Source: Shutterstock

From YourTango

By Mary Jo Rapini

There has been a series of news stories about female teachers having sex with their students. Almost every state in the United States is reporting similiar cases, and everyone is asking the same question: Why? In 2004, the United States Department of Education reported that 40 percent of perpetrators of unwanted sexual attention toward children were women and that number has steadily risen over the past nine years.

To understand why a female teacher would become sexually involved with one of her students, you have to understand what is going on in her head. Most of these women appear to be vibrant, normal, healthy adult women, but they may feel like teenagers themselves inside. Many of them have arrested emotional development; they giggle and carry on very much as a teenager. What’s strange is that they choose one aspect of the student they focus on and they idealize that aspect into being one of honesty, integrity and innocence — separate from the jadedness of the adult world.

Soon they see this teenager as being their age, like a peer. In psychology, this is frequently seen and is called “counter-transference”. The teacher focuses on one aspect of the child and idealizes it romantically; she then projects that on to her distorted reality. No one else realistically sees what the teacher has created in her mind. It becomes so bizarre that soon the teacher is planning her married life with kids after her student finishes high school.

One thing to consider is that we — as the public — tend to focus on the sex part of this relationship because that’s what ultimately leads to the arrest of the teacher. However, an emotional relationship usually develops long before sex take places. That is, the grooming, the meeting up, the numerous texts, the cute hand-written love letters and the sleepless nights. If an intervention is made at this time, you can end the relationship before sex takes place — getting help for the child and taking legal action against the teacher.

Read more on YourTango.com.

Source: Facebook

I want to say when will they learn, as in when will teachers learn not to make inappropriate comments about their students on Facebook. But the problem with Rainshaven Elementary School teacher Tameka Gatewood goes far beyond where she said disparaging remarks about her Kindergarten pupils.

The Memphis, TN, educator has been suspended without pay after school officials caught whiff of some disturbing things she was writing on her Facebook wall. According to Local 5 news WMCTV:

In reference to two students insulting each other, Gatewood posted the following to her Facebook page:

“How bout I blasted both of them. The girl in my class hair is nappy almost every day and the boy wears dirty clothes, face nasty and can’t even read. They didn’t bother nobody else when I got through with them.”…

Another post reads, “If another parent tell me it’s my job to teach their children, it’s gonna be po po time…

In another post, she offers an alternative to turning the other cheek.

“What do you think you’re supposed to do? Bang! Bang! Shoot ‘em up dammit! Just kidding!! For real tho – slap their a** back then Bang! Bang! Shoot ‘em up dammit,” Gatewood posted on Facebook.

Though the school is saying this issue is indicative of the larger problem of not having clearly outlined Social Media policies, it’s evident Gatewood has an issue with being inappropriate period.

A review of her personnel file shows she was reprimanded multiple times for insubordination early in her career with MCS.

In a 2002 letter to personnel, the principal at Sharpe Elementary School, where Gatewood worked at the time, pleaded with the district to remove Gatewood from her clerical job.

The letter said, “How many times does a person have to be insubordinate before action is taken?”

Six years later, Gatewood became an MCS teacher.

City Schools Commissioner Kenneth Whalum addressed Gatewood’s suspect past, saying, ”I know it’s a sign of much more serious problems that we seem to be loathe to address.” MCS School Board Commissioner Tomeka Hart expressed those same sentiments, downplaying the Social Media policy aspect.

“I agree we don’t have a specific social media policy, but we do have ethics. We do have professionalism. We expect our teachers to act as adults whether they’re in social media or otherwise.”

Right now parents at Rainshaven are asking adminstrators to act on those ethics and remove Gatewood from her position. That could very well happen depending on the outcome of her upcoming tenure hearing.

Do you think Tameka Gatewood should be fired?

*Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
Action News 5 – Memphis, Tennessee

Photo: Creatas

A group of academics, trying to tackle the country’s education problem, have suggested that the merit pay system we have in place for teachers needs to be changed.

The study, led by Freakonomics co-author Steven Levitt, proposes that teachers get paid a lump-sum bonus amount with the threat that if they don’t reach certain goals, they’ll have to pay the money back. “Rather than tap into teachers’ ambition, they’d tap into their anxiety,” writes The Atlantic. The tactic is called “loss aversion.”

The academics conducted a study with kindergarten through eighth grade teachers in a low-income Chicago community participating. They found that those teachers who were at risk of paying back their bonuses if the students didn’t excel actually “over performed.”

Of course, this doesn’t definitively prove anything. But The Atlantic recommends that education reformers keep an eye on this sort of practice. And if it happens in one job field, it could happen in others.

Do you think this is the best way to motivate teachers specifically, and workers in general?

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Source: News One

Most people would be happy if they were found lifeless on a bathroom floor and someone resuscitated them because, you know, they saved their life, but not a suspected overdose victim who was rescued by a Brooklyn teacher during her lunch break today.

Cassandra Byrd-Scolaro was heading to the bathroom inside the S&B Restaurant in Williamsburg today when she and another waitress saw a woman lying unconscious on the floor. That’s when the teacher sprang into action.

“We pulled her out of the bathroom,” Byrd-Scolaro said. “She wasn’t breathing. She had no pulse. I immediately began giving her compressions.”

About three minutes later, Emergency Medical Services arrived and the woman began breathing and her heart started back beating. Everyone around was relived that the woman was OK and inspired by Byrd-Scolaro’s heroism—except for the victim. Instead, when she came to she flipped her middle finger at the teacher and the EMS workers. Ungrateful much?

The victim’s reaction is what caused news reporters to suspect an intentional drug overdose, but despite the woman’s response, Ms. Byrd-Scolaro says she’s happy she was there to help.

“It was a great feeling,” she told the NY Daily News before heading back to teach her afternoon classes.

As a token of appreciation, the chicken caeser wrap the teacher ordered was given to her by the restaurant for free.

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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“Little chocolate boy” may sound like a term of endearment for a brown-skinned kid, but when you follow that up with “chocolate that nobody wanted,” you know there’s a problem.

Leslie Rainer, a Blanche Ely High School teacher in South Florida, is facing suspension for making comments like those to a Haitian-American boy in her class, and according to a complaint filed with the school district, the words are typical for her.

“[Rainer] has had a history of inappropriate conduct towards her part-Haitian, minority descent students,” the complaint notes. “Respondent made a statement to a student that, ‘I wish they would put you in a boat and send you back where you came from.’ ”

The complaint also states Rainer once told a student to stand in the corner near a garbage can because “that’s where he belongs,” and the taunted student claims that he caught some of her comments on a cellphone video camera.

Two years ago, Rainer and another teacher were accused of of pretending to sprinkle an atheist colleague with “holy water” in front of students. Both teachers were initially removed from their positions but a couple of years later they were cleared of any wrongdoing and allowed to return to the classroom.

Regarding her current case, Rainer doesn’t acknowledge any wrongdoing.

“There’s nothing negative about chocolate,’ she told WPLG-TV in Miami. “We were discussing the different chocolates and how the kids don’t like dark chocolates so that’s when the comment was made.”

Do you think a three-day suspension without pay is appropriate?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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If other inner-city school districts are anything like the one I witness several days out of the week, it’s understandable why many parents are opting out of the education system completely for an opportunity to educate their children a variety of curriculum in the safety of their own home.  More students are in the hallways than in the classroom nowadays (and that’s if they even bother coming to school at all).  Political power plays leave educators and supporting staff who are actually invested in students unmotivated, powerless and in the worst case, jobless.  Confusion and competition at the top of the education chain leads to a chaotic learning environment where students often fall at the losing end.

In my own childhood I had the chance to be both a student of a catholic school for 10 years (grades Pre-K to eight) and a high school student at a small magnet school in Philadelphia whose curriculum focused on college preparation and world relations.  I often take for granted the advantage that having a solid, well-rounded basic education gave me.  As a parent, you’d like to believe that everyday you’re sending your child to a place where for seven to eight hours a day they’re gaining the skills necessary to be critical thinkers and competitive players in the real world.  Unfortunately, with all of the stories of sexual assault and molestation, violence and bullying, I often wonder how much learning is actually being achieved.  We all know that children thrive on routine and structure, so I’m also troubled by the idea that many children who are already coming from unstable family situations can no longer find security and safety in the “typical school day.”

If you think you have what it takes, or could actually stomach working for Kanye West, here’s your chance.

Last night the rapper/fashion designer/inventor? announced plans to launch a design company named DONDA to develop products and services that “marry our wants and needs.”

“DONDA is a design company which will galvanize amazing thinkers and put them in a creative space to bounce their dreams and ideas,” he wrote.

“I am assembling a team of architects, graphic designers, directors musicians, producers, AnRs, writers, publicist, social media experts, app guys, managers, car designers, clothing designers, DJs, video game designers, publishers, tech guys, lawyers, bankers, nutritionist, doctors, scientist, teachers.

“DONDA will be comprised of over 22 divisions with a goal to make products and experiences that people want and can afford,” he said. “We want to help simplify and aesthetically improve everything we see hear, touch, taste and feel. To dream of, create, advertise and produce products driven equally by emotional want and utilitarian need.”

Kanye’s passion for his new idea is undeniable and he’s also pretty proud of the company’s name.

“I’m so excited about the name…. it’s got the best name ever of all companies of all time!!!” he wrote. “The name of the company is DONDA.”

Just be warned. Kanye revealed the details of the new company amidst a three-hour twitter rant on missed opportunities, closed doors, and fronting his owm money to pursue his passions, so he’s still the same old Ye. Nevertheless it’s cool to see him thinking outside the box like this and honoring his mother’s memory at the same time. He also told anybody who wants in on the team to drop a line to contactDONDA@gmail.com.

What do you think about Kanye’s idea? Can he pull it off?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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Kimberly Crain, a third grade teacher at McLoud Elementary School in Oklahoma, attempted to spread holiday cheer the wrong way when she invited five students to her home for a Christmas-decorating party. The gathering quickly turned inappropriate when the teacher allegedly asked the girls to change into Christmas-themed bras and panties with words like “Ho, Ho” written on them, after which she filmed and took photos of the students while they ate pizza and decorated the tree.

And that’s not even the worst part.

According to KFOR-TV, this may just be the last of many inappropriate actions carried out by Ms. Crain. A student in her class said the teacher,

“has all the kids in her class Skype over the computer with an older man wearing glasses named ‘Uncle G’ and three to four times a week she would take photos of particular girls in the class posing on the desk and chairs using her personal cell phone.”

This is by far one of the most disturbing stories I’ve heard in a long time. It sounds like the teacher was running some sort of underage webcam peep show for creepers.

Crain has since resigned from her position without comment and so far police have seized three laptops, a flash drive, a portable hard drive, and an iPod from her home. The school superintendent said counselors are on hand to help victims if needed, and a substitute teacher will take over her class for now.

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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Teachers are getting out of hand these days. In Baton Rouge, a 65-year-old school teacher was arrested for allegedly tying a jacket around a 6-year-old girl’s neck and dragging her across the playground to the office. Bruises on the girl’s neck and right leg, and holes in her uniform seem to corroborate the story. For once, it also appears the police are on the side of the people.

“There is no valid excuse to take such action against a child,” says Police Chief Mike Knaps. “I’m in my 31st year with the police department and I’ve never been witness to anything like this before.”

The mother plans to transfer her daughter to a different school while the teacher is on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. Sounds like it’s time for her to retire.

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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Knox and her husband, Gene.

I’m sure you’ve had many career advisers tell you time and time again to watch the pictures you post on Facebook. Why? Because employers often use Facebook to check up on you in the hiring process. We all know ratchetness on Facebook could possibly keep you from getting a job, but it sucks to know that the opinions you share–and display on the site–could possibly cost you your job as well.

A teacher in New Jersey named Viki Knox is in the center of the debate on free speech on through social media, as many are calling for her job after she posted anti-gay comments on her Facebook page. Knox has been put on paid administrative leave while the matter is investigated (and has been since the beginning of the month), but during a school board meeting yesterday, protesters were in full force for both sides of the matter. On one side, individuals were holding up posters that said, “No Hate in Our State,” while on the other side, a large group of people standing by the teacher held up smaller signs that said, “Don’t Bully Viki.” Many argue that a woman who teaches around young people of all different backgrounds and orientations, and is open about her disapproval of the gay lifestyle, shouldn’t get to keep working in the school. However, others are saying that firing a person because of what they believe in based on their religious teachings would be a violation of their free speech and religious freedoms.

I know what you’re thinking: if she was just speaking her mind on her Facebook page on her own time, what’s the issue? Well, according to the Los Angeles Times, Knox, 49, was commenting on the school’s recognition of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender History Month. The special education teacher wrote that being of the LGBT community was a “sin” a sin that in her mind, “breeds like cancer.” She made it clear that celebrating the month in the school is like parading “unnatural, immoral behavior before the rest of us.”

Many gay advocates say that her opinions could cause her to not keep an eye out for those bullying students of the LGBT community, and that she may not fully enforce new anti-bullying legislation passed in New Jersey last spring. Not really sure how I feel about this one, because I think it’s sad that people’s religious opinions, which are expressed outside of school halls, can still get them axed. However, some people commenting on this story did bring up a really good point: remember the story we posted about the white supremacist principal in the Bronx who was fired after it came out that he wrote a string of books about minority inferiority? Well…this is somewhat similar. Not fully though, because racism isn’t something commonly taught (at least not out in the open), while Knox’s beliefs are a common view held by some Christians due to their personal interpretations of the Bible. But still, her known beliefs could possibly play a part in how she treats her students, or even worse, how they feel about being around her. As if there wasn’t enough as an adolescent teen to be uncomfortable about in school…But what do you think?

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