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Topic : 12/06 Teacher Troubles

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Created on : Friday, December 01, 2006, 03:22:29 pm
Author : DrPhilBoard1
Kids across the country are playing pranks and harassing teachers. Tericka, a high school science teacher who loved her job, lived in fear of her scandalous past catching up with her and getting her fired. Students eventually found out about her shocking past and the news spread throughout town like wildfire. Are other teachers taking her side, or do they feel her punishment was justified? How can she move forward? Then, Anna, an assistant principal, was harassed on the Internet when two students created a fake MySpace page alleging to be her. She says they completely attacked her character and need to be held accountable for their actions. Was this just a practical joke gone bad, or were these students out for revenge? Find out what Anna did to show these kids that some jokes just aren't funny. Could the mischief your kids get into end up costing you thousands of dollars? Talk about the show here.

Find out what happened on the show.

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December 6, 2006, 1:46 pm PST

Doesn't everyone have a skeleton in the closet?

Tarika, the teacher that had made poor choices in her past, should not be judged by these choices in the present.  She has worked long and hard to turn her life around and become a productive member of society, a mom and a teacher.  I, for one, would like to stand up and applaud her for changing her life.  I know it is not easy and one must jump many hurdles to change one's life and self.  I would like to send a cyber hug to her and tell her to hang in there.  She can teach my child anytime.  I would bet money that all of her critics have skeletons in their closets too.  What has happened to "Love thy neighbor as thyself"?  Where is our kindness, compassion?  Being spiritual or religious is not reserved for Sundays. 

 

Regarding the Assistant Vice Principal, I agree that it was horrible that these students created a Myspace account for her and filled it with porn and lies.  However, I am not sure that sueing these students and their parents is the best course of action.  I believe that going thru the school system is the more prudent thing to do.  To me, she seems to feel an excessive amount of "unsafeness".  I wonder if some of this feeling is from something that happened to her in the past.  Maybe she could see a therapist to work thru these feelings and to feel safer.

 

I messed up terribly as a teenager and a young adult.  But like Tarika I turned my life around and it has made me a better person.  I am now a born-again Christian and that is the beginning where all true change comes from.  I have raised my son alone to adulthood.  He is the most well adjusted, kind, compassionate, loving, generous young man I know.  I believe that my experiences in life helped me to raise such an exceptional young man.

 
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December 6, 2006, 1:46 pm PST

Foolish kids have ruined HER life

Quote From: arhoppes

I am absoulutly outraged at the fact that this principal is taking legal action against her own students! I am a student at Ball State University majoring in Special Education. As I watched this principal discuss the legal action she plans to take I couldn't help but think about my own education classes and experiences I have had in the classroom, and how I have been taught to deal with disciplinary mearsures. It seems to go against everything I have ever been taught! Every student has the right to a FAPE (Free Appropriate Public Education) in their LRE (Least Restrictive Environment), how will they ever recieve their education in their LRE if they are placed in jail, or even in some other educational facility? They will no longer be able to. They will also be effected the rest of their lives if this inevitably is put on their criminal record. In the letter, Dr. Phil read, Benjamin asks for forgiveness. How as an educator, who is supposed to want the best for her students, is this principal to deny him that forgiveness? As for the parents being negligent and not supervising their child...Come on! How is a parent to watch their teenager on a 24/7 basis. Parents don't even watch a toddler 24/7! Lets get back to reality, punish the boys FAIRLY, and move on!
The kids MUST be busted.....today's  kids are spoiled, rude, and out of control.  Hopefully, she will get an award and donate io the school library.
 
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December 6, 2006, 1:46 pm PST

my opinion

 I believe kids need to start being accountable for things they do if there grown up to do something like that then there grown up to take the blame an consequences. 

Most young teens I know there parents say   there punish then next day go buy them things or let it go like nothing never happen so thats telling them ok. So i believe sometimes it needs to be taken further exspecially things like this trying to mess up ppls life.

 
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December 6, 2006, 1:47 pm PST

12/06 Teacher Troubles

I think that the best place for this teacher to be is specifically in the classroom.  She is a role model that children should be able to look up to.  If she isn't allowed back into the classroom, then what ARE we, the adults, telling the children: that they need to be perfect for all of their lives, because if they make a mistake they won't be able to live it down, they can do everything in their power to right a wrong done long ago, but people won't care, they will be ready to throw the first stone.  Is THAT tthe message we really want to send to our kids? 
 
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December 6, 2006, 1:47 pm PST

teachers past

I feel that she should get her job back,she did not break the law.This has happened in her past.I have a brother who has been in jail and prison who is now a lawyer.What she did was wrong,but you must look into her situation why it happened. If she was a good teacher then she has the right to teach.

Also the students who got ahold of these tapes should be charged,they are not allowed to have it.Another question is how did the kids find this out?A parent / adult had to come up with this material,and should be punished.

I feel what happens in a persons private life, thats legal, is none of any ones business.

 
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December 6, 2006, 1:47 pm PST

another opion on teacher suing

I am the parent of 2, the youngest about to be 18. I agree with Dr.Phil their brains aren't done developing.  I have good kids but no doubt they and all kids have made poor choices.  Does this teacher have kids of her own? If she does she certainly knows even the best parent cannot watch their children every second of every day. If we did they wouldn't make as many mistakes, they also would never get to learn from their mistakes, and they would never grow up.  I don't agree that this is a court issue.  The reverse happens all the time, teachers have opionions of their pupils and often of their parents and speak about this to other teachers, and it may be a completely unfair opinion of that child and family, but I doubt anyone would sue over it.
 
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December 6, 2006, 1:47 pm PST

I disagree with you and feel this teacher just wants $$$'s

Quote From: madeline2525

I think Anna is absolutely right to pursue her case in the courts.  While I respect Dr. Phil's statement that this should be handled within the educational system, what these students did, definately occurred OUTSIDE the system.

 

MYSPACE is an international venue and they defamed her in a very very public way.  In this case, this isn't simply writing on the bathroom wall.

 

This is a criminal act.

This teacher/principal  Anna said this law suit is about "accountability" but in reality I believe it is revenge.  If these teenagers are being made to be accountable by being punished at school, through the juvinile system & at home then to me this is enough.  You & I both realize that Myspace is an international venue but the fact is that a teenage is not an adult, they're not allowed to marry, vote, drink, etc. etc. and that is because they are unable to make decisions in the same way an adult is.  They simply are not able on the same page when it comes to rational desicions &/or critical thinking & to you & I it may see an internation venue but to the youth of this generation the international venue "MYSPACE" IS the bathroom wall.  Just like a teen doesn't really consider their own mortality (which is why they're more reckless) they may not truely have grasped the idea of this teachers info being out on the *globall internet*.  As an educator who says she's well read in that area I'd imagine she'd have thought of this.  In reality we are suppose to be teaching reasoning & critical thinking & these are the formative years for those skills!  In regards to the other teacher in trouble for her past people here have said

 

 " we tell our children all the time to make good choices, but if in fact you happen to make a bad choice, you can overcome it. "  THiS is the time to be teaching this very thing.  These young men mad a horrible decision & they should be accountable for it but they should also be allowed to over come it before the natural end of their lives or at age 60 or so. 

 

 This teacher Anna's answer to Dr. Phil when he pointed out that they will take this "FELONY" title with them be be unable to function fully as a citizen until long into their 30's, & 40's was simply "Well I'll not feel safe ever again either & I didn't deserve this or my kids or husband".  Them being made felons isn't going to make her feel safer, a civil suit is not going to make this teacher feel "safer" and accepting their appologies and the remorse they feel is the teaching of reasoning.  Disgusting what they will do to make retribution is the rational thing to do.  Even if this teachers life is to a point where she truely feels she's unsafe in her home she has the ability to to fix that so she really is safe.  If this were a law suit to say "Help her move to a new address so she can't be found" I could understand that, but to sue just because they have to be "accountable" to me is just revenge and very harsh.  This problem clearly started prior to this all because of some discipline this Assistant principle gave & she'd said "I have to be allowed to do my job".  The kids retaliated to "get revenge" & now (IMO) in a childish manner this teacher is going to punish them even more serverly to get the last harsh word/punishment. 

 

When we go outside the system & start pressing charges we take away the power of the parents & other authorities around these kids.  The problem in this day & age is that instead of parents being *allowed to parent* we just run to the police/court system.  When I was a kid we had a little neighborhood lake/beach & 1 summer all the men in the lake association went down & built 4 new picnic table & bench sets.  2 days later a group of kids completely defaced every single one of them by writing drawing & *carving* all kinds of horrific things on them.  When it was discovered the group of teens were rounded up, marched down there & made to not just paint them but *sand down each & everyone of them & then painted* because just painting over you'd still see the carvings.  The filthy things that were written on those tables were enough to curl your hair & they just couldn't be left there for the younger children to see.    Today those kids would have gone to juvinile detention where they would have learned things 10 X's worse & they really would be on a horrible path & just because it wa spring & they were having a case of young spring craziness.  We have to give parents & adults time to react & we have to *allow them* to give a punishment. 

 

I have 3 sons (all grown thank heavens) & I take accountability *VERY SERIOUSLY* but I also take my power as a serious one & it's butt frosting when it's taken from me.   I'm sorry but this teacher is just teaching to get revenge & say she's the mighty one. 

 
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December 6, 2006, 1:48 pm PST

People can change

In a world where everyone makes mistakes, I can't believe that someone would loose their job over something that happened in the past.  In the Bible it says "Let he who has not sinned cast the first stone". We are all sinners. But thank GOD that He sent His son to die for us and our sins. That's right I said us. Because there is not one person in this world that has not sinned. The fact is that she is an example to all because she got help for her problems and she has asked for forgiveness for her sins. I do think she could have been up front with the school about her past. But the thing it it's her past. And she is not that person anymore. I just want to say I'm proud of her for changing her life. God Bless!

 

What about the parents of the children that had the porn in the first place?  What is happening to them?

 
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December 6, 2006, 1:48 pm PST

12/06 Teacher Troubles

Quote From: fluffyfat

Isn't that what we teach our children?  Aren't we making liars of ourselves if we show young people that you don't have to face the down side of your choices, just so long as some time has passed?  It's not  "sitting in judgement" of a person simply because we think they aren't the ideal choice for a certain job.  People get passed over for jobs every day for far less reason than this.  If a man had a past as a sex offender would we be "sitting in judgement" of him if we didn't want him teaching?  The people we select to stand in front of our children every day should be the very cream of our society, not just anyone who happens to earn a degree in education.

 

There's lots of money to be made in porn.  Yet we tell our young daughters not to go into the field.  College is expensive, yet we earn our way through at Mc Donalds instead of by selling drugs or working in the sex industry.  Why? Because of this very reason!  Because it may come back to haunt us someday!

 

If this woman is allowed to teach, the boys in her class will be picturing her naked when  they should be concentrating.  The girls will be considering following her career path.  Why not?  They'll know that they'll be forgiven the second they decide to change.

 

She can do a hundred other jobs, but I don't think she should teach.  it's simply  a choice she gave up when she chose to do pornography.

have you ever done anything wrong?  You don't think that those boys are going to picture her naked anyway, they don't need knowledge of her past or even watching the video to have those images.  As far as the girls, what an awesome way for this teacher to influence her female students of what not to do...  All of our female stars are the ones that we need to worry about...  They make sex glamouris.  Not a teacher who made a mistake...  SHe didn't promote what she did, these pervert boys found it, what does that say about these boys and thier parents?
 
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December 6, 2006, 1:48 pm PST

it's to much

 to sue the kids is to much. Felony convictions ruins lives. This is inappropriate
 
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