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Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Below the Belt Tactics

Well, I shouldn't be surprised at what I just witnessed on the news, though I am because it's absolutely disgusting.

In what was reported as "new revelations" by Channel 10 news, I am now being falsely accused of attacking "special ed students."

At the school board meeting, the superintendent stated that I have made it "impossible" for me to teach in this district, and added that the pain and confusion I've caused by my words is the problem. He cited how this was done, "when she blogged, 'I don't care if you lick windows, take the special bus, or occasionally pee on yourself...you hang in there Sunshine, you're friggin' special.'"

Then the news, in an effort to really drive home the effect that this was somehow part of the comments I was standing by, showed a clip of me saying that I stand by my statements because they are the truth.

Let me set the record straight right now:

I have NEVER made any anti-special needs comments. The item to which the superintendent was referring was a stock image graphic from online that accompanied my "cooperative in class" blog post that's been the talk of nation for the past 2 weeks.

First, those were NOT my words. They were on the image as it came, and that image can be found easily online.

Second, I didn't select the image as ANY sort of slight or commentary on special needs individuals. I thought it was apropos to the post topic because it reflected the sentiment that I was trying to express within the blog post, which was that no matter what, the comments on the report cards always end up mostly positive.

In no way and in no form did I even read the graphic in a way that was derogatory to people with special needs. I read it in a way that was patting all people on the back regardless of their actions.

From the time I was 3, my grandfather was unable to walk or talk, having suffered a debilitating stroke. And from elementary school onward, my own father has struggled with multiple sclerosis and is now bound to a wheelchair. For my entire life, I've witnessed and experienced the struggles of individuals with special needs and I would NEVER callously make light of them as it has just been suggested that I have done.

It should come as no surprise that the district would endeavor to cast the innocuously selected cartoon in this light to further vilify me, and that the media would latch onto it in an effort to cause further controversy with this ongoing issue.

As I've noted, lack of support from school administration is one of the primary problems in education today, and it seems they will do anything and everything to keep the spotlight off of themselves. Apparently this is the way they play politics, but I'm not a politician; truth and facts will strengthen my cause whereas misinformation will strengthen theirs.

And despite any misinformation that may be presented by others, I will continue to discuss the problematic matters that exist in education today.

34 comments:

  1. And don't ever forget...

    ... These are government officials. Attacking a private citizen, misrepresenting, and using the taxpayers money to finance a slander machine attack with the aid of a sympathetic press.

    In short, it illustrates what the founders were talking about when they penned the Declaration. I'm sure the educrats only wish they could arrest you in the middle of the night for a secret tribunal.

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  2. I find it horrifying that the Westboro Baptist Church can picket military funerals, saying the most despicable lies and inflammatory "Christian" allegations under the constitutional protection of free speech, and yet you can't blog as a teacher.

    A very sad state of affairs.

    If they are stupid enough to fire you, you are going to breeze through a lawsuit.

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  3. Wow, all I can say is that I'm sorry you're going through this!!

    People, no matter their education or job title, can be stupid :(

    Hopefully there will be a reality check for all the haters. Maybe they will realize that we're all human and we're allowed to have emotions and express them.

    I've had my issues with my son's teachers, just like I've had issues with doctors, bosses, and idiots who don't know how to drive. But I've also
    incredible and wonderful expereinces. As a parent, I don't care if you blog, as long as none of the kids names are used.

    And I much rather have a teacher be honest and use their own commentary on the report cards, than canned ones. Seriously, I want to know if my kid is being a brat or not. I need to know that to work with him and get him in the right place.

    I just wanted to say, hang in there. You did nothing wrong. Education, the way it currently is, has to change if we want a better future for our children...Thank you for standing up and not backing down!!

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  4. I was viewing the morning news this morning and saw the segment concerning this blog and decided to check out the Blog for myself. I have learned that it's easier to judge these types of reports for myself instead of allowing someone else to provide me with an opinion. I am glad that you did not remove your blog. This allow people to read it and judge for themselves.

    The news segment made it seem as though you were making horrible comments abouts disabled, or mentally challenged students. I haven't read that particular blog yet but from the posts I have read I don't really see what the issue is about. Did you personally mention any students by name in any of your blogs? If so, if I was that student or their parent, I would be upset but we all have the freedom to express ourselves in writing. This has been proven even when the President of the United States was giving a speech and people were allowed to call him a liar and/or boo him during a live taping. Freedom of speech was their excuse so why would you have any less freedoms?

    Have you ever wondered how your blog was found, especially if you didn't use your entire name? I think the news reported that you used computers at the school to post your blog. If this is true, did you not know that the school districts are capable of tracking sites visited? After seeing the site, someone at the school could have figured out it was your blog. Or did you tell someone you trusted about your blog, and they betrayed you? This is only important because it's important to realize that not everyone is trustworthy especially now that your story is so hot. Others may try to receive their 15 mins. of fame by jumping on the bash Natalie Munroe bandwagon. I think you should continue to write your blogs but also take care of yourself. You don't want stress to affect you or your lil girls health.

    Good luck to you, and don't allow anyone to stop you from teaching. Based on what I've read so far, you seem like the type of teacher that many of our children need.

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  5. "In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes an act of rebellion." George Orwell.

    At no time in this nation's history has American society become so delusional in its self assessment. This is particularly evident in how we prepare our off spring for later life and its challenges. First and foremost, kids today are basically "drop off" items of daily life....forgotten by the parent(s) for the next 6 - 8 hours. After all, they pay their taxes...well...most of them.....and those taxes go to schools whose responsibility it is to "educate" little Johnny or Janie. And if Johnny or Janie are uncooperative, disruptive, or too damaged to even prepare to learn, it quickly becomes the TEACHER'S fault. Heaven forbid that a parent have to face the fact that their little darling is a self absorbed little hedonist, a growing scourge on the society he or she will someday join as an adult. That their children are functionally illiterate can't possibly be related to the fact that there is NO home life, no nurturing environment, and all of their role models are negative.

    How...or more germaine...WHY....a secondary school teacher survives a career in that environment is a wonder in this world today. I have taught at the undergraduate level and am routinely depressed by the lack of learning and intellectual skills demonstrated by my students. Their attitudes are "I'm here, so try to teach me and oh by the way, I get an A because I am here." They are too lazy to employ MS Word spellcheck before tendering a written assignment to me. The do possess unparalleled skills at copy/paste from the works of others...unabashed plagerism....a skill that many colleges and universities accomodate within their grading systems.

    The whole genesis of your woes is your truth about the little self serving toe rags that are deposited by parents each day on the front entrance to your public school. You would be teacher of the year if you only supported their delusion of educational greatness. Don't worry, be happy......the mantra of today's society....until someone disturbs their dreamstate.

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  6. Dear Mrs. Munroe,

    I don't really need you to post it because you probably wouldn't want to anyways. Who would want to post a comment that doesn't shine to you as a freedom fighter? I would just like to ask how these kids found this blog? I know you didn't reveal your school, full name, and e-mail address, but how did they find you? Also, do you think you should stop with the blogs? I mean, I know its to give you're point across, but it looks like your striking for fame here.

    In my family's case, my mom went to the websites forum board and went to local news channels and she still got supporters, so why would you keep posting on something that got you in trouble in the first place?

    I hope every thing goes well and I hope the health of your baby remains safe.

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  7. Because you've gotten so much support, the media is going to do whatever they can do to make you look like an asshole. That's just the truth--they need a story. The superintendent is mad because your blog made the school district look bad, and made him look like he didn't have control over his teachers. Therefore, he's going to do everything he can do to make you look like an asshole--he needs to look good in the eyes of the school board (who in my experience are generally a bunch of uneducated men with kids going to school in the district, trying to tell teachers how to do their jobs).

    I also hope "Mr. Ghost" knows that writing a blog doesn't automatically make you a fame whore. I commend you for continuing to write from your point of view.

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  8. Ms. Munroe,

    I wish I could feel sympathy for you, but frankly you brought this on yourself. I saw your original blog, and while I didn't see that particular comment about making fun of people with special needs, your other comments which you say were meant to be witty, were downright cruel. As an adult, parent, and educator to make those kinds of judgments about CHILDREN turns my stomach. Educators have a lot to deal with, I won't deny you that. I also know that much of today's youth are faced with stimuli that shows them it's okay to be rude to adults. Heck, they don't even treat each other with much respect half of the time. You are a parent, how would you feel if some teacher posted comments like you did in your blog. Would you find it funny or acceptable? Would you say "Well I must be doing something wrong as a parent if I can see my child in some of these comments." You don't sound like a nice person, and I can not believe that after all of this you would want to be a parent. What also gets me is that after you posted about your grandfather being unable to walk or talk because of a stroke, you would have the GALL to lay judgments on other people. I am quite sure that your grandparents dealt with stares and comments about his condition when in public. How did that make you feel? You should feel ashamed, not outraged Ms. Munroe. Again, you brought this on yourself. I know you won't post this, but I had to say my peace.

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  9. The truth will come out, though it's already out, and you will be vidicated. It amazes me that we live in a free country, but we can never really be free. I would have done the same thing you did, talk about my life, things that bug or irritate me and I would have moved on. Some people though think that their kids are perfect and can do no wrong, but people like you and me need to set them straight and state the facts :)

    http://cabubsmom3.blogspot.com/

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  10. Natalie,
    As a fellow teacher who is in the process of being dismissed from the Los Angeles Unified School District for having taken exception to some of the same dysfunction you point out- there are over 200 of us going through various stages of this harassment- I very much your appreciate what you have done. I run a blog at: www.perdaily.com, where you can read about some of the other issues of outright corruption of public education that we have to deal with- right now we are dealing with a corrupt UTLA teachers' union election from a union that has more loyalty to LAUSD than it does to its rank and file.

    I did a post about you several days ago: http://www.perdaily.com/2011/02/post-3.html
    and would be happy to do more, since I believe that we are part of the silenced majority that the mainstream media will only report when it goes along with the agenda of making professional teachers look bad, so they can move toward the privatization of public education and the end of teaching as a profession to be supplanted by non-benefit instructors- see Professor Lois Weiner if you want to know where this is going. Again, thanks and feel free to contact me at Lenny@perdaily.com, where I am trying to take the fight national. You also might want to check out NAPTA and Karen Horwitz out of Chicago, if you want to connect to an organization that has 1400 members who have been treated the way you have.

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  11. Dear Mrs Munroe

    Keep strong, you are fighting for the freedom of speech and the ability to openly discuss not only your life , experiences and concerns.

    I have read a few of your posts (not all) and am not sure how they outed you, but I resonated with your posts... Sometimes kids are just horrid (I teach special needs in New Zealand) and the red tape is just ludicrous. (I think we even had that poster up in our office)

    Keep strong.

    LJ

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  12. Be careful Natalie. As a suspended teacher in CA. wrongly accused I have a sense of what you are going through.
    I have lots of thoughts I'd like to post but while they are still paying me I don't want to give them any more ammunition.
    While I don't know your financial situation I don't think you want to lose your health benefits especially so close to giving birth. Take this time and enjoy your child and your family.
    I've been able to stay home with my daughter and it's been a blessing.
    Not sure what it's like where you are but since they suspended you with full pay, perhaps you don't have to go on maternity leave and use your sick leave. In the short term a big bonus.
    The district, I assure you, is weighing their choices. Terminating a pregnant or new mother may also open them up to a discrimination lawsuit and they may not want to go there. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Just be careful, I wish you all the best of luck.

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  13. You have many, many people sending good thoughts your way. I always enjoyed your blog because you wrote like tired moms and teachers everywhere think and talk. Good luck on keeping a job, although I personally would NOT go back to the distric. Small minded people...

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  14. "I know you won't post this, but I had to say my peace."

    I'd bet money that you look for that in people's comments and let them be posted just because they said it. As a student who wants to see this problem undone, your baby girl to be and stay healthy, and detests what people looking for a good story or looking to cover their asses, you have my full support. Good luck, Mrs. Munroe.

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  15. What part of "context" don't your critics understand?

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  16. I sometimes wonder if the "educational system" as it is now has amassed to a size where it can no longer affect necessary change. "Too big for its britches." Its sheer girth disallows it to effectively see clearly and incorporate necessary change.

    Professionally, I and my organization have talked with many administrators, and although not all are ineffective or short sighted, I am surprised and the lack of movement by many, perhaps most, when change is clearly needed and opportunities are provided and facilitated--but not accepted. They seem stuck in a pattern of trying traditional, yet no longer effective methods, and hoping for different outcomes.

    Juxtapose this with our direct interaction with teachers and their response is often opposite. They purchase training and materials independent of what the school or district is doing because they know what the needs are and they strive to create change. You can hear it in Ms. Munroe's district administration that it seems they are working more furiously to protect themselves--perhaps under the guise of protecting the defenseless--instead of addressing hard facts: Students, teachers, and parents need to work together to change education, or the students are the ones who will truly suffer. (Actually it is the teachers who have to suffer because of the lack of support of parents and administrators and level of preparedness of students to work and engage--academically and socially.)

    In my experience, I see education calling and wanting help. But when offered a proven system that involves not only teachers but also parents in the collective effort to improve student achievement and social responsibility and accountability, they seem to revert back to old ways rather than investigating creative, proven strategies. Administrators even seem to more readily pay more for less effective programs.

    My state paid nearly 3/4 of a billion dollars over 15 years in a failing effort to reduce class size. A program that has proven to affect improvement academically and socially could've been paid for every citizen in the entire state for less than a third of that amount.

    I may be biased, but what Ms. Munroe is experiencing as a teacher, one in the trenches and the best position for reconnaissance, is consistent with problems experienced all over America and obviously not effectively treated because these problems seem to be perpetuating themselves, not getting better.

    I think it is time to do something different, perhaps out of our comfort zone of ineffective familiarity, and begin the process of eliminating these same issues that are holding students and education back.

    But, alas, perhaps my comments merely bounce of the enormous belly of education.

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  17. Jayden,
    Most people, who are being criticized, don't post the negative. They post what the supporters have to say because it makes them look better. I am glad that Ms. Munroe is fine with posting both the good AND the bad on her comments section since this is her blog.
    Ms. Munroe as I re-read over what you wrote in your blog, a nagging thought came to mind. The "I don't care if you lick windows, take the special bus, or occasionally pee on yourself...you hang in there Sunshine, you're friggin' special." that you say was in the image and are not your words just isn't sitting well with me. It is common knowledge that the above saying is meant in a negative connotation. The fact that you put it there because it was "apropo" to what your original blog was saying makes it even more clear that yes, you were making fun of kids with special needs. Nothing in your blog that started this whole mess was positive. It was about slamming the students who you feel were problematic. It was about your attempt, and I use that word lightly, to be funny. As if bashing students if ever funny. Kids learn from what they see at home and with friends. If they are hearing and seeing their parents and other adults being rude and slamming other people, then chances are their children will be the same way. It sounds like you would rather be part of the problem than the solution. The kids are just following your example. You should be so proud.

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  18. As a cb student I feel you should not be saying your personal thoughts online and should maybe get a journal I agree with your points but you were wrong in the way you expressed them good luck and hang in there

    I wonder why this went international ??

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  19. I'm sure you and every other teacher in America feel the same way about a lot of your students but, I don't understand how your blog posts would be considered ok but, in no way would it be ok for a student to let loose on a teacher like this!

    I don't think anyone is questioning your points it's just how you are going about expressing them! Of course you have the freedom to say what you please (freedom of speech) but, along with that right comes consequences that you are experiencing now!

    Wish you only the best!

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  20. Kudos to you Natalie. Our whole society has been spiraling downward. No longer are there any expectations for our youth. Their parents would rather be friends with their kids than be the bad guy who says no. They put more and more on our schools to raise their children. There are plenty of teachers out there that feel the same way you do but will not come forward for fear of losing their jobs. Are there good students? Absolutely, but even they pay a price with all the unruly, spoiled kids around them. One of our bus drivers tells us stories about kids who are in a competition to see how many times they can get sent to the principal. I once wanted to be a teacher, but not anymore. You have my utmost respect and support.

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  21. Wow...amazing how things you say or don't say can be twisted and used against you! As a student, I felt much the same way about my peers as you. I worked hard and was genuinely interested in learning, while others around me were praised for mediocre work, laziness and "a great basketball game". What happened to standards? I hated growing up with a parent two generations my senior, but am now so glad I did because so much more was expected of me. Keep up the good fight Natalie!

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  22. Everybody thinks their baby is perfect. Sometimes kids are idiots. Parents need to suck it up and deal with it and this country needs to stop crying about "harsh language." Watch reality TV - whenever a judge delivers any criticism, even if its positive and constructive, it is booed vigorously. That's the society we live in - people can't take even the slightest criticism and react violently. Our country needs to grow a pair. Ms. Munroe - keep saying whatever the heck you want, it's your right and it's what this country is based on.

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  23. Can you post link to the blog that contains the cartoon?

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  24. It is so unfortanate that you have to go through all of this. I have had many discussions about your situation and what you did and didn't say, and everyone I speak with completely supports you. Hang in there and thank you for everything you do.

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  25. The spin...so infuriating how a piece of crap news station like 10 has any real cred any way. This has been completely mischaraterized. Every news organization picks up on what the locals write which all stems back to what 10 falsely reported. This is outrages. The superintendent discussing a personnel matter in the media is outrageous. The fact that no one is named, no school is named, no crime was committed makes this such a non-story. I'm proud of you for not apologizing. You've done nothing wrong. This is a frigging witch hunt that's been sensationalized. I live locally and heard your interview on 90.9 yesterday and had to investigate this matter further. The problem is that I saw it first on nbc 10 and accepted their reporting of it. How many more stories like this exist. Truths are manipulated, meanings and intentions inferred...these are dangerous time.

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  26. I think that you raised an incredibly important point in your original blog when you said "I don't care if you lick windows, take the special bus, or occasionally pee on yourself...you hang in there Sunshine, you're friggin' special.'" Any rational person can see you were complaining that mainstream education system rewards children for the silliest things. This system doesn't build self-esteem, it builds generations of children who feel entitled to rewards simply because they exist.

    When my son (a special needs kid who has Asperger's Syndrome) was in school (I homeschool now), everyday he brought home candy. Why? As a reward for behaving appropriately, not for any academic achievement. He stood in line. He didn't interrupt the teacher. He finished a task in a timely fashion. He got more treats from school than he did at home (and none at his school ASKED me if giving him candy was okay with me).

    Now, the things he struggled with and overcame daily were NOT rewarded. He coped with stressful peer situations, he coped with the noise. He coped with a change in his routine without having a melt-down. He had to settle with a personal sense of pride and accomplishment along with parental praise for that.

    I think my child is special because he is ny child. I do not expect anyone else outside my family to take that view simply because he is alive. I don't teach my son that either. I do set expectations for him to meet, but rarely will he get a physical reward for meeting them.

    Every child has strengths and weaknesses, but not every child is inherently "special" neither are they entitled to anything other than an education in a safe setting in a school. That education is something that the child (and their parents) are responsible for as well- the teacher is not the end all be all of a child's learning. You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink.

    Because children spend the first 4 or 5 years of their education being told they are special, being rewarded for behaving as expected, and getting the meta-message they are entitled to this because they merely exist, when they get to older grades and higher education, it's a shock. The children are set up to fail because the rewards do not come from being inherently special, they come from hard work and the pats on the back or often just that.

    As a mom of a special needs kid, I was not the least bit offended. I think we, as a country, need to talk about why this isn't working. It's a shame that the media dropped the ball on that and the school board was so hung up on semantics that they failed to see the picture you painted. They are turning out a generation of entitled children.

    In the real world, no one is going to think you are special until you earn it. End of story.

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  27. Good luck! Wishing you success in fighting for your rights to free speech! The district doesn't own you!

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  28. Natalie,

    When you decided to enter your profession, you did so choosing to be a TEACHER, CARETAKER, ROLE MODEL, and at times a PARENT for those in need. Although you stated on CNN that your blog only had 7 followers, a blog is open to the public, unlike a Facebook page that you might restrict access to. You should have known this prior to posting your thoughts. I am 100% for free speech, however as a teacher you stepped over the line when you made inappropriate comments about your students. Your blog was also not the best way to set an example for digital citizenship in the 21st Century. Central Bucks S.D. receives 1,000 of applications each year (maybe even month) from prospective teachers dying to get a job. Having a job right now in 2011 is not something to take for granted, however you don't seem to care. The fact that you are running with this with the media and your lawyer (and this blog) just shows that you are looking to get out of your job and make some money while doing so. Shame on you! 5 years on the job and you couldn't handle your students. What are you going to do when your expected child does not behave the way you want/hope? Write a blog about it making fun of her/him? Commenter: Steve was right,...The district doesn't own you...But they do cut your paycheck and provide your benefits..or at least they did.

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  29. I think you should consider, if you still have the ability, putting the offending entry back up. Having seen it, I know that the media is twisting the information to create a more sensational story. Sadly, it is becoming increasingly difficult (if not impossible) to find the entry through Google's cache.

    "Blog-gate" is here. I understand why you deleted the entry to begin with, but I think you can agree it is too late for that action to help you. People need to read the entry and the media blurbs in context to understand where you were going as well as where you were coming from.

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  30. Not to belabor an obvious, but not frequently mentioned point in the responses to your blog, I continue to wonder about the parents in all of this. There ARE pretty normal, reasonably well-behaved kids in school today. They labor in relative silence, get okay grades, some even honestly make the honor rolls. Their parents are not vociferous pro or con. They run their families as did their parents, and the expectations of added generations don't change. They are absent from this dialoge..but their numbers are legion.

    And then there are those on the margins, especially on the "victim" margin. You know...the ones who come to PTA meetings and castigate the school board and the teachers for providing "incompetent education" even though they've never once set foot in the school building...or met their child's teacher. And if the school attempts to corral their precious little boy or girl in their expression of "individuality," there is hyperbole only Hollywood drama writers would envy. Yesterday, in the Nashua (NH) school system, a 16 year old budding sociopath punched his teacher in the face repeatedly such that it required hospitalization...and a number of students to pull the little felon off of the teacher. Then,, the kid strolled non-challantly out of the school and down the street.....to be arrested by the police. BUT....he's just a kid....you can hear that coming in the press already.....and of course, the injured teacher's behavior is under a microscope now....and of course, he WILL be found to have AT LEAST contributed to the attack...if not the sole cause. Frankly, a ticking time bomb like this kid has to be known by his parents. This is not isolated, unexpected behavior. Of course, there is every probability that one or both of the parents are not even in the home to observe. But in some twisted law of the jungle...their little baby was being accused of something he is "justified" to do. The Juvenile Court system will put him on probation and send him to some namby pamby social worker who will hand wring over his misfortune and attempt to find some PC "trigger" for his behavior. Well....his parents may or may not have known...but they should have known...and having that knowlege, done something affirmative to protect society from the ravages (momentary as they might be) of their self absorbed little offspring. Since they didn't, they are therefore complicit in the attack, and as such, should be at least equally penalized under the law...a penalty that should be quite visible to the host community. When I was in military training, my TI was teaching us the importance and process of "cover and concealment." He observed that should any of us not quite get it, all we needed to do was wait for the first firefight, and we would be presented with a great teaching example. We were. The lesson has stuck with me. When people don't want to play by the rules...or think of themselves as exceptional, above the law...or somehow special.....ONE good example of how that perception fails is usually all it takes.

    Time for some examples.....and you self righteous sycophants......go whine to yourself in the mirror and leave Natalie alone....she is providing a great service to the learning profession. All you need to do is listen....and learn.

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  31. I am a junior in high school and know (somewhat) how you feel b/c I've witnessed the same thing over and over again. I hope that you get out of this mess.

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  32. Playing the blaming game is just passing the problems on to the people in power...who have no real power.

    If kids are fat, all of a sudden the media and people start complaining about how unhealthy school food is and how junk food is terrible.

    You want the truth?

    Those kids are lazy and not motivated enough to get outside and play a sport. So what? Blame the parents for letting them get fat? Blame the food? Blame the kid?

    Why is our education system not working you ask?

    The English curriculum is a joke:

    kids simply do not want to read classics; so probably forcing them to read Shakespeare isnt the best idea considering English class is meant to inspire and encourage individual reading and writing. This can not be accomplished if students are forced to read what the curriculum says so. It almost is like making kids read the bible and learn everything about it. What if they dont believe in it or dont care? They should choose their own literature.

    Math is complex:

    Every human being is unique and has his/her own style of learning and understanding. Our brains interpret things differently and there is...


    I am going to stop. If there is one valuable thing I learned in english/history/psych.....Humanity just isnt worth fighting for. All you need to look for the source of the problem, is in a mirror.

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  33. Let me get this straight. So, students don't want this teacher to keep a blog or post about anything that has taken place in her classroom, yet they sit on Facebook and slam their teachers left and right, degrading them on a daily basis? Seriously? Boys and girls, it's time to put your big kid underpants on and stop hiding behind mommy and daddy, and social networks. The difference between you and Mrs. Munroe is accountability. I hope she continues to blog, about everything that she's encountered on the job. It's her right as an American citizen to speak her mind, as it is yours. Be careful what you wish for, kids. You'll end up silencing yourselves.

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  34. I am glad you are speaking out. As my daughters get older and approach the years this becomes more relevant, I can use your case to shape them to "respect their teachers, their elders, and their communities".
    What schools should offer are invitation to parents through out the school term to be advocates for the teachers. a sort of mediator for the teacher that sits in to a class (that their child is not in attendance) to speak to the teachers teaching style as well as the reaction of the students at "PTA" meetings. Any parent not willing to participate and see for themselves is blindly handing their children to an administration of politics instead of an institute of learning.

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Please feel free to comment. However, please note that not all comments will be posted, and that it does take time to read through them, so your comments may not be read the day you write them.

Thanks to all for your thoughts.