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2006-09-20 - 6:28 p.m.

Sick Schools?

There’s a lot wrong with some of our basic institutions.

There’s a lot wrong with what passes for journalism in our nation. There’s a lot wrong with who passes as educators in our schools.

Not long ago a friend posted to her blog about the Debra LeFave interview Matt Lauer was doing for NBC’s Dateline. The general question was why allow LeFave air time. The general consensus was this was not a news story. Although not defending LeFave’s behavior, I was in the minority and took the opposite tack: supporting the First Amendment and media’s right to publish or televise any story. For hundreds of years we’ve misquoted Voltaire who first said: “I detest what you write, but I would give my life to make it possible for you to continue to write.” That is one of the foundations of this nation and at the heart of a free press.

No, Dateline’s exclusive, “Crossing The Line,” was not hard news; it was soft news. Media is controlled by huge conglomerates--ratings and “scoop” headlines are money. Journalism has become more about sensationalism and business and less about ethics, objectivity and honesty.

Still, the question to be asked is not whether or not LeFave’s account as “a deeply troubled, bi-polar predator” is news, it’s something deeper, more dangerous and more contemptible than journalism gone awry. The question should be what’s wrong with our educational institutions that makes it possible for these kinds of people to gain access to children.

Debra LeFave is not the first teacher to have sex with her students, nor will she be the last. LeFave is one of a growing number of teachers who are getting caught having sex with students.

Unfortunately, education does not attract the best and the brightest. There might have been a time when young people entered the profession out of some lofty idealism. Perhaps a humanitarian desire. Gone are the days of lofty idealism and humanitarianism. Young people live a life of materialism, and, when in universities, they see graduates with business or engineering or medical degrees making three and four times the salaries of today’s educators, they quickly chart out an educational and career path leading to the big dollars. Grade point averages for undergraduates entering professional study in schools of education are lower than those for other professional schools at universities. Standards for graduation are lower.

And until recently, there were no restrictions on who was in your child’s classroom. The only thing the person needed was a degree in education and a stamp of approval from the state department of education. It was more difficult to get a job processing bacon at Kraft Foods.

Since 2000, the state of Missouri has required all educators seeking state certification –
including those in private schools – to complete a fingerprint criminal background check. Then in January 1, 2005 anyone in a school whose job involves contact with students – including: teachers, aides, secretaries, cooks and custodians – must also have an
FBI fingerprint criminal background check. Most states have these same guidelines in place.

Still, it’s not fail-safe. After all, Debre LeFave was given a teaching certificate and allowed into a middle school. Mary LeTourneau was given a teaching certificate and allowed into a school. Mark Blilie was given a teaching certificate and allowed into a school. Eric Norman Olsen was given a teaching certificate and allowed into a school. John Mark Karr was allowed into schools as a substitute teacher.

And on it goes.

The teacher applicant without a criminal record can penetrate the system. Those educators hired prior to 2000 have been grandfathered in. Mistakes are made, pedophiles are creeping into the classrooms and secrets are guarded.

Sexual predator as school teacher isn’t the only ailment in today’s schools. Last week we had a city councilman go into our main high school and allegedly assaulted the assistant principal. The city councilman is a professor of education at the university. In fact, one of his duties is chairing the Professional Development Program for teacher candidates and for tenured educators.

Schools are not perfect, and they’re filled with imperfect—and, in some cases, very unstable--people. Applying a band aid is not going to heal the sore. Some major changes, including better training programs and licensing procedures, tighter hiring standards, and substantial funding to draw quality professionals to the career--are needed to cure the ailment eating away at the profession. Still, we insist on applying a band aid.

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