Expert: Stephanie R - 10/20/2006

Question
Today I subbed at a high school in NY that is considered very rough and in trouble. They have had to bring in some security guards and the principal there is brand new as of this year as the one from last year transferred to an elementary school! And I can't blame her! Anyway,  within minutes of walking into the classroom someone asked to go to the bathroom. I had not even put my belongings down on my desk and there was another teacher in the room talking to me telling me what the lesson plans were.

I got cursed at (fuck you, go to hell, fat ass and then some). I called for backup and backup came. Backup (an admisitrator) stayed with the class and I went down to speak to the principal to let her know that I would not be able to stay in that class with that kind of abuse. She went down to speak to the class and then I went back in and everything was fine.

What concerns me is that she didn't do some digging around to find out WHO had said the cursing, the verbal abuse (fuck you, fat ass, etc.). I think just going in and getting the students to calm down was not enough! There should be consequences for that kind of verbal abuse.

I don't have a question but I am really angry and was wondering who is normally over principals? Should I complain about this to someone?

Thank you, Roy

Answer
Dear Roy,

Sorry to hear you had such a bad experience! But I know exactly what happened and why they handled it the way they did. These kids are probably like that ALL the time. After a while, you cannot continue punishing the same students for the same crap over and over again when it probably doesn't work! There's not much a teacher or principal can do in those cases except suspend the student... but that's what they want! They'd rather be home! I understand how frustrated you are... but all I can say is... welcome to the educational world. The principal does have a boss though, but that person has probably been spoken to a million times. It's such a difficult situation. If you'd like to speak your voice,  talk to the area superintendent for that school. Hope this helps!

Stephanie