We Need to Screen Our Teachers Better!
 

Don't hate at the source but I saw it on Inside Edition last night and can't find the article:
http://www.insideedition.com/news/44...a-student.aspx

A hard-to-believe video of a teacher attacking a 13-year-old student at a high school in Houston is shocking the nation. She dragged, punched and wailed at him with her foot.

The student, Isaiah Johnson, says he suffered a black eye and other bruises in the attack.

***
This isn't the first time such things have happened. Case in point: http://www.wsbtv.com/news/16435810/detail.html

I saw this on the news last night! What was her excuse? I didn't stay up to watch the report, but I was appalled. The poor kid was just curled up in a ball in the corner while the teacher was wailing on him!

In the video you can hear some students screaming and some laughing. The teacher was posing like a wrestler, too! Yikes.

Screening wouldn't have prevented this.

And if his little ass knew how to occupy himself properly, this wouldn't have happened.

Yup, I blame the victim.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aub8TxjhpgU footage and parent interview

LMAO.

The teacher apparently thought he was physically threatening a female classmate. I can't say the response was appropriate, but I can't say I'd disapprove if that was the situation.

Funny enough though, teachers used to be (and still are in some places) privileged against battery suits in the event they were battering the student because that student was a disruption in the classroom. It does sound like that kid and maybe some others there would benefit from a good paddling.

He earned it.

yeah...I said.

HOME TRAINING YALL....hehe

http://www.khou.com/news/local/Chart...-93472669.html

Tonight they are doing an investigation into the school.

This is one of those "I understand the impulse, but you just can't do it" things for me - nope, just can't do it.

I hate Senusret and starang

I agree with a combination of what everyone in this thread said. But, if he was threatening a female student I can think of more appropriate ways to handle it. I went to a school with quite a few badasses and those teachers NEVER stooped to the students' level in how they talked to us and handled us. It's actually quite amazing none of our teachers beat the hell out of students.

It's simply not true that "anything goes." You can't just fly off the handle and go off of your first instinct or anger. This is especially the case for authority figures and dealing with children.

A 60-something year old teacher at my middle school got FED UP with a student who was always disrespecting her and told him "meet me outside". She took her shoes and earrings off too! She was ready! It's a pity though because she was a fantastic teacher (probably near retirement) but she got really upset!

I agree that teachers have to be extra special people to know how to deal with children without ever retaliating by yelling or becoming physical. The problem is that there are superb educators who are horrible at managing stress. How does a school system test for that?

The KHOU news report indicated that this occurred in a CHARTER school, not a regular public school. Charter school teachers are not required to hold teaching credentials, in California, anyway. They must be enrolled in a credential program, however. I wonder if this teacher in Houston had any sort of training in education. I also wonder if Texas does background checks on all teachers. (California requires this)

I agree with Dr. Phil.

It will probably snow tonight :)

really? That doesn't make sense.

This is one of the reasons I don't support charter schools. I feel it's too easy for just anyone to become a teacher, teaching whatever curriculum he/she/the school feels is best.

That's true here too. They do not have to be certified teachers in charter schools. They are the same as private schools that way.

Teachers in Texas have to be fingerprinted and background checked. When I was getting my teacher's license in Tennessee, they ran an FBI check on me.

Even those who work in charter schools? That's only true of public school teachers here.

My wife works at a charter school, had to do the FBI/Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation background check.

A Harris County charter school teacher caught on video beating up a student last month could face criminal charges, but she will not lose her teaching certificate.

That's because Sheri Lynn Davis, 40, doesn't have one.

As a science teacher at a charter school, she didn't need to be certified. Texas law requires charter schools to hire certified teachers only in the areas of bilingual and special education.

Link: To Full Article

I don't care how frustrated I am with my students, the thought of actually slapping them would never happen. Now I will admit that when I taught high school sped and I was cussed out everyday, OMG I wanted to beat the shit out of some of those kids, but of course I never did. I'm not going to risk my job, my safety or my certificate. Instead I ended up quitting.

Violence is never the answer, if the teacher was in fact trying to "protect" another student, there was definately a better way to handle the situation.

Arizona also doesn't require teachers to be certified to teach in a charter school.

Now, someone made a comment that that is why they don't like charter schools (because the teacher isn't certified), I'm sorry just because you're certified (i.e. you can pass college courses and pass a state test and pay the state money to certify you) doesn't mean you are a GOOD TEACHER! I've worked with plenty of CERTIFIED teachers that were just horrible teachers! Anyone can pass undergraduate classes and a test.

Thank you! The idea that district school teachers have more accountability or are held to any kind of higher standard than charter school teachers is the biggest joke I ever heard. Charter school teachers may not need to be certified in every state, but we're the ones without any union safeguards against incompetency--if we don't perform we will be fired, plain and simple.

That's AZ for all teachers. AZ is a right to work state. The union is just a "grace" districts give to teachers. It has no authority, no power. Nada, zip, zilch.

Charters schools still have to perform, at least in AZ. They have to take the state test. They will get the state label. I'm not sure if they do AYP or not though. So it's not like charter schools don't have accountability, if anyone says they don't, well they are just ignorant.

As for incompetent teachers, some people just interview really well, but when they get into the classroom they are incompetent.

Texas is also a "right to work" state. Teachers (and others) can be fired at any time without`any reason given.

That is not true. There MUST be documentation in order for a teacher to be fired. A teacher can't be fired 'just because' there must always be a reason.

epchick, you are fired from Greek Chat

Say what? shoooooot, I'll get the Federation on you! lol

Careful -- you're too close to Arizona to say things like that lol

Right to work typically deals with union membership being non-compulsory. Has nothing to do with at will employment. And public employees, which teacher are, are entitled to due process and termination procedures just like other public employees.

What usually happens with non-tenured teachers is that the school simply doesn't renew their contract (which is generally a year to year proposition).

Tenure might vary in Texas and they might not have it like they do in Oklahoma, but those due process guarantees can't be done away with by state law.

Bring it! lol. I'd love to be stopped because I looked "illegal." lmao

But if you have a strong union, schools can't just "not renew" a contract without following seniority rules. Here, the only teachers that can be non-renewed are the ones with the least seniority. Nothing else matters unless they follow very strict procedures with disciplinary actions.