These educators are supposed to be role models, not models of imperfection.  What happened to these adults to make them do these things?  School administrators need to put these educators through a psychiatric exam before they are hired.  This would help weed out the bad to get to the good people.  This is just my opinion….

I think that all educators (including bus drivers) should have a pyschiatric exam before they are hired.  This would help weed out the bad people.  This is just my opinion….

Jim you have got to be kidding. Educators get paid next to nothing now and you expect them to be evaluated psychiatricly too. There are just some people who have mental problems. Not only educators do these things but they get more media attention. I can’t imagine looking at a 14 or 15 year old like that but some people look at 1 year olds in that way. I don’t understand how ANYONE could harm a child. I however don’t think anyone went into education to have sex with students. I think something just went wrong in their brain.

All I was saying Jennifer, is that a psychiatric test along with a personality test, can aid in predicting whether an educator or bus driver might do something.  Something more than a background check has to be done.  Right now there are no psych tests or personality tests being given.  IF there were, a possible future problem could be detected and avoided.  You are right, these people are in the forefront when it comes to these issues.  That is why more steps need to be taken to prevent these violations.

I don’t think a psychiatrict evaluation would help plus who would pay for all of this? Certainly not the school districts. How long do you think a person would have to go through an evaluation to find out if something is wrong with them? For the sake of argument, what if something is found out, then what? just don’t hire them but send them on to the next district. You can’t charge someone for what you think they might do.

You are right lisa, you can’t charge someone for what they might do.  However, you can prevent that person from having a job or career in any school district if they fail an evaluation.  Have a psychiatrist ask the person the tough questions and make note of the responses.  Then another expert can examine the person if necessary.  The process has to get tougher to prevent these crimes from happening.  The person interested in a job in the school district should pay for the evaluation.

I know if I had just paid 15 to 20,000 dollars for an education to make 24,000 a year I would not pay for an evaluation. People who go into education put up with a lot of garbage as it is. If you were going to evaluate teachers and bus drivers then you also need to evaluate coaches, daycare workers, YMCA employees, and everyone else who will be alone with children. From watching Dateline last night everyone needs to be evaluated. I just find it hard to believe that someone who has or wants to spend their life working with children would throw it all away for something like that. What enjoyment could that bring? But she is just sick. But it is not fair to punish all of the education employees for a few sick people. There are many good people who are working in education that are there for the betterment of the children in the world because it sure isn’t for the money.

I think the psychiatric evaluations would be a great idea if the were affodable for every person who has access to children, but they aren’t.  What I have personally experienced and seen other people experience is that parents who are highly visible and prone to becoming difficult when they feel their children are being mistreated are less likely to have children who are abused in these settings because it just isn’t worth the trouble.  People talk, and ALL school employees know which parents they don’t want to cross.  I don’t over-react about anything but my son’s welfare, but I let it be known that, if you mess with the cub, I will jump up and down and scream until Mark Sanford personally holds a prayer meeting in the front office.  I have a well-deserved reputation of being a difficult parent, and I protect it because it protects my son.

You can evaluate people and their potential for offending society all you want, but if the restitution is severe enough, the crime may never be committed in the first place.  Society has liberalized our schools to the point that kids are now engaging in sexual intecourse in the classroom with teachers present, and under the watchful eye of fellow students.  Horney young teachers and horney kids WILL get together unless society makes it impossible for offenders to live with the results of their indescretions.  Lets face it, integrity and values begin at home, not in the classroom.  Lets make sure teachers teach our children the ABC’s and omit the Social Study emphasis so prevelant today.  The ancient Greeks taught meaningful classes under the limbs of olive trees out in the open - why must 2007 kids go to school in multi-zillion dollar structures?  When our children go to school for the purpose of learning some subject (not sex related), and are expected to demonstrate their acquired skills, they will study and leave the horseing around to after school.  I loved both periods of activity.  And, who sez sex-after-school is not appreciated - why must such activity be done in the classroom?  This demonstrates a “sick society.”