with the Director of Schools.

Candace Eileen Kennedy, a biology teacher at Gallatin High School, was charged with DUI and possessing marijuana over the weekend. She resigned Monday morning after meeting with the Schools Director.

The other teacher in trouble Terry Lynn Shepherd, a special education teacher at Benny Bills Elementary, was charged with four misdemeanors including public intoxication, resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer. Shepherd contested the charges and was suspended without pay.

TT link for Davis.
Shepherd allegedly bit the officer on the arm. She was suspended without pay. Age 49.

Counterfeit Teachers

Apr 9, 2007 - From The Chaffey Breeze, "The Independent Student Newspaper of Chaffey College,"(published by journalism students) comes this editorial, "Blackboard Predators" that starts out with,

Sean Powell's 18-year-old body is feeding the maggots because a Florida teacher's attention was on his crotch rather than his cranium. From pre-school to college, classrooms have become lairs where emotionally warped predators lay in wait for susceptible students — like animals hunting for prey.

They were referring to Sean Powell, the 18-year-old student who was shot by the husband of a teacher was having regular sex with the boy.

Teachers who molest students are worse than animals. Animals generally kill for survival. Sexual perverts like McLean molest students for the sheer sake of self-indulgence and then hide behind laws and union contracts for protection.

The article sums up the solution: "The shot that killed Sean Powell is a call-to-arms to parents that the locks — the tenure laws — that regulate the candy store need to be changed."

Let's make her teacher of the Year

Apr 9, 2007 - A teacher who was suspended then dismissed won't be getting her job back - yet..

The School Board suspended Zielinski on April 13, 2005 and fired her on July 19, 2005, after school administrators found empty alcohol bottles and prescription medication around her desk at school. After Zielinski and the board tussled over the board's action in executive sessions, an arbitrator was called in to decide the case.

The arbitrator, Michael Ryan, found that the board acted improperly. Ryan, in his ruling, wrote that Zielinski violated the school's drug and alcohol policy and she could be fired for such an action. But ---- here's where it gets wonderful --- "Ryan also found that the school board could not fire Zielinski because of a clause in the teacher's contract that prevents the school from firing a teacher who is being treated for an illness, in this case, alcoholism. "

Both sides had 60 days to reach a resolution, however, the union attorney did not file within that time.

Zielinski can now ask the Vermont Supreme Court to hear the case, or she can ask for another grievance hearing before the high school board.

Zielinski was a nominee for Vermont Teacher of the Year.

Baton Rouge, LOUISIANA

Apr 9, 2007 - Jamie Armstrong, 23, a Tara High School teacher, was arrested accused of having sexual relations with a 16-year-old female student.

About a month ago the father read in his daughter’s journal that she had sexual encounters with Armstrong. The girl told her father the stories were not true, but only fantasy.

The girl left a note last week saying she was running away. She agreed to meet her father at a restaurant. A deputy accompanied the father and arrested Armstrong when the student left her apartment.

Armstrong and the girl admitted to having a sexual relationship since February, Raiford’s release says. Armstrong reportedly told deputies that she knew the relationship was inappropriate because she is a teacher and the girl is a student. But she said she thought the girl was 17.

Deputies booked Armstrong on one count each of felonly carnal knowledge of a juvenile and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Full Name: Jamie Lynn Armstrong

Armstrong is on paid leave. Reportedly, the 16-year-old girl was not in Armstrong's class, but Armstrong tutored her several times a week.

Apr 19 - No more paid leave. The school board fired Armstrong. Tara High was the first teaching job for Armstrong, a 2006 LSU graduate. She is not tenured, which made the firing so much easier.

Uh, yeah....

Apr 9, 2007 - News item from DeMoines Register:

Nonunion workers may face union fees
DUBUQUE — Food service workers in the Dubuque school district who do not belong to a union could see an automatic deduction from their paychecks for union fees under a four-year contract approved recently by union members.

The contract, which is expected to be ratified by the school board today, covers 124 employees. Bus drivers and attendants also represented by Teamsters Local 421 had such contract language added last month in anticipation of the Legislature approving a "fair share" bill that would allow unions to assess nonunion public employees a fee for services they provide.

Moral Character

Warning signs.

Apr 6, 2007 "'Moral character' teacher cases abound; state, local officials must step up training to stop more incidents" is the subtitle of an article in Newsday, written by Claudia Gryvatz Copquin.

But schools need to take steps by training personnel to recognize warning signs before a child is abused, Shakeshaft says. Among the patterns to look for: teachers who spend too much time after school with one student, rather than a group of students; teachers who favor a particular type of student; teachers who offer rides or invite students to their homes; teachers who communicate with students by cell phone or by text messages.

Read the whole thing.

TT - We also suggest parents,

1) Look for MySpace pages by local teachers to see how they interact with students off campus.

2) Find out if your school has a written policy on how they handle teacher misconduct complaints.

3) Ask that this policy and abuse reporting procedures be available on line on their web sites.

4) Visit the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and read or order copies of their "Guidelines in case your child..."

4) Demand schools respond promptly to complaints and concerns.

The cost of tenure - California

A new tentative agreement between the faculty union and Cal State include a 20.7% increase over four years.

According to the California State University, the base salary increases will raise the average salary for a tenure-track faculty member from $74,000 to $90,749 and the average salary for a full-time, full professor with tenure from $86,000 to $105,465 by the end of the contract period.

Tenure

Apr 8, 2007 - Ever wonder what those secret settlement agreements are like when a university professor "resigns"? So did the DeMoines Register. After requesting a copy of the agreement and finding it redacted, they objected and got to see the whole thing. The lawyer for the university said,

Marcus Mills, the university's lawyer, said last week that details of alleged misconduct by public employees are, for the most part, considered to be confidential."In all honesty, to my mind, I think that is a personnel matter between the university and the employee," Mills said. "And if the employee wants to make that public, that would be fine."

The reason given for this cozy arrangement was: "The document indicates the university entered into the settlement agreement to avoid "the expense and time of further proceedings with the Faculty Judicial Commission" - a 30-member panel that handles ethics complaints. In theory, a decision to fire Kress, who had tenure at the university, could have resulted in costly litigation."

The short answer is: Tenure and Lawyers.

Fire them

The Baltimore Examiner pulls no punches in condemning school staffers who abet predators. The newspaper wants them fired.

Justice finally caught Timothy Gounaris, the former Baltimore County Public School teacher who entered an Alford plea earlier this week to committing a sexual offense on a student at Pine Grove Middle School.

But so far it has evaded the school administrators in Harford and Baltimore Counties who facilitated his transfers and who hired him in Baltimore City without checking him thoroughly.

Officials let other school districts hire Gouranis despite a tainted record, including a forced resignation from Harford County Public Schools in 2000 following sexual misconduct allegations and a resignation over similar charges in Baltimore County this summer that led to his plea this week. The Baltimore City Public School System hired him for the 2006-2007 school year.

Those officials may not have committed the unspeakable act of physically violating their students. But they surely abandoned students to a man with a track record of doing so. Is that what taxpayers pay school leaders to do? Is that the security parents expect when they send children to school?

Despite pleas to the contrary, human resource departments had nothing to fear legally from sharing all information about Gounaris — or any other teacher leaving under an ethical cloud.
Legal experts and the Maryland Association of Boards of Education have called the school systems’ liability concerns unfounded.

But the bigger issue is the sheer cowardice of those connected to Gounaris’ case. Even if officials’ unfounded fear of a lawsuit were real, should they sacrifice the children in their care to a predator merely to avoid potential litigation? Of course not. And their insurance carriers say doing so actually increases the risk of suits and attacks on children.

Jesus said it would be better for those who hurt children to die rather than to lead them astray. Earthly justice works differently. But at the very least, their behavior grossly violates every code of ethical conduct. Their actions should be criminal.

All those connected to helping him switch school districts must be fired.

Thankfully, the Maryland Association of Boards of Education has taken steps to prevent similar issues. Last month, the group organized a meeting to let human resource departments know they cannot be held liable for sharing all information, save some medical records, about candidates for faculty or staff positions in other school districts.

The state is also considering a policy to require those teachers who voluntarily forfeit their certifications to go through the process again when switching school districts. That would ensure a more thorough background check and would be welcome.

But the most important reform would be to hire school administrators worthy of public trust.

Editorial dated Apr 6. TT link to Gounaris.

Gastonia, NORTH CAROLINA

Apr 7, 2007 - An unwed teacher who became pregnant is suing the school district, claiming said she was transferred and demoted after a top administrator accused her of immorality.

Heather Zampogna alleges that an assistant superintendent asked her when she planned to marry the baby’s father, who also taught at Tryon Elementary School.

Reportedly, the assistant superintendent (now the superintendent) called both teachers into a meeting in January 2006 and told them that there was a “potential immorality issue,” according to the lawsuit.

Zampogna said that McGlohon told her that he “did not want to advocate or condone unwed pregnant teachers to elementary students in this school,” the suit says.

TT - Let's see, she was transferred , not fired, her salary remained the same, and she wanted to parade around elementary school children who ask a lot questions, including, "Where's the daddy?" Hmmm Tough call.

August 1 - The case has been moved to a U.S. District Court. Lawyers and the judge will discuss the case next week.

Nov 18 - Attorneys for both sides got 25 minutes each Thursday to state why the lawsuit should or shouldn't be dismissed.

The school board says the case should be dismissed because Zampogna was not demoted, but moved to another position where there was an opening to fill, court documents say. The move did not hurt Zampogna's status as a teacher because she was able to get a job in another district the following year, the documents said.

MEDIATION IMPASSE June 11, 2008 - Court mediator Kenneth P. Carlson Jr. reported that former Gaston County Schools teacher Heather Zampogna and the Gaston County Board of Education reached an impasse in mediation. The case is scheduled to go before a federal jury in November, according to papers filed in U.S. District Court.

Salem, OHIO

Apr 7, 2007 - James Purrington, 44, Salem High School Band director, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual battery, a third-degree felony for having sex with a band member.

Timothy McNicol, assistant county prosecutor, said that the female used to baby-sit Purrington's children. The sexual conduct was a felony because of the student-teacher relationship, McNicol said. The activities would not have been a crime if she had just been a baby sitter.

Purrington resigned his position last year just before he was indicted.
Full Name: James L. Purrington
No sentencing date given.

SENTENCED June 15 - Purrington was sentenced to one year in prison. He will have to register as a sex offender.

Nov 28 - There are no disciplinary actions listed at the Ohio Teacher Conduct database for this teacher.

Reno, NEVADA

Trust Us With Your Children.

Apr 6, 2007 - A drama teacher at Reno High School was sentenced for not reporting that a 14-year-old student told her he was sexually assaulted. He was one of several students who went on a trip to see "The Little Shop of Horrors." The trip wasn't sanctioned by the school but parents were asked to sign permission slips. The outing was arranged and organized by the teacher, who also accompanied the students.

They spent the night at the teacher's sister's house. During the night, a male chaperone -- a close friend of the teacher's -- fondled the boy.

When the boy told his teacher, Sabrina Cellucci , she told the boy he must have been dreaming. A student on the trip told detectives that Cellucci's sister advised her to report the abuse, but Cellucci ignored her, according to a police affidavit. (Arrest Warrant Affidavit PDF)

"Cellucci said she was very concerned about losing her job and that she told (the boy) it is okay not to tell his mother about the incident in California," the student said.

Another parent chaperone also urged Cellucci to tell the boy's mother and report it to authorities, the court document said.

During the return trip to Reno, Cellucci called the boy several times in another car and asked him if he was mistaken about the incident or had been dreaming.

After the group of students returned to Reno High School, Cellucci made the boy meet with his molester in a classroom where the man told him he must have been dreaming and if he did fondle him, he had to have been half asleep.

Cellucci told the boy she wouldn't report it, but it was up to the boy if he wanted to.

When the boy's stepfather picked him up at school, Cellucci did not mention the boy's allegations.

School officials learned of the incident 12 days after the trip, when a friend encouraged the boy to report it to a school counselor.

The molester, Jacob Heckman, 28, pleaded guilty last year to lewdness with a child related to fondling the boy in his sleeping bag during an overnight trip and was sentenced to 90 days in jail and must register as a sex offender. Heckman is Cellucci's son's godfather, her close friend and former student.

Sabrina Cellucci, 37, will keep her teaching job. She was sentenced to 20 days house arrest. In addition, there is a suspended six-month jail term and 100 hours of community service.

Cellucci was transferred to Hug High School earlier this year.
Hug High School rates a 1 out of 10 at Great Schools.
[Bumped.]

Hayward, CALIFORNIA

Picket line violence at an elementary school. We trust our children to these people.

Apr 6, 2007 - Tensions on the picket line boiled over into violence in Hayward this morning, with a striking teacher assaulting a substitute at an elementary school, according to the Hayward schools chief.

"About 10 picketing teachers surrounded a substitute's car as he drove into the parking lot of Palma Ceia Elementary School this morning, Hayward Unified School District Superintendent Dale Vigil said. "

"Union spokesman Mike Myslinski said he didn't know the details of this morning's incident at Palma Ceia but said he had received reports of substitutes "not behaving cordially" toward striking teachers." [TT - don't laugh out loud.]

"Meanwhile, few Hayward students are coming to school. On Thursday, less than 10 percent of high school students in the district attended classes, Vigil said. The numbers were slighter higher in the lower grades, with 38 percent of students attending middle school and 25 percent of students attending elementary school. " [TT - the school district said it was due to Good Friday; the union said it was parents supporting the union. A letter to the parents from the school district may have alarmed some parents. See below.]

[TT - Letter to parents from the school district. At news site be sure to play the video.]

From San Jose Mercury News: "More than 10 years ago, teachers elected to pay their own health benefit costs in exchange for higher salaries and better retirement benefits, Vigil said.
Starting pay is $47,000 and teachers with 18 years of service receive $79,000 a year". link
(Be sure to read the -- cough, cough -- parent comments.)

(Photo credit: Aric Crabb /The Oakland Tribune) found at link Maybe the adults who made those signs could attend a few classes, you think? More horrifying thought: maybe the teachers made the signs.

Colorado

Apr 6, 2007 - County Public Schools and the teachers union declared an impasse. The issue?

At issue is a provision that gives appeal rights to non-tenured teachers who are dismissed.

The provision is in the current contract, which expires Aug. 31, between the district and the Jefferson County Education Association. The district wants it removed, both sides said in separate prepared statements.

TT - No reason to follow up. The district will cave.

Remove poorly performing teachers

Apr 5 - Detroit News editorial: "Remove poor teachers to save Detroit schools"

Detroit Public Schools is facing the greatest challenge in its history, as thousands of students flee failing classrooms to find schools where their needs -- not teacher contracts or dysfunctional board politics -- come first.

Soon the Detroit schools will have an important opportunity to turn around this trend. The district absolutely must take it.

The district and the Detroit Federation of Teachers have agreed to a short-term tryout period that allows schools that are restructuring to transfer or cut poor-performing union teachers.

In the coming weeks, the two parties will begin negotiating whether this provision should continue. With teacher quality among the most important factors in student achievement, the district must make sure it keeps this clause -- and work to expand it to other schools.

They cite Cerveny Middle School where the new principal replaced 60% of her staff. "To save their students and their district, Detroit public school leaders must retain the ability to make such staffing changes as needed -- and put their students' success ahead of everything else."

TT - but what of those thousands and thousands of children who were ill-served by poorly-performing union teachers? What are those children? Throwaways? Bad experiments in education? Union roadkill? Do none of those adults have shame for robbing children of precious years of learning and growing?

Rockingham, NORTH CAROLINA

Apr 5, 2007 - A candidate for a county school board surrendered to police.

Jonathan Eric Mason, 35, was charged with one count of statutory rape, one count of statutory sex offense, one count of sexual activity by a substitute parente and eight counts of indecent liberties with a child.

Mason ran in the 2006 Rockingham County school board election. He finished seventh in voting for five open seats.

Aurora, ILLINOIS

INDICTED Apr 5, 2007 - Robert Steck, 37, a former teacher at Cowherd Middle School, already facing charges of sexually abusing a student has been indicted on new allegations that he abused two young boys in his neighborhood.

The new allegations involve incidents that allegedly took place in late 2002 and early 2003.

Steck was arrested after being indicted on one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and two counts of sexually exploiting a child. He pleaded not guilty. He posted bail.

In the 2006 case, which is still pending, Steck was charged with multiple counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a child and related charges for allegedly abusing a 7th-grade pupil at Cowherd Middle School in East Aurora. He is out on $75,000 bond on that case.

REQUEST TO BREAK UP THE CASE Dec 15 - Steck, in court papers, has asked Judge Philip DiMarzio to break up the case, saying in part he won't get a fair trial if testimony from his alleged victims is used against him at once.

If successful, the legal tactic could divide the charges between the three youngsters Steck is accused of molesting. And that could give him some leverage at trial. No date given for when the judge will rule on the request.

HEARING DATE SET - Dec 19 - Judge Philip DiMarzio is set to hear lawyers on both sides argue the matter of breaking up the case on Jan. 18. In court papers, prosecutor Justin Fitzsimmons has said the case against Steck should remain intact, in part to try to outline a pattern of targeting children for abuse.

Matthews, NORTH CAROLINA

GUILTY
Apr 5, 2007 - Scott Demo, 36, was arrested and charged with having sexual contact with a student.

Demo worked as an advanced placement government teacher at Weddington High School.
He charged with one count of felony sex offense and one count of indecent liberties with a student. The single incident between Demo and a female student took place last year, when the girl was student of Demo's.

Police were alerted when school authorities learned of the incident.
Full Name: Scott Downer Demo

GUILTY PLEA to indecent liberties with a student. (Found at N.C. Board of Education Disciplinary Actions.) CORRECTION July 4, 2008. Our apologies.

LICENSE ACTION: February 2008 Action: Surrender Reason: Guilty plea to indecent liberties with a student. Source: North Carolina Board of Education.

Gallatin, TENNESEE

Apr 5, 2007 - James Davis, 28, a sixth-grade reading teacher at Shafer Middle School, was arrested and faces two statutory rape charges for his alleged sexual involvement with a high school senior.

The girl was 16-years-old at the time of the alleged incidents. A detective with the sheriff's department got a tip that lead to a taped conversation. Detectives asked for an arrest warrant for Davis after he reportedly admitted to fondling the then 16-year-old during a recorded telephone conversation.

During the call, Davis repeatedly asked the girl to lie or avoid talking to police altogether, investigators said. He also reportedly suggested she tell authorities the two had never had sex, saying it "is not something they need to know," records show.

Davis said he was 24-years-old on his MySpace profile. The teacher is scheduled to appear in court again on May 9.
Full Name: James Gregory Davis

Apr 11 - Davis resigned on Monday. Candice Eileen Kennedy, 25, arrested for drunk driving and found with marijuana, also resigned. A third Gallatin teacher, Terry Lynn Shepherd, 49, was suspended for a DUI arrest, assaulting a police officer and 2 other charges. Both Davis and Kennedy are first-year teachers.

Rolodex Journalism

April 4, 2007 - One quote stands out in the ABC News story, "It's the Media That's Hot for Teacher".

"What accounts for what we're seeing is a side effect of the clergy abuse scandal starting in 2001, when the whole idea that large institutions could be financially libel if they swept this kind of thing under the rug," Finkelhor said.

Completely untrue. Education Week had a series called "A Trust Betrayed" that focussed on the problems of sexually abusive teachers. They coined the phrase, "passing the trash" to describe the practice of allowing "itinerant abusers" to move from one area to another when trouble arises. The series was written in 1998.

Since the 1980s, according to the report,

many school lawyers have been urging their clients ...to adopt policies of limited or no disclosure about past employees.

Another misrepresentation is that "Men typically teach subjects such as "drama, music and photography," classes that require "one-on-one time, where a surrogate mentor relationship" can develop."

That might be true on a college campus, but the Houston Chronicle, the Seattle Times and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune all did investigations of teacher disipline records. They all noted the same thing - band teachers and coaches stand out, by far, as likely offenders. The most likely reason was supplied by Danny Robbins, a journalist - said with due respect to a profession where most are not researchers, writers or thinkers - in the Houston Chronicle series, "Out of Bounds."

The number of coaches involved in sexual misconduct with students is generally attributed to two factors. One is the amount of unstructured time coaches and students spend together. The other is the power and stature of coaches, particularly those affiliated with successful programs.

The third piece of bad information in the ABC story is that men are the most likely offenders in schools where men comprise a smaller percentage of teachers. The 15% is not a figure that I recognize as valid. The only place I have seen 15% is Broward County (Florida) schools. But elsewhere I don't think men are so underrepresented in teaching.

One of the factors affecting statistics is that women teachers are, by and large, underprosecuted. You gather that by the unwillingness of males to testify against the teacher for reasons that have to do with maleness, protectiveness and a desire to shield a woman. Despite what feminists say, most males would rather take the blame for the situation. And they do, usually by not testifying. Males, too, when they do testify are pilloried by other males. Societal attitudes, too, play a role in clearly understanding the concept of female predators. Parents of female students are more likely to prosecute than male students. It's less the "sheltered female" than outraged fathers.

And, too, the sentences handed out to female teachers who sexually abuse or exploit male students are, because of unwillingness to testify, very low. That hardly encourages a family to pursue the matter with all the attendant publicity.

I would have been impressed had the author of the article contacted S.E.S.A.M.E. (Stop Educator Sexual Abuse, Misconduct and Exploitation) But it's probably because it wasn't on the reporter's rolodex.

West Melbourne, FLORIDA

The continuing saga of Explorer Elementary and Middle School that we are following for the entertainment value.

SLIDESHOW

Slideshow - Female teachers In Sex Cases

- From the public spirited WMAQ-TV Chicago.

TT - If they would just slideshow all the teachers, male and female, it would be a public service. As it is, it's entertainment as news.

Denver, COLORADO

Apr 3, 2007 - Sentenced to 15 years to life for sexually assaulting a student, a former basketball coach and teacher at Machebeuf High School is being released after 16 months. [That's the headlined news story: "Former Teacher Convicted Of Sex Assault Gets Off Early"]

TT - In exchange for pleading guilty to one count of sexual assault on a child, six other counts were dropped. He was sentenced in Dec 2005. However, when he was sentenced, the Judge left room for the reconsideration. From a Dec 20, 2005 story of his sentencing:

Denver District Court Judge Herbert Stern told the standing-room-only crowd in the courtroom that he felt he needed to send a message about the public trust that teachers and coaches have in caring for young people as he sentenced DeBiase to 15 years in prison.

Stern also left the door open for a sentence reconsideration later next year, saying that he would consider a motion from DeBiase for early probation and sex offender treatment once DeBiase had spent some time in prison.

TT - He didn't "get off early." The judge made sure that the sentence was both a "message" and a what???? Grandstanding comes to mind.

Thank God, it's Canada.

Apr 3, 2007 -

A Toronto school principal who pleaded guilty to throwing human excrement at a 12-year-old boy may get her job back, officials said on Tuesday.

"It's quite possible she'll end up back in her old position," said Grant Bowers, a lawyer for the Toronto District School Board.

She was granted an absolute discharge on assault charges Monday after a judge said she "had already suffered enough," according to court documents.

TT- In his ruling, the judge said Pantalone was "publicly embarrassed, if not humiliated. She has suffered more than most." The Crown attorney agreed to the outcome because Pantalone is a first-time offender and the incident was "a serious misjudgment" and not in keeping with her character.

The original charges were that she assaulted two boys who were not students. The Toronto Star added that, "Dr. Leonard Feldman, a psychiatrist who has seen Pantalone for eight sessions, said he has not found she has "any intrinsic psychiatric difficulties." The Globe and Mail explained that he had been treating her since last August.

The bottom line is that "very few" -- read: no, zero, zilch -- details have been released on what happened. "The circumstances of the assault cannot be described due to a court publication ban designed to protect the identity of the victim. The judge in the case, however, said they were unique." We have to take his word for it.

Oh, did I mention that Maria Pantalone is a sister of Toronto's deputy mayor?

Bedford, VIRGINIA

Apr 3, 2007 - Douglas Nelms, 50, a teacher at the Bedford Science and Technology Center, was sentenced to serve 90 days in jail for two misdemeanor counts of sexual battery. The incidents happened 20 years ago. He pleaded guilty in August.

Nelms received two years suspended and three years supervised probation, and he will not be allowed unsupervised contact with minors.

"The sexual battery convictions indicate that the sex acts were against the will of the victims, said Bedford County Commonwealth's Attorney Randy Krantz. Nelms has maintained the sex was consensual."
Full Name: Douglas Wayne Nelms
[No further information available.]

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Poster at a news story that a teacher arrested for having sex with a student had resigned.

"Since the teacher resigned, does that mean he can teach somewhere else and this horrible act will not show up on his background check?"

Letter to Editor

Apr 3, 2007 - A letter to the editor of The Canton Repository that they only heard as, "Sex abuse by teachers doesn't get same media attention as sex abuse by priests"

This teacher wasn't "sentenced for seducing" the child, as the headline declared. The truth is that this teacher was sentenced for committing numerous counts of second-degree rape. The victim was only 13 years old and was often plied with alcohol given by the teacher.

These facts make the use of "seducing" in the headline all the more disturbing. Does anyone honestly believe that had a Catholic priest plied a child with booze and committed numerous acts of second-degree rape, it would result in a tiny blurb under a headline that refers to the criminal rape as "seduction"?

He points out the studies done on sexual abuse of students. And he asks, "A good first step to getting something done would be for the media to worry more about protecting the children and less about protecting the image of the public schools. "

TT - Good point, as well as the issue of "seduction" to refer to a criminal act, the media frequently refers to the sexual abuse of a student as having a "sexual relationship", worse, a "romantic relationship" or "an affair." It's a sex crime against a student.

The Wrong Lesson

Why it matters that teacher-student sex cases are vigorously prosecuted.

Apr 2, 2007 - Jason Chad Hicks was not a teacher. He recently pleaded no-contest to charges he repeatedly molested an 11-year-old girl. He was the live-in boyfriend of the girl's mother when the sexual assaults occurred from August 2005 to August 2006.

Hicks admitted sexual acts and said he knew the girl "did not want to," according to a police report.

Under a plea agreement, Hicks will serve 30 years in prison for one count of attempted sexual battery on a child under age 12, and 15 years in prison for a second count of attempted sexual battery on a child under age 12. The sentences will run consecutively . He will also be listed on the Internet as a sexual predator

Outside the courtroom, Hicks' mother and her husband, Craig Keys, also Hicks' stepfather, called the sentencing unfair.

"The system is flawed," Keys said. "How is it that people like Debra LaFave get off on house arrest?".

TT - Well, aside from the fact that LaFave's victim did not want to testify, he was a legal minor (age 14) but not 11-years-old (statutory rape category), the sex was not coerced by LaFave, and the family of the boy requested the sentence to avoid having him testify. It is, however, the media attention and interview with Matt Lauer that bestow celebrity status to the peole like LaFave that forms the education of the public.

It's ratings without any responsibility. Infotainment without education. It's a circus show of creeps and freaks and the morally deformed.

Sandusky, OHIO

Apr 3, 2007 - Daniel Patterson, 25, a Sandusky High School substitute teacher, pleaded guilty to attempted importuning for having inappropriate sexual conduct with a female student.

Patterson was indicted in Jun 2006 for sexual battery for allegedly having sexual conduct with a 15-year-old student. He also was charged with attempting to ''intimidate or hinder'' the girl from filing charges, according to the indictment. The plea agreement dropped the intimidation charge and is expected to result in probation when he is sentenced. The offense will, however, not be expunged from his record.

Patterson is to be classified a sexually oriented offender and Patterson will have to register with the county sheriff's office for 10 years. He will be sentenced in June.
Full Name: Daniel J. Patterson

Patterson did not require an Ohio teaching license to substitute in the classroom, [Assistant Erie County Prosecutor Laura] Alkire said.

The offense did not appear on the list of felony offenses that automatically bar a convict from obtaining a full-time teaching license in Ohio, according to the Ohio Department of Education's Web site.

Final paragraph: [Judge] Curran was appointed by the Ohio Supreme Court to preside over the case to avoid potential conflicts of interest. Patterson's father, Tom Patterson, currently is vice president of the Sandusky City Schools Board of Education.

Sandusky Register says that he was originally charged with felony sexual battery and intimidation. Felony sexual battery carries a penalty of one to five years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine. As a sex offender he won't be able coach, teach or be in any position of authority.

Pasadena, TEXAS

Apr 2, 2007 - Eric McDaniel, a substitute teacher accused of having an improper relationship with a student has gone missing and is being sought by police, according to ABC13.

Eric McDaniel was supposed to turn himself in Monday afternoon, but he never showed up. The alert was issued by the Pasadena School District Police Pepartment.

TT - interestingly, in their FAQs, they list Drug Arrests to include Tobacco. They also do detailed and/or investigations. "These investigations include, but are not limited to: allegations of sexual or physical abuse perpetrated by school personnel on students, teacher misconduct, serious student misconduct, on campus injuries or deaths, serious crimes against property and any internal investigation deemed necessary by the office of the Chief, Assistant Chief of Police, or Captain. "

Apr 3 - McDaniel turned himself in late Monday and posted a $20,000. His next appearance before a judge will be Wednesday (Apr 4). He faces two charges of improper relations with a student.

Police said he allegedly met with the girl, a senior, twice off-campus, once in a department store parking lot and another time at the home he is said to share with his parents.

Plain Thinking

You have to love the forthrightness of British papers.

Headline: Equestrian teacher's sex shame
First paragraph: A PERVERT equestrian teacher is facing sentence after admitting sexually abusing two boys. [Caps are theirs.]

Quote of the Day

The public school is not your father's public school. These unions are running those schools like you would run a coal mine or an auto factory. They're like industrial unions. They are just simply in the grip of a straitjacket that does not allow the principals to choose the good teachers, put them where they want to. And as a result, they're in decline.

- Dan Henninger, deputy editor of The Wall Street Journal's editorial page. From a transcript of "The Journal Editorial Report" on the charter school movement.

Rock Hill, SOUTH CAROLINA

Apr 2, 2007 - Theodore Thornburg, 44, a substitute teacher at South Pointe High School, was arrested and charged aggravated assault and assault and battery.

It is alleged that he grabbed the breasts of a student and slapped another on the butt, according to a Rock Hill Police Department report.
Full Name: Theodore Samuel Thornburg

Rancho Cordova, CALIFORNIA

April 2, 2007 - Kenneth Dickerson, 53, a Cordova High School [volunteer] tennis coach, pleaded no contest to single felony count of lewd and or lascivious acts with a child less than 14 years.

Dickerson was arrested in Sep 2006 after a 12-year-old acquaintance told school officials she was sexually molested by Dickerson. School District officials said Dickerson had coached the high school's girls tennis team since 2004. They described him as a volunteer coach who was not a teacher.

Sentencing will be May 8.
Full Name: Kenneth Labron Dickerson

Spokane, WASHINGTON

Apr 2, 2007 - The Spokesman-Review has a month-long special report called "Our Kids: Our Business." described as, "An area-wide effort to protect and nurture our community's children."

The project is aimed at child abuse and neglect, but it shows what the media can do if they want to get involved. And actually DO something. Among the Stories segment is one on teacher sex offenses and reporting.

Today, "Our view: Kids deserve better: " Fast notice needed on teacher sex offense reports"

Cleaning House

Apr 1, 2007 - The News Journal, comparing databases of public employees and criminal records in N.J. discovered more than 1,800 felony offenders are on the public payrolls, from public works employees to teachers to corrections officers.

A criminal record doesn't bar necesarilly employment.

And even for teachers, the state Department of Education doesn't routinely run criminal background checks after they are hired.

Gannett found six educators who were apparently convicted of serious offenses after entering the school system, including a drug offender and an assistant principal caught carrying a gun. Five other teachers committed offenses before becoming teachers, but were hired by schools anyway.

Nine employees of the state's child protection agency were found to have apparent criminal records that included theft and drug possession.

Statewide, they found 11 school employees with criminal records that may prohibit them from working in schools. The 11 identified by the newspaper as having potentially disqualifying records include eight teachers, an assistant principal and one employee whose duties are unclear. All were employed in the school system in 2006.

Of the 11, five committed crimes prior to being hired and apparently after mandatory background checks.

Role Models

Apr 1, 2007 - Editorial from the Daily News Journal, Murfreesboro, TN.

If only incidents that happen on campus are included in a teacher's personnel file, we are left to believe our teachers could do just about anything they want on their own time, with no ramifications. That's a disturbing scenario, because teachers, whether they like it or not, are role models for students.

Indeed, with so many parents providing a poor example, teachers are often the best role models students see.

That doesn't mean they have to live like saints, but they are held to a higher standard because they are public employees and they work with our children each day.

In Rutherford County, for example, teachers are required to tell the school system about drug- or alcohol-related arrests but only if they happen on campus. Criminal records should be part of a teacher's personnel file.

"Instead of relying on state law to take care of these matters, our own school system should form a policy to deal with teachers who break the law. Not only will it ensure our students have better role models, it could help our teachers solve personal problems that could be taking them down the wrong road."

Loganville, GEORGIA

Apr 1, 2007 - Thomas Wallace, 40, a band teacher at Youth Middle School, was arrested after funds from a band fund-raiser last summer allegedly were never turned in to school officials.

The charge is theft by conversion. Funds from a band fund-raiser allegedly were never turned in to schools officials. School investigators set up a time for a stipulated polygraph test on March 13, which would have been admissible in court, but Wallace did not show up and the next day a warrant was issued for his arrest. Later in the interview Wallace reportedly said that someone broke into his office, where he was keeping the cash, and stole the money. However, he never reported the crime.