Summary June 5, 2007
Sentenced
AGE 43 Described as "the most prolific child predator in Brazos County Courthouse in years," a special education teacher at a middle school was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences. David Allen Vandyne confessed to police in 2003 that he had molested 20 boys.. As a result of a plea agreement, he was sentenced to 16 years. In Brazos County, he was sentenced for raping a 10-year-old boy. (Texas) TT - Link
AGE 50 The Foot Fetish school principal was sentenced to of 180 days to be suspended on completion of two years probation. Robert Holloway must register as a sex offender and stay away from children. (Ohio) TT- Link
Arrested
AGE 49 Emmanuel “Manny” Reyes, 49, who recently served as associate principal of Lyons Township High School, was arrested for embezzlement from Collaborative Learning, an educational software business. He was CEO. (Illinois) TT - Link
AGE 64 A North Miami special education "paraprofessional" was arrested for sexual battery of an incapacitated person, armed kidnapping and tampering or threatening a witness. Richard Campbell is accused of kidnapping, threatening and raping the 21-year-old handicapped woman. His brother is reported to have said, "I think he wanted to marry her." And, yes, his age is correct. (Florida) TT - Link
Sentenced
AGE 43 Described as "the most prolific child predator in Brazos County Courthouse in years," a special education teacher at a middle school was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences. David Allen Vandyne confessed to police in 2003 that he had molested 20 boys.. As a result of a plea agreement, he was sentenced to 16 years. In Brazos County, he was sentenced for raping a 10-year-old boy. (Texas) TT - Link
AGE 50 The Foot Fetish school principal was sentenced to of 180 days to be suspended on completion of two years probation. Robert Holloway must register as a sex offender and stay away from children. (Ohio) TT- Link
Arrested
AGE 49 Emmanuel “Manny” Reyes, 49, who recently served as associate principal of Lyons Township High School, was arrested for embezzlement from Collaborative Learning, an educational software business. He was CEO. (Illinois) TT - Link
AGE 64 A North Miami special education "paraprofessional" was arrested for sexual battery of an incapacitated person, armed kidnapping and tampering or threatening a witness. Richard Campbell is accused of kidnapping, threatening and raping the 21-year-old handicapped woman. His brother is reported to have said, "I think he wanted to marry her." And, yes, his age is correct. (Florida) TT - Link
AGE 32 DRUGS A Pennsylvania teacher was arrested after selling 10 OxyContin tablets for $625 to an undercover trooper. Shawn Bellicini faces charges of one count of dealing of a controlled substance and two counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance. TT - Link
INDICTED - Story of the Day
AGE 26 How do you get to be a "rising star" in education circles in Maryland at age 26? Well, for one, the Washington Post anoints you. It also helps to be black and attractive, in Who’s Who Among American Teachers, and politically connected.
Less than 1 year after being elected to the Prince George's school board, police issued a warrant for the arrest of Nathaniel Thomas. They were still looking for him four days later when he turned himself in May 8. Today he was indicted on a third-degree sex offense for having a relationship with a 15-year-old male student he once taught. He's also under investigation for an "inappropriate relationship" with a 18-year-old boy, a senior at the school, he took to a conference without his parents knowledge. TT- Link
AGE 25 A special education aide arrested at the end of May for sexual abuse of a special education student was indicted. Kyle Hite told police he continued to touch her breast because he thought the teenager found him attractive. (Arizona) TT - Link
Suspended
A band director was suspended without pay and may lose his job. We described how two teacher discipline cases illustrate the absurdity of having Educrats passing judgement on the teachers they hired in the first place. (Florida) TT - Link
TENURE HEARING Postponed
The tenure hearing for a Shreveport coach who pleaded not guilty May 8 to five counts of molestation of a juvenile was postponed. Gregory Lee Frazier is accused of having sexual contact with four students during a 16-year period. We couldn't find Louisiana teacher discipline records online, but we found something we never suspected. (Louisiana) TT - Link
The tenure hearing for a Shreveport coach who pleaded not guilty May 8 to five counts of molestation of a juvenile was postponed. Gregory Lee Frazier is accused of having sexual contact with four students during a 16-year period. We couldn't find Louisiana teacher discipline records online, but we found something we never suspected. (Louisiana) TT - Link
Drug Testing (PR Exercises)
A school board member is calling for mandatory drug testing after the arrest of middle school teacher Michael White for drug dealing. Last year, the high school principal was arrested for drugs and acquitted by a jury. He's returned to his post. Another board member is afraid of false positives. ""Of course I want drug-free schools, very much," she said. "But I don't know of a perfect system out there."
It's okay to have zero tolerance for students, another thing to accuse someone who is tenured. (West Virginia) TT - Link
REALITY CHECK - Teacher and Trash Education Viewpoint TT - Link
A Star is Born
It doesn't take a crystal ball or an addiction to CourtTV to predict the trial of Albert Scerbo, the teacher at an Indian reservation school in New York accused of multiple counts of sexual misconduct against students, is going to be Johnny Cochran Theatre. We predicted it after the New York Times chose the "troubled relationships" angle. Now motions to dismiss are AP material. We're thinking heavy connections, but we don't know what they are yet. TT - Link
HIGH ALTITUDE (again)
A school board member is calling for mandatory drug testing after the arrest of middle school teacher Michael White for drug dealing. Last year, the high school principal was arrested for drugs and acquitted by a jury. He's returned to his post. Another board member is afraid of false positives. ""Of course I want drug-free schools, very much," she said. "But I don't know of a perfect system out there."
It's okay to have zero tolerance for students, another thing to accuse someone who is tenured. (West Virginia) TT - Link
REALITY CHECK - Teacher and Trash Education Viewpoint TT - Link
A Star is Born
It doesn't take a crystal ball or an addiction to CourtTV to predict the trial of Albert Scerbo, the teacher at an Indian reservation school in New York accused of multiple counts of sexual misconduct against students, is going to be Johnny Cochran Theatre. We predicted it after the New York Times chose the "troubled relationships" angle. Now motions to dismiss are AP material. We're thinking heavy connections, but we don't know what they are yet. TT - Link
HIGH ALTITUDE (again)
In Colorado Springs, a fund to pay for teacher training was set up. It made $42,590 available to teachers who attended conferences. The fund was administered by the teachers union. After investigation of disbursements, the school district has turned their findings over to the District Attorney's office. Local newspaper says the fund shouldn't be a slush fund for union honchos. It would be nice to know what bozos decided that it should be union controlled. Oh, wait. It's Colorado Springs. Sheeze TT - Link
LAWSUIT
(Arkansas) There are two sides to every story, but why is dismissing a teacher so costly for the taxpayer? Arkansas isn't the richest state in the union. Their per-pupil expenditure is $6,895. So when a school district pays out $275,000, plus pension payments, plus $50,000 in attorney's fees, to a fired teacher, you would think a newspaper would want to explore that kind of expenditure. As well as the payout the district will be making to 300 teachers in the same lawsuit about length of a school day, what constituted instructional and non-instructional duty, and whether teachers were receiving a state-mandated 30-minute lunch period. Why does this case suggest there's so much more not being said? TT - Link
LAWSUIT
(Wisconsin) A newspaper is still rehashing the firing of Robert Zellner, the Cedarsburg high shool teacher who was fired when the school district found 1,500 porn pictures on his computer. Wasn't the first time, apparently. Short version: he was fired. He appealed, arbitrator said he should be reprimanded and ordered he be given his job back. School district refused. Judge overturned the arbitrator. Newspaper went to Wisconsin Supreme Court to get copy of images. ...... There's no short version. (Sorry) But a newspaper is still flogging the story, saying there's no proof he actually viewed all 1,500 images. He was the teachers' union president. TT - Link
PRIORITIES
(New Jersey) Just because students have to take math classes, the school district has to lay off a teacher who taught BEN-TV the students how to produce quiz shows for the school's public access TV station. How unfair is that? Bayonne High School has the only ice skating rink in the country for their students. They rate a 3 at Great Schools, but really, isn't laying off a tenured teacher going too far? TT - Link
PRIORITIES
(California) Something had to go in Mountain View schools. It turned out to be one of those Facing History courses that teach students about the Holocaust and "other genocides" (as well as how to become social activists.) The schools are going to focus on improving scores on standardized testing and advanced placement tests. TT - Link
Briefly Noted
(Australia) A teacher faces 230 counts of sexual abuse of one of her female students. The girl was 14 when the abuse started and lasted two years. The teacher's husband was , ah, concerned. We include these international stories to show that things could be worse. TT - Link
LAWSUIT
(Arkansas) There are two sides to every story, but why is dismissing a teacher so costly for the taxpayer? Arkansas isn't the richest state in the union. Their per-pupil expenditure is $6,895. So when a school district pays out $275,000, plus pension payments, plus $50,000 in attorney's fees, to a fired teacher, you would think a newspaper would want to explore that kind of expenditure. As well as the payout the district will be making to 300 teachers in the same lawsuit about length of a school day, what constituted instructional and non-instructional duty, and whether teachers were receiving a state-mandated 30-minute lunch period. Why does this case suggest there's so much more not being said? TT - Link
LAWSUIT
(Wisconsin) A newspaper is still rehashing the firing of Robert Zellner, the Cedarsburg high shool teacher who was fired when the school district found 1,500 porn pictures on his computer. Wasn't the first time, apparently. Short version: he was fired. He appealed, arbitrator said he should be reprimanded and ordered he be given his job back. School district refused. Judge overturned the arbitrator. Newspaper went to Wisconsin Supreme Court to get copy of images. ...... There's no short version. (Sorry) But a newspaper is still flogging the story, saying there's no proof he actually viewed all 1,500 images. He was the teachers' union president. TT - Link
PRIORITIES
(New Jersey) Just because students have to take math classes, the school district has to lay off a teacher who taught BEN-TV the students how to produce quiz shows for the school's public access TV station. How unfair is that? Bayonne High School has the only ice skating rink in the country for their students. They rate a 3 at Great Schools, but really, isn't laying off a tenured teacher going too far? TT - Link
PRIORITIES
(California) Something had to go in Mountain View schools. It turned out to be one of those Facing History courses that teach students about the Holocaust and "other genocides" (as well as how to become social activists.) The schools are going to focus on improving scores on standardized testing and advanced placement tests. TT - Link
Briefly Noted
(Australia) A teacher faces 230 counts of sexual abuse of one of her female students. The girl was 14 when the abuse started and lasted two years. The teacher's husband was , ah, concerned. We include these international stories to show that things could be worse. TT - Link
