W.Va. educator suspended for calling students 'trailer trash

[orange-n-brown 365]

W.Va. educator suspended for calling students 'trailer trash'
Thursday, April 10, 2008 3:16 AM

Associated Press
MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va.—Calling students "trailer trash" for bad behavior is an offense, but in Marshall County, it merits only a one-day suspension, not two.

That's the ruling from the Board of Education, which voted Tuesday to override an earlier penalty for John Marshall High School adviser Nicole Shipman. The board says Shipman should be reimbursed for the extra day she was off.

Last month, Shipman handed a memo to some unruly students, warning that if they insisted on acting like trailer trash, that's how she would treat them.

The language violated the district's employee code of conduct. Shipman has since apologized.
She apologized and didn't lose her job I see a lawsuit heading down the road
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/na ... ml?sid=101

[whodeyAtown21]

If I were the administrator, I would make sure she lost her job. That's inexcusable.

[Region 15]

Students these days drop the F-Bomb on their teachers along with other disrespectful remarks and get little if no school punishment. What the teacher said might be right or wrong but nothing more then an apology should be required. Clearly one more example of political incorrectness gone amuck.

[whodeyAtown21]

Students these days drop the F-Bomb on their teachers along with other disrespectful remarks and get little if no school punishment. What the teacher said might be right or wrong but nothing more then an apology should be required. Clearly one more example of political incorrectness gone amuck.

#1. Students are immature. Teachers should be mature, responsible, leaders.
#2. It is not a good learning environment if: a) the students are not being disciplined/kept in line enough for them to NOT "act like trailer trash" b)the teacher is insulting the students.

[ballparent]

FIDO quote:
You earn respect in life. It's not something you get on demand.

I like this.

[orange-n-brown 365]

I'd ring some of their necks they way they act and talk... but it wasn't right to refer to them as trailer trash .... or acting like trailer trash ...

[mvlnewlex]

New Lex used to have a football coach in the 1950s, 60s and 70s named Jim Rockwell. he won a lot of games. 2 state championships. The town really respected him.

In the year 2008, he would likely get fired and/or thrown in jail. that is how much society has changed.

[kantuckyII]

as an adult, I think it's very funny but...to a kid it could be mighty hurtful. I have, at one time in my life...lived in house with the wheels removed

[whodeyAtown21]

I'm an Education major. I'm far from qualified in the field, but I do know my classes talk a lot about "what makes a good teacher". People have different teaching styles and this is definitely not one of them. I guess from a future-educators (and by that...i mean about 25 years in the future--USMC first, ooh rah) point of view...she needs to reconsider some things...

[Tigercannon71]

Thats kinda of funny. Teacher shouldnt have said it, but I can see where she is coming from, but Im sure there was a better way to handle it.

[Runner]

New Lex used to have a football coach in the 1950s, 60s and 70s named Jim Rockwell. he won a lot of games. 2 state championships. The town really respected him.

In the year 2008, he would likely get fired and/or thrown in jail. that is how much society has changed.

I knew Jim Rockwell very well. He was my Vice Principal from 77' through 80' at West Muskingum after he gave up his coaching job at NL.

I have to agree with you that during his coaching career, he would verbally abuse the players and smack them upside the head for missing a tackle, block or throwing an interception. I remember him also making the entire football team at NL run a lap for every point that was scored on them, before heading back to the locker room after the games, AND before each practice the following week.

[The Instructor]

Teachers are human like the rest of us. We all lose our cool from time to time. The only thing this educator is guilty of is sterotyping people who live in trailers. She didn't call them trailer trash, she said they were acting like trailer trash. She could have said they were acting like a bunch of two year olds, like many kids/teenagers do.

You earn respect in life. It's not something you get on demand. Many teachers receive verbal abuse from kids for no other reason than being told to get in their seats. If children were taught a few manners at home (respect for authority figures) we would all be better off.

I'm not a teacher but I have trained a few smart arse teenagers in my time. I can tell you from my experiences, it is very difficult to show restraint. By the time I got done with them, they understood the meaning of respect. You start taking away their time off by working them extended hours and take away their weekends, they learn very quickly what respect is. Another favorite on mine is to make them write a 5 page report (10 font, 1 inch margins, double spaced) on what respect means to them, with a minimum of 5 cited sources.

Excellent Post!

[orange-n-brown 365]

I have a friend who teaches sbh in a city middle school he is called cracker, white mother f$%$$ kicked hit spit on but all he can do is send them to the office and they are back in about a week... I am shocked at some of the stories... but he holds his tongue to them he likes his paycheck..
If these kids do this to a teacher image what they do at home
I lived in a trailer for 21 years actually my mom and dad have lived in the same one for 35 years!

[BubbleGumTiger]

Sure glad we dont have any students in the trailer park who I would consider Trailer Trash. However, if we did I would let the Instructor and the Educator take care of them and I can promise you they would straighten them out in a minute............

[orange-n-brown 365]

I am sure they would real quick!

[The Instructor]

The Educator and I know how to handle them.

We don't mess around and they know it.

Even I would be scared and intimidated if The Educator got angry at me!!

She has a fierce temper!!

[orange-n-brown 365]

that's the reason she was the first Queen of the Trailer park

[theassassin]

Students these days drop the F-Bomb on their teachers along with other disrespectful remarks and get little if no school punishment. What the teacher said might be right or wrong but nothing more then an apology should be required. Clearly one more example of political incorrectness gone amuck.

#1. Students are immature. Teachers should be mature, responsible, leaders.
#2. It is not a good learning environment if: a) the students are not being disciplined/kept in line enough for them to NOT "act like trailer trash" b)the teacher is insulting the students.

#1. i'm tired of hearing that the student/kid is immature. the teacher is the adult. by this time students should have a little bit of maturity.
#2. i have to wonder what kind of support there has been for previous disciplinary actions.
#3. if the shoe fits.....

[kantuckyII]

as an adult, I think it's very funny but...to a kid it could be mighty hurtful. I have, at one time in my life...lived in house with the wheels removed

I lived in one myself for about 10 years. Have you seen today's news where they are showing a teacher take a beat down by one of her students. It's very disturbing.

I think a person can only handle so much abuse, verbal or otherwise, before we lose our cool.

My dad would have been on the evening news for child abuse if I ever done something like this to one of my teachers!

Kids today are freakin' amazing and the girls are the one's who have gone down hill the most. Have you all been watching the 8 kids who beat that little girl up in Florida? they actually filmed it and then put in on YouTube..well duh! real smart!

oh..all the kids are between 15 and 17 and all have been charged as adults

[Rhiannon]

This was on the Today Show the other day.

http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en- ... im_f_25-34

Unreal that the principal blamed the teacher for this.