My child’s teacher recently got DUI

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

But it doesn’t prove she drank in school, and she isn’t required to disclose that arrest to the school. How do I share that info without getting s response like I did here, where people think I’m out to get her or something?

OP, you can't control other people's responses. Provide the information, either with your name or anonymously. The principal will decide what to do with it.

[Anonymous]

With or without the public dui records?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With or without the public dui records?

It's public information, OP. If you think the principal should be aware of it, then include it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With or without the public dui records?

It's public information, OP. If you think the principal should be aware of it, then include it.

Ok, thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A background check won't turn up a DUI will it unless it's a felony, which happens after 3 or more.

Background checks usually don't show anything pending or misdemeanors.

Here we go again. MCPS does not do background checks. They (the private fingerprinting place) disentangle her prints to NCIC at the time of her employment. Normally DUI defendants are not fingerprinted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A background check won't turn up a DUI will it unless it's a felony, which happens after 3 or more.

Background checks usually don't show anything pending or misdemeanors.

Here we go again. MCPS does not do background checks. They (the private fingerprinting place) disentangle her prints to NCIC at the time of her employment. Normally DUI defendants are not fingerprinted.

Why don’t they care about DUI misdemeanors? Teachers do drive kids on occasion, and it’s evidence of very poor judgement. I’d want that to be a factor in the hiring or recertification of my kids’ teachers.

[Anonymous]

How did you googling her, her recent arrest and you suspecting she is drinking all happen in very short period of time?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A background check won't turn up a DUI will it unless it's a felony, which happens after 3 or more.

Background checks usually don't show anything pending or misdemeanors.

Here we go again. MCPS does not do background checks. They (the private fingerprinting place) disentangle her prints to NCIC at the time of her employment. Normally DUI defendants are not fingerprinted.

Why don’t they care about DUI misdemeanors? Teachers do drive kids on occasion, and it’s evidence of very poor judgement. I’d want that to be a factor in the hiring or recertification of my kids’ teachers.

Agreed.
—MCPS teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A background check won't turn up a DUI will it unless it's a felony, which happens after 3 or more.

Background checks usually don't show anything pending or misdemeanors.

Here we go again. MCPS does not do background checks. They (the private fingerprinting place) disentangle her prints to NCIC at the time of her employment. Normally DUI defendants are not fingerprinted.

Why don’t they care about DUI misdemeanors? Teachers do drive kids on occasion, and it’s evidence of very poor judgement. I’d want that to be a factor in the hiring or recertification of my kids’ teachers.

Please bring this up at a Board of Education meeting. There have also been instances of teachers showing signs of extreme intoxication at public concerts, even being filmed by students, and the administration seems to turn a blind eye to this as well. I have discussed this with some young teachers, and some actually think that they have a "right" to be publicly intoxicated. The principals' hands are tied if Central Office doesn't develop a policy about this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers drive kids places frequently. If they miss their bus and need to get home. If there’s a small conference that doesn’t necessitate a bus. Perhaps for a math team meet or a robotics thing or a crew event. Seriously? One teacher’s spouse already came on to share that her husband drives kids places. Why is this so hard to believe?t

None of those examples would be allowed where I work in MCPS. We can’t even walk a child home who lives next to the school without an administrator present.

Perhaps driving of students is allowed at the high school level? There must be more than one teen present, which seems safe if parents have been comfortable enough to sign a permission slip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A background check won't turn up a DUI will it unless it's a felony, which happens after 3 or more.

Background checks usually don't show anything pending or misdemeanors.

Here we go again. MCPS does not do background checks. They (the private fingerprinting place) disentangle her prints to NCIC at the time of her employment. Normally DUI defendants are not fingerprinted.

I have a DUI and was fingerprinted. It didn't come up in my background check. No students were ever in harms way in my case, as it was before I was a teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP,

I'm not sure why you don't wish to say something in person to the Principal.

When you are going to criticize someone, at least have the decency to do so in your person.

Speaking of the complaint, you need to stick to what you and your child observed during school hours and how it affects your child and other students. You can by way of further proof refer to the court record, but keep in mind that if the classroom evidence is slim, the Principal will rightly conclude that you are just a nosy person and that the teacher hasn't done anything unprofessional during her working hours.

In my experience, MCPS principals care deeply about their students, and will take any allegations of teacher abuse seriously. There is however a limit to what they are empowered to do, and a mountain of red tape, so be prepared for that teacher to stay longer than you would wish!

Op here. I am going to say something in person to the principal only and leave the arrest record out of it.

Actually the principal can ignore what you say but he/she can't ignore an arrest record. That's the thing you need to be upfront about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How did you googling her, her recent arrest and you suspecting she is drinking all happen in very short period of time?

Maryland court records are searchable online. (not the OP)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How did you googling her, her recent arrest and you suspecting she is drinking all happen in very short period of time?

Maryland court records are searchable online. (not the OP)

OP here. I had been mulling over my kid’s comment and decided to Google. It came right up because it’s a matter of public record. As far as the PPs comment that the principal can’t ignore an arrest, can he ignore it if it’s an arrest and conviction for DUI? It seems that may be possible if the BOE doesn’t change its policy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi,
If I have reason to believe my kid’s teacher is an alcoholic and drinking during the school day (my kid suspected and then we googled her and found a recent DUI arrest), then who do we tell? I don’t think this woman is stable and don’t want to be associated personally with making the report. Is there someone I can call without revealing my name? I don’t think she’s fit to teach. Thanks.

Not your place. And school is over.

Wait, how could this be not her place? The teacher is suspected of drinking during the school day.

It is not her place. The end.

It’s not my place to report that my kid’s teacher likely drinks during the school day? That seems odd to me. We’re a community—she’s not my iid’s teacher anymore so it’s not my problem? To hell with all those other people’s kids? If a background check did turn this up, would anything happen regarding her employment?

Correct, it is not your place to report a rumor about a professional. The DUI will come up in a background check. But you want to gossip. In fact, you seem he’ll-bent on it. Why?

I agree that you would be reporting on something that is a rumor you heard from your child. Have you smelled alcohol on the teacher? A teacher does not work in a vacuum. If she or he has been drinking during the day other teachers would’ve smelled it on him or her. I find it difficult to believe that they could get away with that.