AP Reports on a 400% Increase in Teacher Predators in America's Classrooms

Teachers are in danger around America, as many of us know. Missouri state Rep. Jane Cunningham (picture) is actively seeking penalties for any teacher misconduct (see article below). Associated Press reported on the 400% increase in teacher predators and this report was picked up by almost every newspaper in America. Everyone in America is demanding that these so-called 'criminals' be removed from the classrooms of our innocent children as soon as possible.

The trouble with this misinformation is that throughout America, good teachers - people dedicated to children and willing to speak out against wrong-doing they see in their schools - are being thrown out of their jobs unfairly after false allegations are "substantiated" by anonymous witnesses and unfair investigations that never ask the teacher accused: "who did what to whom?". None of the articles on teacher abusers mentions the "guilty before you are innocent" syndrome that is driving this new wave of teacher-as-predator stories.

This fable must be retold. Bloggers, activists, reporters, where are you?

Below are articles that tell of the latest national anti-teacher propaganda:

NY targets teacher sex enforcement, awareness
By MICHAEL GORMLEY, Associated Press Writer, January 27, 2008

ALBANY, N.Y.

Top Democrats, Republicans and policy makers are making a priority this legislative session of reducing the rise in cases of teachers having sex with students.

Senate Education Committee Chairman Stephen Saland, who gave teeth to enforcement of teacher-sex cases in a 2001 law, is supporting several measures for greater enforcement, swifter sanctions, and better training pushed by the state Board of Regents. He is also seeking $800,000 in the state budget to hire more investigators to clear a backlog of cases, just one of the board's priorities.

In some cases, it can take a year or more to revoke the license of a convicted teacher, with several state hearings conducted in prisons.

Nationwide, at least 16 states are now considering tougher laws to punish teacher sexual misconduct and stronger oversight to keep abusers out of classrooms following an Associated Press series on the topic run nationwide in October. The AP searched records in every state and found 2,570 educators whose teaching credentials were revoked, denied, surrendered or sanctioned from 2001 through 2005 following allegations of sexual misconduct. Experts who track sexual abuse say those cases are representative of a much deeper problem among the 3 million public school teachers nationwide.

"It is critically important that school employees are investigated when these cases arrive in as timely and expeditiously (a manner) as possible," said Saland, a Poughkeepsie Republican. "The AP story was the catalyst for the inquiry."

In eight states, leaders pushing changes said the AP investigation had inspired their proposals.

In New York, the number of "moral conduct" accusations against teachers, administrators and aides has doubled in five years. In all, 485 misconduct cases were reported over five years, most of them involving sexual misconduct.

"There's definitely going to be movement on the legislative side," said Manny Rivera, deputy secretary for education to Democratic Gov. Eliot Spitzer. "We know the Board of Regents wants to advance a statute which calls for the automatic suspension of educators convicted of sex crimes. We're supportive of that and we'll work with them."

Rivera also said the administration is exploring changes in the broader disciplinary process for educators.

"I think there are more things we can do strengthen this issue down the road," he said.

The state Board of Regents elevated the issue to among its top priorities of the state legislative session this year. The board presses its case by noting there was a 400 percent increase in complaints against teachers from 2001 to 2007, with 75 percent of actions against certified teachers involving sex.

In one bill, the Regents seek a faster way to suspend then revoke licenses of a teacher or administrator convicted of a sex offense.

The board also seeks funding to increase staffing. Currently, there are eight investigators, attorneys and support staff to investigate a caseload that now includes a backlog of 800 allegations. Staffing would also allow for ethics courses on student contact to be written then required in teachers' colleges.

In all, the Board of Regents seeks $1.45 million more to fund better enforcement, prevention and training of school employees and prospective teachers.

"The Board of Regents initiatives are centered on information, education and prevention," said Johanna Duncan Poitier, senior deputy education commissioner.

"Through ongoing education and collaboration with schools as well as prompt enforcement where necessary, the Regents initiatives will support safe and healthy school environments for all students across New York state," she said.

The Education Department continues to handle a huge increase in requests for public records that officials attributed to the AP's guide on how parents can get documents related to their schools and teachers.

Sen. William Larkin of Orange County, a veteran Republican in the GOP-led chamber, is also sponsoring a bill that would require the immediate suspension of pay of a tenured teacher convicted of a child pornography charge. The law already requires this for drug convictions.

Assembly Education Committee Chairwoman Catherine Nolan, a Queens Democrat, said she also seeks action in the Democrat-led chamber. That improves the chances of the bills becoming law in 2008.

Report: Teacher-Student Sex Going Through Roof
Number Of Accusations Has Doubled In Last 5 YearsALBANY (AP)
wcbstv.com

The people who set New York's education policy promised Friday to act swiftly to protect children after a state report chronicled a "tremendous growth" in the number of cases of teachers having sex with students.

The study found the number of accusations against teachers doubled in five years, to nearly one case for every day and a half of the school year, according to the statistics first reported a week ago by The Associated Press. In 2005, 134 cases were reported, compared to 70 in 2001, new figures released Friday show.

Almost three in four of the "moral conduct" cases involved sex between a teacher and student, according to the document and case records obtained under the state Freedom of Information Law.

But those on the inside of one case that rocked a small town -- the parent who accused a popular teacher and the teacher whose license was eventually revoked -- say more is needed.

Mary Green of Greenwich, a mother living in a small Washington County town about 30 miles north of Albany, first got a "gut feeling" about one of the teachers in November, 2002. Douglas Bischoff, a popular music teacher, was trying to convince the mother not to chaperone an overnight concert trip to Manhattan.

"I asked who was going to chaperone," said Green, the mother of two daughters who weren't abused. "He said, `I am ... parents don't go to these.'

"I said, `No you're not.'

"He got very angry," Green said, then he added: "`What are you going to do when she goes to college?' I should have asked him."

The following fall, while dropping one daughter off at college in another state, she said she saw Bischoff jogging near the dorm.

Bischoff denies he was there to see or watch Green's daughter and he denies having sex with any student. He was near the college that day, but said he was in the city visiting with his daughter.

That day led to Mary Green's crusade to force action against Bischoff. A state investigation began and accused him of having sex regularly with a student beginning in 1987 when the girl, who testified, was in 11th grade. The locations included his van, his rural home, on a blanket in a secluded area, and hugging and kissing in school. A second girl testified she had sex with Bischoff in 1997, when she was 11th grade.

Bischoff's license, after 28 years in teaching in Yonkers, Cambridge and Greenwich, was revoked in 2005. He now operates a youth music chorale that performs in the Greenwich and Cambridge area where he taught and has sung in Carnegie Hall in Manhattan.

Green said the system needs to move faster -- to act on rumors and "gut feelings" quicker and to get abusive teachers out of classrooms faster.

The state School Boards Association agrees. In a report on all discipline against teachers -- from sex with students to incompetence -- the association found a case takes an average of 520 days to resolve from the date the charge is made. That's a record high, despite laws that were supposed to make the process faster and cheaper.

Bischoff said the problem isn't with the time, but the system itself.

"The problem is the goal is to yank licenses, not get to the truth," he said. The system, he said, uses hired lawyers whose job is to take licenses away, even when -- as in his case -- there was no criminal allegation, Bischoff said.

He said the allegations against him were baseless. He said Green and others had a grudge against him for personal reasons, and his continued success in the small town performing in churches and public facilities shows most parents want him to teach their children. He said a local prosecutor also supported him in the hearing.

"There was no evidence I did anything," he said. "My lawyer convinced me not to testify, which turned out to be a big mistake."

The state Senate will now return to the issue.

"I was encouraged there was increased reporting,"' said Senate Education Committee Chairman Stephen Saland, a Poughkeepsie Republican. "On the other hand, I was concerned if the original law's training requirements were being complied with.

"There is still a degree of this gross misconduct ... escaping under the radar screen," he said. "The law was created to try to provide the tools to do battle with these horrible monsters that prey on our children."

He is working with prosecutors and reviewing whether schools are conducting the required training to prompt reports of evidence, rumors and suspicions.

On Friday, the state updated its data on cases of "moral conduct," and reminded school districts that the law requires training for all personnel who deal with students.

"We cannot permit unfit educators in our schools," said state Education Commissioner Richard Mills. "We must all be vigilant to identify and remove those who pose a risk to our children."

Lawmakers Crack Down on Abusive Teachers
By ROBERT TANNER, Associated Press, January 27, 2008

Heeding a steady drumbeat of sexual misconduct cases involving teachers, at least 15 states are now considering stronger oversight and tougher punishment for educators who take advantage of their students.

Lawmakers say they are concerned about an increasingly well-documented phenomenon: While the vast majority of America's teachers are committed professionals, there also is a persistent problem with sexual misconduct in U.S. schools. When abuse happens, administrators too often fail to let others know about it, and too many legal loopholes let offenders stay in the classroom.

Advocates include governors, education superintendents and legislative leaders.

"We've got to be on a bully pulpit with our school districts," said Missouri state Rep. Jane Cunningham. The Republican's legislation would eliminate statutes of limitation for sexual misconduct, allowing victims to come forward and bring charges against abusers no matter how many years had passed since the crime.

The ideas emerging in state capitals come at a time when U.S. media have been reporting steadily on individual cases, along with more in-depth examinations of the problem.

A nationwide Associated Press investigation published in October found 2,570 educators whose teaching credentials were revoked, denied, surrendered or sanctioned from 2001 through 2005 following allegations of sexual misconduct. Experts who track sexual abuse say those cases are representative of a much deeper problem because of underreporting.

There are roughly 3 million public school teachers nationwide.

In eight states, leaders pushing changes said the AP investigation had inspired their proposals. Others said they had grown concerned from individual cases of abuse in their states, or other news reports that looked at the problem locally or in their state.

In New York, Gov. Eliot Spitzer supports automatic suspension of teachers convicted of sex crimes, which now requires lengthy hearings. In Maine, Gov. John Baldacci hopes to share the names of abusive teachers with other states, which a 1913 confidentiality law there prohibits. In Florida, Gov. Charlie Crist endorsed federal legislation proposed by U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam, a Florida Republican, to create a national databank of abusive teachers, a hot line for complaints and federal funds for state investigators.

Some states are looking to increase penalties, expand background checks or broaden their ability to police charter schools for abuse, like Indiana, Massachusetts and Utah. Kentucky and South Carolina are considering making it illegal for teachers to have sex with older students.

Several states are tackling a major problem — the loopholes that allow problem teachers to move from one school district to another, or from one state to another. The AP investigation found that what education officials commonly call "passing the trash" happens when districts allow a teacher to quietly leave a school, or fail to report problems to state authorities, or fail to check with state authorities before hiring a teacher, among other glitches.

In eight states, legislators are pursuing changes to close those gaps, including California, Colorado, Florida, Minnesota, Missouri, Virginia, Washington state and West Virginia.

"Despite acts of misconduct that were threatening and dangerous in schools, there is a track record of people going on to another school district and finding employment," said Missouri state Senate President Pro Tem Michael Gibbons. "The new school district may get the truth, but they don't get the whole truth about this person's background. They may find out the dates of service, they may find out this person was dismissed, but there really is no other information forthcoming."

His legislation aims to get school employees and districts to share all information about job-hunting teachers, including whether those educators sexually abused their students, by granting administrators civil immunity from lawsuits.

Other states approach the same problem differently. A Colorado measure being drafted would penalize school districts and state officials that fail to report problem teachers, while a West Virginia proposal would open school officials themselves to punishment. Florida would bar any confidentiality agreement between districts and teachers, and require districts to report every firing to the state.

In California, one proposal would close a loophole that bars the teacher credentialing commission from revealing the reason teachers lose their licenses if they plead no contest to an offense.

Under no contest pleas, defendants are punished as if they pleaded guilty, but retain the right to challenge the charges against them in lawsuits and other proceedings. Such deals have meant public records were unclear about why educator licenses were sanctioned in dozens of cases, the AP found.

"You should not be able to plead no contest to a sex offense just so you can continue teaching," said state Sen. Bob Margett. The measure means teachers who plead no contest would immediately lose their license, and the reason for the revocation would be public record.

Some say the latest legislation is just the beginning.

South Carolina has created a new committee of parents, teachers, social workers and prosecutors to study the problem and come back with new ideas.

Though small statistically, the number of abusive teachers is too high, South Carolina Education Superintendent Jim Rex wrote after reading the AP report.

"I am nonetheless outraged by any incident in which an adult entrusted with the care of one of South Carolina's students violates that student. The ramifications for that student, his or her family, and the community as a whole are painful and long lasting," he wrote.

In Utah, the numbers of abuses flat-out shocked state Rep. Carl Wimmer. "These things happen a lot more often than parents would think," he said. "It seems we do have an unacceptable high amount of children who get violated in the classroom. One is too many."