Illinois Refuge for Bad Teachers

by John Ruskin

The Courier News reports today: Ill. Near Bottom in Screening Teachers

The Courier is being generous in their headline. "Near Bottom" means Illinois is ranked 49th. Second to last folks.

As if anyone is surprised that the hundreds of billions of dollars we spend yearly on public education in this state would result in nothing more than a haven for criminals and incompetents.

Comments

[the wonderboy]

"Haven for criminals and incompetents." Wow. That kind of talk is what I teach my freshmen at the University to avoid in order to be credible in discussions and debates. Well done.

We do need to ensure that our teachers have background checks done when hired, just as many croporations have chosen to do. We should also have better ways in place to remove those who violate standards and principles of society. However, I'm not sure that name-calling is an effective way to reach solutions for potentially realistic concerns.

But I'm just a socialist, liberal, un-American, freedom-hater who hates the party of Ronald Reagan and Abraham Lincoln. There...I did it for you, so now please deal with the issues at hand.

[tfb]

I keep telling people, if you love your child you would not send them to a public indoctrination center.

tfb

[Susan Ryan]

There are background checks done on teachers and staff that will be around our children. Legislators can keep cranking out these bills demanding this or that in accountability and it doesn't seem to help.

Part of the problem is that the schools/unions back their teachers (perverts or not) and deny there is a problem.
From Edweek:http://tinyurl.com/3y6dq4
"State efforts to strengthen laws against sex abuse by teachers have run into opposition from school boards and teachers’ unions. In Congress, a measure that would train investigators and create a national registry of offenders hasn't even gotten a hearing. Few leaders recognize, let alone attack, what children’s advocates regard as a national shame."
"A report ordered by Congress and released in 2004 examined previous studies and surveys of teacher sexual misconduct and sent a troubling message. It estimated that some 4.5 million students out of 50 million in American public schools "are subject to sexual misconduct by an employee of a school sometime between kindergarten and 12th grade." ("Sexual Abuse by Educators Is Scrutinized," March 10 and "Report Examining Sexual Misconduct Taps Some Nerves," July 14, 2004.)
But that report, compiled by a leading expert, Charol Shakeshaft, who heads the educational leadership department at Virginia Commonwealth University, was largely ignored."
Here's more:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16659280

In central IL, one male teacher made a path through 7 year olds in THREE different school districts in THREE different towns from 2002-06. Odd, one would have thought. The administration likes to keep those little problems quiet.

That was only covering the "criminal" part; charged or not.

[Pete Speer]

Just another example of the demented leadership of the Teacher's Unions and the retarded members of the school boards.

[David E. Smith]

Yet another reason to homeschool.

[jorod]

The cost of monopoly: High prices, low quality.

[YNM]

You know I've never met an education professional or school board member who wanted to protect a pervert, criminal or incompetent. I have met several education professionals who wanted to protect due process. And I can't fault them for that. Absolutely make sure there are solid and successful processes in place for background checks. Make sure that when an individual is convicted their license is revoked and they are processed criminally through the system. But let's not throw out due process in our efforts to improve the system.

And, Susan, are you referring to Jon White? Last I checked that case was still in the courts. Unless you have access to evidence the rest of us don't, he has not been found guilty of anything yet.

[Susan Ryan]

Due process concerns only apply to the employees. Any high school kid knows that.

Surely you know that the union protects everyone; pervert,incompetent,criminal and not? Everyone, unless all hell breaks loose and the cat is out of the bag.

I am referring to Jon White. You are right, he has not been found guilty, but his behavior was highly suspect before the charges were finally made and it was ignored. Respect to parents' concerns without denial, denial, denial from school authorities is imperative. It doesn't happen in schools as a whole. It most certainly didn't happen in B-N and C-U. Rather, protection of the -school system- is key.

The union reps hammered hard at Shakeshaft's report as insignificant. From NSBA:
"Both the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) take issue with the report.
“Lumping harassment together with serious sexual misconduct does more harm than good by creating unjustified alarm and undermining confidence in public schools,” says Michael Pons of NEA. “Statistically, public schools remain one of the safest places for children to be.""

One of the safest.....right.

I've known one respectable union rep who was also a wonderful teacher. Funny, the other union reps were incompetents in their professional jobs. But their salary/pension looks sweet. Maybe I missed it, but where was the concern for the reported 1 out of 10 children harassed or abused by our employees in any of these statements?

From the Champaign News Gazette archives. The Bloomington Pantagraph has more:
Urbana school district will conduct internal, external reviews [hired law firm]
By Amy F. Reiter
URBANA – With the Urbana school board meeting barely begun, board President Joyce Hudson addressed concerns about the school district's process in hiring Jon White, an Urbana teacher at Thomas Paine Elementary School now charged with predatory criminal sexual assault.

Parent of Normal student speaks out about Jon White
By Amy F. Reiter
NORMAL – The Urbana second-grade teacher charged with three counts of predatory criminal sexual assault acted inappropriately with a female student while he was a teacher in Normal, and the school district there knew about it, the girl's mother said.

Parents say they complained about White weeks before arrest
By Mary Schenk
URBANA – The parents of two children concerned about a game that teacher Jon White was playing with their children had told Urbana school district officials their concerns several weeks before a criminal investigation into his conduct began.

[YNM]

You mention two communities that Jon White taught in ... but your earlier post emphatically mentioned THREE ... what is the third?

Union leadership is legally obligated to represent members - the duty of fair representation. I've never met a union leader who "protected" a pervert, criminal, etc. ... though I have met many who fought to make sure when allegations are brought that those individuals' rights are protected.

As a freedom-loving American I can't fault them for wanting to make sure those employee's rights are protected.

I won't pretend to know more about the JW case than those involved. I also won't make all my decisions about the case based on news stories, especially from the Pantagraph, an outlet known for inaccuracies. I will say that hindsight is always clearer than what can be seen currently. School districts can not make decisions based on intuition or what they think might happen/could happen. They have to operate with the facts they have. If you are claiming "cover-up", don't fault the teachers or the unions ... go after the administrations and boards.

I would maintain that schools do remain among the safest places a child can be - on the whole. And no one, besides the children and parents themselves of course, wants more to keep it that way than education professionals.

It's clear you have a beef with public education in general. So I am sure issues like this look like wonderful opportunities for you to further a bigger cause. You go for it, but you might want to keep the bigger picture in mind as you seek to further your bigger cause. The overwhelming majority of education professionals (and teachers unions for that matter) are upstanding people with integrity who do what they do for only the right reasons. Be cautious of the stroke you paint with that big brush of yours.

[Susan Ryan]

"You mention two communities that Jon White taught in ... but your earlier post emphatically mentioned THREE ... what is the third?"
Bloomington, Normal and Urbana school districts.
"Union leadership is legally obligated to represent members - the duty of fair representation. I've never met a union leader who "protected" a pervert, criminal, etc. ..."
You left out incompetent. An incompetent teacher ruins young lives.
Fair representation is admirable, but I think the term fair can be misconstrued. A union will protect the union's cause w/o regard for the employer (taxpayers)or worse,the children. (Read Shakeshaft's report or Collin Hitt's post about the Hidden Cost of Tenure. )
You just discounted all the information in the articles with your assumptions about the source. My point was that the parents were ignored with their concerns.The posted articles were from the Champaign Gazette. I don't have much regard for the Gazette or the Pantagraph, but if you can disprove the information in the articles, please do.
"If you are claiming "cover-up", don't fault the teachers or the unions ... go after the administrations and boards."
White was a teacher who allegedly abused the children; with typical disregard by the school administration to warnings.
My husband was on the school board. It seemed that his best and most reliable sources were the parents. If board members aren't given information, they're not going to deal with a problem. (Not to say that school boards/assoc. aren't usually in lockstep with protection of the institution.)
"It's clear you have a beef with public education in general. So I am sure issues like this look like wonderful opportunities for you to further a bigger cause. You go for it, but you might want to keep the bigger picture in mind as you seek to further your bigger cause."
Bigger cause? Wonderful opportunity?! The issue laid out happens to too many children in the schools and makes me sick. Please deal with the issues at hand. You're talking about protecting teachers. I'm trying to talk about protecting children and empowering families.
" ...Be cautious of the stroke you paint with that big brush of yours."
I surely don't have to be engaged in what happens in the schools. But we are because it's important. I'm in a safe spot to point out horrors. Many parents feel like they're not.
Where's your outrage?

[YNM]

Actually, to my knowledge and please correct me if I am wrong, White taught in ONE district in Bloomington-Normal (Unit 5) and not two. Which goes to my point of claiming you were trying to bolster your argument, irregardless of facts.

I used "etc." so you could fill in the blank with whatever other terms you wanted to ... incompetent, evil, socialist ... I've seen he list before. Knowing I would fall short, I chose to use "etc." so you could fill in the blank. I'm not sure an incompetent teacher "ruins" lives, but they absolutely create disadvantages for students. No argument there. Though again, your terminology and tendency to go to the extreme is troubling.

Fair Representation isn't about what you or I or anyone thinks it is or feels like it is. It's not about being admirable. It's about legal obligation. A union leader is OBLIGATED LEGALLY to represent a member fairly. Actually they are obligated to represent a bargaining unit member even if that person is not actually a union member. I respect your position that union leadership operated without regard to taxpayer or children, but my experience tells me again that you've painted a broad stroke and are misrepresenting reality.

I'm not making any assumptions about any source... I was simply responding your comments.

And you referenced both the Gazette and the Pantagraph in your comments. I would challenge you to substantiate the mother's claims, however. Unless a secret is held by an inner sanctum (which undoubtedly would have come in out in the already thorough investigation) there was NO allegation of abuse by White while he was in Unit 5. Poor judgment? Maybe. Abuse or sexual misconduct? I don't think so. I have no knowledge about Urbana's handling of the situation, so I won't attempt to speak to that.

On which school board did your husband serve?

If the issue laid out happens to ONE child, it's too many. You are never going to get an argument there. However, there may be differences of opinion on the best way to address the issue. Claims that schools are havens for perverts, criminals, INCOMPETENTS, etc. aren't helping address the issue and aren't adding to a productive discussion.

I'm not talking about protecting teachers. I'm talking about finding ways to protect children that don't infringe on the rights of education professionals.

I'm all about protecting children and empowering families, but that doesn't mean I'll agree with you on every strategy or tactic.

I try to stay away from being outraged - it isn't good for me. My frustration is with those who want to paint all public schools and public school teachers with the same brush. My frustration is with those who use inflammatory language to try to make a point, even if it's disconnected from reality.

[anon]

Bloomington and Normal are 2 different school districts.
ynm, do you work for the union?

[YNM]

District 87 is in Bloomington. To my knowledge, White never taught there. Unit 5 encompasses Bloomington, Normal and surrounding communities. White did teach there.

[Susan Ryan]

White taught at 3 different schools in Bloomington, Normal and Urbana.
White is charged with molesting 11 children in McLean and Champaign Counties.
Please do your own homework. My name is right there as is my blog and my family's life. Attempts to undermine credibility are annoying. And you....YNM?

One school year wasted with an incompetent teacher is not ruination in a young child's life? I think 'put up and shut up' causes harm for children in those situations. How many times I've heard parents who know what's coming and say: "Let's just get through this year and next year should be better. [6th grade used to be the dumping grounds unless you were lucky enough to get that one good teacher.]

"My frustration is with those who use inflammatory language to try to make a point, even if it's disconnected from reality."

"Pervert" offended you maybe? I've called adults who take advantage of the trust and innocence of children worse. "Criminal"? Did you see the article in "The Hidden Costs of Tenure" about the 14 year old Belleville child who bore a son with 99.9% surety that the asst. principal was the father. He got his job back and that along with many other similar situations seems criminal to me.

"Disconnected from reality"? I don't think so... Maybe some have wondered why homeschoolers get a little vocal and radical about our lifestyle and protecting it? The homeschool community takes a lot of phone calls and emails from families needing help in exiting the public schools. Their stories are often heartbreaking.
You're right, there is no argument that abuse that happens to ONE child, is too many. I guess we'll also disagree about the definition of abuse.

[tfb]

It was written:

education professionals

My reply:

This is Hilarious. Can you name any other profession that has at its core a corrosive effect on their "clients"?

The majority of Teachers are simply union hacks who are out to indoctrinate children in liberal orthodoxy while raping the public treasury.

They are no more professionals than auto workers, but at least auto workers managed to turn out a product that the public was willing to buy rather than being forced to consume.

Professional, that is a laugh.

tfb

[YNM]

Susan, I've done plenty of homework. Just for reference:

Brigham: Unit 5
Colene Hoose: Unit 5
-----
One school district.

Thomas Paine: Urbana.
-----
One school district.

Three schools - two districts.

I make no attempts to undermine credibility. But using exaggerated and inaccurate facts to bolster an argument is equally annoying and undermines the author's own credibility.

I'm not sure we disagree on the definition of abuse. And I completely support and respect your lifestyle choice to homeschool. Have I made one statement to the contrary?

I don't however support your positions regarding public education or teachers unions.

I think statements that are inaccurate and over-thr-top are inflammatory ... like claiming a year with a bad teacher "ruinis" a kid's life, for example.

For more examples of inflammatory language used, I reference tfb's eloquent and helpful comment above ... it's such comments which lead to legitimate debate and discussion.

Ot not.

[tfb]

YNM:

My comments may be inflammatory to you but they are the TRUTH none the less. Apparently the truth hurts.

tfb

[the wonderboy]

The truth...funny thing nowadays. Apparently one man's absolute truth is supposed to be accepted by all others. I always thought that in order to call something truth we needed to back it up with some sort of quantifiable evidence and support. I'm wondering how we quantify things such as the claim, "The majority of Teachers are simply union hacks who are out to indoctrinate children in liberal orthodoxy while raping the public treasury." Funny how we define truth these days...apparently the truth is whatever gets screamed the loudest, with the most conviction, or whatever we believe personally.

[YNM]

And actually my claim is that those kind of words inflame the debate, not offend me. You can use whatever words you choose ... but when you're called out on it, don't come crying "foul" ... It's those kinds of statements that undermine one's credibility. Period.

And I think wonderboy makes some interesting remarks about truth. I agree that, in your mind (or maybe in your gut?) that's the truth. But I'm not sure it's the Truth.

In fact, last I checked, for your statement to be true, 50% plus one of teachers would have to be "union hacks who are out to indoctrinate children in liberal orthodoxy while raping the public treasury..."

I'd welcome a scientific study on that issue. In my gut ( I won't claim it's truth because I don't have data - only anecdotes and experience - to back it up) .... I would say that you'd be hard pressed to find anywhere close to 50% of the teachers in this state who believe themselves, or furthermore teach, a liberal orthodoxy. But then again, we might need to define liberal, because I'm guessing the definition several here assign to liberal is not what most would agree to.

You might want to encourage some of those union hacks to actually get involved in their unions, because I hear that teachers unions across the state have trouble getting a majority of their membership involved in their activities.

But again, I guess I can't argue with your "truth".

[tfb]

Sorry YNM, but my wife was a school teacher and I'll take our experience over your word any day - period.

tfb

[YNM]

So, your wife was a union hack? And her experience now becomes Faxt/Truth for the rest of us? Why is it you refused to respond to any of my legitimate questions and comments?

I was a public school teacher for several years myself. So I guess I'll take my experience over you taking your wife's experience any day. I think primary sources always outweight secondary sources. Don't you agree?

Care to actually respond with some facts to back up your "truth"?

[tfb]

One again, I believe my wife. I'll take the word of a now Sunday school teacher over your "anything" any day. I know my woman, the marriage was based on years and years of searching for a creature of honesty and integrity in a world filled with deception and self-interest. I am very comfortable with the cards I hold, however your hand is more than suspect.

tfb

[the wonderboy]

"My woman"...classic. Now that was a laugh.

It must be hard to live in such a world, tfb. I like to look for the good in people until they give me a reason otherwise. It's disappointing when someone sees the world in such negative terms and judges people so quickly.

[tfb]

It was written:

"My woman"...classic. Now that was a laugh.

My reply:

To your ilk probable. But she is my "woman" in every sense of the word. She has bore my children, made a home for them, and stands by my side when I need her support and allows me to blaze the trail as a man should. One the other hand I know she can out-shoot me, and my place is reloading for her.

I know well her strengths, and honesty and integrity are among them.

And she is not some weak delicate flower, more like a natural blossom of beauty in a harsh arid environment. If you every trudged across the American Southwest you would know what I mean. You find remarkable things in desolate places.

It was written:

It must be hard to live in such a world, tfb.

My reply:

Historically the world has always been a hard place. But when a man has a real woman by his side, it matters not. Men are accustomed to hardship, we shape the world around us not for ourself but to soften it for our woman and children.

As for judging people, down south we learn that a rattler is rattler. Ya'll don't try and change it into a milksnake.

And if you have not learned to how to tell hognose snake from a rattler you better keep your youngins out of the wood pile.

It was written:

and judges people so quickly

My reply:

My only regrets is sometime I don't judge them fast enough. Sometimes the sound of the horse's hooves obscure the sound of the rattle.

tfb

[YNM]

Wow ... how did this turn from a discussion of public education to your wife tfb? Rather than respond to anything legitimate or attempt to defend your "truth" from earlier, you've gone to telling us all about "your woman" ... By the way, my wife didn't bear my children - she bore our children.

In other news ...