Teacher dilemma: how to proceed with assault?

O

orangecat

1,000+ Posts
Okay guys, check this out. I work in an Intermediate School in the city of Dallas, in another district, not DISD.

I've had trouble with this one kid all year, he has been written up by me and two other teachers a combined total of 6 times for different things, cussing at me during the TAKS test(F you under his cough), throwing another student's shoe over the fence, insubordination, etc.


The other day(Monday) as we are lining up in the hall to go to lunch(I take two classes to lunch), all of a sudden I am hit by a flying object probably 1 1/2 inches to the right of my right eye. I hesistate, then knowing that we have cameras rolling in the halls, continue taking the classes to lunch.

Later that day I email the prinicipal about the incident, ask if I can look at the tape. She ignores the email. I repeat the email, the next day along with info about a fight that also occurred in the hall.(two of my students pushing and hitting)

She reponds, asks where I was when I got hit. I answer, then ask a third time if I can please look at the tape.(The answer came Wednesday afternoon, the answer is "No there is nothing showing you being hit, but there is good footage of the fight."

Technically, she may be correct, but what she doesn't know is that one of our clerks in the main office showed me a still picture and guess what, my star pain in the *** student is shown pulling back a rubber band, obviously shooting at me.

Now, this footage combined with my complaint should be enough to get this kid either AEP or I might possibly get the kid removed through something called "teacher initiated removal of student."

Proof this plan for me.

1. later this morning I will call the director of security and ask him to please save footage from the day, entire school. Yesterday I called security, asked how long they keep footage, and they told me a week. So they should still have the footage.

If he says no, I'm sunk. I've got nothing.

2. After I hang up, casually approach the principal, and say "so there's nothing that shows a student pulling back a rubber band shooting at me?", and "I can't look at the tape because?" and then move along.

3. Sometime later today, call TFT and see if I can pay the year's membership from 2007-08(bad teacher, not paying in August!), so I can gain access to legal help if need be.

I haven't thought any further than that. Background information

1. Negative for me. I'm on a plan(my observation occurred on Halloween, the kids were disinterested, and my marks were just a couple of points short.

Postive for me.

1. I've already signed the contract for next year. Now the tricky part(possibly) is that the principal hasn't delivered the contracts to the main office. I have two copies of mine, I wonder if I should send another copy to personnel, that way she can't claim she didn't receive a signed contract?)

paranoia, I know!!

2. She is a brand new principal. She was an assistant principal for us last year, only one year as an assistant.

3. I'm trying to get a job closer to home anyway. I have this annual job search, and this just adds more fuel to the fire.

Any comments, contstructive and destructive are appreciated.
 
I was once that kid. You know that black plastic boomerang looking thing at the back of your binder, well in 4th grade, I threw it a my buddy and missed. It hit my teached in the forehead. It was an honest accident, but stupid nonetheless.

I got paddled by the principal, suspended for three days and my dad beat the **** out of me. My behavior improved.
 
How to proceed with assault? Here's how I would do it.

1. Carry large book (textbook would work) in right hand.

2. Walk past problem child's desk on right side.

3. Suddenly "remember that you forgot something" and turn quickly to your left.

4. "Accidentally" let hand with book stray out from body and smack problem child across the back of the head. Preferably hard enough to cause his head to impact his desk.

5. Apologize profusely while trying not to laugh.


Wait. I think I misunderstood the question.
 
Throwing a shoe over the fence - classic.
Insubordination - one of my personal favorite activities.
Rubber band = assualt? Get real..

Maybe you should just change careers, or grow a thicker skin. Let it go. Don't sweat the small stuff.

How are the sharpshooter's grades? Are you teaching him anything?

The Principal clearly shouldn't have lied to you about the video. Then again maybe she just didn't see the kid on the grassy knoll. More than likely, she just didn't want the hassle for such a small issue. She should have just told you that to your face. She's not a good leader, but that's a separate issue.

Scrap the plan. Move on.

Bernard
 
I disagree Bernard. The kid has some real problems and teachers are not punching bags for every maladjusted kid out there. If their attitude and behavior aren't corrected now they would think it's acceptable and move on to worse things. Besides, it's not that hard to not throw shoes and shoot rubber bands, he sounds like a bully who likes to intimidate people. Some very stern punishment could scare him and at the very least allow the teacher to continue teaching the rest of the kids with one less distraction.

As to how to proceed, have you been talking with the Assistant principal or head principal? You could always ask the campus police officer or superintendent.

[Edited for spelling, yep I misspelled principal]
 
i don't know about removal from school, but an in school suspension or the like seems right. assault? that is a little much, even if he is a little prick.

having said that, i would be pissed if the principle didn't let me look at the tape. that is ********.
 
I would like to take the time to comment on the principal's apparent lack of principles.

Mostly just to help out with the spelling on the last couple of posts.

That is all.
 
Jesus, Bernard. You're obviously not a public school teacher, and aren't a close relation to anyone that is.

It's certainly a bit overboard to call getting popped with a rubber band, "assault". However, if some punk kid showed me that kind of disrespect in school, his *** would be disciplined to the full extent allowed by the district.

I would certainly pursue this - the new principal is obviously very green or a coward, but that little **** should be punished, and you should have the full support of your school's administrators. Good luck.
 
Your principal needs to be more like that cat in Morgan Freeman in that movie where's he's a high school principal (Lean on Me):

"YOU ARE HEREBY EXPUDIATED! YOU ARE NO LONGER WELCOME AT THIS SCHOOL!"

I'm sure his dumbass parents would show up to protest, now that they cant dump their punk *** kid off at school to get rid of him anymore.
 
The principal's response is what worries me more than what the student did. There are always little **** students that are going to cause problems. How your school chooses to deal with them is important. I am a teacher also and I would never work for that principal. If I am going to bust my *** to make his/her school look good, he/she is going to back me up when there is an incident.

I would let the incident with the kid go, but not the one with the boss. You teach people how to treat you. Hold her accountable.
 
OC-- As a teacher, I can say from expirience that sometimes administrators just suck. They can be mean and vindictive, and chances are, there's some reason she won't persue this kid.

Were you hurt? Do you have medical bill? Do you have photos of your face from after the incident showing you were hurt? If not, there's no way an assault charge could be played at this point.

You can't get the kid out of your class w/out serious data. You can't remove a kid just cause you don't like them or because they're a pain in the ***. 6 referrals isn't that much-- you need 9 to be sent to AEP at my school, (unless they do something big.)

Your best bet is to pull the little poo aside, let him know that YOU know HE did it, and let him know every move he makes will be watched for the rest of the year. Document EVERY SINGLE TIME he does ANYTHING wrong. I have a really good, easy to use behavior documentation form that I have my teachers use when there's a problem. Send me a PM w/ your email address and I'll send it to you, if you'd like.

Seriously, you're going to cause more trouble by trying to call this principal out on lying that you know. If you piss this woman off, you can be guarenteed that she'll keep you from getting another job. You're going to have to suck it up, smile every day, say nothing negative, and try to get out of there on a good note.

Don't worry about the contract. You have a copy, so you're covered. If you really want to CYA, email human resources, state that you signed and submitted your contract, and ask if they have recieved it. Keep a copy, keep the reply.

27 more days. Just keep swimming
smile.gif
 
Also, remember its ******* April. Kids are nuts right now and teachers are on edge from the grind of disrespect kids can dish out over the course of the year.
You need to document what the kid did and speak to the principal in person. Hell, read her you post. Going on a jihad and changing jobs is letting the kid win, and its certainly not helping anyone.
I know what your going through, I am a teacher too. Try not to take it personally, and try to be professional. Good luck.
 
Yes my boy is giving his first grade teacher fits. We discipline him all the time but how long it takes for the light bulb to turn on I have no idea. I'll be glad when this school year is over.
 
You are attempting to do a very tough job, and I am sure you can get fed up with the little miscreants, but I don't really consider this assault. So I think you are going too far to try to expel the student over this. These are junior high kids.
But the administration should not have swept the incident under the rug, either. They did nothing to address your concerns. They should have listened to you, and brought the kid in for some kind of punishment, detention or something.
 
You might want to put in a written public information request for the videotapes; that way they can't be destroyed.
 
I understand being a teacher has few rewards, and I understand this particular kid has probably been your achilles heel for the entire year, but for the life of me, I can not understand why in the hell you would make this much of a stink over a rubber band fired at you.

I respect the hell out of what you have to go through as a teacher, but sometimes you have to just let it go.

Making a federal case out of this, even with evidence, wont end well- even if you win, you still lose.

Your principle will get called out, meaning she will probably have it in for you next year, you already have a small mark against you due to grades, dont give her any ammo to take it to the next level.
 
What Smurfette said above. Listen to it and heed it.

I think it might be the Assistant Principal you should deal with as far as discipline, at least at the schools I have been in. Find out what you can hold over the little "poo's" head and then use it to your full advantage. Right now our 8th graders are in their 30 day rule for their field trip and as soon as that is over they will be in the 30 day rule for their big dance at the end of the year. (no DMC, ISS, or suspensions for 30 days prior to the trip or dance.) It works for most of them. The handful that it does not work for, well not much will and they probably already have tons of referrals.

Seriously consider the student's intent. I have been hit by more than a few flying objects, and most honestly were not aimed at me, but the kids were just being 13 year old twits and missed. The one or two that were intentional were written up. I also make it a point to get the AP on my side by telling him or her that I am holding so-and-so's referral if it annoying but not so serious, but will fill them in on my side of a more serious referral turned in before they ever see the kid.

Don't just drop it with him. Definitely let him know you know what is going on and that it is YOUR choice to hold onto the referral right now to see if his behavior improves. Also, have your made any parent contact? It probably will not make a hill of beans of diference, but it is a CYA move that is required by my school. You have to call if you have not made a referral or it has been at least 4-6 weeks since the last one.

Whatever you do, remember this is a teachable moment for him!
biggrin.gif
 
Honestly, as an administrator, I see what is going on. Is the kid a prick? Sure. But honestly, this principal is obviously trying to get rid of you.

Maybe its best to look for a new job, maybe a new grade level, or even a new career. You dont get put on an improvement plan for nothing. I have never met one, that wasnt a poor teacher.
 
Intent? or accident? (aiming at somebody else)

If you have it out for the kid then pursue it, if not let it slide, as the year is almost over.

the fact you didn't halt right then and demand to know who did that makes it seem to me the incident wasn't bad enough for you to feel immediate action was warranted.

I also like the fact you want to abuse the Teachers union for your protection only but not for the support of other teachers....

not saying the kid isn't a ****, but in my opinion you are in the wrong line of work if you are honestly viewing this as assault. Perhaps you should rent the "Breakfast Club" and see if you don't see a lot of yourself in a few years in the detention teacher in that flick.....
 
The kid's clearly a jackass for doing other things, but rubber band shooting isn't one of them? I guess everyone at my office is a troublemaker if shooting a rubber band is assult.
 
Root-- yeah, I've seen good teachers put on a growth plan that didn't deserve it, too. Not often, but it does happen.

Theoretically, a growth plan should serve to help the teacher, put into effect to keep them in place, not run them off.

Chances are, OrangeCat is on a probationary contract anyway, so they can let him go no matter what. The whole thing doesn't make sense... why put the growth plan in place, then offer a contract, then act an ***? Just don't offer the contract.
 
What I meant is that, this is obviously the administrator trying to get rid of her, and she should be looking at other options.
 
There weren't quite as many problems back in the day when a good ***-whippin' took care of most little jerks.

I wouldn't call it an "assault", but the kid should definitely get nailed for it.

Too bad your administrator is a useless piece of furniture. Saw too many of those in my career.
 
When I was in school, the teachers told the coaches if someone on the team ****** up. Railroad cross-tie pulling ensued. Nothing teaches respect like moving a 100 lb. chunk of wood on uneven grass at 6:30 on an August afternoon.
 
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