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 12 of 54)
166. This is a problem everywhere in varying degrees. Marcy Open School in Minneapolis, Minnesota has a collection of teachers who yell at children, say disrespectful things, physically handle children in inappropriate ways, and ignore the problem on top of it. I suppose if we paid them more they might not act like bad, rude children who hate their jobs.
Posted at 4:19PM on Feb 28th 2008 by neil
167. Hey Christine if your kids are bad then tough shit they should hear it. That is the problem with you weak ass parents these days. Your stupid kids are idiots and bad and you see them as angels. They will probably end up in prison
Posted at 4:19PM on Feb 28th 2008 by Fred
168. The reason why the taping is right is because it is concrete proof that there is a problem. And, . . . that's a good thing. However,the tape is one point of time in the course of a day. What the tape can't provide is what it displays in the general context of the whole day. Yes, this teacher should be removed from the classroom and be mandated to attend some sort of retraining, and then be put on some sort of disciplinary probation, and then be allowed back into the classrom under some sort of surveilance. But let's be real here folks. I've witnessed parents saying much, much worse things to their children, things that have made me cringe inside, and have made me wonder if kidnapping, if it is the best interest of the child with no harm intended, should be legalized?
Posted at 4:20PM on Feb 28th 2008 by Angela Mulgoto
169. People here have the intelligence of a watermelon seed. First, I AM a teacher. A nationally board certified teacher. I've taught in very low income areas (Belle Glade, FL) and middle income areas (other areas of Florida). Second, teaching ISN'T easy. For those of you who say we make ALL this money with all this time off, get your damn degree and get a job. Better yet, go into an inner city, title one school and work. Go to where a school isn't making AYP and you hear threats of 'restructuring' because the blacks or ESOL kids aren't making it. Not because you, the teacher, isn't doing your best, but because the parents won't bring the kid to FREE tutoring. Third, you have parents who aren't involved whatsoever and that involvement decreases as the income level does. I recently had surveys come back that parents had to fill out and the ONLY parent that said something negative about me never does homework with his/her child, comes to conferences, or involved whatsoever in the child's education. However, a parent that raved about me is very involved. Fourth, kindergarteners CAN misbehave-even to the point of having to have the police called on them because they have physically attacked people. Fifth, parents DON'T have the right to audiotape teachers because, depending on a teacher's contract, they CAN't even visit a child's classroom without getting permission from the teacher first.
Now, was this teacher correct? No. However, attacking her and other teachers is crap. Does she need to be fired? Maybe. She might also need to look at retiring. But there are fools out there threatening her life. For saying the word 'stupid'? Good grief. That explains why kindergarteners are attacking people. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree you know.
Posted at 4:20PM on Feb 28th 2008 by icartb
170. Did the parents have permission or ask to record the teacher? If not. They in violation of federal law. You can not tape record someones voice without their permission.
Posted at 4:20PM on Feb 28th 2008 by Thomas Pitts
171. I saw this story on TV news yesterday. Oh, yea, they're all such good kids at home. While I don't support the teacher using the word "stupid," I am a former teacher in an urban school district. I fully understand the frustration of this teacher -- kids today, even little ones, are nasty and disruptive. The most patient teacher can lose it. Sorry -- but my heart goes out to this teacher.
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I understand that kids can be bad and disruptive in school, but there is no excuse for that teacher to have gone off like that in front of the students. No matter how bad they are there is no reason for her to call them stupid children, especially in front of the other children. Saying to any child when they are by themself is horrible, but it is much worse when they do it in front of the entire class. It plays around with a child's self esteem and it can mess them up for the rest of their lives. During the video it was said that she was a veteran teacher, and I wonder if maybe she has gotten too old to do her job. I know that a lot of older people are impatient, especially with children, and when it gets to the point where you're doing things like this you have to step back and accept that maybe you're becoming ineffecive in your job. The problem with public schools is that they have a system of tenure, where if you have held your job for a certain amount of years they cannot fire you. This is why there are so many teachers out there who do not care anymore as long as they still get a paycheck every two weeks.
Posted at 4:21PM on Feb 28th 2008 by Elizabeth
172. I am the parent of 2 children 13 year old girl & 15 year old boy. This story is mild. My son had a music teacher last year who would SCREAM at the class "You're nothing but a bunch of losers! When he'd lose control? He'd throw a chair across the room. My daughter has a wonderful language arts teacher. She uses a megaphone to speak to the class, has one child that is a bit too rowdy sit under her podiuem...... Yes that's right Her podium???? Throws erasers, gives the entire class detentions as in ONE day 35 students? Gives herself a 'time out' & leaves the room when the class is out of control? I have taken all these issues to the principal. No luck. The superintendant? Still no luck. I might add my daughter is a straight A student has been on the honor role for 2 years. Bottom line? Our school systems SUCK!
Posted at 4:21PM on Feb 28th 2008 by Another parent
173. You people saying that you would get this teacher fired and some idiot talking about killing the teacher etc. Remember these teacher get frustrated just like you do at your job. All though I don't support the teacher calling the kids stupid, I can understand her frustration.
You parents out there who know there kids are "BAD" need to do more to stop these kids from acting out when they are not around you. Just remember, when you were young and some of the things you did when you p;arents were not around. Just think, if you parents only knew. Nothing has changed! However, I will tell you this. It all starts in the home people!!
Posted at 4:22PM on Feb 28th 2008 by John K
174. I know how frustrating it can be to work with children, I do it on a daily basis running my own daycare, but people like that shouldnt be allowed anywhere near children! I have seen first hand what verbal abuse can do to a child and there is no excuse for it!! If you cant handle it get a new job!!
Posted at 4:22PM on Feb 28th 2008 by alisa
175. I had not been in a classroom for 30 years but visited
both my son's & his wife's (both are teachers) classes
a while ago. I was completely appalled at the behavior
of the students. The teachers had to ask students literally every 5 minutes to sit down, be quiet, stop text messaging, stop talking, etc. Now I am a very calm person but after a half of day of listening to that, I could have beat every one of those kids' a----!! Teachers can't have control of the classroom if they have no decent way to control the students. Good behavior obviously isn't being taught at home! While I don't condone the specific language the teacher used, I completely understand the reason why it was used. By firing the teacher (without proper investigation & hearing), that school just made their behavior problem worse.
Posted at 4:22PM on Feb 28th 2008 by Sheri
176. There are way too many of thise lame teachers out there teaching our kids. Who in the hell give these teachers license to teach? She needs to be fired. Yes, kids can be hard to handle and mean, but that does not give any teacher the right to lower their standards and talk mean to this innocent children who are like sponges and learn and remember everything at this age. These children will remember how nasty of a teacher she is for the rest of their lives. Schools need to screen these teachers better. I just cannot believe more parents with kids in this class did not go to the principal or file a complaint. What a sick individuals. If she can't handle these children, then she should not be teaching. Trust me, these children are no comparison to teenagers in school.
I applaud these parents. Way to go. Smart move.
Posted at 4:23PM on Feb 28th 2008 by Donie
177. Astute parents. Good for them.
Posted at 4:23PM on Feb 28th 2008 by Lorna
178. the parents had every right to do what they did. that teacher needs to lose her job and she is lucky if thats all she uses. children are sent to school to learn not to be abused by the people we entrust them too.
Posted at 4:23PM on Feb 28th 2008 by goldie
179. Come on people you have got to be kidding me, if you called your boss stupid would you still have a job NO!!!, so why is it okay for a teacher to call a child this, there is no excuse no matter if the child is a demon, there are other ways to deal with these matters.
Posted at 4:25PM on Feb 28th 2008 by Angie
180. Now I'm not condoning the teachers extreme actions. But I'm sure that this was building for some time. I love how its never the students fault. I somewhat agree, its the parents fault. Always letting the kid never take responbility today is a staple of parenting with many parents these days. Watch Super Nany, read a book about parents, do something for the well being of your kids. But nooo, its more important to do something else.
Posted at 4:25PM on Feb 28th 2008 by Eddie