For months, Houston residents Diana and Oscar Mijares heard about behavior problems their daughter Megan was having in school -- problems she wasn't having at home. The concerned parents bought a tape recorder and hid it in the girl's 'High School Musical' backpack. Turns out, 4-year-old Megan isn't the problem ... it's her teacher, who was recorded saying things like "I'm going to be mean to you" and "Y'all are just stupid kids." Not surprisingly, the Mijares -- and other Houston-area parents -- are outraged, and are demanding that the teacher be dismissed.
Reader Comments (Page 11 of 54)
151. The school system has become a joke. There are no consequences for these children. They know that there is nothing you can do to them if they misbehave. Your not supposed to yell, turn out the lights, remove them from class etc. How is a teacher supposed to discipline a student? This teacher was out of line speaking to the class like that especially at that grade level but she probably just lost it. I have been in the NYC School System for 10 years and it is totally out of hand. The students are running the schools.
Posted at 4:13PM on Feb 28th 2008 by Kramer
152. # 112
I looked at number 2 respond's and you are correct.
A sick paren't who needs more help than the teacher.
Posted at 4:13PM on Feb 28th 2008 by Ben
153. Posted at 2:55PM on Feb 28th 2008 by Rachele
8. I applaud the teacher for having the courage to put those unruly children in their place! It's about time that someone taught these children how to behave.
shuddup Rachele -.-
Posted at 4:13PM on Feb 28th 2008 by michael
154. I think this teacher needs a new profession. I can see if they were jr. high kids, but 4 and 5 yr olds!! Where's your patience lady?
Posted at 4:13PM on Feb 28th 2008 by Toni
155. It sad when a former teacher posts that she can understand a child being called stupid because of frustration. This is the mentality of a lot of people teaching our children. My child went to a very expensive private school and also had a problem with a teacher. So, I don't think public schools are at fault. Cruel people who have no business as educators are at fault!!!
Posted at 4:13PM on Feb 28th 2008 by Karen Jones
156. PS everyone. I was a preschool teacher for CPS Head Start, a Montessori Preschool teacher and a private nanny. This field is a good fit for me, always has been. There are people and things in every profession that will test your patience. But when you are dealing with children, old people or animals you must make it part of your job to keep your copeing skills healthy. Anyone knows when they are burned out. When it happens you either take a break from it and come back another year or you resign and chose another profession. It's not that complicated. No one needs to sympathize or defend this teacher. She saw it coming. She kept up the verbal abuse. She didn't ask for help. She didn't take a break. She didn't resign. She abused. She got caught. She's history now. That's the way it's supposed to end up.
Posted at 4:14PM on Feb 28th 2008 by Micky
157. She will be dismissed from that school, but our intelligent union will transfer her into to another school.Watch your schools!!! teachers can not be fired does not matter what they do!!!!
Posted at 4:15PM on Feb 28th 2008 by ME
158. I dont see anything wrong with it, what were the kids doing to provoke the teacher, The teachers in this country are under paid, and are expected to baby sit your kids with out haveing any authority over them, these are the same kids that will be bringing guns and dope to school in a few years, Yeah, I know, not your little angel who never dose any thing wrong at home for the 2 or 3 hrs that you see them, you people are not raising your childeren but expect everyone else to, so grow up and take responsiblity for yor childeren.
Posted at 4:15PM on Feb 28th 2008 by Rich
159. FIRE THIS NASTY TEACHER NOW and put her in a database (Is there any?) so she can't get another teaching job or even work around children.
It's bad enough some parents talk to their kids that way, but teachers?
Unacceptable!
Posted at 4:16PM on Feb 28th 2008 by Carrie
160. AMERICA TODAY IN 2008
the kid's run the home,
the kid's run the school's
the kid's run the parents which are afraid of them.
the most pampered children on earth and they are always right these precious little angel's in there doting parent's eyes.
Go take a look at the treat of Christine number 2
and you see an american parent at work.
Posted at 4:16PM on Feb 28th 2008 by Bf
161. Is this an illegal kid??????????????????
Posted at 4:16PM on Feb 28th 2008 by louise
162. Just wondering. Are these illegal kids and the teacher is just burned out from having to try to teach illegal mexicans????
Posted at 4:17PM on Feb 28th 2008 by louise
163. Regardless of how this child has behaved in the past, the teacher was speaking to the entire class. And IT IS ABSOLUTELY INAPPROPRIATE TO CALL A 4 OR 5 YR OLDS STUPID, or any other age child for that matter. These children are there to learn not to be belittled or humiliated. If a teacher does not know how to discipline or speak to a child at that age level then they should not be in the classroom with them. It would be wrong for a parent to speak to their child that way, so why do all of these people think it is ok for a teacher to speak to someone elses child that way? In either case it is verbal abuse and can damage a child that young emotionally for life. Maybe there needs to be a better hiring process for what kind of person is teaching our children. They are our future and we don't want them growing up talking to people like that women.
Posted at 4:17PM on Feb 28th 2008 by Deanne
164. it is possible to get kids to behave without berating them. no matter how thier parents treat them at home, an adult can still get the respect of the kids and get them to behave without acting like that. for one, it takes maintaining composure, something that teacher doesnt do, and evidently some of you dont either.
Posted at 4:18PM on Feb 28th 2008 by kt
165. My favorite grade school teacher was Miss Larkin, third grade. Public school in Chicago. First of all, she OWNED the classroom from the first day we stepped into it. SHE was in charge, and we knew it. Ms. Larkin taught about 35-40 students, five rows across, 7 or 8 rows back.
She'd stand up front (STAND, MIND YOU) in her navy blue skirt and white silk blouse, her gray hair and glasses neat as always. She DREW the lesson the board (English, math, whatever.) Then (here's where the teaching comes in), she called the first row up, 5 at a time to the board, and she WATCHED YOU AND HELPED YOU until you got it. Then, back to your seat. Next row, "Come up front." Same thing. You worked on your problems AFTER she spent time with you, making sure you got the lesson.
Of the 35-40 kis in class, some were good kids, naughty kids, smart kids, slow kids, well-fed kids, hungry kids in the classroom, but she spent as much time as SHE NEEDED TO with each of us to be sure we understood the lesson. That's teaching. How do you know if Susie or Jimmy got it if you don't see their work before they leave the classroom??
By the way, we did not get homework until we were in the fifth grade. FIFTH GRADE! No work pages home for Mom and Dad to help you learn. THE TEACHER GOT PAID TO TEACH US TO LEARN. That is why they are called "teachers."
By the way, she never raised her voice and no one questioned her authority. If you were naughty at school, you were in worse trouble at home. That's how we raised our kids.
Posted at 4:18PM on Feb 28th 2008 by Emmaline