General
***Trigger Warning: violence
A student may have paralyzed a longtime language arts teacher who is currently recovering from injuries she sustained from a fight.
English teacher Tiwana Turner at Heritage High School in Conyers, an Atlanta suburb, went viral on Twitter after a student physically assaulted her, PEOPLE reported.
According to Turner’s associate, Jean Cannon, who organized her GoFundMe, the incident occurred on January 26, inside another teacher’s classroom while Turner’s co-worker was absent.
It is not clear how the situation got started, but the female student, who is unnamed, asserted her dominance over Turner.
The teacher tried to de-escalate the situation by walking away, stepping outside by the classroom door, and raising her hand to keep the distance between her and the student.
However, Turner’s peacekeeping efforts failed. The student assaulted the teacher, punched her in the face multiple times, causing her to fall onto ground.
The barrage of attacks on her knee and leg has rendered Turner hospitalized, and it is unclear whether or not she will be able to walk again or return to work soon.
“She will require extensive rehabilitation and therapy,” the GoFundMe stated.
“Her life was suddenly altered, and now she will require several mobility accommodations while she recovers. This does not include the financial strain from fees associated with her hospitalization. While she has helped so many students and families during her 27 years in education, she is now in need of help and assistance. Any donation is greatly appreciated and will go directly towards her rehabilitation and hospitalization fees.”
As of reporting, Turner’s GoFundMe raised more than $15,000.
The student, a ninth grader, is charged with aggravated battery in the attack, Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. The student is being held at a regional youth detention center after the incident last week. Due to privacy laws, the school district can not disclose the student’s status.
“Rockdale County Public Schools is investigating an incident where a student allegedly attacked a teacher during class last week at Heritage High School,” the district said in an emailed statement, obtained by AJC. “RCPS does not tolerate student violence towards any staff members. Students who harm other students or staff will be disciplined according to our Student Discipline Code of Conduct and will be appropriately charged by law enforcement. We will adhere to personnel and student privacy laws in this matter.”
The president of the Georgia Federation of Teachers, Verdaillia Turner, told Fox 5 Atlanta that the altercation is an example of why there is a nationwide teaching shortage, saying, “Students are out of control…there is no excuse for the violence…there is no excuse for children who are coming into our school daily and wreaking havoc so other students cannot learn.”
“When we search the web and just Google ‘student assaults on teachers,’ we’ll see numerous assaults across the country and this is driving teachers out of the classroom,” Verdaillia said.
According to salary.com, the median income of a high school teacher’s salary in Georgia is little more than $61,000, but the range typically is between $49,500 and $76,000.
Factors like the cost of living, the teacher’s education, certifications, additional skills and professional experience also determine salary.
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