By DONNA WINCHESTER, Times Staff Writer
Published July 15, 2005
When the Pinellas School Board disciplines teachers, it acts upon the recommendation of Superintendent Clayton Wilcox, who in turn relies upon the advice of the district's Office of Professional Standards. This week, in under 10 minutes, the board suspended six teachers and one assistant principal without pay.
It's a long process to reach that point. First, the district's Office of Professional Standards (OPS) investigates allegations of misconduct. Teachers present their case with an attorney and a union representative present if they choose.
OPS, which reviewed more than 2,000 cases last school year, makes a report on each case to the staff attorney, the superintendent and the deputy superintendent, who recommend a course of action.
OPS administrators write summaries of their conclusions, which go to School Board members. The following are excerpts from three such memos sent to the board before this week's meeting.
Italicized words are verbatim. Material in parentheses has been added for clarity.
Case 1
Mr. (Curtis) Brown left his classroom of students (at John Hopkins Middle School) unattended on two different occasions. Students in Mr. Brown's class also reported that he fell asleep in class while they were taking a test.
Discipline: Fifteen-day suspension without pay; $170.20 a day.
Case 2
On May 3, 2005, the assistant principal at Countryside (High School) contacted (the Office of Professional Standards) to report several allegations against Ms. Dawn Hartley. Several students reported inappropriate sexual comments made by Ms. Hartley. For example, Ms. Hartley discussed that tall boys are well-equipped, lifted a student's shirt to display his abs - six-pack - to the class and suggested that girls should date him, and discussed a boy's erection with a female student. Ms. Hartley also introduced her 19-year-old roommate ... to a female student in class via cell phone pictures and suggested they date; Ms. Hartley drew a map to her home in Holiday for the student. Subsequently, the student and the young man met and started dating. Ms. Hartley suspected a student was under the influence of a substance, but allowed the student to remain in class and did not report it to administration. Students also reported Ms. Hartley using profanity in class and smoking on a school field trip.
Discipline: Fifteen-day suspension without pay; $162.63 a day.
Case 3
On or about April 10, 2005, Ms. (Kimberly) Boss placed both of her hands on the face of a child in her classroom (at Seminole Elementary School), leaned into him and began to shout at him for not paying attention in class. Ms. Boss admits she was frustrated at the child. An officer from Pinellas County Schools Police investigated the incident at the request of the parent. The officer determined that her actions did not meet the statutory requirement for child abuse. An administrator in the Office of Professional Standards reviewed the case with the school principal and agreed that progressive discipline steps should be followed.
Discipline: Three-day suspension without pay; $180.56 a day.
