I just wanted to post about this because I found it disturbing:
http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/index.php?id=2029
When I read the summary, and that she was accused of promoting underage drinking, I assumed that she was underage in the photo. Actually, she's 27 and the photo was taken two years ago.
It actually reminds me of the case in the 1970s that allowed pregnant teachers to keep their jobs. (Which I read about in Glamour, of all places). Basically, teachers used to be pushed out of their jobs as soon as they were visibly pregnant because it was thought that the sight of them would make students uncomfortable. These were married teachers at public schools. More recent cases that you can google involve unmarried or fertility-treatment-using teachers at religious schools, which could be two other blog posts right there.
How does one draw a connection between bringing a new life into this world and drinking whilst wearing a pirate hat? It's the idea that students can't handle the fact that their teachers have lives outside of work. Or the idea that, if that bothers students (or, more likely, their parents), that that is somehow the teacher's responsibility. This is completely unreasonable. As long as they're teaching and not discussing their child-conceiving or drinking habits at school, they have fulfilled their professional responsibility.*
Just for fun, if I ever move back to the US, I'll start holding everybody in every profession to the same standards that teachers are held to. This means, to start with, that I won't be watching TV, listening to music, or watching movies. Shopping in general might be iffy, since it's likely that at least half the store employees have myspace pages, and half of those probably make some mention of some kind of inappropriate behavior. Oh, and no more voting or taxes, either.
I'm not arguing that it was a good idea on her part. What I am saying is that it shouldn't matter. Obviously, it does, and teachers who want to get or keep jobs have to work within that stupid, stupid system. On that note, I also don't understand why the university couldn't have just warned her, which would have been helpful.
* - I say "they" because the TEFL industry in Russia is very (in fact, a little too) far removed from this situation.
If I weren't who's to say
14 years ago
1 comment:
Teaching is tricky because the public pays our salaries, so I suppose they get some say. Unlike firefighters who are also paid by the public, we are in a profession that people think they understand because, after all, they went to school.
But I digress. Of course the story is ridiculous and I'm glad the young lady is fighting it. She most definitely did not encourage underage drinking, but she did show some mildly bad judgment. This in no way should have caused her credential to be blocked, but if I were thinking of hiring her, I would google her, and that picture might be enough to color my judgment. She has every right to post what she wants, but I would have every right to not hire her. And that is why her credential did not need to be blocked.
As for your idea, why not go straight to the most important role models of all. If Dad has a beer after work, isn't he encouraging underage drinking? If Mom watches an NC-17 movie and writes a review, well...
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