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Teachers are people too

Teachers are known for putting things off until the summer.  Occasionally, opportunities come up during the school year, and teachers find themselves asking for time away from their students.   A principal in Sugarland has been demoted for allowing one of her teachers to be a participant on "The Bachelor", a popular reality show. 

Tammie Carpenter, principal at Colony Bend Elementary School, said she is to move to a new campus in the fall, where she'll be an assistant principal, according to KTRK-TV. Carpenter told the station that the school district was using her as a "scapegoat."

Reality TV contestant Amber Alchalabi teaches fourth grade at Colony Bend.

A handful of parents had complained to the Fort Bend Independent School District that the racy show was not an appropriate reason for Alchalabi's three-week absence, particularly during state-mandated testing. Many others rallied around the raven-haired 23-year-old, calling her dedicated and energetic.

Teachers are indeed under microscopes.  That "old maid living in the school house" concept is alive and well.

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Posted: Wednesday, May 02, 2007 7:58 AM by Betty

Comments

MysteryTeacher said:

I don't know.  I don't think anyone should take time off their job to be on those shows.  Unless it is during vacation time.  Teachers don't get that kind of vacation.  We have to take ours WHEN the district says we must.  We should create our own shows so we can do that stuff in the summer.  (Instead of going to school and working on our Masters)

# May 2, 2007 12:32 PM

Betty said:

I like the idea of teacher reality shows during the summer.  We had a teacher who auditioned for American Idol but didn't make it.  I'm sure she would have asked for some time off if she had been chosen.  

# May 2, 2007 3:05 PM

georgiagirl said:

Opportunities don't wait for the summer! Reality shows like American Idol can lead to career advancement, while The Bachelor is about relationships. The teacher could gain her 5 minutes of fame, but perhaps at the risk of her students, parents, and community loosing respect for her after seeing her in such a personal and romantic light. My school district has strict rules about the maximum number of days teachers can take before penalities or action is taken. It sounds like the principal supported her employee, but may not have acted in the best interests of her school.

# May 5, 2007 2:38 PM

mz.w said:

given the psych profile of your average reality show participant, i wouldn't want my kid's teacher to be on such a show(a trivia/game show would be different).  doesn't mean other teachers don't have the same types of issues, they might just be less obvious than someone who goes on national tv.

kind of dumb to discipline the prinicpal that way tho.

# May 7, 2007 11:54 PM

Hal said:

I am so very tired of whining parents who cannot accept the fact that teachers are people, too. They have aspirations. They want to fall in love. They want to participate in life and society. That this also includes being on national TV, please, let us teachers be people. Amber was trying to find a partner in life. She led a very interesting life for a few days, and it will be a life memory for her. Teachers don't usually get that. But for her trouble she came under the guns of some vile spittle spewing Fort Bend County conservative parents (yes, this is Tom DeLay country) who wanted to deny this person her right to a try at the brass ring.

And her principal gets to be punished. What a load. Her principal, I think, was under the same restrictions as Amber. No information on the program could be made public in advance. Her hands were tied.

I am this close to resigning from my teaching position in Fort Bend ISD. These people need to understand that teachers are people too.

# May 13, 2007 12:52 AM
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