Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Who is teaching our kids?

Its sad that there are constantly stories about men and women abusing the trust of the community by participating in inappropriate behavior with children. Men having relationships with girls, women with girls, women with boys, special education children. Teachers caught having sex with each other on school grounds by kids. It doesn't matter. According to the Smoking Gun there were approximately 3500 teachers that were arrested for sex with students in 2005 alone.

Below are some of the stories that have been in the news over the last few years. Its not even close to the number of teachers who have been in inappropriate relationships with students.

ALABAMA
Rutherford, Sharon

ARKANSAS
Bobo, Deanna
Sanders, Donna Lou

CALIFORNIA

Ichord, Anne
Jimenez, Lidio Castrejon
Miller, Ann
Munoz-Juvera, Franca
Rodriguez, Elsie
Vankirk, Anthony
Walls, Danielle

COLORADO
Anstey, Dana
DeBiase, Craig
McCandless, Carrie

FLORIDA
Bird, Janelle
Butler, Christina Lin
Flannigan, Carol
Foster, Andrew
Fraxedas, Natalie
Hughes, Janet
Joel, Sarah
Jones, Danielle
Jouini, Christine
Lafave, Debra
LaFlamme, Adrienne
Layman, David
March, Heather
Marinelli, Lisa
Ragusa, Stephanie
Schafer, Andrew
Sepulveda, Frances
Snieszko, Darren
Spack, Mary Jo
Stoffel, Charles
Tarkenton, Jennifer
Turley, Liam
Wallace, Jaymee Lane
Wilburn, Bryant

ILLINOIS
Dickerson, Elizabeth
Miraglia, Kathy

KANSAS

Pierce, Amy

KENTUCKY
Kush, Michelle

MICHIGAN
Margrif, Kristen

NEW HAMPSHIRE
Smart, Pamela

NEW JERSEY
Thorp, Jodi
West, Diane Cherchio

NEW MEXICO
Peterson, Kelsey

NEW YORK
Geisel, Sandra
Kennedy, Heather

NORTH CAROLINA
Klatt, Janet
Shelton, Heather
Withrow, Rebecca

OHIO
Johnson, Angela
Long, Nicole Marie
Scarlett, Christine

OREGON
Raymond, Adrienne

PENNSYLVANIA
Bergstrom, Joseph
Chester, Beth Ann
Singley, Sara
Stellwag, Angela
Winkis, Robin

TENNESSEE
Rail, Andrea
Turner, Pamela Rogers

TEXAS
Archie, Brent
Sutton, Samuel
Taylor, Micki Jo

WASHINGTON
Hill, Laurence
Letourneau, Mary Kay
Smiley, Mary Irene

WEST VIRGINIA
Woods, Toni

WISCONSIN
Angus-Koppes, Angela

Are the background checks and standards too low for those trusted with children? Or can it simply not be prevented from happening in the first place?

2 comments:

clnmike said...

I am going to say it's the standards. There was a time when being a teacher was a noble profession that paid well and attracted people who believed in their work. Now it is nothing more than a hyped up baby sitting gig. The kisds feel they no more than the teachers the parents refuse to take any responability and the school system has it's hands tied when it comes to really discplining everybody.

Raising the pay rate to attract better qualified and discplined people as well as putting the boot to the butts of parents who swear little Johnny can do no wrong is a step in the right direction.

Symphony said...

Totally agree with you. We get what we pay for. It particularly amazes me how much those who protect our safety are paid. You can't set of pay just over a fast food worker and think you're going to get Rambo and James Bond.

These punishments need to be harsher. I mean severe! Like 10 years for sex with a student. We're establishing in these kids at a young age that people with a superior position and role of responsibility can expect to have sex with their subordinate, etc. Its not appropriate behavior.

When I left the military I was paid $50,000 as a 23 year without a college degree to do what I was doing in the Army (with less responsibilities and bureaucracy).

If there is one thing I HATE its parents who act like their kids aren't bad. I know my son. I know him better than he knows himself because I make it a point to see and listen to what he's doing and saying when he doesn't think I'm around.

Most times kids in school wouldn't get such harsh punishment if the parent is genuinely working with the teacher.