Investigation

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Investigation

by Anna

Feb 19, 2015

How long does an investigation take? Some students complained I yelled at them, said they were stupid, and made fun of them - one said I made fun of her weight. Not ture Basically, I had this really bad 8th grade class. I did not take any crap from them. This is their way of getting back. I did say that some should consider learning in a different evironment like at home because they are doing nothing in school, but that is all I said that was negative. The principal was nice to me, but she said she doesn't want me in the building till the investigatin is done. I'm really upset because I love working at this school. I just had this one bad class. Maybe that is all it takes to get fired these days . I've put in many days at this school and never got in trouble before.

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pixie: Ze makes a valid point I would think that as intelligent people, we all realize that Ze is drawing an analogy that is not strictly literal in order to make a valid point. One aspect that is true both in an actual totalitarian state and in a dysfuntional school is that when you have incompetent, tyrannical leadership that rules based on instilling fear, the inevitable res...See MoreI would think that as intelligent people, we all realize that Ze is drawing an analogy that is not strictly literal in order to make a valid point. One aspect that is true both in an actual totalitarian state and in a dysfuntional school is that when you have incompetent, tyrannical leadership that rules based on instilling fear, the inevitable result is that the underlings turn on each other. That is why, in a poorly run school, you find so many teachers so eager to throw subs and even other teachers under the bus, just as in totalitarian states, you have neighbor turning in neighbor to the authorities. Everyone just wants to save their own skin, and morality goes out the window. In well run schools where there is more respect coming from the top, you find fewer of these complaints, although there are always going to be a few teachers who get off on the power trip of reporting the sub. Thus, subs ar wise to heed Ze's warning of constantly watching yoru back. As to the oft-repeated question of why we keep subbing if it is so bad, this has been answered MANY times on this board. It relates to the continuing shortage of decent-paying steady jobs, particulary for those over age 40 or 50 who are lacking highly marketable skills. So please quit asking why don't we do something else! If you don't like hearing us complain, don't read this board!

On 2/22/15, BS wrote: > I grew up in Spain while Franco was dictator. You have no > concept of what a totalitarian state is like. Your > comparison is insulting and ignorant. You babble on and on > about nothing. If you hate subbing so much why would you > continue on? Do yourself and everyone on this a favor, > tone it down. > > > On 2/21/15, Ze Povinho wrote: >> An investigation into teacher misconduct can take one >> hour, one day, one week, one month, who knows...but you >> can be assured that, as a substitute teacher, you will be >> probably summarily banned from the site. It is much >> easier to dispose of an at will, no rights substitute >> than to "go through all the trouble of investigating >> someone." >> >> Even if you are eventually exonerated, you will likely >> not return to the site. And ask yourself: do you really >> want to return to a site that has shown that it can ban >> you in a microsecond? >> >> You have been told that you will not return until the >> investigation is over. Read that as "you will most likely >> never return to this site." >> >> And this is when there was absolutely no admitted >> misconduct and indeed, the accusation is totally false. >> >> But in your case there is a problem. >> >> Based on your post, you have violated a fundamental >> concept of working in a totalitarian regime that I have >> described in detail. You forgot that substitute teachers >> have absolutely no constitutional rights of any kind once >> you enter a site. And one of the denied rights is freedom >> of speech and petition. This relates to the comment you >> admitted you made. >> >> Even one comment that can be perceived as negative, as >> the one you admitted you stated, is enough to have you >> banned-never mind if the rest of the accusation is false. >> In fact, the fact that you admitted to the comment might >> even make the Generalissimo/Il Duce/The Dear Leader >> believe that the alleged allegations indeed took place. >> Remember the concept of blackwhite. Even if the alleged >> accusations are false, it is ultimately what the students >> and the junta want it to be; your opinion matters zero to >> them. Remember-sarcasm and raising voices are the >> exclusive right of the junta and the permanent tenured >> teachers, not the subs. >> >> Remember that, when you visit a school site, it is like >> visiting a totalitarian nation where all you have to do >> is just do your job, never comment about anything for any >> reason (remember that your rights end the second you >> enter a site), never touch anything that is not yours, >> try very hard to not engage in facecrime (i.e. having >> expressions and demeanors that can be interpreted as >> offensive or inappropriate-i.e. raising your voice, wrong >> tone of voice, wrong facial expression), and remember >> that committing any offense, no matter how minor and no >> matter whether it is real or imagined, will be dealt with >> swiftly. What you might think are minor issues can be >> your death sentence in a site. As in a dictatorship, >> criticizing the regime or any of its aspects, or the >> students and teachers will be dealt with severely and >> swiftly if committed by a sub. >> >> I am sure you have read my posts where I have cited >> example after example of what happens when you make >> seemingly innocent comments to teachers, students or the >> military junta aka admins. If you recall, there is one in >> which one sub dared to ask the VP for information about >> training for classroom management so the sub could >> improve her skills. This resulted in her being banned >> from the site for the crime of admitting that she was >> incapable of classroom management. >> >> And these are the seemingly innocent comments. >> >> But what you admitted to saying could get you into >> trouble. I know it is hard to control one's emotions when >> dealing with very volatile situations and dysfunctional >> totalitarian regimes like the ones we face in subbing, >> but it is very essential to do this. It is best to simply >> not say anything to the students at all-just document the >> behavior and report it to the teacher. >> >> But, again, you face the risk retaliation if you do. I >> have this happen to me in Dictatorship I a few years ago. >> >> That school was notorious for having many students who >> were very disrespectful of authority and teachers who >> would write up a substitute teacher in a heartbeat for >> virtually anything. >> >> I had a group of students who had terrible behavior >> problems, and I reported one of them to the office. >> Later, Il Duce called me to his office and showed me a >> formal report against me, accusing me of things that I >> have never, ever done. I did explain my side, and I was >> lucky...but there were many teachers who wrote up subs >> for anything and there was even one who boasted about it. >> They would even write you up after having covered for >> them for just 10 minutes-they would find fault with you >> in that short amount of time. The big charge was >> "inability to relate to this age group." For them, >> inability to relate to this age group was not putting up >> with abuse, not putting up with disrespect, not agreeing >> blindly to their ideas and world view, and so on. Being >> banned from that site was not a matter of if, but when. >> Committing facecrime and thoughtcrime was extremely easy >> there. For example, telling the students that the >> assignment was easy meant that you called the students >> "dumb." Leaving just one piece of trash in the bandroom >> was enough to have you reported to the principal. >> Reporting an unruly student could result in your report >> being summarily dismissed by the teacher and you would be >> reported to the principal. Looking at a student for one >> second meant that you stared at them and made them >> uncomfortable. >> >> Remember that in totalitarian states and schools that >> function like one, the false allegation is a very deadly >> and effective weapon against anyone who is seen as a >> threat to the status quo. In the case of the OP, the >> status quo was is a dysfunctional school or class with a >> totalitarian regime. Attempting to correct and make a >> comment about that status quo resulted in retaliaton. >> >> ze >> >> >> >> >> >> >>

Feb 22, 2015

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BJ Most likely they will not have you back. Because it's middle school, the risk is you could run into these kids again in another class, and admin wants to avoid that.

Hopefully you have somewhere else to sub. Investigations can take weeks. I know, I was investigated when I was full time. A colleague was investigated. It's horrible, but that...See More

Feb 23, 2015

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Lee BS,

Thank you! Finally, someone who gets it. My Dad grew up in Italy under Mussolini, these people are clueless. There is no comparison.

There used to be a lot of regulars on this board who took pride in their work and acted professionally. It used be a good place to go for advice and a place to vent if we had a bad day, which we...See More

Feb 25, 2015

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BS Lee you appear to have the proper attitude to sub. Keep up the good feeling of your chosen profession.

O n 2/25/15, Lee wrote: > BS, > > Thank you! Finally, someone who gets it. My Dad grew up in > Italy under Mussolini, these people are clueless. There is no > comparison. > > There used to be a lot of regulars on thi...See More

Feb 25, 2015

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