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Opinion editorials Handling of Pit Appeal Calls for a Time-Out |
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opinion editorialsThis editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by editorial page staff and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers
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Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Teacher Psychological Tests Not Warranted
Day after day, parents send their children to school with the expectation that they will not be preyed upon by adults charged with their education.
So some parents are rightfully concerned about the situation at Jimmy Carter Middle School, where a 33-year-old social studies teacher was fired after she admitted having sex with one of her students, a seventh-grade boy. She has been charged with three counts of criminal sexual penetration and one count of criminal sexual contact.
However understandable it is to call for more stringent pre-employment vetting of school employees, it would be unreasonable to require all 6,500 or so APS teachers to undergo periodic psychological evaluations or submit to follow-up background checks after hiring. In the recent case, an evaluation likely wouldn't have turned up anything worrisome, and follow-up checks are unwarranted unless a red flag is triggered.
Perhaps the allegations are so shocking because they are so rare. APS deserves credit for moving quickly and not letting gender affect its actions.
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