Morality, Sex, Drugs and the Teacher.

Yeah, I have to say no to this one…a teacher in Connecticut was re-issued his license after he was convicted of selling Cocaine.

No, he wasn’t selling to students, but he was selling an illegal substance to supplement his income after some harsh life issues.

However, this week’s blog is less about this man’s issues with cocaine and more about the increasing lack of ethics and morality that some few teachers seem to be displaying these days.  The examples are startling as we are seeing stories about teachers having improper relationship with students. We are also starting to see stories of sexual solicitation just like those Dateline ”to catch a predator” stories on NBC. To be honest, we are seeing so many of these stories, starting with Mary Kay Letourneau, that we are becoming immune to them.  So, we shake our heads, talk about how it’s sick or a shame, and move one.

So, as educational leaders, what are we doing to take a stand and say that this is unacceptable?

I got to thinking about this in a Michael Vick context. For those of you who are NFL impared, Michael Vick is a quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons who was recently indicted for his involvement and support of a dogfighting ring in Virginia. It seems, because of the horrors being reported from Virginia related to this dogfighting case, that many people in the sports world and beyond are calling for Vick’s suspension from the NFL and the loss of his many lucrative endorsements such as Nike.

Roger Goodell, the commissioner for the NFL, is new to the job but, in the essence of image and marketing, has taken a hard stance on NFL players who have broken the law.  Players like Chris Henry and Adam “Pac Man” Jones won’t see the field for quite some time thanks to this new, hardcore stance.  Understandibly, fans are calling for similar treatment of Michael Vick.

Now, if a powerful organization, which is concerned with image and it’s players following a distinct moral code, can take a hard stand against it’s employees for moral turpetude, why aren’t we as educationa leaders advertising the same expectations for our teachers?

It’s not football we are protecting, it is children! I understand that those teachers who are conviced of sex or drug crimes are subject to losing their teaching certificates for life.  However, with the growing number of stories that come out every year, and both males and females are guilty of this, obviously pulling a certificate is not enough of a deterrant.

I respectfully submit to my fellow educators that a push be made in our school districts to raise the level of ethics and morality among our teachers and students to empress upon them an understanding that conduct such as discussed in this article is unacceptable. Administrators should work to implements strategies to develop an understanding among their faculties and employees how these inappropriate relationships can ruin careers and lives.  Furthermore, it should be emphasized, in a very direct manner, that these relationships will not be tolerated.  If the NFL can do it, so can we.