Posted on 03/14/2007 6:36:48 AM PDT by Ellesu
UNION -- A Monroe County elementary art teacher was suspended without pay for putting masking tape under the noses of about 25 third-graders in a joking attempt to quiet them, Superintendent Lyn Guy said.
The Monroe County Board of Education voted Monday night to uphold the 10-day suspension of Donna Spangler, an art teacher at Peterstown Elementary School. Spangler's suspension ended Monday and she has since returned to work.
"I didn't think it was very funny,'' Guy said Tuesday.
"It wasn't right and she (Spangler) made a huge mistake in judgment and she has paid for it.''
Guy said the incident occurred Feb. 20. A day earlier, Spangler jokingly told the students that she would tape their mouths shut in class the next day.
"At no time did she seal any of their mouths shut. The masking tape curled up under their noses. Our investigation revealed that no child said their mouths were taped shut,'' Guy said.
The investigation began after a parent heard about the incident and notified the school's principal, she said.
Spangler, who has taught for six years, also teaches at Peterstown Middle School.
I remember, in first grade, an unruly kid being tied to his chair.
I also recall unruly kids being taken to the school's basement for a few raps on the knuckles with a rattan stick. The doors to the basement and the classroom were left open so that we could hear procedure.
Thwack!
This suspension sounds like an absolutely ridiculous penalty for the "wrong" committed. Nobody was hurt. If teachers can't joke with their kids in this fashion, it is a sad state of affairs.
Hmmmm......my 10 yr. old has a problem with talking, I told him if he had that much trouble controlling it, I would send him to school with a roll of Duck tape and his teacher would have my permission to tape his mouth shut.
A lot to do about nothing.
I am with the teacher on this one.
A lot to do about nothing.
I am with the teacher on this one.
I am so on the side of the teacher on this. The administrator should be fired.
And then the rest of the kids wanted their mouths taped, too ... so she did that.
Then she taped her own mouth.
Everybody did seat-work, and it was one of the quietest and most productive hours of the year. All of the kids thought it was great.
I think that is a good general rule. Rehire him the next week if anyone notices that he is gone.
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