and what dopey teacher comes up with a project like that in this day and age? Cutting the letter S out of a peanut butter sandwich. I learned the letter S just fine without cutting up a sandwich, thank you. And then, just like a dopey kid they feed it to him -- wanting to see, no doubt, whether something would in fact happen.

I choose door number two.

Proclaiming the likelihood to recidivate does not obviate responsibility or guilt. Maybe people in public employ like Watkins need to job swap with another public employee like law enforcement. Once she realizes what it takes to preserve civil rights for violent felons in custody she might find it in heart to minimally preserve it for little kids in special education under her care. Or maybe she'll find out the hard way if she's ever in custody.

Wow.

If true, that sort of argues that she shouldn't get a license back.  If you are GENUINELY worried that you'd lie and cover up a threat to a student's life after making a boneheaded error that jeopardizes that student's life...


wow.  Speechless, I am.   

QuoteWatkins' lawyer said although Watkins is eager to maintain her teaching certificate, she is afraid of going back into the classroom, scared to make the same mistake.

Poor teacher.   A year later and she hasn't figured up how to prevent it from happening again?

I didn't realize their teaching certificates have been restored!  OMG...they were granted leniency by the court?  What the heck?

Quote from: SilverLining on May 08, 2013, 02:02:09 PM

Quote from: twinturbo on May 08, 2013, 01:48:06 PM
. That requires a special blend of callousness, deceit and dishonor to the profession.

Absolutely.

I agree with your entire post, but this specific sentence, made me catch my breath.

QFT and this whole story and the teacher's conduct is disgusting

I'm glad that the student teacher spoke up so that the truth came out. (Of course it goes without saying that I'm glad the child lived.)

A few years ago, I spent $1000 out of pocket on counseling for ds after his teacher lied and tried to cover it up. It would not surprise me one bit if he's one day diagnosed with an anxiety disorder from that event.

As a parent and a teacher, those two teachers were downright negligent. Shame on them!

Quote from: twinturbo on May 08, 2013, 01:48:06 PM
. That requires a special blend of callousness, deceit and dishonor to the profession.

Absolutely.

I agree with your entire post, but this specific sentence, made me catch my breath.

I'm not sure a seminar on not putting the PB sandwich you served to a peanut allergic sped student in the trash to hide from his parents and get everyone else to lie about it is going to pull those weeds out by their roots if you know what I mean. I'm assuming this kid was either non-verbal or not in some other way not able to either verbalize what happened to him, or not aware enough to personally convey what happened to his parents. That requires a special blend of callousness, deceit and dishonor to the profession.

I would also ask for the principal/head of school to come under question, after all the implementation of policy, such as health and inclusion and  staff training, are the responsibility of the leader.

They wouldnt have tried to lie about the situation unless they thought they could get away with it.

I have to think that the teachers were FIRST covering, and then seeking care.

Because they (apparently) didn't tell the nurse the truth, either.

That is, in my mind, what SHOULD have elevated this to criminal negligence.

and where was the school nurse to question the situation?.....and why was the child so quiet about what happened?   So so very wrong.

QuoteI don't want them worrying about telling me they make a mistake.

Unfortunately, as long as we live in an "I'll sue them all" society, people will always be afraid to admit to making a mistake.  In this specific case, what little I know, it sounds like the parents would have had a case, from day one, even if the teacher had been honest.

I am not excusing them for lieing.  I think we all agree that in this instance the lies at least doubled the risk to the child....maybe more then doubled.

But, when being honest will likely cost you your job AND result in you being sued, you're going to lie.

This was a special Ed class (I think?) using food for a class lesson.  That needs to be addressed.  I'd like to see those facts addressed in the suit.