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October 4, 2006

Deep in the Art of Texas

I haven't written a "why we homeschool" post in a while, but it is clearly time.

So an art teacher in Frisco, TX (hello, Nemo) took her class to the DMA, a fine museum in downtown Dallas, having followed appropriate procedures (including taking the same route through the museum before taking her class, having other parents and teachers along, getting approval from the principal and getting signed permission slips from the parents). After the tour, the teacher was suspended, on a variety of "causes," by the principal, apparently after a parent's complaint that their child had seen a nude sculpture.

Now, I know enough of Texas to believe that a parent might complain about such a thing, regardless of how gobsmackingly obvious that probability was even before the parent signed the permission slip. And I know enough of how schools work to believe that a principal, faced with a complaint from a parent (particularly if the parent was influential in the community) would both suspend the teacher, and make up all kinds of bogus reasons for doing so. And I know enough of lawyers to believe that the school district's lawyers would compound the problem with "even if we didn't suspend her for the reasons we gave, here are all of the other valid reasons she should have been suspended". And I know enough of newspapers to realize that they are only telling the teacher's side of the story here, and there may well be more to it than that. (Remember, the teacher has a lawyer, too.)

I am struck by this part of Education Wonk's commentary:

In a case that is all-too-familiar for many of us who work in public education, "accountability" seems to be a concept that is readily applied to the individual who actually works in the classroom while those who have oversight (and make the final decisions) are exempted altogether from the consequences of their actions. (or lack thereof)

It seems that classroom teaching is destined to become little more than a McJob, where initiative, dedication to students, and hard work aren't rewarded, but, to the contrary, are often punished by a system that offers little or no chance for advancement based upon merit while those who are in authority (and do make the decisions) often obtain their positions sinecures through those Evil Twins who've plagued public education for decades: Nepotism and Cronyism.

Is it little wonder, then, why I can no longer recommend public school teaching as a career choice for our nation's brightest young people?


I would be more impressed if such problems were enough to have Education Wonk recommending to parents that sending their children to public schools, apparently so heavily infested with circumstances that almost guarantee the school's failure in its primary stated mission (providing a quality education to children), is a bad idea, and they should consider other alternatives.

Posted by jeff at October 4, 2006 5:41 PM

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Comments

Oh, you wouldn't believe the airplay this has been getting in North Texas.

However, the school district is over a barrel. They can't discuss personnel matters because of privacy laws. They maintain there was a history of issues with the teacher, and that it's documented. They have now asked the teacher to allow her record to be made public so there can be a more even public discussion. The teacher's lawyer offered to do so only if the principal and superintendent make their own records public.

This is a stupid mess. Frankly, I don't know anyone who believes that FISD would dismiss a teacher just over an art museum visit, and if they did, there would likely be some changes made to the school board come election time.

One thing I find interesting is that - so far - the teacher isn't actually filing a legal action. It's being "explored". However, they seem to have plenty of time to make the talk show circuit to gain sympathy in the court of public opinion.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/city/collin/stories/100406dnccofriscoteacher.35bc89a.html

Unless this goes to court, I doubt we'll ever really know which side is telling the truth - or if it's somewhere in between. Right now, I suspect that the teacher will want a pay-off so the district can get itself out of the news, and neither side will admit fault.

Posted by: Mark L [TypeKey Profile Page] at October 4, 2006 6:58 PM

Yeah, this just doesn't pass the smell test.

They are going to fire a teacher over a nude statue? That happens in some school districts sure -- but NOT the affluent ones.

[Yes, despite the negatives associated with the higher percentages of helicopter parents in affluent school districts, there are many advantages to having the helicopter parents around. One of those is that if the school board is going to do something stupid, the helicopters tend to be the "common sense".]

Anyway -- an affluent school district, with involved parents, and an award-winning teacher ... and they want to fire her over a school trip in which ONE parent complained? This happens in school districts where the administration has the power. In wealthier school districts (Frisco, Highland Park, Carroll, Keller, Grapevine/Colleyville -- you know, where people actually move *because* of the schools), this doesn't happen without a bigger story.

No. There's more at foot here, and FISD, as Mark L pointed out, is not allowed to say why. This was just the final straw in what was apparently a longer series of events.

Unfortunately, the MSM and the MSBS (mainstream blogosphere) aren't talking about the real issue. But hey, why let the truth get in the way of eyeballs and hits?

Posted by: queuno at October 4, 2006 7:40 PM

Well, the other shoe is starting to drop:

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/100506dnccofriscoteacher.28d02d0.html

Personnel records released this week show the 28-year veteran teacher was paid to leave McKinney ISD after parents complained about her in 1998, a few years before she came to neighboring Frisco.

...

The records show that Ms. McGee signed a settlement agreement for nearly $8,300 with McKinney ISD in 1998 to end her employment as a second grade teacher at Glen Oaks Elementary School.

Under the arrangement, Ms. McGee received a positive recommendation from the district. McKinney officials declined to comment on the report Wednesday.

The records do not indicate the reason behind the settlement agreement, but her file contains letters from parents who asked that their children be removed from her class because of personality and learning issues.

Her file also contains complaints from unidentified teachers about planning and field trip preparation issues.

Posted by: Mark L [TypeKey Profile Page] at October 4, 2006 9:42 PM