Summary June 15, 2007Follow 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
