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TELEVISION IN 26 YEARS.
>> IS IT IMPOSSIBLE TO FIRE BAD
TEACHERS IN NEW YORK CITY?
A TEACHER WHO SAID THAT HER
STUDENTS WERE THE DEVIL'S SPAWN
AND IMPLIED IT WOULD BE GOOD IF
THEY ALL DROWNED IS HEADED BACK
TO CLASSROOM AFTER A MANHATTAN
JUDGE SHE POSED NO HARM TO THE
KIDS.
>> KYLE OLSON IS THE FOUNDER OF
THE EDUCATION ACTION GROUP AND
PRODUCER OF A TALE OF TWO
MISSIONS WITH JUAN WILLIAMS THAT
YOU CAN SEE ON OUR WEB SITE.
GOOD MORNING TO YOU, KYLE.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM WITH
WHAT THIS TEACHER SAID AND NOW
THE FACT THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE A
JUDGE SAYS TOO BAD YOU CAN'T
FIRE HER BOARD OF EDUCATION,
SHE'S GOT TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL?
>> WELL, IT'S OUTRAGEOUS.
I MEAN, HOW CAN A PARENT WHEN
THEY FIND OUT ABOUT THIS, HOW
COULD THEY POSSIBLY HAVE
CONFIDENCE IN THIS TEACHER?
AND YOU HAVE TO FEEL FOR THE
PARENTS WHO WANT TO TRY TO HAVE
THEIR CHILD GO TO A DIFFERENT
TEACHER BUT DON'T HAVE THAT
OPTION BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE
OTHER CLASSROOMS ARE FULL AND
WHAT THIS COMES DOWN TO IS THE
FACT THAT YOU HAVE A POLICY
KNOWN AS TENURE WHERE AFTER JUST
A COUPLE OF YEARS, IT'S TWO
YEARS IN NEW YORK CITY, TEACHERS
CANNOT BE FIRED FOR THESE TYPES
OF ACTIVITIES.
AND THEN THEY BASICALLY HAVE TO
COMMI
PAYCHECK.
THEY HAD THE ABSENT TEACHER
RESERVE THAT WE HAD SPOKEN TO
YOU BEFORE.
IS THIS ONLY NEW YORK OR
HAPPENING ALL ACROSS THE
COUNTRY?
>> IT'S ALL OVER THE COUNTRY SO
IT'S EASY AND I THINK A LOT OF
THE BLAME BELONGS WITH THE
TEACHERS UNIONS BECAUSE THEY
CREATE AND THEY DEFEND THESE
TYPES OF POLICIES.
BUT ALSO BLAME LIES WITH THE
POLITICIANS, WHETHER IT'S SCHOOL
BOARDS OR LEGISLATURES AND
GOVERNORS BECAUSE THE
LEGISLATURES AND THE GOVERNORS
AND THE POLITICIANS ARE NOT
WILLING TO STAND UP AND SAY
LOOK, IF THESE TYPES OF POLICIES
THAT ARE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF
THE ADULTS, THESE ARE NOT
PUTTING THE INTEREST OF CHILDREN
FIRST AND WE NEED TO DO AWAY
WITH THEM.
AND SO IF ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS,
THE ONES THAT YOU MENTIONED,
TENURE, SENIORITY, OTHERS, THEY
ARE PUTTING THE INTEREST OF
ADULTS FIRST AND THEY REALLY
NEED TO CHANGE.
>> LET ME ASK YOU THIS, KYLE,
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN STUDENTS GET
ON FACEBOOK OR TWITTER,
SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND BAD
MOUTH THEIR TEACHERS?
INVARIABLY THEY ARE DISCIPLINED,
AREN'T THEY?
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
THEY'RE SUSPENDED, THEY'RE --
THEY GO INTO DETENTION.
THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
BUT I MEAN, IT'S JUST -- THERE'S
ALMOST THIS -- THIS PARALLEL
UNIVERSE WITH GOVERNMENT
EDUCATION WHERE THE ADULTS CAN
ESSENTIALLY SAY WHATEVER THEY
WANT TO SAY, LIKE SHE SAID, I
MEAN, JUST -- SHE CALLED HER
STUDENTS DEVIL'S SPAWN.
AND INFURRED SHE WANTS THEM TO
DROWN.
THOSE ARE OUTRAGEOUS STATEMENTS
BUT A JUDGE ACTUALLY PUTS HER
BAC K IN THE CLASSROOM.
>> UH-HUH.
>> JUST IMAGINE BEING ABLE TO GO
TO A JUDGE, GO TO THE COURT
SYSTEM AND COMPLAIN AND SAY I
HAVE TENURE, I DESERVE THIS JOB.
I HAVE A RIGHT TO THIS JOB AND A
JUDGE AGREES WITH YOU AND PUTS
YOU BACK IN THAT POSITION.
IT'S JUST THE BIZARREO WORLD IN
GOVERNMENT.
>> WE UNDERSTAND APPARENTLY THE
BOARD OF EDUCATION WILL FIGHT
THE JUDGE'S RULING.
MAYBE NOT SO FAST.
>> KYLE OLSON, ALWAYS GREAT TO
SPEAK WITH YOU ONCE A WEEK.
THANKS SO MUCH.
HAVE A GREAT DAY.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> CRAZY.
ALL RIGHT.
STRAIGHT AHEAD, DID YOU KNOW A
CONGRESSMAN SECURED $6.3 MILLION
OF YOUR TAX DOLLARS FOR FIXING
UP A BEACH NEAR HIS VACATION
HOUSE?