Summary August 17, 2007Follow links for updated information
CHARGES FILED
A Temecula teacher will have to appear in court to answer charges of 11 misdemeanor counts of annoying and molesting a child under 18. He is accused of making inappropriate comments in class. Eleven students complained. Paul Andrew Rollins, 43, will appear in court in September. He's been under investigation since June.
(California)
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CHARGED
Stanley Williams, 55, a special education teacher was charged with using a stolen and forged prescription blank containing a doctor's note to justify his excessive absences to the New Brunswick Board of Education. No definition of excessive absences, but we also look closely at the school district in New Jersey.
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CHARGED - Selling Drugs
A substitute teacher in Pennsylvania was charged after selling prescription drugs to an undercover officer. Twice. Ronal F. Austin, 66, looks like such a jolly person, too.
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ARRESTED - Sex with two students
When police began investigating Melvin Jerome Fair, 55, a middle school teacher for suspected contact with a 14-year-old girl, they also uncovered a problem from 1999-2000. The youngest is 12-years-old from the 1999-2000 case and the recent charges involve a 14-year-old girl. He's the third teacher from the district arrested for sexual involvement with students.
North Carolina
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ARRESTED for Child Pornography
When the Toronto, Canada sex crimes unit contacted the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency about a video file posted on the Internet, federal agents traced the child pornography to a teacher in Las Vegas. Michael Gogerty, 41, was arrested and charged with inappropriate behavior with children. A search of his home revealed 200 CDs and floppy disks and over 200 videos. Gogerty had worked in three different day care centers before being hired as a fifth grade teacher at a middle school.
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GUILTY PLEA - Selling drugs
The case made NATIONAL HEADLINES. A Bethlehem, Pennsylvania principal was arrested selling methamphetamine out of his office at his middle school. He pleaded guilty to two counts of felony delivery of methamphetamine and one count of felony possession with intent to deliver. The case, however, was notable for the lack of cooperation with staff and teachers at the school who insisted on bringing their lawyers to a meeting with a school investigator who ended up having to claim it was his fault for scaring them. John Acerra, 50, will be sentenced in October.TT - Link
GUILTY PLEA- Soliciting murder
In Massachusetts, a Teacher of the Year solicited the murder of her husband. It turned out that the hitman was a state trooper who video and audio taped the meeting. Caroline M. Kotoski, 43, pleaded guilty to a charge of solicitation to commit murder. We hope she hasn't been on paid leave since her arrest in 2004.
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MO MONEY $ $ $ $
In Oregon, the Governor signed a bill giving school districts money for mentoring. It will amount to $5,000 for each new teacher. Given the failure rate of new teachers in schools, mentoring is touted as a way to help them that first year. But isn't that what we pay high-priced principals and superintendents to do: monitor and oversee teachers in the classroom? Why does it cost more to have a co-worker help you out?
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WHAT MONEY CAN'T BUY
Besides a decent education. For one, it can't buy a school free from pedophiles. Princess Beatrice's head history teacher at the private school near Windsor admits grooming young girls over the Internet for sex. The girl turned out a Scotland Yard investigator. Richard Findley, 42, is the father of three children, which is scary in itself.
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Teacher Discipline Records Online in Florida
Starting Monday you can find teacher discipline records online in Florida. Starting Tuesday unions will aggressively oppose any attempt at discipline of teachers, as if they haven't for decades. If you want to see the extent of the problem in Florida, the Sarasota Tribune had a series on Florida educators. (Look for link in TT - Reading)
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