Sunday, July 28, 2013

True, But...

I'll say up front that Anthony Weiner is all the bad things people say he is.  I certainly wouldn't want him in government because he's a horrible person, but I would not bar him from government except by my vote.  That's one difference between being a politician and being a teacher:
At least one Staten Island resident doesn't agree with Anthony Weiner's assertion his mayoral bid is representative of the middle class in spite of the new sexting revelations.

Weiner was confronted by the voter right after telling reporters he would likely soon stop answering questions about his previous online relationships.

Identifying herself as a Democrat and retired New York City Department of Education employee, Peg Brunda told Weiner she spent 21 years as a teacher and then nine as an assistant principal. As a city employee, "had I conducted myself in the manner in which you conducted yours, my job would have been gone," Brunda said.

Brunda continued, "I don't quite understand how you would feel you have the moral authority as the head administrator in the city to oversee employees when your standard of conduct is so much lower than the standard of conduct that's expected of us."
Why would such personal and completely-legal behavior, that has nothing to do with kids at school, result in a teacher's being fired?  Would a teacher be fired if he/she were caught smoking marijuana (if so, one of those mythical teacher shortages you hear about every year or two would definitely take place)?  The teacher probably would not be.

For the 8 zillionth time, I assert that what teachers do on their own time is no one's business but their own (unless, of course, it relates to kids or school somehow).  Ms. Brunda is correct that she'd be fired, but she shouldn't be.

2 comments:

maxutils said...

The only person Weiner needs to answer to is his wife ... because he made her promises. He did nothing illegal, nothing life endangering, including STDs (which makes Spitzer's condemnation even more ridiculous ...as he did). I don't admire him for lying about it, but (and I regret that I don't remember the quote giver and I'm paraphrasing the quote giver) 'If you ask a personal question unrelated to professional responsibilities, you deserve a lie'. Forced me to reconsider Clinton ... but of course, his act(s) actually involved people, took place on the job, came to a legal hearing, and he lied under oath ... where you don't get a pass on a lie.

LindaS said...

In both NC and SC, teachers HAVE been fired for a DWI on their own time, posting a picture of themselves with a drink in their hand on FB, and other indications that they are a normal adult in America.

Even in unionized states, the unions don't do all that much to save jobs, unless you're gay, a transexual, related to someone powerful in the union, or otherwise favored.