The price tag

Obama reveals $18 billion education reform.

Accusing the Bush administration of short-changing American schools, Democratic presidential contender Barak Obama proposed on Tuesday an $18-billion-a-year education plan that aims to make preschool education more affordable, pay teachers better and put a national priority on teaching science.

Unveiling the plan at a packed high school theatre in New Hampshire, the Illinois senator also pledged to pay the expense of a college education for Americans who commit to a lifetime of teaching.

He said the plan would be financed in part by cutting other federal programs, boosting federal revenue and tapping savings from ending the Iraq war. It would also require a five-year delay in the multibillion dollar Constellation program managed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to return astronauts to moon by 2020, according to a memo provided by Obama’s staff.

It includes a $10-billion “Children First Agenda” to provide care, learning and support for families with children up to five years old, and grants to help states pay for the program. Funding would also be boosted for needy children.

A “Presidential Early Learning Council” would coordinate the effort, he said. Child care tax credits would be expanded to strengthen day-care programs. .A new Service Scholarship program would recruit teachers for overcrowded and struggling school districts. All schools would be accredited to see which produced the best and worst teachers, and a mentor program would be expanded to match new educators with more experienced teachers.

But unlike rival Democratic presidential contender, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, Obama stopped short of calling for the scrapping of the Bush administration’s signature No Child Left Behind law signed in 2002. But he said the policy had serious flaws, lacked proper funding and had demoralized and stigmatized students and teachers.

“That’s what is wrong with No Child Left Behind and that is what we must change in a fundamental way,” he said in the speech at Central High School in Manchester, the largest city in the state that holds the first presidential nominating primary.

TT - Eliott Spitzer, governor of New York gave childcare providers the right to unionize. He did this by executive order, not by proposing law. And then he authorized $99 million for pre-school programs.

The whole idea of extending free pre-school to children isn't for the sake of children. It's more union money. The fact that stigmatizing teachers is what testing is all about - finding out which schools and what teachers are not following the curriculum.

The speech by Obama was a wish list for teachers unions across the country. His speech to school students about his use of drugs in high school can't be good news to parents.

Vermont Disciplinary Records

Disciplinary Actions Against Licensed Vermont Educators can be found online.

They note that "The voluntary surrender of a license by an educator during an investigation or disciplinary proceeding has the same force and effect as the revocation of a license."

The Vermont Board of Education has their meeting minutes online.

No ethics policies found for teachers. In the VSBA model policies, there is a Student Conduct and Discipline policy. No policy for a teacher's conduct or discipline.

There is a policy titled, A Public Complaint Against a School Employee , the object of which is "to support their [employee] actions in such a manner that employees are freed from unnecessary, spiteful, or unjustified criticism or complaints."

Some things need to change

A music teacher in Maine was arrested, charged with misdemeanor touching of students. It is a case that perfectly illustrates how a popular teacher is shielded by that popularity from serious scrutiny even by the parent of a victim. An earlier story of his arrest was filled with accolades gleaned from the newspaper archives, leading to widespread support for him and an accusation that the victim made up the story because of grades.

A second story today shocked readers when they learned that the teacher had admitted his attraction for very young children, had a previous complaint reported against him, and is under suspicion of buying child pornography. The self-examination by readers is thoughtful and serious and very informative.

It also illustrates how communities are torn by their loyalties and how devastating that is to the victim and their families. Some comments from the site are below.

I imagine the mother must have felt the weight of the teacher's popularity - not an excuse, but that's the way it often is. Some of the first reactions yesterday smacked of what folks fear to face when they speak up. It's been seen before that people with these tendencies ingratiate themselves with the community even while they groom their victims. I don't know if it's intentional camouflage or some kind of subconcious compensation - the good feelings they get from the praise for what they publicly do assuaging to some degree any guilty feelings they get for what they privately do? Maybe a little of both. It might seem like sensationalism to some, but the more these stories are reported the easier it will be for victims to come forward and the harder it will be for perpetrators to continue. Good job, SJ. - Graylady

AND,

I am still reeling over yesterday's comments. My, how everyone changed their tune overnight, and suddenly stopped defending the scumbag teacher. - justme

AND,

Another Park Ave. parent here. Obviously the students he touched were victims, but I think the whole school community: parents, teachers, and students are victims this week. Our trust has been betrayed. It's really easy for outsiders to blurt, "lock up the scumbag", but not so easy for those who worked with him daily, developed a friendship, and have had your child look up to him. Now I make sure my 8 year old doesn't see the news on TV or this site, because I'm just not sure how to explain it to him. As angry as I should be for what he has done, I still can't help feel bad for the guy when reporters are banging on his door and showing his house and address on statewide TV. It's just hard for some to mentally "flip the switch" and change their view from "happy, nice guy" to "horrible criminal". It's just a bad situation all the way around and hope the school can recover and move on as best they can. -DW

AND,

I think cameras in every classroom would be a deterrent to a lot of this behavior. -william

From JohnBerry:

JaneDoe, Please let your niece know that many of the members of this community greatly admire her strength and courage. We are proud of her. ----- Please let your sister know that she did the right thing. She looked at the whole circumstance and made a decision with the facts she had at the time. It is easy to look back and pass judgment as many are taking the opportunity to do. Their statements about what they would have done or what the mom should have done can be seen as people taking an opportunity to discuss the difficulties that face every parent and caregiver. A conversation like this (without the criticism) can be healthy. Through this we will all learn to better deal with these problems. ----- My best wishes and prayers are with this girl, her mom, and all of the families in our community.

AND,

I think if you want to be teacher ,They should have some kind of test before to see if they like children,And yes have camers in every room of the school, - Annie

From a student,

am a 15 year old student at Franklin School and happen to be family with one of the little girls that stepped forward. I am very proud of her and have told her this. I do however believe this man should be away for life. If we pay good enough attention to how this man is talking he feels no remorse, he feels what he's done has to do with mental illness..BS! I have a mental illness and I was just taken off my medication. I've been doing well and you don't see me going out and sexually harassing/touching little boys or girls. I believe the schools should be at fault. They were getting reports and handling it very unprofessional. The mother of this little girls is just as hurt nd feels the same fault as the other parents. What if she had made the report? Do you honestly think it would have blown up this quick? Do you really think this man would have been investigated this quick. I don't believe so. I think it would have been another in-house incident. They would have kept it from the press and this man would not only be walking tall but he'd still be teaching and hurting these little girls. The schools all over America need to do something about this. The schools put cameras in the high schools to watch for drugs/alcahol/tobacco and you dont see the teachers there touching the kids. Maybe it's time to realize we need to do everything we are capable of to protect these innocent children. It's time for security, for cameras, micraphones anything that's going to keep these men/woman from scarring these children. I don't blame the mother. I blame the schools, the police departments, the feds. "Protect and Serve?" I'm not so sure anymore... - AmyLee

From another parent,

had a 15 year old son who was 'frisked' at the urinal in the high school men's room by a teacher with the Vice Principal and the Principal present in the bathroom! They thought it was hiliarious! My son, who is a quiet and modest person was very upset and embarrassed, not mention in a very vulnerable position unable to cover himself. When I found out about the incident, I went to the school to request an investigation and the vice principal said, "I was there! It was no big deal, in fact, it ranks this low on my problem-o-meter!" (he held his two pinched fingers together). I was so upset at this lack of concern or willingness to see the incident as a serious matter and one of sexual harassment. I went to the principal who assured me he would 'talk' to this teacher. I wanted the incident documented in his file and proof that training had taken place regarding sexual harassment. (It never happened) I called my attorney and he offered to write a letter on my behalf to the school but said there was little I could do... I guess I can see where that Mom was coming from with her, 'wait and see approach'- but I didn't 'wait and see', I 'went and said' and got nowhere! The 'good ole boy club' watches it's back and the schools don't even adhere to basic employement law. It is frustrating, wrong, and sickening! The school had another teacher who taught keyboarding at the high school level and he would come behind the girls and put his arms around them to 'show them how to do something on the pc'. While he was showing them, he'd look down their shirt or place his hand over theirs and move the mouse around in a more than suggestive way. My adult daughter told me this after she graduated. It is happening even with our older children-not just 5-7 year olds! Mon Dieu! - MoreSkoolin

There are pages and pages of comments. They will be lost when the story is archived, but they reflect the same experiences and concerns in letters we get daily, in stories that are abundant daily. They are pained communities, families, friends and victims. And we place the burden on correcting the problem on that last - the victims.

It's their testimony that results in conviction. It's their courage that leads them to complain. It's their violation that is denied most often by the schools, fellow teachers, then friends of the accused, in open courtrooms with aggressive lawyers and most sadly of all, by fellow students, children they grew up with who can't imagine themselves as victims and let their fondness for popular teachers sway their opinions.

Why must children have to be burdened with changing the system? Why should they have to wait for laws that make sexual abuse by teachers a felony with automatic registration as a sex offenders? Why must children wait for cameras to be required, mandated, for classrooms where there has been one complaint, one whisper, one indication of a problem?

The first blog I ever had was about teacher misconduct. It was in 2002 and for one month I tracked stories about teachers who were arrested for sexual abuse of their students. In one month there were two stories a day on average. That was five years ago. That was when there were significantly less newspapers online and fewer, less effective, search engines. It took 5-7 hours a day to find the stories and no hope of following up.

With the exception of laws that criminalize teacher/student sex in several states, not much has changed. There are discipline records online in many states, but few list the details of the criminal charges or explantion of how a teacher can have their license revoked for sex with a student when no criminal charges can be found. And there is no explanation why teachers convicted of a crime against students haven't had their license revoked even two years later. In other states it never happens.

Some things need to change.

This blog still couldn't follow so many stories without the help of online friends and readers who send in stories and updates, local angles. Not to mention, their suggestions and thoughts. It's very much a joint effort. Thank you.