I can't get a break!

[newbie308]

I had a very depressing conversation with my wife this morning. As if our financial situation isn't bad enough with my engineering business, apparently she is going to loose her meager instructional assistant position due to a minor infraction. She was frustrated with one of her students because the student was being disrespectful and talking durring the pledge of allegiance. She repremanded the student in front of the classroom and in the process she grabbed the student's arm. Apparently, the student filed a complaint and the school, obviously trying to prevent a legal frenzy, decided to fire my wife for her actions. Our health insurance was provided through her job and now I will need to carry that expense, too! Some times I feel like giving up, letting the bank take everything, and living on welfare like the illegal immigrants do!

[steveinaz]

I could never be a teacher, I'd end up going upside some kids head.

Hang in there man.

[cnh]

Sorry to hear about that. That sounds a bit "drastic" to me. Maybe she can appeal the decision?

Don't let things get you down. I know it's hard not to. It's better to concentrate on one's own situation and not to reflect on what "others" are doing. Stats on illegal immigrants are all over the place and some are in circumstances much much worse than yours. We did some research in this area in NYC and it was "not" a pretty picture. Far from what most people think. Most of these individuals have no benefits whatsoever and live in large families on the edge of poverty with no health care, no welfare, etc. Afraid to "become" visible to the gov't because of their status. Many are scared, terrified even.

Do "some" abuse the system. Sure...some.

In any case, I hope things work themselves out because what "you" are experiencing is definitely not "fair".

cnh

[Tankman]

I could never be a teacher, I'd end up going upside some kids head.

Hang in there man.

^^^^same here.

[newbie308]

Thanks for the support! It is all so frustrating. I think these kids need to visit a VA hospital with their parents and tell a wounded vet that they don't care about the American flag or what it stands for while looking him in the eye!

[Tankman]

I had a very depressing conversation with my wife this morning. As if our financial situation isn't bad enough with my engineering business, apparently she is going to loose her meager instructional assistant position due to a minor infraction. She was frustrated with one of her students because the student was being disrespectful and talking durring the pledge of allegiance. She repremanded the student in front of the classroom and in the process she grabbed the student's arm. Apparently, the student filed a complaint and the school, obviously trying to prevent a legal frenzy, decided to fire my wife for her actions. Our health insurance was provided through her job and now I will need to carry that expense, too! Some times I feel like giving up, letting the bank take everything, and living on welfare like the illegal immigrants do!

Don't know how it is with the Law on disipiline on kids,but here in Louisiana a Parent can not even slap a kid, ya can catch a charge for it.I know i have a friend who slap her kid not hard in to face for using vulgar language the kid called the cops and the Mother was off too jail.Hang in there ,Never give in!

[steveinaz]

Couldn't be a cop either, I'd be the one they capture on vdeo clubbing the hell out of somebody after a car chase. I just don't have the patience.

[tonyb]

Yep, me too.^^^

Don't worry OP, life is full of peaks and valleys. When things are good and your at the peak, you have nowhere to go but down. When your in the valley, you have nowhere to go but up. Consider yourself in the valley and keep your chin up looking at that Peak.

[SolidSqual]

Where the hell is her union? Something doesn't sound right.

[decal]

The same thing happened to one of my co-worker's wife just last month. They are treating her like a child abuser and to make matters worse, the kid's family is suing her and the school board. What has become of this country?

[tonyb]

The same thing happened to one of my co-worker's wife just last month. They are treating her like a child abuser and to make matters worse, the kid's family is suing her and the school board. What has become of this country?

The allure of a quick buck at the expense of others, thats what we have become.

[nooshinjohn]

Stats on illegal immigrants are all over the place and some are in circumstances much much worse than yours. We did some research in this area in NYC and it was "not" a pretty picture. Far from what most people think. Most of these individuals have no benefits whatsoever and live in large families on the edge of poverty with no health care, no welfare, etc. Afraid to "become" visible to the gov't because of their status. Many are scared, terrified even.

Do "some" abuse the system. Sure...some.

In any case, I hope things work themselves out because what "you" are experiencing is definitely not "fair".

cnh

The only stat of any importance for illegal immigrants should be the "deported date". We have far to many American citizens to take care of right now without adding illegals to the mix. I feel sorrry for their plight, but our Gov't needs to do a better job of taking care of those that are here legally, rather than spending our dime on those that have no respect for our laws, values and our way of life.

[gdb]

I know there's a whole bunch of Catholic School Nun/teachers that should be in lock-up for their treatment of students but....an arm grab....give me a break. It'd be a way different story if the brat's arm had been grabbed to prevent him from being flattened by a schoolbus. My father in law lives in Newtown in Bucks Co. , that place is beyond belief in all kinds of ways ! Move now !

[F1nut]

Stories like that make me sick. There's an entire generation that is in for a major shock when they get out in the real world. The kid should have been given detention for a week and your wife should have got a pat on the back.

[tonyb]

There's an entire generation that is in for a major shock when they get out in the real world..

Darn straight Jess. All that PC crap will come back to bite them in the arse.

[inspiredsports]

Hang in there, and don't take it out on your wife.

My wife and I talk about her day at school every day when she comes home, and I honestly can't believe the stories. I also can't believe she is able to maintain her composure. I would literally explode if I had to spend a week (maybe a day) in a classroom situation.

I'm not a union supporter, but this is one of the times to reach out to them for support and learn what her options are as this episode could keep her from teaching again if it's blown out of proportion.

[gudnoyez]

I had a math teacher that would smack you upside the head and then send you to the principals office for interupting his class, of course that was in the 70's. If you had long hair he would grab you by it and show you the door, and then send you to the principals office, the following saturday morning detintion was from 8am until noon.

[NE1410S]

Sorry to hear about your troubles, but don't waith for the "break" to find you. Seek and ye shall find

[Tony M]

I am so sorry for wifes' unbeleivably wrongful termination. I thought there HAD TO BE an inquire as to the event.
I agree, what about her UNION. I think NYC or other places, Teachers can not be fired EVER. So look into it, if she has a teachers contractual agreement for employment in her instance.

What did I say in Johns' little susie thread? Kids nowadays (my step daughter) included believe they can do or say anything they want to now with little or no retribution.

I applaud all teachers who CARE and TRY to disaplin out of control juvinal delinquints! The delinquints need to be restrained in what ever the manner might call for or they will grow in their deranged manor until another person or persons get injured or killed.

This kid your wife repremanded is probably now so FULL OF HIMSELF as to thinking he is UNTOUCHABLE, it is sickening to me!! That's a great term I can title the new kids with weird attitudes, Untouchables. Look what happens when they are TOUCHED. Termination. That's so friken powerful to have that power at your will. These delinquints have this thought in their heads now;
" I'll do what I want, and if you have a problem with it and complain to your superiors or EVEN try in the most GENTLE touch of our arms, you'll be the one who gets punnished! You'll probably loose your job that you spent thousands of dollars and years of your life persuing. It won't mean nothing, not a damn little bit what you did to become my teacher, I have infinite power over you now. I have been told that by society all my life".

No disipline in school anymore. That is reserved by the millions of Government appointed councelors now I guess.

I don't want a teacher BEATING the crap out of a student but when did grabing an arm become Sooo friken brutal that it results in termination and possible law suit as another mentioned in their case and city.

I'm kinda glad my step daughter after taking 4 years of college and graduating decided Teaching is to volatile of a proffession these days. I faintly remember her telling us at the end after her free teaching hours at local schools to graduate, that teachers hands were tied when it came to unrulely children. She is one to not take crap of of nobody. She came from the untouceable system also, but she does have respect for authority figures and she's a devout christian of great virtue and accomplishments.

She never spent one day teaching in a public school after those collegate mandates. She was "shell shocked" I think.

I was dissaplined in some grade before 6th and had to stand in a corner. I asked the teacher if I could go to the bathroom. No, I was not allowed. I pleaded with her once more to no avail. So I had so much respect for authority then, And American kids better have had it or dismissal from school would be short coming. I pissed my pants instead of telling the teacher to shove it!!!
That's how bad I REALLY had to go. I'll bet she smelled and saw it after class. It was at the end of the day. I walked home as usual but this time I had a hatred for that teacher and my own personal belief to obay my teachers and authority figures and elders to the end of time. I'm different then most. My will is so strong, I thought I could make it also. I couldn't that time.

I hope your wife gets retribution on the ones who terminated her by having their superiors fire them for fireing her.Wouldn't that be fitting. Good luck and you two will be in my thoughts and prayers!

[DarqueKnight]

There's an entire generation that is in for a major shock when they get out in the real world.

They'll learn respect for authority, one way or another. I understand that most jail guards and prison wardens have sub-zero tolerance for disrespect. I don't imagine that most employee supervisors are very tolerant of disrespectful behavior either.

The kid should have been given detention for a week and your wife should have got a pat on the back.

In most cases, the parents (or lack thereof) are the problem. Many school systems are tired of dealing with hostile, beligerant, litigious parents. They have learned to make things easy on themselves by passing "problem" students along until they are old enough to drop out or until they graduate (as functional illiterates).

Then, when Johnny or Susie can't find a decent job with that empty head, some parents want to sue the school system "for not teaching their child anything". How can you teach anything when the students are cussing you out and/or chasing you with knives and guns drawn?

[mrbigbluelight]

I may have mentioned this before, but when my oldest son was in high school, he had a class where one of his fellow "students" decided to get up and start walking towards the teacher in a threatening manner. My son got up, walked over, and gave him a football "shiver" that blew him half way across the room and into a wall heater. Knocked him out. When he got home that day and told me about it, I complimented him on the techniques he picked up at the University of Illinois football camp the previous summer and then gave him $50.
I like to reward hard work.
And doing the right thing.

From that, you can guess what my opinion is on a teacher being fired for grabbing a student by the arm.
As others have mentioned, get the teachers' Union representative involved. Make things happen, don't wait for something to happen. Make it happen. Your steward may be a nut-licking Judas goat, so have no hesitation to go right up the line (Business Agent, Local President, etc) if you get even a whiff of , "Well, there's nothing we can do !".
MAKE IT HAPPEN.

[disneyjoe7]

Fight it, lawyer up!

[DarqueKnight]

...when my oldest son was in high school, he had a class where one of his fellow "students" decided to get up and start walking towards the teacher in a threatening manner. My son got up, walked over, and gave him a football "shiver" that blew him half way across the room and into a wall heater. Knocked him out.

Even if there were no possibility of lawsuits, with all the gang affiliations and kids coming to school armed with knives and guns, any type of physical contact could quickly escalate into something tragic...which is why so many schools have a zero physical contact policy.

In my youth we would have fist fights at morning recess and be eating and playing together at lunch time. Now, a fist fight at morning recess might immediately turn into a knife fight, gun fight or gang fight (with guns and/or knives). A fist fight at recess might also fester in some sociopath's mind until he comes to school one day months later and sprays the place with automatic gunfire.