Questions emerge as to why MCPS hired drug-dealing Drew elementary teacher given prior criminal history

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DUIs only are held against MCPS staff when parents find out and complain (AP placed at Lee MS at the same time she had to go to weekend jail for violating her probation before judgment for DUI 1 with a second DUI) or when MCPS wants the admin out (Wheaton principal). Otherwise it doesn't seem to matter.

That doesn't seem like a very sound HR policy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DUIs only are held against MCPS staff when parents find out and complain (AP placed at Lee MS at the same time she had to go to weekend jail for violating her probation before judgment for DUI 1 with a second DUI) or when MCPS wants the admin out (Wheaton principal). Otherwise it doesn't seem to matter.

That doesn't seem like a very sound HR policy.

It's not HR policy. It's basically a matter of public policy. These decisions are made on a case-by-case basis on political grounds.

[Anonymous]

I don't find it disqualifying if a teacher or admin gets one DUI but what I would like to see is that if it is disclosed or HR learns about it, they ensure that staff member is aware of benefits related to substance use disorder and reminded of how to access the EAP.

Now when they start violating probation or getting multiple, then I'd be more worried about their judgment and how that might bleed over into the classroom.

So I don't think it's easy to say this teacher shouldn't have been hired at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Misdemeanor DUIs 10 years apart may not be a disqualifying factor in the hiring process. MCPS is most concerned with violent acts, acts against children, ect. More serious - probably all if not most felonies.

If they have the 360/continuous background checks done now, then anything new that pops up on their record should be sent to active employers. But I do not know how they process checks.

Even if you want to hand wave the 2010 DUI, it’s hard to justify MCPS hiring someone for driving while under the influence of “a controlled dangerous substance” two years before she was hired. Especially since schools are legally mandated to be drug-free zones.

Interesting. So would you suggest that anyone that has used illegal drugs should be prohibited from teaching?

Yes absolutely.

Great then every person that grew up and smoked weed or tried Ecstasy or or Adderall won’t be teaching anywhere in the U.S. We’re going to lose a lot of good people.

And folks wonder why we don’t listen to them.

I think this is a good reason for MCPS to deepen and strengthen its policy on this matter. I don't necessarily think any one who has ever tried those drugs should be banned from teaching, but I do think we need more formal guardrails around the kind of substance use and abuse that would disqualify someone from being a teacher.

Are teachers drug tested? Annual/sporadic drug screenings could have weeded this teacher out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Misdemeanor DUIs 10 years apart may not be a disqualifying factor in the hiring process. MCPS is most concerned with violent acts, acts against children, ect. More serious - probably all if not most felonies.

If they have the 360/continuous background checks done now, then anything new that pops up on their record should be sent to active employers. But I do not know how they process checks.

Even if you want to hand wave the 2010 DUI, it’s hard to justify MCPS hiring someone for driving while under the influence of “a controlled dangerous substance” two years before she was hired. Especially since schools are legally mandated to be drug-free zones.

Interesting. So would you suggest that anyone that has used illegal drugs should be prohibited from teaching?

Yes absolutely.

Great then every person that grew up and smoked weed or tried Ecstasy or or Adderall won’t be teaching anywhere in the U.S. We’re going to lose a lot of good people.

And folks wonder why we don’t listen to them.

I think this is a good reason for MCPS to deepen and strengthen its policy on this matter. I don't necessarily think any one who has ever tried those drugs should be banned from teaching, but I do think we need more formal guardrails around the kind of substance use and abuse that would disqualify someone from being a teacher.

Are teachers drug tested? Annual/sporadic drug screenings could have weeded this teacher out.

Or the fact that MANY teachers and parents complained about her

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Misdemeanor DUIs 10 years apart may not be a disqualifying factor in the hiring process. MCPS is most concerned with violent acts, acts against children, ect. More serious - probably all if not most felonies.

If they have the 360/continuous background checks done now, then anything new that pops up on their record should be sent to active employers. But I do not know how they process checks.

Even if you want to hand wave the 2010 DUI, it’s hard to justify MCPS hiring someone for driving while under the influence of “a controlled dangerous substance” two years before she was hired. Especially since schools are legally mandated to be drug-free zones.

Interesting. So would you suggest that anyone that has used illegal drugs should be prohibited from teaching?

Yes absolutely.

Great then every person that grew up and smoked weed or tried Ecstasy or or Adderall won’t be teaching anywhere in the U.S. We’re going to lose a lot of good people.

And folks wonder why we don’t listen to them.

I think this is a good reason for MCPS to deepen and strengthen its policy on this matter. I don't necessarily think any one who has ever tried those drugs should be banned from teaching, but I do think we need more formal guardrails around the kind of substance use and abuse that would disqualify someone from being a teacher.

Are teachers drug tested? Annual/sporadic drug screenings could have weeded this teacher out.

They should be drug tested a few times a year and background checked yearly, at least do a free maryland case search.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Misdemeanor DUIs 10 years apart may not be a disqualifying factor in the hiring process. MCPS is most concerned with violent acts, acts against children, ect. More serious - probably all if not most felonies.

If they have the 360/continuous background checks done now, then anything new that pops up on their record should be sent to active employers. But I do not know how they process checks.

Even if you want to hand wave the 2010 DUI, it’s hard to justify MCPS hiring someone for driving while under the influence of “a controlled dangerous substance” two years before she was hired. Especially since schools are legally mandated to be drug-free zones.

Interesting. So would you suggest that anyone that has used illegal drugs should be prohibited from teaching?

Yes absolutely.

Great then every person that grew up and smoked weed or tried Ecstasy or or Adderall won’t be teaching anywhere in the U.S. We’re going to lose a lot of good people.

And folks wonder why we don’t listen to them.

I think this is a good reason for MCPS to deepen and strengthen its policy on this matter. I don't necessarily think any one who has ever tried those drugs should be banned from teaching, but I do think we need more formal guardrails around the kind of substance use and abuse that would disqualify someone from being a teacher.

Are teachers drug tested? Annual/sporadic drug screenings could have weeded this teacher out.

Or the fact that MANY teachers and parents complained about her

This is the real problem. Just like with Beidleman, complaints go ignored and uninvestigated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel for this woman’s family. She clearly has some kind of substance abuse problem despite her brother’s death. And her poor mother having to deal with this as well while also being an MCPS employee herself.

The mother also has a DUI on her record.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel for this woman’s family. She clearly has some kind of substance abuse problem despite her brother’s death. And her poor mother having to deal with this as well while also being an MCPS employee herself.

The mother also has a DUI on her record.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Misdemeanor DUIs 10 years apart may not be a disqualifying factor in the hiring process. MCPS is most concerned with violent acts, acts against children, ect. More serious - probably all if not most felonies.

If they have the 360/continuous background checks done now, then anything new that pops up on their record should be sent to active employers. But I do not know how they process checks.

Even if you want to hand wave the 2010 DUI, it’s hard to justify MCPS hiring someone for driving while under the influence of “a controlled dangerous substance” two years before she was hired. Especially since schools are legally mandated to be drug-free zones.

Interesting. So would you suggest that anyone that has used illegal drugs should be prohibited from teaching?

Yes absolutely.

Great then every person that grew up and smoked weed or tried Ecstasy or or Adderall won’t be teaching anywhere in the U.S. We’re going to lose a lot of good people.

And folks wonder why we don’t listen to them.

I think this is a good reason for MCPS to deepen and strengthen its policy on this matter. I don't necessarily think any one who has ever tried those drugs should be banned from teaching, but I do think we need more formal guardrails around the kind of substance use and abuse that would disqualify someone from being a teacher.

Are teachers drug tested? Annual/sporadic drug screenings could have weeded this teacher out.

Or the fact that MANY teachers and parents complained about her

really?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Misdemeanor DUIs 10 years apart may not be a disqualifying factor in the hiring process. MCPS is most concerned with violent acts, acts against children, ect. More serious - probably all if not most felonies.

If they have the 360/continuous background checks done now, then anything new that pops up on their record should be sent to active employers. But I do not know how they process checks.

Even if you want to hand wave the 2010 DUI, it’s hard to justify MCPS hiring someone for driving while under the influence of “a controlled dangerous substance” two years before she was hired. Especially since schools are legally mandated to be drug-free zones.

Interesting. So would you suggest that anyone that has used illegal drugs should be prohibited from teaching?

Yes absolutely.

Great then every person that grew up and smoked weed or tried Ecstasy or or Adderall won’t be teaching anywhere in the U.S. We’re going to lose a lot of good people.

And folks wonder why we don’t listen to them.

I think this is a good reason for MCPS to deepen and strengthen its policy on this matter. I don't necessarily think any one who has ever tried those drugs should be banned from teaching, but I do think we need more formal guardrails around the kind of substance use and abuse that would disqualify someone from being a teacher.

Are teachers drug tested? Annual/sporadic drug screenings could have weeded this teacher out.

we wouldnt have any teahcers if they were weeded out due to weed,

[Anonymous]

back in the 80s we would have to wait until our music teacher shot herself up in the locked classroom, i mean everyone knew-it didnt seem like a big deal to me in HS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Misdemeanor DUIs 10 years apart may not be a disqualifying factor in the hiring process. MCPS is most concerned with violent acts, acts against children, ect. More serious - probably all if not most felonies.

If they have the 360/continuous background checks done now, then anything new that pops up on their record should be sent to active employers. But I do not know how they process checks.

Even if you want to hand wave the 2010 DUI, it’s hard to justify MCPS hiring someone for driving while under the influence of “a controlled dangerous substance” two years before she was hired. Especially since schools are legally mandated to be drug-free zones.

Interesting. So would you suggest that anyone that has used illegal drugs should be prohibited from teaching?

Yes absolutely.

Great then every person that grew up and smoked weed or tried Ecstasy or or Adderall won’t be teaching anywhere in the U.S. We’re going to lose a lot of good people.

And folks wonder why we don’t listen to them.

I think this is a good reason for MCPS to deepen and strengthen its policy on this matter. I don't necessarily think any one who has ever tried those drugs should be banned from teaching, but I do think we need more formal guardrails around the kind of substance use and abuse that would disqualify someone from being a teacher.

Are teachers drug tested? Annual/sporadic drug screenings could have weeded this teacher out.

Nicely pun!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:back in the 80s we would have to wait until our music teacher shot herself up in the locked classroom, i mean everyone knew-it didnt seem like a big deal to me in HS

The 90s were tame. We just had to deal with our band director drinking in his office.

The science teacher drank before coming to school. Not sure if that was better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They should be doing yearly background checks on all employees.

What do you think that would accomplish? Do you think teachers are being arrested with the school never finding out?

Apparently, they’re hiring them without realizing they have an arrest record, as was the case with Magid.

Do you a DUI/attempted DUI should disqualify someone from ever teaching?

This is my question.
So a recovered alcoholic for example?