Monday, October 13, 2008

BAN ALL TEACHER-STUDENT CONTACT OUTSIDE SCHOOL?

That's what one Missouri school district is considering. The superintendent of Holcomb School District popped the idea to the school board during its regular board meeting. The policy is supposed to protect teachers against false accusations of anything but a professional relationship.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER:
  1. Would the measure end or seriously impede inappropriate teacher-student relationships?
  2. Would it make the teachers more safe?
  3. Would it make the students more safe?
  4. What is the impact on education?
  5. What happens to students (and parents) who need help at home?
  6. Does the ban include the phone call or email at home about homework?
Thanks to KSPR 33 for posting the story.

5 comments:

The CDM said...

You know what infuriates me most about this? Teachers, back in my day and school system NEVER looked as hot as Debra LaFave. I was robbed.

Sky Girl said...

Interesting. I grew up near Holcomb. It's a tiny little town. I think teachers and students would have a lot of trouble having no contact outside of school there. I bet a lot of them go to the same churches, gas stations, etc. I would guess parents of students and teachers might be friends. Even the "big town" nearby, where I grew up, only has about 11,000 people. I think around 33,000 live in the county. It's a very rural area where everyone knows each other.

Jeremy D. Young said...

Wow. If a teacher isn't safe to be around a student outside of school, what makes parents think that the teacher is safe to have around students inside the school, when they have authority and control over the students?

Parents need to be given full control over their children's education. The method that the current government education sytem uses completely limits the parents. Parents do not get to choose which schools their children go to, they do not get to choose which teachers their children are being entrusted with. This is the core of the problem, not funding, not administration, not curiculum... CHOICE and FREEDOM are required to bring about a real change in education.

(disclosure: I currently pay property taxes for government schools as well as tuition for my children to attend private school)

admin said...

Jeremy,

Does your private school give you complete control over which teachers you child has?

Jeremy D. Young said...

My daughter's school selects classroom assignments in a way that I agree with. That method isn't what I'm advocating for everyone. It's the method combined with the ability to change schools that matters. There is no method that is acceptable to all people. I want parents to have control and choice.

Ultimately, because I've sacrificed my family's financial situation to benefit my children's education, I have control over the process because if this school uses a process which I disagree with, or which causes problems and they refuse to address that problem, I will withdraw my children and move them to another school.

I pay dearly and double for this choice. I am advocating for the lowering of the boundaries to this choice by ending the stealing of citizens money by force of arms to be used only for government education.

This wouldn't be an abolition of the existing schools. I want as little Federal (No Child Left Behind anyone?) and State involvement in education as possible. If a city or county votes to have a certain education system in place, that is completely fair. I'm not for abolishing any city or county's rights to provide education in the manner they see fit. Once state and federal barriers are out of the way, I will be moving to a locale that offers complete freedom in education.