Well, anyone who questions whether teachers are held to a higher moral standard should take a look at this story: http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/04/29/myspace.photo.ap/index.htmlA female student was denied her teaching degree from a Pennsylvania university because of a photo that appeared on her MySpace. The picture showed the woman "wearing a pirate hat while drinking from a plastic "Mr. Goodbar" cup... which bore the caption 'Drunken Pirate.'"
I certainly agree that teachers must be held to a higher moral standard because of the "role model" responsibility inherent in the profession of an educator. Certainly it would be inappropriate if students were to stumble upon an inappropriate picture of their teachers for a multitude of reasons.
My only hope is this: if this were a male in this situation, I hope the university would have undertook the exact same actions. I just hope there's no double standard here between the sexes...
3 comments:
Utterly absurd, given that there was nothing illegal or immoral about her conduct. A legal adult drinking -- horrors!
We are long past the bad old days when getting pregnant (even when married) or going on a date qualified as a firing offense for teachers. That anyone would be shocked or offended by the photo simply boggles my mind.
But then again, what do I know -- I'm only a teacher in my mid-40s.
Ya, I really don't know.
She was of legal drinking age, and technically wasn't doing anything illegal. The school said that the photo suggested that she was promoting underage drinking--I'm not sure that that statement is substantiated because she wasn't underage.
I guess in the name of "professionalism" she should remove the photo as it has obviously alarmed some people. Plus, if her students (or colleagues) were to see a picture of their teacher (or colleague) in a "drunken" state, it probably would tarnish her credibility and image.
I'm a little torn on denying her the degree though. I kind of think that she should have got her degree, and then leave her to try to convince school boards why they should hire her. I think this because she did complete the course work and practicums without any red flags.
Then again, I do agree that teachers should try to be cognizant of the fact that they are role models and their behaviour does affect their professionalism.
In any case, it's a controversial subject for sure. Thanks for your opinion.
I really feel that "professionalism" is very subjective. I also believe that society should admit that teachers are human, and perhaps hold them to the same standards that everyone else is held to, and perhaps raise those standards....
anyway you see it, if I was the faculty, I would be worrying more about the student's commitment to continued education, learning, and constant growth, than about her drinking habits. If her drinking habits were to be out of hand and interfear with her profession, I do believe she would not have made it through school.
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