Friday, March 5, 2010

Editorial: State must stop improper student-teacher relationships

In an Editorial from the Dallas Morning News, the author examines the problems associated with penalties for improper student-teacher relationships and what the state needs to do. The author’s audience is made extremely clear in the first paragraph, by addressing parents and how they would feel if an improper student-teacher relationship occurred with their own child. The author is anonymous so I am not able to examine their credibility.
I believe the author’s argument is very strong. I like how the author begins with addressing parents and making the issue personal to the reader. Many statistics are used to portray the seriousness of improper student-teacher relationships. The reader is informed that between 2005 and 2009, in the Dallas school district, 20 investigations of sexual allegations were made against teachers. The author is also very strong in his argument because he not only introduces the negatives but does acknowledge that some of these teachers do receive proper punishment. At the same time, his evidence to back up his claim that the Texas Education Agency, state legislators, and public school districts must tighten review procedures is very strong. Resigning quietly is the norm for half of the teacher accused of sexual allegations with a student, one of these teachers opened a private school, and another received only a Class C ticket in the mail.
The author’s solution is very sound and logical. He suggests that teachers guilty of sexual conduct with a student school be fired, not able to resign. A permanent record or database with the details of the sexual allegations and a zero-tolerance approach should be enacted.
The author addressed a very important and serious issue that is not being taken care of to the extent it should. He provides crucial statistics and evidence to support his claim as well as introducing a solution that is both practical and logical. I agree with the author and believe something else needs to be done, because these teachers are not receiving the punishment that they deserve.

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