- Feb 8, 2000
- 3,136
- 0
Please keep this information in here. As you can see sometimes things can get out of control and blown out of proportion.
I just received this e-mail from my Mother. She teaches 5th or 6th grade (I can't remember which). For those of you who have never met my Mother she has quite the sense of humor and can be rather silly at times. She has been commended in the LA Times on many occassions for her teaching.
I could hardly belive my eyes as I read this! I am VERY protective of my Mother and I'd like to hunt that parent down and do more than tape their mouth shut!!!
I can't believe people today. :( Kids used to get paddled in school and now you can even so much as look at them wrong.
I don't want this to turn into a who Parents vs. Teachers thing, I just feel so horrible for my Mother and I wanted to share.
"I have been caught up in a situation that has gotten out of hand.
Last May 7th, I was joking and kidding around with one of my students. I put a piece of masking tape on his mouth because of his incessant interruptions. It was done in humor and lightheartedness. The student rather enjoyed the attention. The class was caught up in the humor. I told the student he was a good sport. No malice intended.
You can guess what happened next. I met with the parents on the
following Monday and explained the situation and they were fine with the apology and understood it was done in humor and without malice. The principal was there, the parents, a representative of the district and the ******* Teachers association rep. It was decided that I would have a letter put in my file as a reprimand. Case closed.
The next day, one of the parents called the police and the newspaper, the Star News. The officer did not take a police report, but had to follow thru due to the call. He agreed it was nothing more than bad judgment and no harm done and his report of the incident would say just that. All of my students agreed that it was done in fun and humor and the officer had their comments to this effect. Case closed??
Next day an article appeared in the Star News and then all heck broke loose. About 13 different news media descended on the school. I was not there. I had been put on administrative leave until things calmed down, but apparently one of my parents was incensed by the incident. Another article appeared the next day and then the LA Times carried an article the following day. While home, TV news media came to my house. I did not answer the door. They were quite insistent and pounded on the door and even looked in the windows. Consequently, I left my house for about three days. It was horrible. The district has been supportive and protective of me, as has the teachers association and my fellow teachers. But for this one parent I would have been back teaching last week.
Now it seems, she is passing out flyers and trying to get support. The school has gotten calls from my other parents and past parents of students giving me support and asking that I be able to return. The problem is the notoriety of this. I am to lay low. I do my lesson plans and send them in. I call the district every morning to check in and get the latest news.
I am terribly embarrassed by this and have apologized to my
administrators, fellow teachers, parents, students, and anyone else that has been affected by this. I only learned today from the district that my leave has been extended. Apparently the Today Show called the district and wanted an interview with all parties involved. The district was astounded at how this whole thing has gotten out of hand. Good grief. Not only that, but last week Jay Leno made reference to the incident by saying something to the
affect, " Did you hear about the teacher who taped a student's mouth? Boy, I bet there are a few priests that wish they had thought of doing that!"
So, it is with great embarrassment that I even tell you this. I am still employed, the district is sticking to the original reprimand, the parents involved are still accepting of my explanation, the student harbors no ill will, and the police do not consider this anything other than an incident.
My principal wants me back as do my fellow teachers. It is the news media and this one parent that have stirred the pot. The climate today is so negative about certain issues that there is a feeding frenzy on any type of incident that is inappropriate, regardless of the circumstances.
I am so sorry if I have disappointed any of you by this. My humor and way of dealing with this student was unprofessinal. At the time it seemed so harmless. Actually it was, but in today's world, it is a different story.
Aimee, I would like to come visit you. I would prefer not to talk on the phone about this. I am so very upset and embarrassed.
I love you all, and just as soon I did not have to tell you about all this.
Mother"
I just received this e-mail from my Mother. She teaches 5th or 6th grade (I can't remember which). For those of you who have never met my Mother she has quite the sense of humor and can be rather silly at times. She has been commended in the LA Times on many occassions for her teaching.
I could hardly belive my eyes as I read this! I am VERY protective of my Mother and I'd like to hunt that parent down and do more than tape their mouth shut!!!
I can't believe people today. :( Kids used to get paddled in school and now you can even so much as look at them wrong.
I don't want this to turn into a who Parents vs. Teachers thing, I just feel so horrible for my Mother and I wanted to share.
"I have been caught up in a situation that has gotten out of hand.
Last May 7th, I was joking and kidding around with one of my students. I put a piece of masking tape on his mouth because of his incessant interruptions. It was done in humor and lightheartedness. The student rather enjoyed the attention. The class was caught up in the humor. I told the student he was a good sport. No malice intended.
You can guess what happened next. I met with the parents on the
following Monday and explained the situation and they were fine with the apology and understood it was done in humor and without malice. The principal was there, the parents, a representative of the district and the ******* Teachers association rep. It was decided that I would have a letter put in my file as a reprimand. Case closed.
The next day, one of the parents called the police and the newspaper, the Star News. The officer did not take a police report, but had to follow thru due to the call. He agreed it was nothing more than bad judgment and no harm done and his report of the incident would say just that. All of my students agreed that it was done in fun and humor and the officer had their comments to this effect. Case closed??
Next day an article appeared in the Star News and then all heck broke loose. About 13 different news media descended on the school. I was not there. I had been put on administrative leave until things calmed down, but apparently one of my parents was incensed by the incident. Another article appeared the next day and then the LA Times carried an article the following day. While home, TV news media came to my house. I did not answer the door. They were quite insistent and pounded on the door and even looked in the windows. Consequently, I left my house for about three days. It was horrible. The district has been supportive and protective of me, as has the teachers association and my fellow teachers. But for this one parent I would have been back teaching last week.
Now it seems, she is passing out flyers and trying to get support. The school has gotten calls from my other parents and past parents of students giving me support and asking that I be able to return. The problem is the notoriety of this. I am to lay low. I do my lesson plans and send them in. I call the district every morning to check in and get the latest news.
I am terribly embarrassed by this and have apologized to my
administrators, fellow teachers, parents, students, and anyone else that has been affected by this. I only learned today from the district that my leave has been extended. Apparently the Today Show called the district and wanted an interview with all parties involved. The district was astounded at how this whole thing has gotten out of hand. Good grief. Not only that, but last week Jay Leno made reference to the incident by saying something to the
affect, " Did you hear about the teacher who taped a student's mouth? Boy, I bet there are a few priests that wish they had thought of doing that!"
So, it is with great embarrassment that I even tell you this. I am still employed, the district is sticking to the original reprimand, the parents involved are still accepting of my explanation, the student harbors no ill will, and the police do not consider this anything other than an incident.
My principal wants me back as do my fellow teachers. It is the news media and this one parent that have stirred the pot. The climate today is so negative about certain issues that there is a feeding frenzy on any type of incident that is inappropriate, regardless of the circumstances.
I am so sorry if I have disappointed any of you by this. My humor and way of dealing with this student was unprofessinal. At the time it seemed so harmless. Actually it was, but in today's world, it is a different story.
Aimee, I would like to come visit you. I would prefer not to talk on the phone about this. I am so very upset and embarrassed.
I love you all, and just as soon I did not have to tell you about all this.
Mother"
