Bullying The Teacher

[Michael Hardner]

Maggie Wente in the Globe

Imagine you are a school vice-principal. One day, a parent complains that the Grade 5 supply teacher made her son take a squishy banana out of the garbage can and eat it. How do you react? Do you (1) ask the parent if the kid might be exaggerating? Or (2) ask the teacher for her side of the story? Or (3) suspend the teacher, send her home, report her to the school board and call child-welfare authorities?

Obviously, the right answer is (3). Surprised? Don’t be. These days, you can’t be too careful. The teacher in this case, Susan Dowell, has 15 years of experience in the school system. She spent a month at home on partial pay while the Children’s Aid Society investigated her. She wasn’t even told what she was supposed to have done. The union warned her that the police could show up at her door at any time. The CAS eventually exonerated her.

The subtitle is "is anybody normal anymore" ? I think that there is something wrong with a system where processes so extreme are undertaken without recourse.

[Bonam]

From your link:

Now they know they can have you suspended.” For the record, her version of events is that the boy and his friends were acting up in class, so she spoke sternly to them. Later, when she saw the boy throw his uneaten banana into the garbage at lunchtime, she told him to eat it or take it home. “His parents paid good money for fruit like that.”

Sounds like the accusation is essentially true. As a student, I would be rightly upset if the teacher instructed me to go rummaging through a garbage can to extract a banana I plainly didn't want to eat. Garbage cans at schools are freaking gross, by the way. Additionally, it's no business of the teacher if a student wants to throw away part of their lunch in the first place.

This shows terrible judgement on the part of the teacher. Why even concern herself with such a triviality? How is it a good idea to tell a kid to go pick through a disgusting garbage can at school? Why would she moralize about the money that the kid's parents paid for the fruit?

Personally, I have a very low tolerance for teachers who waste time on such nonsense. I had more than my fair share of terrible idiotic teachers, and based on the little information in this article, this one likely would have been one of them. While the teacher should definitely have been informed of what she got in trouble for, I think investigating the issue was definitely appropriate.

[Guest American Woman]

The teacher simply told the kid not to throw good food away, to either eat it or take it home. The kid(s) fabricated the "dig it out of the garbage and eat it" scenario. She was simply telling them not to waste food because their parents paid good money for it. The accusation, from all accounts of the investigation, wasn't true at all.

[Bonam]

If the banana was already in the garbage, how exactly was the kid supposed to "either eat it or take it home" without first retrieving it from the garbage? Notice the reference is very clear:

Later, when she saw the boy throw his uneaten banana into the garbage at lunchtime, she told him to eat it or take it home.

In this sentence, the "it" can only refer to the banana, the specific banana that was already in the garbage.

Regardless, this is not something the teacher should even have involved herself in at all.

Edited May 9, 2012 by Bonam

[Michael Hardner]

She should be immediately suspended and called in to the Child Aid society ? I don't think so.

[Signals.Cpl]

If the banana was already in the garbage, how exactly was the kid supposed to "either eat it or take it home" without first retrieving it from the garbage? Notice the reference is very clear:

In this sentence, the "it" can only refer to the banana, the specific banana that was already in the garbage.

Regardless, this is not something the teacher should even have involved herself in at all.

Eat it or take it home, don't throw it out as in next time do one of the two things. If the teacher said pick it out of the garbage and eat it or take it home its one thing if the teacher offers advice for the future its quite another thing. The kid either knowingly lied, or is completely devoid of common sense.

[Spiderfish]

Eat it or take it home, don't throw it out as in next time do one of the two things. If the teacher said pick it out of the garbage and eat it or take it home its one thing if the teacher offers advice for the future its quite another thing. The kid either knowingly lied, or is completely devoid of common sense.

A grade 5 student lying or showing poor judgment? You've got t o be kidding, kids don't make mistakes these days, haven't you heard.

It's unfortunate that school boards are so reactionary nowadays. I really think it's dong our kids a disservice deflecting accountability. If a kid gets hurt playing ball, we ban balls; if his feelings get hurt by a teacher trying to instill values, we ban the teacher.

[capricorn]

It's unfortunate that school boards are so reactionary nowadays.

Sometimes I wonder if school boards/principals make questionable decisions in order to avoid potential lawsuits by parents.

[Spiderfish]

Sometimes I wonder if school boards/principals make questionable decisions in order to avoid potential lawsuits by parents.

Sure, deflect accountability, avoid consequence. Where do you think our kids are learning it from? Of course, someone has to be held accountable...

When someone gets hurt playing ball, it's the ball's fault, no problem. However when someone's feelings get hurt and the teacher is blamed, it gets a little more complicated because the teacher can talk back and give their side of the story (once they have been informed of their perceived infraction).

[Guest American Woman]

If the banana was already in the garbage, how exactly was the kid supposed to "either eat it or take it home" without first retrieving it from the garbage? Notice the reference is very clear:

In this sentence, the "it" can only refer to the banana, the specific banana that was already in the garbage.

Regardless, this is not something the teacher should even have involved herself in at all.

She wasn't speaking that specifically, re: about the banana that was already in the garbage. She told the student not to throw away food - to either eat it or take it home. From what I've read, she was on lunchroom duty at the time.

Edited May 10, 2012 by American Woman

[jacee]

The teacher's version was the same as the kid's:

For the record, her version of events is that the boy and his friends were acting up in class, so she spoke sternly to them. Later, when she saw the boy throw his uneaten banana into the garbage at lunchtime, she told him to eat it or take it home. “His parents paid good money for fruit like that.”

IE, The teacher was p'd at the kid for acting up in class, and took the opportunity to PUNISH him for it LATER in an UNRELATED manner, by making him dig through the trash and eat the (overripe?) banana, presuming to do so on his PARENTS BEHALF.

It's disgusting on several levels.

And I am now sending Margaret Wente a lunchroom trashcan with a banana hiding in it, for her lunch!

[guyser]

IE, The teacher was p'd at the kid for acting up in class, and took the opportunity to PUNISH him for it LATER in an UNRELATED manner, by making him dig through the trash and eat the (overripe?) banana, presuming to do so on his PARENTS BEHALF.

No way for you to know that with even a shred of certainty

[capricorn]

the (overripe?) banana,

Omigod that would explain everything. The banana may have been overripe.

[jacee]

No way for you to know that with even a shred of certainty

That's her version.

Otherwise, why bother even mentioning that

"the boy and his friends were acting up in class, ...

I have to say ... You guys are out to lunch!

Enjoy your squishy garbage banana!

BTW a teacher has no right to force a kid to eat anything.

She's totally out of line.

[Guest American Woman]

That's her version.

Otherwise, why bother even mentioning that

"the boy and his friends were acting up in class, ...

To suggest a possible a motive for their having made something up about her.

BTW a teacher has no right to force a kid to eat anything.

She's totally out of line.

She didn't force him to eat anything. She was cleared of any wrong doing.

Edited May 10, 2012 by American Woman

[Signals.Cpl]

That's her version.

Otherwise, why bother even mentioning that

"the boy and his friends were acting up in class, ...

I have to say ... You guys are out to lunch!

Enjoy your squishy garbage banana!

BTW a teacher has no right to force a kid to eat anything.

She's totally out of line.

So the teacher is cleared of all wrongdoing and you still assume the teacher is guilty. Reminds me of a saying I once heard, "when someone says your sister is a wh*re good luck proving you don't have a sister". She was accused of something, she is cleared of the false accusation yet you still view her as guilty.

[jacee]

To suggest a possible a motive for their having made something up about her.

She didn't force him to eat anything. She was cleared of any wrong doing.

Child abuse charges usually require more than one incident or life threatening abuse that would (eg) result in removal of a child from the home.

Charges weren't warranted, but suspension was.

Her behaviour was totally inappropriate.

It's none of a teacher's business what a child eats at lunch time. That's between him and his parents, who apparently were not happy that he was made to eat a banana from the garbage. I concur. I think most parents would. And those parents who do make their children eat from the garbage probably abuse them in other ways too and might qualify for child abuse charges.

[Signals.Cpl]

Child abuse charges usually require more than one incident or life threatening abuse that would (eg) result in removal of a child from the home.

Charges weren't warranted, but suspension was.

Her behaviour was totally inappropriate.

It's none of a teacher's business what a child eats at lunch time. That's between him and his parents, who apparently were not happy that he was made to eat a banana from the garbage. I concur. I think most parents would. And those parents who do make their children eat from the garbage probably abuse them in other ways too and might qualify for child abuse charges.

What do you smoke? Thats all I want to know.

[guyser]

It's none of a teacher's business what a child eats at lunch time.

Yes it is.

A teacher that has the best interests of a students wants them to be able to be alert, focused and productive. What the child eats can and will affect all three.

[jacee]

Yes it is.

A teacher that has the best interests of a students wants them to be able to be alert, focused and productive. What the child eats can and will affect all three.

No it isn't, as shown clearly in this case.

The parents objected to the child being forced to dig through and eat garbage, and the teacher was suspended appropriately.

A teacher who presumes to make such decisions on behalf of parents without their endorsement is a teacher who has totally overstepped the bounds of her authority.

Lunchtime is free time for kids, often not supervised by teachers.

There is no school that would define a teacher's duties as enforcing rules about what children eat. That's a parent's perogative.

I haven't heard yet whether Margaret Wente enjoys digging through all the lunchroom trash she's been sent, looking for the bananas, but I look forward to her follow up report.

[guyser]

No it isn't, as shown clearly in this case.

Oh but it is. And nothing in this case proves you correct.

If a student or all the students are sucking in class, and only eat junk, then of course the teacher has to make it her business.

Otherwise we would have parents like you blaming the teacher when your lil Johnny fails.

She tells you he eats candy bars all day, no real food

"You dont know how to teach"....yup , been there got the t shirt.

The parents objected to the child being forced to dig through and eat garbage, and the teacher was suspended appropriately.

Is that the way it went down or just conjecture on your part?

[Signals.Cpl]

No it isn't, as shown clearly in this case.

The parents objected to the child being forced to dig through and eat garbage, and the teacher was suspended appropriately.

A teacher who presumes to make such decisions on behalf of parents without their endorsement is a teacher who has totally overstepped the bounds of her authority.

Lunchtime is free time for kids, often not supervised by teachers.

There is no school that would define a teacher's duties as enforcing rules about what children eat. That's a parent's perogative.

I haven't heard yet whether Margaret Wente enjoys digging through all the lunchroom trash she's been sent, looking for the bananas, but I look forward to her follow up report.

Where was it PROVEN that the teacher told the child to dig through the garbage?

[Guest American Woman]

Where was it PROVEN that the teacher told the child to dig through the garbage?

Actually, it was proven that there was no merit to the accusation - made up by the students who got disciplined by the teacher earlier in the day. She raises a good point - where is the accountability for false claims such as this? Students who deliberately lie/embellish should be held accountable for their actions.

Edited May 11, 2012 by American Woman

[Signals.Cpl]

Actually, it was proven that there was no merit to the accusation - made up by the students who got disciplined by the teacher earlier in the day. She raises a good point - where is the accountability for false claims such as this? Students who deliberately lie/embellish should be held accountable for their actions.

I agree 100%, but the way jacee is going on as if there was a shred of proof that the teacher did tell the child to dig through the garbage proves that she did not read the article in question or chose to ignore parts of the article.

[Guest American Woman]

Lunchtime is free time for kids, often not supervised by teachers.

This lunchtime was being supervised by teachers, and one of those teachers was the teacher in question.

There is no school that would define a teacher's duties as enforcing rules about what children eat. That's a parent's perogative.

What did she enforce? She told him not to throw food away - to either eat it or bring it back home.

I haven't heard yet whether Margaret Wente enjoys digging through all the lunchroom trash she's been sent, looking for the bananas, but I look forward to her follow up report.

I look forward to your evidence that she made the kid dig trough garbage for the banana. Do you truly not understand what cleared of charges/allegations means??