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 2 of 54)
16. CAN YA CALM DOWN!!this is obviousli a human being too! we all make mistakes. DAMN
Posted at 3:01PM on Feb 28th 2008 by Derrick
17. OMG!! im having the same problem with one of my son's kindergarten teachers!! His class is setup to where he has two teachers.One week he has one teacher, and the next week the other teacher is on duty. Now when teacher #1 is there, the kids are happy and seem to enjoy themselves. When teacher #2 is there, it seems that "all" the kids were bad and misbehaved. Let me tell you this teacher is so rude, even in front of the parents(makes me wonder what she says when its just the students) Well, the other day my son said that this teacher made a mean comment to one of the students and made him cry in front of everyone. I had enough, i went to the principal and was assured they would talk to her. Well, the next day i guess she was upset that i had talked to the principal about it, and she gave my son a disciplinary note saying that my son was misbehaving. She had everything marked on the form that she could...disruptive, loud, attendance, talks a lot. And mind you, my son has never had these problems. Even the other teacher says how well behaved my son is. So obviously it was retaliation. The principal and counselor saw that my son has no disciplinary record and that this seemed strange to all of a sudden get a note for behavior. They said theyll "talk" to her again. So...guess we'll see what happens.....
Posted at 3:03PM on Feb 28th 2008 by Laura
18. I contacted Houston Federation of Teachers President Gayle Fallon. She told me that the public was STUPID for believing the media about this situation. I swear to God! I have the email!!
Posted at 3:03PM on Feb 28th 2008 by Liza Null
19. The parents do not teach the children any respect for authority, they take up for the student, they seem always to be looking to protect their child, rarely looking to support the teacher. And this is a good example of parents going after the teacher.
Posted at 3:04PM on Feb 28th 2008 by Art
20. I marvel that these Houston parents were allowed to get away with taping a teacher without her knowledge and causing her to lose her job. That's a violation of her due process rights. That's worse than the police invading a person's home without a search warrant and gathering evidence against them. The courts don't stand for it. These parents had no right to send a tape by their child to "catch" a teacher. They aren't licensed to do surveilances. The fact that I didn't hear any national teachers unions or other organizations outcrying against these parents' actions amazes me too. I am a retired teacher and do believe in mutually humane treatments between teacher and students, but every individual is susceptible to a "bad hair" day and may say things in anger that they normally wouldn't say. This teacher should have been given an opportunity to apologize to the students, not lose her job, especially since she was set up. During my early days as a teacher when teachers unions believed in really helping and protecting teachers, there was a rule that even principals couldn't eavedrop on teachers' rooms from the office without an audible signal being given off from the intercom first and heard by the teacher. But nowadays, it seems that anything goes when a lay parent can get away with sending a tape by her child to the room of an unsuspecting teacher. How deceptive and treacherous! It shouldn't be. Those parents were as wrong as two left shoes for this!! This is supposed to be democratic America. I hope that teacher finds a good lawyer and fight for her maltreatment by those parents as well as her employer.
Posted at 3:04PM on Feb 28th 2008 by Mrs. Hunt
21. I thought my mom was dead. I guess she faked her death and got a teaching job.
Posted at 3:04PM on Feb 28th 2008 by guy
22. OMG! I cannot believe that no other parents hadnt caught on to this..i sure hope she is fired! I think there should be better training and background checks and each classroom should be monitored from time to time. Im sure these principals arent that busy..they could maybe sit in during a class from time to time. Also parents need to tell their children ( i know i did mine) to not be afraid to speak up when they see the teacher being mean or saying rude things, they can go to the principal or their parents. Or better yet...when parents have a day off or something show up to their class...thats something they arent expecting and tell them you are there to "help" . Kudos to these parents..hope more parents take this advice!
Posted at 3:04PM on Feb 28th 2008 by Annette
23. I do not see that much wrong with what the teacher said. Most likely the parents are illegal aliens and should be deported along with the kid anyway
Posted at 3:04PM on Feb 28th 2008 by matt
24. wow, looking at the writing skills of the people here, you should have stayed in school past 4th grade.
Posted at 3:05PM on Feb 28th 2008 by Ken Jones
25. Dumb Mexicans...Always THEY HOLD US DOWN....go back to mexico and see how good the schooling is there ya beaners....Go cut my lawn or rather put in my septic tank.....We dont pay you to criticize, we pay you to do americans jobs no one else wants to do...Stop complaining or take you and your bean head daughter back to where you came from!
Posted at 3:05PM on Feb 28th 2008 by Big Frumps
26. You do not know what its like to be a teacher these days people, students are so unruly and teachers do not get the respect they deserve! Parents just stop complaining and let the teachers do what they need to teach your children!
Posted at 3:08PM on Feb 28th 2008 by cindy
27. Oh please, dont bring race into this. Has nothing to do with how this teacher is acting.
Posted at 3:08PM on Feb 28th 2008 by Annette
28. Those who can . . . do. Those who can't . . . teach.
Looking back on my own academic career, I can say I had less than a handful of good teachers. One or two were terrific, a couple above average. The rest? Bored, pissed off and uninspired (therefore uninspiring).
Posted at 3:08PM on Feb 28th 2008 by Emmaline
29. My daughter had a similar experience in junior high math class. My kid raised her had, waited to be called on, and then asked a question. The teacher yelled her for asking a stupid question, and then said she didn't belong in the class. It was obviously too hard for her. The kid has an IQ of 143! Another parent called the principal before I even found out about the incident. When I made an appointment to speak to the teacher, she showed up with 4 other teachers! I'm guessing they imagined I would be intimidated.
Posted at 3:10PM on Feb 28th 2008 by Betty
30. Not so fast in passing judgement towards public schools.
I have the same exact problem with a Catholic elementary school teacher; it was a double whammy due to the fact that I was PAYING tuition to educate my children there! Needless to say that teacher "left voluntarily" the following year and to the best of my knowledge was never reprimanded for her actions.
Posted at 3:11PM on Feb 28th 2008 by tlg