Greene County Daily World

What should schools do to teachers who get in trouble after school hours?

Posted Monday, February 25, 2008, at 8:29 AM
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A question I get asked a lot is: What should schools do to teachers who get in trouble after school hours?

That question has been asked a lot more over the past month or so following the incident involving the teachers at White River Valley High School and Northview High School.

There's no easy answer.

A lot is expected of teachers, both in the classroom and after hours. Most expect them to be role models, and anything they do during their off hours to hurt that "image" ... people are ready to offer their opinions.

We must remember that teachers are regular people, just like everyone else. They make mistakes. Sometimes they make big mistakes, just like everyone else.

I guess it depends on the "mistake."

I do believe teachers are role models. We all have/had teachers we look up to.

Jim Coon was my math teacher and basketball coach in high school, and was the best teacher I ever had -- including college. He made math fun and easy to understand. He instilled some great values as a basketball coach as well.

Students need teachers as role models.

But teachers also need to be allowed to make mistakes like everyone else.

I guess the bottom line is ... what the mistake is, and what kind of message it sends to students.

Comments
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Whatever happened to Anita Miller at Northview? Never did see the results from the school board meeting

-- Posted by fanofbloomfield on Mon, Feb 25, 2008, at 8:36 AM

Teachers should be held to a standard by their employer. When the standard is violated, then the school board, superintendent or principal should take appropriate action. I have held jobs that had morals clauses and some that did not. The teacher held to a morals clause should be held accountable according to the contract, despite what the union says. A contract is a contract.

Knowing this, a teacher should understand the consequences of their actions. The consequence will not only be contractual but also moral. The students just will not have the respect for their teacher had the law not been broken.

-- Posted by Greene County Patriot on Mon, Feb 25, 2008, at 9:27 AM

Students and especially student-athletes are often held to the school's rules when they are on their own time. There should not be a double-standard for teachers. They should act in the highest regard at all times. If this means staying away from a legal activity beacuse of its potential of becoming illegal then so be it. Teachers as well as police officers are public servants just like mayors, governors, and presidents. All should act accordingly.

-- Posted by junkmail on Mon, Feb 25, 2008, at 10:39 AM

-- Posted by junkmail on Mon, Feb 25, 2008, at 10:41 AM

I agree with most of the statements above except "staying away from a legal activity because of its potential of becoming illegal". If any activity is legal, it is ridiculous to say that your job prevents you from participating. There is a fine line between responsiblity and the forfeiting of rights...and that statement does cross the line.

-- Posted by buck on Tue, Feb 26, 2008, at 7:42 AM

Sure buck, getting drunk is perfectly legal, but do you want your children to see their teacher legally participating? I don't. I also don't want them to see a police officer drunk, granted they should be out of uniform. Sorry, but teachers shouldn't take the risk of losing a students trust. Teachers knew what would be expected from them before they even went to college. Teachers should stay away from all activities that potentially can harm their reputation.

-- Posted by junkmail on Tue, Feb 26, 2008, at 9:53 AM

So should parents.

-- Posted by Greene County Patriot on Tue, Feb 26, 2008, at 1:01 PM

Junk mail: Getting "drunk" is not perfectly legal in public...but teachers (or any other person) should be able to participate in any legal activity....When their actions become illegal, they should be held accountable.

Again, only taking issue that teachers should not be able to participate in legal activities. What is the only thing more important than a teacher's trust...a parent's trust...by that argument, no one would be able to do anything legal. This is America...not China or Russia. Thank goodness this is a country of laws.

-- Posted by buck on Fri, Feb 29, 2008, at 7:19 AM

Chris,

It's hard to not comment on this subject because it does hit so close to home.As a parent and a teacher I try to set what my moral compass says is a "good example".The trouble with that is some folks might think my compass points too far West for them. A 'morals clause' would be very difficult to defend in a court of law as it assumes the morality of the employer to be the only truth.How far would such a clause go? How much more should you require from a person who already has more accountability that almost any other profession? Are we prepared to violate a teacher's civil rights in order to "keep them in line"? These are also questions to consider.

-- Posted by Mr. F on Fri, Feb 29, 2008, at 7:19 PM

buck, once again...teacher's should not drink because of the possibility of getting drunk and breaking the law. period.

-- Posted by junkmail on Mon, Mar 3, 2008, at 7:18 PM

therefore...politicians should not speak because of the possibility of lying???

-- Posted by Greene County Patriot on Mon, Mar 10, 2008, at 2:29 PM

JUNKMAIL

YOUR COMMENTS SOUND IGNORANT. SHUT UP!

-- Posted by whatgoesaround on Sat, Mar 15, 2008, at 12:07 PM

lying is perfectly legal...

"Moral goodness" and "morality" are subjective...and, if you ask me,-which nobody did- (of course) usually a big pile of horse poo.

-- Posted by america on Sat, Mar 29, 2008, at 8:57 AM