What Principles (Principals?) are Involved when Teachers are Found with Students?
Once again, an adult has been arrested for inappropriate behavior with a student. This time, it is a Florida principal who has been suspended from her job after being found in a car with an 18 year old senior. Marijuana was found and the principal was partly undressed.
A quick Google search will discover that this is far from the first time such a situation has happened, though much more common is finding teachers with students. What is going on? Whose responsibility is it? Can anything be done to protect our students?
I will state up-front that I have no answers and hope that you, the reader, might share some helpful suggestions and insights. I can only note the facts that I have found.
Firstly, it is important to be aware that this behavior is increasing. I will spare the details of the stories found. You can read these in the news yourself. However, they range from teachers getting pregnant and marrying their under aged students to teacher joint experiences with students and everything in-between.
For some unexplained reason, female teacher sex offenders, in most cases, face significantly lighter sex crime penalties than their male counterparts. Teachers flirting with students are becoming more common and with front page titillating, sometimes even flattering reports, female teachers are viewed less as criminals (unlike their male counterparts who are looked upon as predators) and more as pop stars. When researching this blog, I found several sites making light of these rendezvous.
“In a five-year study by the Associated Press, from 2001 through 2005, an average of 500 educators faced disciplinary or criminal action following allegations of sexual relations with students. Fueling the fascination even further, only 10% of these teachers were women. In lieu of low numbers, the media frenzy surrounding an alleged sexual relationship between a female teacher and her student … (provides a) media feeding frenzy.”
Where have teacher principles gone? What can principals do? Should schools hold awareness meetings with students and teachers alike to try to stem the tide of inappropriate teacher/student relationships?
All teachers face ethical dilemmas daily. What are some of the ways you deal with them?
As a teacher for over 2 decades, every time I hear of a teacher with a student, regardless of gender, it makes me physically ill. Why do we need an info night? What is wrong with people who think it is ok to use their classrooms as a dating site? I honestly do not get it. How? How can you, as a teacher, look at your students and think “I’d hit that!”? *gag*
I am hyper vigilant of my interactions with students and if they so much as suggest something, I shoot that down ASAP. No. You are my student. I am your teacher. That is the relationship. The. End.
Thanks for sharing. Of course, I agree with you. Unfortunately, too many people out there seem to have forgotten what their position stands for.
Well said, Tanya! I am afraid the moral compass of our nation has been suffering for some time. Media and technology have certainly contributed to immoral behavior. One of my goals is to assist parents of young children. They need to understand the importance of their role. For complimentary parenting handouts, activity, and video, go to: http://www.kellybear.com/ParentTips.html “There are little eyes upon you and they’re watching night and day. There are little ears that quickly take in every word you say. There are little hands all eager to do everything you do. And a little child who’s dreaming of the day he’ll be like you.” — author unknown
The preceding was takes from the article, “Twenty Ways to Foster Values in Children,” at: http://www.kellybear.com/ParentTips/ParentTip4.html
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