LETTERS

NEA Today, Jan 2004

Legal Stories

I was very moved by your article ("Surviving a Low Blow," November). Last year, during my ninth unblemished year as a teacher, I experienced the pain of false accusations, and a board wanted to fire me without an investigation.

The accusations were made by a first-year teacher during her third month at my school. She said she had witnessed several incidents where I verbally and physically abused students. I had to get a union attorney to fight for my job and was on paid leave the entire time. The emotional trauma I experienced was devastating, not to mention the stress of being out of school for six long weeks. During that time, no one asked me what really happened or questioned any students. After the union president insisted that they investigate, I was cleared of all charges. The students confirmed that the allegations were false.

But after I returned, the same teacher made yet another allegation, and because 1 had proof that she had lied, she was transferred to another school. Many months later I am bitter and a little shell-shocked but still amazed at my own resilience. Thanks for your support. Without it, I would be unemployed for something I did not do.

CHERYL MURRAY

Parma, Ohio

YOUR FIVE STORIES brought back some good and bad memories.

The bad:

1) Having my rights read to me for the first and only time in my life.

2) So many sleepless nights spent feeling helpless.

3) Being suspended from work and one school board hearing.

The good:

1) The few teachers who called to say "Hang in there, we support you."

2) The students who came to the school board hearing and testified on my behalf.

3) Most of all, my family. Without them, one wonders if I would have made it.

4) The $20,000 in attorney fees that my union picked up because I was found not guilty. For this reason alone, I will never complain about paying dues.

Fortunately, I am still teaching. And, sadly, the accuser is now serving time in prison.

STEVE KENT

Altoona, Wisconsin

YOUR STORY ABOUT five members who fought accusations against them touched a chord with me. I, too, have recently left a teaching position-in no small part because of a rather trivial accusation against me. Though my case did not go beyond the building level and I was guickly cleared (with the help of my NEA representative), it left my trust in my co-workers and principal shaken.

I miss being in the classroom. But until I can feel assured that I do not have to be afraid that my opinions or teaching style can ultimately cost me my job, I will not feel comfortable stepping into the classroom.

AMANDA ROTH-LEWIS

Bangor, Maine

THE ARTICLE DESCRIBING the story of Ruth and the accusation of emotional abuse disturbed me in so many ways I hardly know where to begin. The article states that Ruth had a "little hellion" in her classroom who had "been that way from kindergarten," and that Ruth sent letters to the parents, which "were of no help." Why did she not call the parents, involve the principal, or contact someone from the Association?

The entire situation seems to be a great injustice, not only to Ruth but to the child who was allowed to continue in that setting with no support from the adults charged with his care.

MARSIA RONYAK

Englewood, Colorado

I RECEIVED MY COPY of NEA Today and read your article about the falsely accused members. Your writing is excellent. The stories were of great interest to me.

The advice that Marti Houser gave, I hope, will be read seriously by all educators, especially when she tells us that "there is no guaranteed way to avoid a [false] accusation."

MIKE GALLAGHER

Abington, Pennsylvania

ALL THAT JAZZ

MY LETTER ADDRESSES your interview with Wynton Marsalis ("Mr. Swing," November) and music educators' knowledge of jazz. The interviewer made a general statement to Wynton about how the average music educator today has little or no knowledge of jazz. I have been teaching elementary general music for more than 16 years. Jazz components have been included in various music textbooks since the mid-1980s. Some of the best teachers I had in college were from the jazz studies program.

What is not being done in the schools is providing music teachers with the materials they need, such as keyboards, guitars, vibraphones, drums, and microphone systems, to use with students so they can learn basic blues chords and simple progressions to support the vocal line.

SUSAN STRAUB

Sicklerville, New Jersey

NICE SHOT

THANK YOU FOR WRITING the "Sharp Shooter" article (People, November). I never thought I'd live long enough to see a positive firearms article in an NEA magazine. In case you get any negative e-mails, please count this one as a "liked."

SCOTT FIELDS

Blackfoot, Idaho

V-I-C-T-O-R-Y

I READ THE NOVEMBER issue and generally enjoyed the contents. I was a little disappointed, however, when reading the IDEA update ("Capitol Report," UpFront). The article barely acknowledged the Senate's vote to "double the amount of special education funding provided by the House," noting it to be "a bit of good news." My goodness. Let's celebrate. It's great news. We always hear negative information in the media-there is no shortage of it. I guess I was hoping for a more balanced perspective to celebrate victories to help fuel the struggles. Your wording, "despite this win," does not sound encouraging at all.