LCPS PROBLEMS WITH ALCOHOL

[Anonymous]

Alcohol abuse is a medical problem and should be treated as such. If she gets appropriate treatment can she go back to public-school teaching or is this like a permanent black mark?

[Anonymous]

There is alcoholism in every profession. Military, clergy, law and law enforcement, engineering, firefighters and forestry services, medical, funerary and cemetery services, sales and finance, arts, and yes, education. All of them.

This is shocking. However, the impact on the kids will largely be determined by adult reactions. “Your teacher is not feeling well. She has to stay away until she is better.” Is both age appropriate and accurate. Grilling seven year olds about how often their teacher slurred her words, seemed “sleepy”, or stumbled in class is likely to cause more trauma than Friday’s incident. Trust me, if your kids had seen something weird like that already, they would have told you. Unlike pedophile teachers, alcoholic teachers don’t groom kids and then threaten them into silence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Alcohol abuse is a medical problem and should be treated as such. If she gets appropriate treatment can she go back to public-school teaching or is this like a permanent black mark?

She’s unlike to be able to continue due to the publicity. Sadly, a young teacher with two such arrests killed herself a few years back because she couldn’t escape the online coverage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are you fixated on LCPS?

LCPS has had several similar incidents over the years. I don't think it's a systemic issue, but as a parent reading the news my reaction was also, "Again?"

Teachers drinking at work indicative of people who are very stressed out. You have no idea how much pressure they are under. Instead of saying AGAIN? Ask why? Step in their shoes for a day. Not saying it’s right, but I happen to be well aware of the stress that is being put on teachers. Too much to do and not enough time and money. Coupled with an “or else attitude” from on high.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are you fixated on LCPS?

LCPS has had several similar incidents over the years. I don't think it's a systemic issue, but as a parent reading the news my reaction was also, "Again?"

Teachers drinking at work indicative of people who are very stressed out. You have no idea how much pressure they are under. Instead of saying AGAIN? Ask why? Step in their shoes for a day. Not saying it’s right, but I happen to be well aware of the stress that is being put on teachers. Too much to do and not enough time and money. Coupled with an “or else attitude” from on high.

It can be too much.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/2204900/young-teacher-killed-herself-after-being-given-so-much-work-she-could-only-sleep-for-three-hours-night/

The first year I mentored young teachers, I had a young man who had four preps. Our dept head counted them as only two because they were two courses, but this teacher had two different levels of each course. He was also in grad school part-time and working a second job on the weekends. When he began displaying signs of extreme stress, he was counseled to drop his grad school course and the part-time job, which only added to his distress. Changing his schedule was not on the table although I know I and another teacher who had only one prep would have gladly switched with him. During winter break, he made a number of strange FB posts. A couple weeks later, a rumor started that he was asking students for their ADHD meds. He left at the semester and we never saw him again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are you fixated on LCPS?

LCPS has had several similar incidents over the years. I don't think it's a systemic issue, but as a parent reading the news my reaction was also, "Again?"

Teachers drinking at work indicative of people who are very stressed out. You have no idea how much pressure they are under. Instead of saying AGAIN? Ask why? Step in their shoes for a day. Not saying it’s right, but I happen to be well aware of the stress that is being put on teachers. Too much to do and not enough time and money. Coupled with an “or else attitude” from on high.

It can be too much.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/2204900/young-teacher-killed-herself-after-being-given-so-much-work-she-could-only-sleep-for-three-hours-night/

The first year I mentored young teachers, I had a young man who had four preps. Our dept head counted them as only two because they were two courses, but this teacher had two different levels of each course. He was also in grad school part-time and working a second job on the weekends. When he began displaying signs of extreme stress, he was counseled to drop his grad school course and the part-time job, which only added to his distress. Changing his schedule was not on the table although I know I and another teacher who had only one prep would have gladly switched with him. During winter break, he made a number of strange FB posts. A couple weeks later, a rumor started that he was asking students for their ADHD meds. He left at the semester and we never saw him again.

He is probably much happier now. The bureaucrats have destroyed the teaching profession.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is alcoholism in every profession. Military, clergy, law and law enforcement, engineering, firefighters and forestry services, medical, funerary and cemetery services, sales and finance, arts, and yes, education. All of them.

This is shocking. However, the impact on the kids will largely be determined by adult reactions. “Your teacher is not feeling well. She has to stay away until she is better.” Is both age appropriate and accurate. Grilling seven year olds about how often their teacher slurred her words, seemed “sleepy”, or stumbled in class is likely to cause more trauma than Friday’s incident. Trust me, if your kids had seen something weird like that already, they would have told you. Unlike pedophile teachers, alcoholic teachers don’t groom kids and then threaten them into silence.

The above is a truly brilliant post. I hope everyone reads it and heeds it, especially the part about how the impact on kids is determined by how OTHER adults react.