I wonder if we (taxpayers/parents) would have ever heard about this, had it not been for the letter that went out. I have to wonder if we have other teachers that are dismissed during the year for inappropriate behavior, but never revealed to the public, to see if there are others who are subject to the behavior.
Thankfully the girl is OK..
Scary! Sad to hear about this event.
Hope we find out what happened before the bottle was thrown. What was said? The tone? Respect level? Structure of the classroom management of the classroom? Rules in place?
The next teacher will need another adult to maintain classroom management and structure to support a safe environment for all to learn and get an education.
I applaud the administration for their quick action, but, on the other hand, if this had been an act committed by another student, that student would have been hauled off in handcuffs. Administrative leave serves to lessen the act. And the studen that was injured being referred to as “just fine”…absolutely not. 6 staples in the head and she is “fine”.
My child is a student of Mrs. Andrus. Although she is in a different period than when this incident happened, we never received a letter from the school….I am shocked to hear this as she always seemed very sweet and laid back. One of my daughter’s favorite teachers in fact.
I am so sad to hear this and agree with the school’s decision to fire her. Also very glad the girl is alright.
Do what you have to do to the teacher but are they going to find out what brought her to that point. Get to the truth and probably the student(s) brought it on themselves. There is no respect anymore for the staff in the school and kids get a slap on the hand when they act like a bunch of animals. Parents need to take control of the kids and teach them respect, kindness and not to be a smart A_ _. Sad situation all around.
Most people will feel sorry for the child and applaud the teacher being fired. I agree that she should be but I am so sick of the parents in Katy that treat their kids like the world revolves around them without recourse for their actions. The same parents whose only form of discipline is asking them how they think their actions make others feel while KISD handcuffs the teachers. The Teachers in KISD are subjected to verbal abuse daily with no true recourse. I guess this teacher wasnt friends with Frailey and his wife or she could have kept her job like the Principal at Exley who covered up the abuse at her school and lied to the parents. In Katy I guess its not who or how you abuse a job or cover it up….I guess the only thing that matters is who you know. All of you parents who spoil your children and provide no true discipline for them…..these teachers are only human and just because you are willing to let your brat spawn walk all over you doesnt mean the teachers of Katy should have to as well.
It is sad. It is sad for everyone involved. She was an excellent teacher and cared about students. This is what was being reported about her a year ago…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7XeS1QbEZA. She went above and beyond the call of duty while teaching there. This was not characteristic of her at all. Though its never okay to direct violence toward anyone…especially an adult toward a child… it brings questions to my mind about what teachers are enduring now in the classroom. Too many students, too little support, insufficient disciplinary consequences for students, too much pressure on teachers…and students with parents who defend everything they do, kids who see disrespect as amusing, and disobedience is seen by their parents as funny or cute. I spent 20 years in public education and never showed my anger or frustration toward students that way…but believe me…it was hard not to sometimes. I predict an increase of teachers “snapping” like this due to conditions.
I agree with all of the above. Every time a teacher “snaps” and lashes out, it seems that no one ever tries to find out what made the teacher snap. Everyone always screams about how horrible the teacher was, but no one ever seems to ask, Gee, what was happening in the classroom at the time of the incident? IF the students had been following the EXPECTED behavior, this would not have happened.
Just like the second grader who had his mouth taped shut. Obviously he wouldn’t stop talking despite repeated instructions to do so. Why not?
Why won’t students do what they are told to do the first time? Oh, that’s right. That’s only happens in a PollyAnna world. It’s not realistic to expect students to follow directions the first time given- even though that expectation is on some kids Behavior Intervention Plans.
What happened to the good old days when a student got in trouble at school they got double the trouble at home?? Oh yeah, all the liberals say those kids turned into ax murderers. I didn’t.
But kids are smart enough to know that they can and do and will get away with anything in school- there is no true discipline. Someone will bail them out because all discipline is pretty much considered “demeaning” to a kid’s “self-esteem”.
We can’t even put a kid into the corner anymore- it has to be called “Time Out” so it doesn’t sound as harsh and the kids is told to “think about what got him/her there”. Awwww. A second grader isn’t going to think about what got him/her there- they’re only going to go home and whine to mama and daddy that” the teacher is mean and won’t let me do anything.”
The principal at the school needs to go interview the class and find out why students weren’t doing what they were told to do in the first place and why they weren’t- then discipline the class for not following directions.
Hopefully the class will see where their actions led- now they have no teacher- and Lord help the teacher who has to step into that room now- it will be no picnic to follow in her shoes.
As a teacher in Katy ISD, I can attest to the case that more and more students are out of control and they feel emboldened to hear that a teacher lost her job because she had an unfortunate moment of desperation. They feed off of one another with bad behavior trying to one up each other. They are entertaining the other knuckleheads that find it amusing. Just today I had a student threaten to punch me in the face and she was serious. You read that right… it was a girl and when I shockingly asked her if she had just threatened to punch me, she responded with, “that was not a threat, it was a promise.” Isn’t that lovely? Ugh.
-
allknowing says:
George Scott
This is my first post here in months because I have lost any hope or belief that the new board members have any serious intention of pursuing a broad ranging reform agenda of which discipline management would be one of many areas of inquiry.
Your post however cries for support.
When something like you described happens, you have options.
Admittedly, if the teachers’ groups were seriously dedicated to an appropriate role in these kinds of issues, your life would be easier.
But no group in Katy ISD is. You are on your own to develop strategies to protect your career from this child in the future.
I feel so sad for the teacher who lost it and has paid a terrible price, but many teachers find themselves under the gun for far less serious conduct than her unfortunate meltdown.
A long time mentor to me wisely said about two decades ago that many teachers get in trouble for what they DON’T do BEFORE they do what they did to get in serious trouble. The way the HR system is rigged these days, teachers are often abandoned in terms of discipline management BUT they don’t have to be.
Even without the useless ATPE and the other feckless groups that take your money and hide on these matters of extreme importance to your profession, you do have options that have been used by many before you that can help without being openly hostile or insubordinate.
I don’t actually care about others’ response to this, but if you’ d like to visit, drop me a note at ghscott@aol.com.
All the best; good luck; be strong.
-
madcat says:
I wish you had whipped out your phone and told her to repeat it if she was brave enough to have it recorded. Then show it to her parents.
Madcat….”The principal at the school needs to go interview the class and find out why students weren’t doing what they were told to do in the first place and why they weren’t- then discipline the class for not following directions.”
The only problem with that is that the principals are limited as well. The problem here lies with Frailey and the school board. One of the biggest problems with Texas ISD’s is that the school board members are elected with no educational pre-requisite. I understand that the school board doesn’t get paid BUT school board members either like the “prestige” or have political aspirations and this is the first step toward a paying political office.
So Billy Bob from Billy Bob’s used car emporium decides (even though he has never been married or has ever had a child) to run for a position on the school board. Well Billy Bob’s business is doing well and a few months prior to elections he has a ton of little signs on all the street corners, meets with the Rotary club, the Lions club, the _________ (fill in the blank) club, and voila’ he is elected. Congratulations Billy Bob…now you get to help decide how the school district is run. Did I mention Billy Bob was put in a corner as a child, failed the 8th grade, and got suspended numurous times for yelling at teachers. I wonder what his reaction will be when a parent comes to a meeting and complains about any of those happening to their “sweet” child?
I am a teacher in another part of the country, and I feel sorry for the teacher. Although I love my kids and teaching, kids can be very disrespectful and rude these days, and no matter what happens it is always the teacher’s fault. I wonder what was going on in there? And if you ask for help as a teacher with rude students, the blame is always placed back on you. Makes me want to throw a bottle too.
I applaud McCord for acting responsibly and quickly.