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Suspended teacher defends blog calling students lazy whiners
Reuters ^

Posted on 02/16/2011 1:56:00 PM PST by Sub-Driver

Suspended teacher defends blog calling students lazy whiners 4:19pm EST

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - A high school English teacher suspended from her job after she blogged that her students were "rude, disengaged, lazy whiners," said on Wednesday that she did nothing wrong.

"Some of the students, parents and administrators don't want to hear the truth," said Natalie Munroe, 30, a teacher at Central Bucks East High School north of Philadelphia.

In a blog she said was intended to be seen only by a handful of her friends, but was shared on Facebook by a student who discovered it, Munroe was highly critical of some students and school administrators.

"My students are out of control," she wrote.

"They are rude, disengaged, lazy whiners. They curse, discuss drugs, talk back, argue for grades, complain about everything, fancy themselves entitled to whatever they desire and are just generally annoying."

She suggested more accurate ways to describe pupils on their report cards, including "Seems smarter than she actually is" and "A complete and utter jerk in all ways."

In another post, she denounced the school administration by using a crude anatomical reference.

Munroe, who is nearly 9 months pregnant, was suspended with pay pending an investigation into her blog, said Carol Counihan, spokeswoman for the school district.

Munroe was escorted from the school a week ago by the principal and a security guard.

(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: blogs
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To: southernindymom

“I couldn’t be a teacher, since I wouldn’t be allowed to ‘reach out and touch one’ of the little darlin’s”

Eh, there are plenty of other ways ;)


21 posted on 02/16/2011 2:13:51 PM PST by BenKenobi (Don't expect to build up the weak by pulling down the strong. - Silent Cal)
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To: StolarStorm

Ouch! If you want to mix it up with the big guys, you need tenure!!;)


22 posted on 02/16/2011 2:15:47 PM PST by Frank_2001
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To: Gaffer

It’s protected if you protect it. Web applications can be made very secure.


23 posted on 02/16/2011 2:16:14 PM PST by proxy_user
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To: Frank_2001
I think we have located the conservative teacher;)

When she calls part of the staff at her school "rude, disengaged, lazy whiners" then I'll believe she is conservative.

24 posted on 02/16/2011 2:16:56 PM PST by TankerKC (Confucius say, he who rushes to vote on bill before reading, might forget severability clause.)
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To: Frank_2001

There are times, yes. Fortunately I can call parents if necessary, and they have been really good about impressing on their kids that their behaviour in class is a reflection on them as parents.

But truthfully, my class is wonderful. They have been such a blessing to me.


25 posted on 02/16/2011 2:17:13 PM PST by BenKenobi (Don't expect to build up the weak by pulling down the strong. - Silent Cal)
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To: proxy_user

Yes, I’m sure the NSA likes people like you.


26 posted on 02/16/2011 2:17:36 PM PST by Gaffer
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To: Sub-Driver

A cousin of mine (age ~~55) has worked for several years to transition from engineering to being a school teacher. He likes working with kids, sports, baseball coaching, that whole thing, and God bless him. This past year was his first as a math teacher, a goal he has worked very hard and very diligently to achieve. And he’s freaked out, because he’s stuck failing 45/70 = 64% of his students and scared to death he’ll be fired. The stories he tells me about how poorly these kids perform on any sort of math test are just appalling, unbelievable. Algebra is the main mountain he works to get them over.

I asked him “Don’t they freaking know that a quarter equals 5 nickels??”

He answers, “Not that many of them do...but funny you should mention it....that was one of the problems on the last test...”


27 posted on 02/16/2011 2:19:41 PM PST by Attention Surplus Disorder ("Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit smoking" - Barack Hussein Obama)
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To: Sub-Driver
I just retired from a school district here in South Carolina, I agree whole heatedly with this teacher.
I have seen students go from disrespect to open contempt.
What she says about overrated self esteem is right on.
These kids don't give a damn about anything. You can't entice them in any way, threaten them with failing and they say “so what”,then the teachers are blamed for poor grades
The education system is broken, and has been broken for a long time. The parents don't give a hoot either, just as long as Suzie or Johnnie, are not disturbing their TV watching.
There is NO discipline, the administration only cares about numbers write a kid up too many times and you'll get a lecture on how much $$ that would cost the school.
Now you can't give a kid a zero,the lowest grade a teacher can give is a 60.
Teachers are forced to attend endless staff meetings concocting ways to “retest”,”regrade” and ( This one I love) “creative grading enhancement”.As I said,the education system is broken and has been broken for a long time.
28 posted on 02/16/2011 2:20:33 PM PST by Robe (Rome did not create a great empire by talking, they did it by killing all those who opposed them)
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To: Sub-Driver

29 posted on 02/16/2011 2:22:02 PM PST by DigitalVideoDude (It's amazing what you can accomplish when you don't care who gets the credit. -Ronald Reagan)
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To: Sub-Driver

Time was the truth was a defense; now it’s a crime.


30 posted on 02/16/2011 2:27:19 PM PST by Spok
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To: Robe
These kids don't give a damn about anything.

Take that back. My wife's niece had big goals. Get a job at Taco Bell's so she could by a cellphone and car.

She got the cellphone but got pregnant before she saved enough for the car.

Unbelievably, the dude married her!

Fortunately for both, the government gives them free medical and other benefits.

31 posted on 02/16/2011 2:30:14 PM PST by SeeSac
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To: Captain Kirk

“Stupid? Since when is telling the truth, stupid?”

Like almost always?

“Truth is a precious thing and should be used sparingly.”—Mark Twain

“Being right too soon is socially unacceptable.”
Robert A. Heinlein


32 posted on 02/16/2011 2:32:06 PM PST by allmendream (Tea Party did not send the GOP to D.C. to negotiate the terms of our surrender to socialism.)
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To: Robe
Teachers are forced to attend endless staff meetings concocting ways to “retest”,”regrade” and ( This one I love) “creative grading enhancement”.As I said,the education system is broken and has been broken for a long time.

I did a brief teach stint a few decades ago. We didn't need endless staff meetings. They just told us "Don't dare flunk any minorities."

33 posted on 02/16/2011 2:32:19 PM PST by SeeSac
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To: Responsibility2nd
We can't speak the truth in America if it might hurt some feelings. Teachers are being suspended for speaking their mind while outside of the workplace. I could see this turning into censorship for conservative teachers who speak out against liberalism.
34 posted on 02/16/2011 2:33:17 PM PST by peeps36 (America is being destroyed by filthy traitors in the political establishment)
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To: allmendream

Yep, I’ve been forced out form a job before for telling the truth, a truth that would have saved the company millions. But they couldn’t handle the truth.


35 posted on 02/16/2011 2:33:48 PM PST by StolarStorm
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To: peeps36

“I could see this turning into censorship for conservative teachers who speak out against liberalism.”

turning?


36 posted on 02/16/2011 2:34:33 PM PST by BenKenobi (Don't expect to build up the weak by pulling down the strong. - Silent Cal)
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To: Attention Surplus Disorder

Your cousin is a saint. I worked, and still do work as a tutor. I see all kinds of horror stories, but I work one on one with them, so I can actually devote the time necessary to get the kiddo over the hump.

Don’t get me started on ‘reading’!


37 posted on 02/16/2011 2:37:38 PM PST by BenKenobi (Don't expect to build up the weak by pulling down the strong. - Silent Cal)
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Comment #38 Removed by Moderator

To: Robe

And this is Philadelphia.......a foreign country


39 posted on 02/16/2011 2:42:57 PM PST by Sub-Driver (Proud member of the Republican wing of the Republican Party)
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To: BenKenobi

He stays, or at least offers to stay in his office for tutoring til 5 pm. There are several tutoring programs at his school. And these kids never take him up on his or the other offers. He says “I feel like the Maytag repairman”.

He’s very up front with them, in terms of warning them every week that they MUST get this or that done or submitted or they CAN NOT proceed; he will accept any homework at any time during the quarter/semester with the idea that as long as they go thru the work, it’s a good thing. And still, they find a way to exhibit the complete failure to demonstrate the effort.

And his general take on it is “these are the kids that you and I didn’t go to school with, we didn’t know them, we didn’t have them as friends”.

I don’t know what you do with kids who demonstrate no affinity towards learning new stuff. At that age, it is so much easier to learn, just because of the state of our brains. I think it would be good to go on field trips to homeless encampments. The theme would be “You have a Choice”.


40 posted on 02/16/2011 2:59:11 PM PST by Attention Surplus Disorder ("Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit smoking" - Barack Hussein Obama)
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