Summary - June 28, 2007

Summary June 28, 2007

Follow links for updated information.

FIRED
A Maryland school district finally got around to firing Michelle Dohm, 42. She's the teacher who sent threatening letters to five boys for some unfathomable reason. The judge did order her to get psychological counseling, but you just know she won't. Maybe Rita Crosby at NBC could talk her into it. Why does it take so long to identify teachers with serious personality disorders and remove them from the classroom? And why does the media want to interview such people?
TT - link to her firing

FIRED
Two teachers fired in one day must be a record. In the case of a thirty-two year old teacher, the school district carefully documented the warnings about his interaction with a 14-year-old girl. No criminal charges have been filed. (Ohio)
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ARRESTED

In Tennessee, Michael Noel, 36, was arrested charged in two separate incidents involving a 13-year-old male and a 15-year-old male.

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ARRESTED

You can see the lawsuits being written now. Mark Boster, 46, was arrested in an internet sting when he went to meet a 14-year-old boy for oral sex. After his arrest, the news media in Columbus got a look at his personnel records and a stack of complaints and letters dating back to 1991, and worries that administrators ignored. They did, however, move him around to a lot of middle schools where he could have even more contact with boys.

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SENTENCED - groping a 15-year-old boy

If it weren't for registration as a sexual offender, half the child abusers in the country would wear ankle bracelets for a month as their only punishment. In Arkansas, Larry Kennedy, 61, a retired math teacher got four months with an ankle bracelet. And registration as a sex offender. For groping a 15-year-old boy in a fitness center.

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SENTENCED - Contributing to the delinquency of a minor

Few details on the case against Natalie Preston, 23, the Virginia teacher sentenced to 12 months suspended which means no time at all, for her involvement with a 16-year-old boy. Apparently, the newspaper didn't even ask if her license was in danger. It would be reassuring to know that these teachers would never enter a classroom again, in Virginia or anyplace else, but parents can't even be certain of that.

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Standardized Testing

The campaign against accountability - which is what Standardized Testing is - continues in Louisiana. The NAACP is calling for a protest in the capital on the pretext that children who fail the tests won't have an opportunity to take it again. It's a complete lie, of course, as a quick visit to Education World and the Louisiana Department of Education shows. However, such indignation helps disguise the sad state of inner city schools where most minorities are trapped in ignorance and poverty and a cycle of despair that cripples entire generations. Why the NAACP would want to protect the inner city overseers is beyond comprehension. The term "Judas goat" comes to mind.

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School Board Watch

The School Board in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania commissioned a report on John Acerra, the Bethlehem principal who sold crystal methamphetamine out of his office. However, they're still vacillating on handing the report over to the media. The reason? The board paid for the $30,000 report and it was conducted by two lawyers, hence, it might fall under attorney-client privilege. It's absolute bunk, of course. They paid for the report out of taxpayer money and chose to hire lawyers to conduct the investigation because they want to know their own liability. On the other hand, the newspaper will get a copy if they want to go to court.

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School Board Watch

In Alabama, a school district refused to hand over a forensic accountants report on a school involved in a financial scandal. Their rationale was that forensic accountants' report includes information that, if released, would violate employees' due process rights under the state's Teacher Tenure Act and Fair Dismissal Act. You suspect that they used to report to secure resignations because after named individuals resigned, the newspaper got a copy of the report.

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School Board Watch

The entire Uniondale, New York school district is on academic probation. The state Attorney General is investigating allegations that one or more of the district's employees tampered with Regents math exams given in the 2006-07 school year. And in two previous years. Parents are not happy. TT - Link

Summary - June 27, 2007

Summary June 27, 2007
Follow links for updated information.


ARRESTED
A temporary teacher at Goleta Valley Junior High School was arrested and charged with furnishing a 14-year-old student with marijuana and contributing to his delinquency. Alerted by the boy's parents, the police investigated a month before arresting Melissa Dunning, 31. (California)
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ARRESTED (Again)
A Washington coach, Todd Hoiness, 40, was arrested for sexual misconduct with a 17-year-old girl and released on his own recognizance last week. This week, he was arrested again for contacting the victim. His lawyer had a novel defense. “The texting had nothing whatsoever to do with the case. … Now he understands he can’t connect through friends …” Yeah.
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ARRESTED (Again) and NO CONTEST PLEA
In Kansas, Marsha Mote, 37, pleaded no contest to aggravated indecent liberties with an underage girl after she was arrested for violating the conditions of her bond by dropping her two children off at a public pool in violation of an order to not be around children. She'll be sentenced in September for the March incident.
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ARRESTED - Sex with a 14-year-old boy
A teacher at Leroy High School was arrested and charged with having sex with a 14-year-old boy. The teacher is Charlene Schmitz, 54. The boy's mother found graphic e-mails she sent the boy about oral sex. And, YES, her age is 54. (Alabama)
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ARRESTED - Well, when he shows up
Edison Muñoz, 51, a teacher in North Miami, has been ordered to turn himself in on Monday. He's accused of showing a cell phone picture of his penis to a 17-year-old female student. He said it was his. She obviously wasn't thrilled.
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ARRESTED - Drunk and disorderly, aggravated assault, simple assault, obstructing the administration of law
A Pennsylvania social studies teacher was arrested for all that after a brawl with two police officers in a restaurant. Katie Quartuch, 26, was arrested, along with her husband. The odd thing was that she and her husband were not the two that officers were trying to evict.
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ARRESTED - Exposing himself to a 3-year-old boy
In Illinois, Douglas R. Jones, 46, is a substitute teacher who also drives an ice cream truck. He was arrested and charged with sexual exploitation of a child younger than 13 after allegedly exposing himself to the toddler. From inside the truck.
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INDICTED
William Marshall, 54, a substitute at a Maryland school was indicted on four counts of third-degree sex offense, sex abuse of a minor and second-degree assault for fondling a 13-year-old girl. Other students, apparently, witnessed the touching.
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SENTENCED (sorta) - Classroom Cocaine Use
A retired teacher told the judge she was bored after retiring and began using cocaine. While she was substituting, two 4th-graders found her snorting cocaine in the classroom out of a pen cap. Joan Donatelli, 59, pleaded guilty in April to seventh-degree attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance. It's a plea agreement that may result in a mere 60 days in jail . The judge, however, gave her 100 days community service. Fantastic lesson for those children. (New York)
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SENTENCED - Sex with 14-year-old girl
In Tennessee, Johnny McElroy, 55, pleaded guilty to multiple charges of statutory rape and sexual battery by an authority figure. The girl was 14-years-old when the sex began. He was sentenced to 15 years, but will be eligible for parole in less than 5. Yes, his age is correct.
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School Board Watch
The Cliffside, New Jersey school board is going to save big bucks by reducing the salary of the board treasurer from $28,500 a year to $7,000 a year. It's only a part-time position that should pay around $6,000. They probably have to save money after a former superintendent pleaded guilty in April to funneling $110,000 to two borough clerks, as well as taking more than $26,000 in unapproved business meals at two eateries.
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The Pleasantville, New Jersey school board president is a 22-year-old. He was recently arrested after totalling his SUV and making terrorist threats to two other board members. He recently told students at a graduating ceremony not to make his mistakes. The state appointed a special monitor to oversee the District's finances starting July 2. It's all so very -- New Jersey.
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Teacher Quality
The National Council on Teacher Quality issued their first annual report on Teacher Quality for all the states. There is some suprising information in the report as well as some very useful and concrete recommendations for reform. Typical finding:

Only 4 states require classroom effectiveness to be the preponderant criterion for evaluating teacher performance, with other states giving equal weight to factors such as attending faculty meetings.

Only 14 states require annual evaluations. Of those, only 7 allow dismissal after two bad evaluations.
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Tip for Parents
If you are a parent, you have the right to know the qualifications of your child's teacher. It is a requirement of the No Child Left Behind Act. Ask your school or visit your school web site where the information should be posted. Remember that only 3 states require teachers to pass licensure tests before entering the classroom. The licensure tests are minimal competency exams for teachers. They measure basic academic skills. An unqualified, untested teacher shouldn't be practicing on your child.

You can see State Testing Requirements and sample questions (and answers) at the Educational Testing Service web site. LINK - drop down menu at left for each state.

Summary - June 26, 2007

Summary June 26, 2007
Follow links for updated information.


SENTENCED
A Philadelphia teacher tried to solicit sex from a 15-year-old boy in a chat room. It wasn't a sting. He announced he was good at a sex act and later tried to arrange to meet to meet the boy. The boy changed his mind, the mother found out and called police. An officer met Michael Castleman, 42. He was sentenced to nine months probation.
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SENTENCED - Sex with a 15-year-old student
Anthony Graves, 28, pleaded guilty to having sex with the girl. He also admitted taking pictures of acts. He was sentenced to eight years. (Kentucky)
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SENTENCED - Making death threats against five children
You may have seen her interviewed by Rita Crosby on NBC. Michelle Dohm, 40, was arrested in 2005 for stalking teenage boys at the school and sending threatening notes. It was a bizarre case. She was convicted in April. Her sentence was nine months in prison and nine months of home confinement. The judge also ordered Dohm to get psychological counseling. (Maryland)
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SENTENCED - Sex with two 13-year-old boys
A 7th grade teacher in Virginia was sentenced to four years in prison and five years' probation for having sex with two of her students. Karen Patton, 41, was teacher of the year in 2004. As a poster at a news story remarked, "I am beginning to think that being a popular teacher is a red flag."
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GUILTY
In New Jersey, Timothy Zisa, 35, pleaded guilty to three counts of cruelty and neglect to a child. Zisa agreed to forfeit his teaching license and never to take a public job in the state. Zisa admitted that he engaged three students in obscene conversations, passionately kissed two of them while they were underage and had sex with two after they turned 18. But he was popular.
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GUILTY - 12 counts second-degree criminal sexual conduct
The six-year-old boy scowled at a hearing that determined that Ronald Taylor, Jr., 28, would stand trial. Today, a jury found him guilty of 12 counts criminal sexual conduct against all nine young victims.
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GUILTY - Indecent liberties with boys
A Virginia choir director at Charlottesville High School pleaded guilty to one count of indecent liberties and no contest on three other charges. The married father of two children would ask boys to enter his office and he made sexual proposals towards them. With three of them, he actually participated in sexual contact. Jonathan Spivey, 47, however, will likely be sentenced to probation.
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GUILTY - Public Corruption
A University of North Texas researched pleaded guilty to public corruption. Dr. James Jarrett Glass, 63, is the fourth case of embezzlement by staff members or professors in the last two years. He'll be sentenced in September.
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GUILTY - Sex with 14-year-old girl
Dustin Powers, 36, a middle school gymp teacher pleaded guilty to sexual battery for having a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl. He'll be sentenced in August. (Ohio)
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Our Bad
Well, the school district hasn't really apologized for the recent $4.6 million settlement of six lawsuits connected to molestations by an elementary school teacher in 1999-2000. They never explained why they were liable. Nor are they apologizing that a $2 million tax surplus won't be returned to taxpayers this year as it will go to pay for the lawsuit. And they'll be asking for more. (South Carolina)
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Lawsuit in Temecula
The Temecula Valley Unified School District is going one better. They settled a lawsuit by a family alleging their daughter was sexually harassed. But they aren't telling how much, nor the teacher's name. Or anything else. There were never any criminal charges filed, but somehow, the school district ended up paying.... something.
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Summary - June 25, 2007

Summary June 25, 2007

Follow links for updated information.

Arrested

A teacher's aide at an elite Manhattan school was arrested for a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl. Timothy Avery, 25, is also charged with criminal sexual conduct and endangering the welfare of a child. He pleaded not guilty.

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In Alabama, Anthony Tollison, 27, a special education teacher's aide, was arrested and indicted for second-degree rape of a student. No details available.

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Retired teacher Philip Riviere, 61, was arrested after National Guardsmen at an air show called police to arrest him for video voyerism. He was photographing the underwear of women. He claims he got the idea from a web site on photography. (Let's hope they check his computer at home.)

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Positively scarey arrest of a 46-year-old middle school counselor in Boulder, Colorado, who was turned in by an, er, escort lady because he expressed a fond wish for having sex with a 12-year-old girl. Police contacted him as an, er, escort lady and arrested him for solicitation of prostitution. THEN, the newspaper recalled this was the same guy that the Rocky Mountain News wrote about who talked online about kinky sex to a reporter and formed the basis of a 1994 story that prompted his school to ask him to resign. Thirteen years later and he's counseling middle school students.

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Pleaded No Contest

("Guilty, but you can't prove it, but I don't want to take a chance that you might.")

A 53-year-old coach pleaded no contest to fondling a 15-year-old female student. It doesn't even bear thinking about how a man that age could act so stupidly, irresponsibly, and betray so many people. (Ohio)

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Sentenced

To five and a half years for a year-long sexual relationship with a 17-year-old female student, Fidel Vasquez,29, will be on sexual offender probation after prison for nine and a half years. When the story of his arrest broke, we checked Greatschools.com for Haines City High School and were struck then by the heartbreak of one parent who wants more for her child than a bad school.

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In California, Marco Irigoyen, 43, an elementary school teacher, was sentenced to seven years for three counts of lewd conduct with a minor. He pleaded no contest to reduced charges. There were four victims.

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Unfunded Public Pensions

In Texas, the tab for all unfunded public pensions is estimated to be $23 BILLION. The worst pension, however, is the Teacher Retirement System of Texas with a current unfunded liability of $13 BILLION. The attorney general wants some common sense reforms.

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We've covered other stories about unfunded teacher pensions. In Connecticut, the unfunded teacher pension liability is $6.9 BILLION. In Michigan, the unfunded liability is $25 BILLION. In Illinois, it's $40.7 BILLION. Oklahoma, though, has the worst unfunded teacher fund liability - as a measure of inability to repay - of $7 BILLION.

Teamster Teachers (Shudder)

In Las Vegas, the Teamsters Union wants to take over contract negotiations for the 13,000 Clark County teachers currently in the teacher's union. It's like old home week for the Teamsters who under Jimmy Hoffa invested union money in the 1950s and 1960s in developing the gambling resort town.

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More Teachers Than They Can Afford

That's how a retired J.P Morgan exec described Vermont schools. It's true of most states, but he's now on a school board and documents the looming disaster. As for value for money, taxpayers are not being well served. No kidding.

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More Teacher Gripes

If you wanted to do a blog on teacher grievances, complaints, whinges and whines, you could easily find the material. That's because the gripers have a direct line to newspapers who carry their complaints every day. In San Leandro, California, they're miffed because they're being disrepected. If you think that sounds like material for a rapper to develop into mindless drivel, remember these are teachers who don't like the fact that a sub-standard school wants to shuffle teachers around to better provide for students. If the teachers worked in an office, they'd grab the pencil cup and their nameplates and move to the new cubicle. But these are professional malcontents who belong to a Professional Moaners Union in a school that rates a 2.

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Da Boss is Dead

The former boss that is of the Miami-Dade county's teachers' union. He was 81 and had a good life, mostly on union money, which is why he served time in jail. Depending on the newspaper you read, he was a labor hero or a crook. In any case, Pasquale ''Pat'' Tornillo Jr. left a legacy of cruddy schools in one of the worst, but most expensive to run, school districts in the country. A gift of collective bargaining. Thank you, Pasquale.

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Summary - June 24, 2007

Summary June 24, 2007

Follow links for updated information

From Memphis to Boston

The new superintendent of Boston City Schools is from Memphis. The districts have more in common than you think, including "minority" populations around 76%. (Although how you can be a minority when you comprise 3/4ths of the students is only the kind of twisted logic you see in the media.) The union, however, is all prepared to oppose her reforms. Nothing new there. What is new is how really bad Boston schools are in educating Hispanics or Blacks.

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Dropout Rates A story in the Boston Globe about dropout rates in Boston and in Massachusetts got us wondering how they compared to other states. We did find out and the number of dropouts is shocking. Why they are dropping out isn't clear, but in Masschusetts, it isn't the exit examination. Across the state, more than 65 percent of the 2,584 high school seniors who dropped out last year passed the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System.

There's probably some connection to the story above.

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Then and Now

A wonderful piece of reporting by the New York Daily News looks at a Harlem children in an 1984-1985 class picture. They were able to track all but 6 of the 23 children. Great stories and worthy journalism. In Two Parts.

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Standardized Testing

The war on standardized testing continues. This time, a New Jersey paper parrots the concerns of a union spokesman. The concern is that the "brightest and best" students are being ignored as teachers concentrate on those most in need. Actually, their point is a little more selfish. They're afraid that as concerned parents find out more about their schools, they'll leave for private or parochial schools. They also are terrified that an exodus of the "brightest and the best" will make them look even worse in testing. The story cites a Rand study that they don't like to and they deliberately misinterpret. We link to it.

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Summary - June 23, 2007

Summary - June 23, 2007
Follow links for updated information

Giving Up and Giving In
One school principal is doing just that. Throwing up her hands and giving in to harassment and working with the Griping Class represented by the Grievance Industry Union. As we said, government schools are bad enough. Soviet-style schools run by workers' collectives end up being the worst. It's what union-run districts are coming to.
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Summary - June 22, 2007

Summary June 22, 2007
Follow links for updated information.


UPDATES
A physical education teacher in a Catholic school was fired after being arrested for video voyerism when he was caught photographing girls at a water park. Police found Duane Champagne, 41, had 13,000 images of girls in bathing suits on his computer. TT - Link

Trenton Central High School teacher Sylvester L. Jones, 56, who was bailed out by his wife after being caught having sex with a 17-year-old girl, was bailed out again so he could attend his daughter's wedding. The mother and daughter both appeared before the judge at the hearing. Jones was in violation of a court order to stay away from the girl when he was caught in Pennyslvania. The sexual encounters began when she was 16. (New Jersey) TT - Link

In Illinois, James Love, 37, a substitute teacher has had a trial date set for June 22. He is accused of molesting four boys. You might remember him holding his Bible and blowing kisses to his supporters in the court room at his arraignment in May. TT - Link

INDICTED
In another case of Delayed Justice, a Tennessee teacher was indicted for sexual conduct with an underage student in 2003. What makes it unusual is that a well-known attorney alleges that school officials knew about Jeffrey W. Foster, 33, and did nothing. TT- Link

PLEADED GUILTY - Child Pornography
A Texas geometry teacher pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of child pornography and one count of receipt of child pornography. Leland Easterling, 60, had more than 375 computer images of child pornography and nine digital video files of children engaged in sexual conduct on his computer. TT - Link

PLEADED GUILTY - Cocaine, Intention to distribute
Jerome Fruit, a West Virginia middle school teacher and former football star, pleaded guilty to federal drug charges. No sentencing date was given. TT - Link

SENTENCED Child Molester
Carl Mason Jr., 21, a daycare teacher was sentenced after pleading guilty to seven charges of indecency with a child, two cases of sexual performance by a child and one case each of aggravated sexual assault of a child and possession of child pornography. For all that, he got 40 years on the aggravated sexual assault charge, 20 years each on the indecency cases and 10 years each on the possession and sexual performance charges. The sentences will run concurrently, which means he will be eligible for parole in 20 years. Not nearly long enough. TT - Link

DRUNK DRIVING TEACHERS
A middle school teacher in Florida is still teaching after three DUIs and a host of other arrests. ** TT - Link He's got a way to go beat the Massachusetts teacher with five DUIs who is also still teaching. ** The Ledger amended it to 2 DUIs in a story a day later.

The same day, a Pennsylvania teacher was ordered to attend a drug rehab that will erase his conviction for drunk driving, hitting a truck, and leaving the scene of an accident. The only problem is that he's a drivers' education teacher. TT -Link

If we had the same zero tolerance for teachers for drugs and alcohol that we do for students, the teachers wouldn't be back in any classroom.

OUTRAGE of the DAY
Another one of those Delayed Justice cases where a teacher was accused of abusing a boy in 2000. The mother informed the school, but the school did not inform the police. No investigation was done and there was a cozy agreement between school administrators and the union to send him to another school. Now, however, he's going to trial because a judge refused to dismiss the case against David Heil, 43, who will go to court October 15. TT - Link

Retirement Pensions
The state of West Virginia is beginning to look at public employee retirement pensions for convicted felons. They have ordered that state contributions be withheld for those public employees convicted of felonies.. The decisions are being appealed. But if adopted in every state, it might solve a lot of the unfunded pension liabilities. TT - Link

SCHOOL BOARD WATCH
In New Mexico, four people were indicted on charges of misappropriating money meant for a bilingual fund. The state took over financial operations for the West Las Vegas school board. Among those indicted are the school board superintendent, a school board member, an assistant to the bilingual director who married to a New Mexico representative - Rep. Richard Vigil. Richard Vigil's brother was state treasurer until he was convicted of extortion and sentenced to 37 months in jail. TT - Link

Not to be outdone, in Texas, 22 people were indicted in a contracting scandal. The indicted include three Pharr-San Juan- Alamo Independent School District trustees, the husband of the school district trustee , the superintendent of the school district and- two contractors for soliciting and receiving bribes. One of the contractors is president of the Donna Independent School Board. TT - Link

Newly-elected (in January) a school board member arrested in April for improper lane use causing an accident, leaving the scene of an accident and driving under suspension. He paid a fine and it all went away. (Louisiana) TT - Link

Summary - June 21, 2007

Summary June 21, 2007

Follow the links for updates.

GUILTY - Child Pornography

Tyrico Tyler, 41, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography. In a search after his arrest, police found 100 computer disks in his bedroom that contained images of child pornography. He admitted that he spent about $2,000 over the past decade purchasing child pornography. In spite of having two children of his own, he helped finance and enjoyed the sexual abuse of someone else's children.

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ARRESTED

A Gary, Indiana PE teacher was arrested and charged with sexual misconduct with a minor. John Wachel, 48, was a physical education teacher at several schools. When police told him that there was a witness, he said he was "a white coach and that the students were trying to get him in trouble." TT - Link

ARRESTED

A judge issued a warrant for the arrest of a Squaw Valley, California teacher who didn't show up at her arraignment. Christine Johnson, 28, is accused of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor and contributing to the delinquency of a minor for allegedly having sex with a male student. TT - Link

ARRESTED

In an internet sting, Steven Lysogorski, 37, was slated to meet a 14-year-old boy to trade a cell phone for oral and anal sex. He works with at-risk students in a middle school. (Michigan) TT - Link

ARRESTED

Few details have emerged about the arrest of Ralph Schollenberger, 35, an eighth-grade teacher accused of lewd and lascivious battery of a former student whose age wasn't given. (Florida) TT - Link

ARRESTED - Sex with student

In Texas, Heather Thompson, 30, was arrested for an improper relationship with a 17-year-old male student. She resigned before she turned herself into police. Which is either a level of decency or she wasn't tenured. TT - Link

ARRESTED

Another internet sting resulted in the arrest of Jeremy Lewis, 28, who went to meet what he thought was a 14-year-old girl. (Arkansas)

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DECLINED TO INDICT

A swim coach in Texas will not be prosecuted for having sex with a student. The grand jury declined to indict him, despite the fact that in Texas, it is illegal for an educator to have sex with a student. No word whether the school will continue to employ him or whether he's been on paid leave since last September. TT - Link

DEAD in MASSACHUSETTS

In Waltham, Robert Dacey, 49, a drama teacher at a middle school accused of truly bizarre sexual assaults on three male students was found dead of an apparent heart attack. Of course, he might be faking it. TT - Link

It's Kansas, Toto

And the Lawrence, Kansas newspaper still refuses to name Meredith Kane, 24, the teacher accused of having sex with a 15-year-old male student even though the newspaper reports that a plea agreement is close. TT - Link

Briefly Noted

A small school district in Washington state has had three teachers accused of misconduct in 13 months. One openly gay teacher wrote scripts for a friend's soft porn movie company. He hasn't been charged with anything. They're still investigating. The other two men are accused of sex with students. TT - Link

Retirement Pension Threatened
An Illinois teacher who pleaded guilty to disrobing and fondling himself in front of children and asking them to play nude basketball might lose his retirement pension. But not for the sexual exploitation of children. He also stole school equipment. And while exploiting children is a misdemeanor, the theft is a felony. Yeah, it doesn't make sense.

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Summary - June 20, 2007

Summary June 20, 2007
Follow links for updated information.


SENTENCED
An Ohio bad director was sentenced to two years in prison, with release promised in 9 months for a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old girl. John Stadler is 62-years-old. After prison, he will be on probation for five years and must register as a sex offender. Revolting.
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SENTENCED - Pedophile
A pre-sentence psychological examination of Kenneth Anderson, 60, indicated that he was an unrepentant pedophile who became aroused during contact with children. He was charged with 14 felony counts involving nine students since 1991. He was tried and there was a mistrial. He was allowed to plead no contest to to committing a lewd act with a child under age 14 and to continuous sexual abuse of a child. For that, he was to get no jail time. And true enough, he gets to serve six months' of his jail time under electronically monitored home confinement or another alternative to jail and five years' probation.

HE MUST ALSO REGISTER AS A SEX OFFENDER, which begs the question, before sex offender registration, what kind of punishment is an ankle bracelet and probation? (California)
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SENTENCED - Forgery
A 53-year-old music teacher was sentenced to two years' probation for helping his girlfriend forge papers to help get her out of jail. She is serving one year on her sixth drunk driving arrest. (Massachusetts)
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PLEADED GUILTY - attempted sex with a minor
That's what she pleaded to for having sex in her car with a 14-year-old boy. Teacher's aide Alma Hernandez, 27, will be sentenced July 25. It might not be pretty for the teacher. The prosecutor has instituted 10-year sentences because so many adults were getting away with a year in jail and probation. (We know a lot who get ankle bracelets including pedophiles.)
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PLEADED GUILTY - Drug Dealing
In New York, Randolph Grant, 40, pleaded guilty to third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and criminal sale of a controlled substance on the grounds of a school. He was arrested selling cocaine to adults on a school playground. He surrended his teaching license. If he hadn't, the 20 vials of crack would be, we presume, grounds for revocation, but you never know. TT - Link

PLEADED GUILTY - Sex with student
Darcie Esson pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault on a child ages 15-17 while in a position of trust. She is the Colorado teacher who had sex with a 17-year-old football team member while her children and their babysitter slept in the motel room. She'll be sentenced in August but at a guess, we are thinking that she'll get probation and a possible gig to teach sex education in Boulder, Colorado. At the least, she could get an endowed chair at the University of Colorado.
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School Board Watch
In New Orleans you expect corruption so it isn't any surprise when a former school board member pleads guilty to accepting $100,000. Of course, not every school board member can claim to have received the money in a bribery scandal involving the brother of a U.S. Congressman. The Congressman, coincidentally, is also under indictment for wrongdoing. Her guilty plea is the 23rd in the scandal.
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Moral Character Complaints
Even the New York Times is starting to acknowledge the number of teachers who are sexually involved with students. They choose, however, to focus on a very low number of 104 cases investigated in 2005-2006 in New York state. They don't, however, consider how many teachers were allowed to voluntarily surrender their licenses or how many were fired outright for teacher-student sex, something that is far easier in New York state than other states due to their moral clauses in contracts. Much easier to diminish the problem if you don't look too closely.
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In North Carolina, parents fought against the sexual relationship between their daughter and her teacher. The father begged the school board to do something. For months. The board claimed they couldn't prove the relationship. In the end, the parents gave up and gave permission for the 16-year-old to marry the 40-year-old teacher. THE CLUE to the real problem is that he is the fourth employee at the high school sexually involved with a student.
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INDICTED
A Texas teacher was indicted for internet stalking for death threats to federal agent, a police officer and a former girlfriend. The school district was aware that he was under investigation when they renewed Steven Weste's contract. Now he's suspended indefintely with pay. Their generosity with taxpayer money is heart warming, isn't it?
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Summary - June 15, 2007

Summary June 15, 2007
Follow links for updates.

ARRESTED
One of those frustrating stories with more questions than answers, a West Virginia teacher was arrested for misdemeanor possession of a prescription drug. Sharee Daniels, 49, was arrested after a search of car revealed the drug. Police weren'teven looking for her, but had an arrest warrant for the man in the car with her. No explanation of who he was. TT - Link

CONVICTED
A teacher's aide in Illinois was convicted of groping and soliciting a 16-year-old girl for sex. He asked her to his apartment to help move something. Ned L. Roberson, 41, (old enough to be her father) will be sentenced in August. TT - Link

SENTENCED - Theft
At least twice a week someone steals from the PTA or from some other fundraising schemes for schools. We normally don't carry, however, most don't spend the money on cool stuff. An elementary teacher in East Liverpool, New York, was sentenced to three years' probation after pleading guilty to stealing $4,000 from a school benefit fund. Linda J. Maharick, 36, resigned in March and repaid the money. TT - Link

SENTENCED - Sex with Student
A sentence of 40 days (served) for sex with an 11-year-old student is a half-hearted hand slap. Without sex registration laws, that would be the entirety of punishment for Rebecca Withrow, 30. She has young daughters. Let's hope someone doesn't do to them what she did to some other mother's child. (North Carolina - the Nifong State) TT - Link

SENTENCED - Sex with Student
For sex with a 14-year-old boy, Jeri Perez, 38, will serve ten years and be on lifetime supervised probation. They take such crimes seriously in Arizona. TT - Link

SENTENCED - Attempted Murder
Surprisingly, Sam Shelton, 27, pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of a student with whom he had sex. He broke her neck, dragged her body to the woods to hide it , tied a belt around her neck to make sure, and then went dancing. He was sentenced to 20 years, 17 of which he has to serve before he can be considered for parole. (Illinois) TT - Bulletin Link TT - Link for long version of the sorry story.

STANDARDIZED TESTS
Whatever you feel about standardized testing and takeover of bad schools, no one can do worse than some schools in educating students. Even so, a teacher who won't be returning to a Maryland school blames politics despite the fact that she is also quoted as saying, "They allow students to come to ninth grade reading at an elementary level," she said. "If you allow these kids to come to high school, you're setting them up for failure if they don't know how to read and add." That isn't politics. It's bad education and blaming everyone but the government school is part of the game. TT - Link

Summary - June 14, 2007

Summary June 14, 2007

Follow the links for updates.

ARRESTED - Child Pornography

Chad Michael Hutchins, 28, a middle school teacher in Texas was arrested for possession of child pornography. TT - Link

ARRESTED - Sex with Student

A 44-year-old Oklahoma teacher was arrested for having sex with her 16-year-old student. School officials reportedly caught Vicky Lynn Lewallen and the girl in a locked classroom. TT - Link

PLEADED GUILTY

In Hawaii, Bronwyn Kugle, 38, a school teacher, pleaded guilty to conspiring to traffic in cocaine and Ecstasy. She also pleaded guilty to being a drug user who kept a loaded revolver in a drawer at her home. She teaches at an elementary school. She's the third teacher in Hawaii sentenced for drug dealing this year. TT - Link

SENTENCED - Sex with patient

Sometimes you wonder just how low human beings can go. An English teacher/counselor was sentenced to four months work release and 10 years of probation for a sexual relationship with a 17-year old who was a patient in a mental health facility that provides for those with severe emotional and behavioral problems Michelle Tolar, 27, will have to register as a sex offender. (Colorado) TT - Link

SENTENCED - Sexual Exploitation of children

He liked to disrobe and describe his private parts, seduce students with stolen computer equipment, play basketball in the nude and play pornographic movies for children. At least seven children were sexually exploited for his sexual gratification. Nevertheless, a judge sentenced David Grayson, 66, to 90 days in jail and placed him on 2 years' probation. As long as it's not the judge's children or grandchildren. (Illinois) TT - Link

SENTENCED - Child Pornography

In Michigan, federal prosecutors had secured a plea agreement with Robert Michael Boyden, 60, for possession of 1,358 pictures of minors posing nude or engaged in sex acts. The agreement called for 51 to 63 months in prison. The judge, however, thought other people similarly charged under state and federal law received significantly less time. He sentenced Boyden to a day in prison and 12 months in a federal corrections center. Federal sentencing guidelines are considerably stronger than state laws. Helping to weaken them won't help to eliminate the filthy perversion or the perverts who collect the photos like trading cards. TT- Link

BAD HIRING DECISIONS TT - Link

a Cost taxpayers millions every year when school districts can't get rid of superintendents short of hiring hit men. Instead, they pay them off with some spectacular buyout packages. The
Median household income in Little Rock, Arkansas is $42,796. The school board is paying out $400,000 -500,000 to a superintendent who didn't work out. Taxpayers and parents are suing.

a In St. Louis, the school board is still paying their superintendent $14,000 a month, three months after he was arrested for stealing money from the district. Three other districts had legal battles with the man before St. Louis hired him.

a In Indianpolis, the school board - superintendent battle means he's still being paid despite the fact that he has been on leave since last November. The article didn't say how much he made, only he was the highest-paid superintendent in the state.

Quote of the Day: Speaking about support from teachers in his campaigns.

‘‘They’ve supported me for their reasons and I support them when I feel their issues are valid - there’s no quid pro quo,’’ he said. ‘‘Whatever I’ve owed them I paid them back a hundred times in votes and support."

One guess which state. TT - Link

Summary - June 13, 2007

Summary June 13, 2007
Follow the links for updates on any story.


ARRESTED - Drugs
A second North Carolina teacher was arrested for drugs. This time, dealing. Brian Zickefoose, 26, was arrrested after an undercover agent bought cocaine five times from him in two months. He'd been teaching since January, so he was dealing while teaching. He was scheduled to be hired by another school district where a relative is the Superintendent of Business for the school district. TT - Link

He was the second teacher this month from the same school district arrested on cocaine charges. Both were elementary school teachers.

ARRESTED - Sex with Student
A drum instructor at a private school in Pennsylvania was charged with having sex with a 16-year-old female student he was driving home during a school break. Michael Culp, 30, was fired. He miscalculated. The age of consent is 16 in Pennsylvania. The motel was in New York where the age of consent is 17. TT - Link

ARRESTED - Video Voyerism
A 41-year old physical education teacher who works at an elementary school was arrested at a water park after complaints that he was taking pictures of young girls in bathing suits. The girls were 10 and 13. Police found 13,000 pictures of young girls in swimsuits on his computer. Duane Champagne isn't going to get any photography awards. The charge is video voyerism which is a crime in Louisiana. Even if it wasn't, it's creepy as heck. TT - Link

PLEADED NO CONTEST - Sex with Student age 13
Perhaps we should consider Nepotism as a category. Cora Solorio, 24, pleaded no contest ("You can prove it, but I won't admit it.") to committing a lewd act on a child and to two charges of having oral sex with a child. The boy was 13-years-old. Her stepfather is a member of the board of education. (California) TT - Link
Teaching is kind of like having your own sexual playground.

PLEADED GUILTY
The president and treasurer of the Delaware teachers' union pleaded guilty to making false statements in connection with his $163,000 student loan. By hiding income, he hoped to get better terms for repayment. Barry M. Young is 53. How long has that loan been outstanding, anyway? TT - Link

Role Model
Apparently, the School Superintendent must have dissed her because she refused to accept a transfer to another school. She didn't like the way he treated "competent and successful employees." We think she was referring to herself. In any case, she's now working in the district office and making the same salary. The taxpayers are screwed. The whole episode should be a humiliation and it's public performance at its worst. It defintely is NOT professionalism. TT - Link

ASSAULT ON COMMON SENSE
The attempt to strip a school principal of her administrative license in New Jersey gives you insight into the mine field that's educator discipline. SIX years after she was accused of ordering a fire alarm deactivated at a school, an administrative law judge -- not anyone elected by or accountable to taxpayers - ruled in favor of the principal, deciding that "the allegations were not proved." Catchy phrase that. Mind you, had she been found guilty, the taxpayers would have paid her $120,000 a year for six years while the system took the long, bureaucratic route to discipline. Everyone involved, no doubt, received salaries that were easily two times the median average salary for the state of New Jersey. (If you subtracted public servants from the median average, it's probably closer to 4x.) TT - Link

UPDATE on Illegal Teachers Strike
In Quincy, Massachusetts, a judge fined the union $150,000 for the four-day strike. Strikes by public employees in Massachusetts are illegal. It did not, however, stop Quincy teachers from walking out of school for four days, delaying final exams for students, picketing, and making public spectacles of themselves. As usual, they shamelessly solicited students to walk in support. (The only other people who regularly make use of children for confrontations are Marxists in Southeast Asia and in Africa.)
TT - Link TT - Link to original story.

Summary - June 12, 2007

Summary June 12, 2007


ARRESTED
Fairfield, California art teacher Kenneth Neubert, 34, was arrested on suspicion of furnishing marijuana to two 17-year-old students. It is, naturally, the most read story of the day at the local newspaper. TT - Link

BAILED OUT WITH BIG BUCKS
Jon Andrew White, 26, the teacher accused of molesting 11 children is out after posting $175,000 bail. (Bail is 10% of a bond which is, in his case, $1.75 million.) That prompted posters to start wondering, "Teaching must pay better than anyone ever realized... " and "what 26-year-old has $175,000?" Good question. If he shows up on on breakfast t.v., we'll know. TT - Link

SENTENCED (sorta)
One of our Mommy Sex stories ("When she's old enough to be your mother.") is particularly sad when the 39-year-old teacher had a child with the 17-year-old student. She already had two children and a husband. Christine Scarlett, 39, was sentenced three days in jail, followed by 180 days of house arrest and five years' probation. (Ohio) TT - Link

Ohio, we point out, doesn't have a good track record when it comes to punishing teachers. TT - Link

SENTENCED
After pleading "no contest" (You can prove it, but I won't admit it.) a 30-year-old elementary school teacher was given a suspended sentence of -- it doesn't matter because he'll won't serve it. Jonathan "Mark" McClain was also placed on 11 months and 29 days of supervised probation and ordered to have no contact with the female juvenile. The mother had to picket protest for weeks to get the school to do something about the inappropriate contact with her daughter. (Tennessee) TT - Link

SENTENCED (sorta)
A principal at a middle school who arranged a drug buy at his school and then had to be dissuaded from using the stuff immediately was sentenced. To drug treatment. Tony Giancola, 41, has to forfeit his teaching license which is one thing to cheer about. (Florida) TT - Link

SENTENCED
The Feds don't play around with sexual predators who use the Internet to meet 13-year-olds. Randy Hutto, a special education aide, was sentenced to 120 months (yes, 10 years) as well as five years supervised release and ordered to register as a sex offender. There is, happily, no parole for federal sentences. TT - Link

FIELD TRIP to where????????
Forty at-risk middle schoolers in New Hampshire got a trip to social service agencies in Manchester, including the library, the Boys and Girls' Club, ... Planned Parenthood... It was a joint program of the public schools and the YMCA. (Go figure.) The media is focusing on the anti-abortion protest at the time of the class visit. Planned Parenthood said they called to advise there was a protest before the trip. No one in the media asked if other at-risk 12-year-olds have been taken on the Planned Parenthood tour. TT - Link

Standardized Test Tampering Hearing
A board of education is hearing the case for dismissal of a third-grade teacher who is accused of tampering with standardized tests. Under advise of her lawyer, she refused to cooperate with an internal investigation, hence the hearing. She wants to keep her job and so does a Sarasota Tribune columnist who doesn't know a lot more about the case than you or we do. He's sure though that filling in those bubbles isn't important. (Florida) TT - Link

Bad Schools, not Hopeless Students
Afrocentric education is being planned in San Bernardino as a means of raising test scores. The problem is nearly everyone in the San Bernardino Unified School District tests poorly. So do the three other districts the newspaper points to. There are darn few whites in any of the schools, but that's California. Afrocentric education is just another attempt to blame black test scores for dragging down district scores while hoping to create a black-white divide. It's just lousy politics and shabby education. And indecent. TT - Link

Teacher Strikes
In Pennsylvania, there are two bills that are aimed at eliminating teacher strikes. One is a genuine effort. Only 9 states allow teachers to strike. TT - Link On the other hand, Massachusetts is one of those states that does not allow public employee strikes, but that (or a court order) isn't preventing Quincy teachers from striking. TT - Link

Taking Over Bad Schools
In Missouri, the Board of Education is taking control of St. Louis schools. Writing in Education Week, a Los Angeles Times education blogger, thinks it's a bad idea, not the least because the taxpayers are hostile to the takeover. But, frankly, they're the people who voted in the crooks in the first place. So we suspect hostility is spelled
P-A-T-R-O-N-A-G-E.
TT - Link

Summary June 11, 2007

Summary June 11, 2007

Follow the links for updates.

School Playing at Teaching

In Norfolk, Virginia, a forward-thinking teacher encouraged students to write a play about their experiences. It contained all the elements of modern art and media: profanity, sex, gay sex and sex abuse. The theatre teacher who is also the advisor for the school's gay, lesbian and transgender students, helped engineer the effort and the principal fully approved. Eventually, however, the principal determined it wouldn't be debuting at the school. Those darn taxpayers. TT - Link

Con Man Coach

You go where the money is, and in this case, it was a coaching job at a school. The popular football coach, Mark Todd Hauze, 48, was indicted on fraud for operation of foreign currency trading fund that bilked investors out of $13 million. He got staffers and parents at the California school before moving on to coach in Oregon. TT - Link

Washington, DC Government Schools

There seems to be nothing functional in Washington, DC schools. David Frum (National Review Online) responded to the Washington Post's two-part look (links provided) at the scandal-ridden schools and offers up his own recommendations. TT - Link

Summary - June 10, 2007

Summary June 10, 2007

Follow the links for updates.

ARRESTED - Prostitution

In Las Vegas, of all places. Can you believe? Police were tipped off that a cheerleading coach at a private school was also a madam. In a sting, she promised to deliver three girls and drugs and did. Esperanza Brooks, 30, was arrested at the casino-hotel. Along with the girls. TT - Link

ARRESTED - Harassing male students

A Minnesota assistant football coach was arrested after male students complained that Matthew Steven Ricker was sending them sexually explicit messages. He blames Tourette's Syndrome. TT - Link

Summary - June 9, 2007

Summary June 9, 2007

ARRESTED - School Board Member
A school board member in Detroit, Texas, was arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Daniel Hart attacked his wife's brother with a sledge hammer.
TT - Link

PLEADED GUILTY - School Principal
A Michigan principal pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a 15-year-old male student. James Lighthizer , 54, will be sentenced in July. The plea calls for one year in jail, five years' probation and sex offender registration. TT - Link

SENTENCED - School Principal
To two years for sex with a 17-year-oldstudent. Danny Sarver, 53, an Illinois principal will have to register as a sex offender. TT - Link

SENTENCED for Child Pornography
In Michigan, Scott Beyer, 39, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography. His sentence was one year probation, continuation in a sex offender treatment, and registration as a sex offender. (Why prosecutors bargain with pedophiles and allow them probation while demanding they register as a sex offender is beyond comprehension. If they are so sex obsessed that they are a registered sex offender, does probation seem an appropriate punishment for the offense that made registration necessary? It's increasingly clear that the real bargaining is for their teaching license. Which tells you how hard it is to actually fire a teacher that you have to let them get away with child pornography.) TT - Link

SENTENCED
Ty Walter Topper, 30, was sentenced to three years for in prison for attempting to sexually abuse an 8-year-old girl. (Oregon) TT - Link

EDUCATION IN TENNESSE
An article on grade inflation in statewide standardized testing lead to several articles on the school system in Nashville. TT - Link

EDUCATION IN GHANA OHIO
There are hundreds of Africentric schools in the U.S. In Ohio, there are 16 charter schools alone that focus on African heritage. In one Akron school, they offered gin to sixth graders as part of a rite of passage of sorts. The Ohio Board of Education is looking into the matter. TT - Link

Summary - June 8, 2007

Summary June 8, 2007

ARRESTED

A Pima Community College Chemistry teacher was arrested for violation of his parole. Among other things, he failed to mention his conviction when he was hired by the college. There was no mention that Patrick Allen Rundhaug, 43, was ever given a background check. TT - Link

ARRESTED

In Queens, a special education teacher, Sonia Vargas, 44, was arrested for kisssing an 11-year-old boy. Despite all-caps headline, there is so much missing in the story that it makes you wonder. Not that newspapers will go beyond the LIP LOCK SHOCK. TT - Link

ARRESTED

A coach at a middle school was arrested for sexual battery on a 14-year-old girl. James Simmons, 25, was a friend of the family. The emphasis is probably on the past tense. (Florida) TT - Link

ARRESTED

In Michigan, Stephen Tisch, 31, was charged for having sex with a 16-year-old student. The girl's mother notified police. The school was taking steps to fire him. He must not have been tenured. TT - Link

ARRAIGNED for Child Pornography
When a retired elementary school teacher has an extensive child pornography collection, it's worrisome. Gary E. Rademacher, 53, was also a Boy Scout leader and the pornography included 1,346 image files and 12 movies featuring boys younger than 14 years old. In total, he had 225,628 image files and 520 movie files. He'd been collecting since he was a teenager. (Missouri) TT - Link He was president of the Missouri State Teachers Association.

ARRAIGNED - (Nearly) the whole school board

Three current school board members, the district superintendent, the ex-husband of a former board member, the former mayor, an insurance company owner, and the president of the school board in Texas. TT - Link

INDICTED
The principal of a New Jersey parochial school was indicted on theft charges. Joseph Lemme was accused of stealing $400,000. He's also being sued by the school. TT - Link

GUILTY PLEA

She was arrested twice for drugs (methamphetamine), once for intent to sell. Joanna Chavez, 38, pleaded guilty to the two felony charges. The state has taken away her teaching certificate. (New Mexico) TT - Link

ANOTHER TRIAL

In Streetboro, Ohio, Dennis W. Ferguson, 64, will be tried on molesting a 9-year-old boy in 1992. Ferguson is already in prison for molesting children. (Ohio) TT - Link

SENTENCED

Paris Hilton will be playing her in the movie or maybe it's the other way around. Carrie McCandless, 29, a social studies teacher and cheerleading coach (and married to the principal) was sentenced to a 45 days for a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old boy. Of course, McCandless also has 5 years probation and has to register as a sex offender. (Colorado) TT - Link

SENTENCED

An elementary school teacher was sentenced to 13 years for sexual abuse of a 7-year-old girl. Juan Villanueva, 58, pleaded no contest in March. The girl was a relative. TT - Link

New Teacher Ethics Policy

A new teacher ethics policy is being crafted in Utah, a collaboration of the State Board of Education and the teacher's union. It sounds more like a legal document than a statement of principles and ethics, but that's what passes for morality in schools now. TT - Link

EXPERIMENT

Also in Utah, a school district is experimenting with a four-day school week. We're willing to bet there will be no reduction in teacher salaries. Their reasons for the experiment says a lot about education priorities. TT - Link

UPDATE

An update on a teacher arrested for stalking, harassing and threatening a fellow teacher reveals he had two prior arrests and convictions for violence and harassment. Both of which were known by the school. (Texas) TT - Link