Posted on 05/03/2002 12:44:34 PM PDT by My Favorite Headache
State education officials to investigate Ian Harvey
Friday, May 3, 2002
By RAY PARKER, brparker@naplesnews.com
Florida Department of Education officials will investigate former Lely High School teacher Ian Harvey this month, Collier County School Board attorney John Clapper said Thursday.
Two months ago, school officials disciplined Harvey for violating teaching standards, ethics codes and district policies. He was given a three-day suspension without pay and transferred to an Immokalee school.
Ian Harvey
He will remain at Bethune Education Center, which offers various adult classes, while his case is reviewed by the state's professional practices office, which could recommend revoking Harvey's teaching certificate or find no wrongdoing.
While there's no typical period of time for reviewing a case such as Harvey's, School Board members said they'll ask state officials to speed up the Harvey investigation.
Seven war veterans, Collier residents and Harvey supporters raged about what the School Board should do about the teacher during Thursday's meeting.
"Mr. Harvey is out there in Immokalee teaching new people how to speak English," Dan Szalay said. "There's a problem."
Others spoke just as vehemently.
Cynthia Harvey defends her husband, Ian Harvey, at Thursday's Collier County School Board meeting. Dan Wagner/Staff
"Patriotism to me is about the right to dissent" and to participate in peaceful protests, said Ian Harvey's wife, Cynthia, who teaches at Naples High and Pine Ridge Middle schools. "Ian has support all over the world."
Clapper informed the group that Ian Harvey has rights as a tenured teacher.
"Public employment differs from employment in the private sector," he said. "Were (Harvey) in the private sector, he would have been fired at 5 o'clock."
War veteran Richard Somerby rallied several of his friends for the meeting.
"This teacher has certainly been a lightning rod," he said. "Further action should be taken."
Somerby asked several questions including: Was Harvey's supervisor punished? Have other teachers been investigated? Should Harvey be teaching English to non-citizens?
While no one addressed his questions, board member Abbott kept the dialogue going by asking Clapper about the investigation process.
Abbott asked if the School Board could fire Harvey.
Clapper replied it depended on the circumstances.
"In my opinion, that was not justified in this case," Clapper said.
Richard Somerby of Naples holds a code of ethics booklet from the Florida Education Standards Commission as he urges the School Board to be more decisive in the Ian Harvey case. Dan Wagner/Staff
In his Feb. 27 letter of reprimand, Schools Superintendent Dan White wrote: "In sum, your conduct has not been one benefiting a professional educator thus warranting discipline. Should the referenced conduct and behavior continue, further disciplinary action to and including termination shall be recommended."
Lely High teacher John Dwyer blasted what he saw as a smear campaign against Harvey in the press.
"I personally wouldn't have punished Ian Harvey," he said. "I don't think he did anything wrong."
Gil Erlichman, a veteran, blasted the teachers union contract's protection of educators.
"We're held prisoner by the (National Education Association)," he said.
Rebecca Rife, Collier County Education Association president, said the collective bargaining agreement with the district is in alignment with state and federal laws.
"The purpose is so people are treated justly" and given due process, Rife said.
Member Don York, who was not born in the United States, said he chose to become an American and takes that decision seriously. Harvey is a British citizen.
"Be patient and let (the state investigators) take their course," York advised the audience. "Even (Charles) Manson got a fair trial."
But, that was AFTER we learned about Americanism. I think it's time to revive the term Americanism. It's a positive and proud way to describe our system of government and our diverse culture.
So what'd this guy Harvey do? The article never said. I can look it up in the links, but a newspaper reader would be left completly in the dark as to what this is all about.
You won't need to read. You will be able to hear Mr. Harvey's "hate America" diatribe for yourself.
Well...at least we know that Mr. Harvey (left) and Mrs. Harvey (right) have the same hair stylist.
Also, isn't this a bit "butch"? (Seems to me that this is a popular "do" in the gay and lesbian community). Maybe Mr. Harvey is hiding something more than is anti-America, anti-capitalist tendencies.
'Benefiting' = 'benefitting', but it doesn't matter because the word ought to be 'befitting'.
'Conduct and behavior' is redundant.
'Shall' ought to be 'will'; shall only goes with the first person singular.
You gotta wonder who's teaching them English.
I took that class in high school. It should be required for all U.S. middle/high school students.
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