Sleeping in Class - Article in Sun Sentinel Accuses teachers

I said this to the Sun Sentinel Editor... It was hard keeping to 250 words!

As a hard working teacher for 25 years who has always been involved in union leadership, and who presently sits on the Broward Teachers Union Executive Board, I take great offense to the article, "Sleeping in Class" by Brittany Shammus. It created anecdotal scenarios based only on hearsay from administrators and SBBC officials. It reflected absolutely no input from the accused teachers, whose characters were clearly defamed... Guilty until proven innocent!! I do not know the details of the specific teachers or incidents in this article, but I do know that teachers are wrongly, and falsely accused often. I know that the local courts overwhelmingly support the teachers over the decisions of SBBC, and often find SBBC punishes their teachers unreasonably, and as I have witnessed, with little or no tangible evidence. I know for a fact that any allegations against teachers are considered true, even when they may be false. I personally know of teachers and union representatives who are vocal about their rights, who end up being charged with allegations that lead to loss of employment. I personally witnessed a teacher removed from his job due to accusations he tore a student's shirt, later dispelled via videotape proof of a student tearing his own shirt on camera. Considering all of this carefully, it would be wise if we take more care when writing about our teachers. Wrong doing must be exposed at all levels, once the wrong doing is proven. Writing about allegations as facts serves no one!

To this recent article with accusations of teacher misconduct...

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/fl-broward-teacher-complaints-20160204-story.html