Pre-K Teacher Faces Discipline For Letter About Smelly Children

[big_dog]

The Buffalo School District is taking disciplinary action against a veteran elementary teacher from BUILD Academy who sent a note home with all her students last week complaining that several of her prekindergarteners were coming to school wearing dirty clothes and smelling bad.

In a handwritten letter titled “URGENT NOTICE!!!”, pre-K teacher Sharon D. Perry Dunnigan asked all parents to address the cleanliness issue, saying, “It is a health and safety concern. It also makes it difficult for me to be close to them or even want to touch them. Enough said.”

School Board members and parents said they are upset and troubled that a teacher would choose to deal with a matter involving a few students in such a broad and shaming manner. The letter was not only sent out to all parents, but also required that it be returned to her with the signatures of parents and their 3- and 4-year-old children.

Board members discussed the matter in a closed session during Wednesday’s committee meetings and were unanimous in their agreement that the teacher handled the matter poorly and said she should face more than a minor verbal reprimand. http://www.buffalonews.com/city-region/buffalo-public-schools/teacher-faces-discipline-for-letter-about-smelly-children-20131122

[Blue_Adept]

1. Pfft

It is a health and safety concern. Having had a few kids in elementary school in the last couple of years, there were numerous lice outbreaks that kept happening and there were multiple parents that did not put their kids through the proper process. But it couldn't be 100% isolated as to who and you have to send out these kinds of blanket statements in order to get people to realize there is an issue.

[gollygee]

3. I've always heard that lice prefer clean hair?

I can see how it might be a health and safety issue as far as other diseases/parasites go, but I'm not sure about that particular parasite.

I think it maybe could have been handled better, but on the other hand it is a really difficult issue for a teacher to address. Parents get really defensive potentially no matter how it's stated. It's reasonable for a teacher to want the kids in her/his class to smell decent enough that you can stand to be near them. It hurts their educational chances when teachers avoid getting close to them.

The tone of it is what bothered me, not the writing of the letter, but I might have misunderstood the tone. I think I'd back the teacher on it really, knowing how parents get defensive about absolutely any discussion of their kids' hygiene, especially at that age where it's the parents' responsibility more than the kids'.

[B2G]

4. Agreed. And if she had singled out the few

there would have been even greater screams. Jeeze...no wonder it's hard to get teachers into the profession anymore.

[Wait Wut]

2. If I had received that letter...

...not only would I go to the school and humiliate her in front of the other teachers to give her an idea of how her students felt, but I would berate her for sending a letter home that looks as if it were written in her car by a second grader.

You're a teacher. If you're going to complain about students that may not have the ability to have more than a few changes of clothes, I have every right to humiliate you for not having the skills to operate a simple computer program.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

6. then that just makes you an ass...

the teacher shamed NO ONE by not picking out specific kids but instead sent the letter to everyone. and the student are three and four year olds whom I would wager cannot read... so HOW exactly are they being shamed or humiliated? should the letter have only been given to the kids who ARE A HEALTH HAZARD?

Oh, and the only people who would be 'humiliated' by telling them their letter looked like "a letter (sent) home that looks as if it were written in her car by a second grader" would be those who agreed with the assessment of their writing skills.

you have obviously never had to deal with children with poor hygiene.

sP

[Wait Wut]

9. I know you are, but what am I?

Seriously, name calling in a thread about a Pre-K teacher? Too easy.

To move on...

She was OBVIOUSLY shaming some of her students, whether they could read the letter or not. Some students have older siblings that will read the letter to them and, in turn, those students will immediately think/say, "OMG!!! I bet she's talking about Suzie, 'cuz Suzie smells like POOP!!." The next day, little Suzie is shamed by the little sib and all his/her friends. Oh, and don't forget about some of those awesome parents that are still living on the playground encouraging their little bastards to be bullies! "Hey, Johnnie...who is the kid she's talking about? Do they smell? Is the kid poor? I hope you aren't friends with them. People like that should be beaten up."

Health hazard? Do you honestly believe that was her concern when she wrote that piece of crap letter? Do you see any mention of what type of hazard? She doesn't want to get near them or touch them because they're dirty. That was her concern.

There are many other ways to address the problem of a child with poor hygiene. A call home, a private letter, a talk with the school nurse, etc. I hope to hell that when you say, "you (sic) have obviously never had to deal with children with poor hygiene." that you aren't suggesting that you're a teacher.

[Orrex]

10. Which students did she "shame?"

I didn't see any names in the letter, and it appears that it was sent to the entire class.

[Wait Wut]

12. Don't play ignorant.

If you read my entire post you know damned well how those kids/parents will find out who the teacher was 'really' talking about. She's showing a complete lack of good judgment. Instead of having the courage to call the parents, or write a personal letter to them, she chose to call out the entire class. It's a bad move and asking for the humiliation of a few students. You, I, and obviously the teacher, have no idea what those few students home lives are like. This is a concern that should be addressed one on one.

Is it so hard for you to remember those students you were in classes with at that age? I remember them clearly. I remember a couple from when my son was in school. Children can be evil. Their parents, even worse. This is a destructive way of dealing with a very personal matter.

[Orrex]

14. Similar letters have been sent home with my children, without trauma.

Granted, they weren't hand-written by the teacher but were more general "form" letters, but the intent is the same: to communicate a message to all recipients even if it applies to just one or a few.

If you think that these "cruel" children were waiting for a letter from the teacher before making fun of the supposed targets of the letter, then you really don't understand how children think.

[Wait Wut]

16. This is no form letter.

This is childish behavior from a teacher that is afraid to address a potentially serious issue. Poor hygiene can be a symptom of potential neglect and/or abuse. Sending home a hand-scrawled letter is not addressing anything. It comes off as a tantrum by someone that should know better. Her wording alone shows her disdain for these children. If she had one ounce of real concern, it would have been apparent. It isn't.

I remember receiving 'form letters' when my son was in school. Not once did I ever receive one that complained of dirty, smelly children. I do remember the lice warnings, warnings about cleanliness during cold/flu season, etc. This is not one of those.

[Orrex]

21. I have voiced similar concerns down-thread about the letter's format

So I'm not sure what point you're trying to argue here, other than the one with which I have already agreed.

I also don't dispute your assertion that you received no general notices about children's hygiene during your children's time in school, in part because your assertion is irrelevant. Such letters are not uncommon, even if your children's school didn't send them. Your objection--that this differs from lice/flu warnings--simply isn't persuasive.

Nevertheless, it remains that she didn't single out specific children, so there's simply no basis for complaining that one child or another has been "shamed" as a result of the letter.

[gollygee]

19. I've gotten letters like this to the whole class too

It's a way of addressing the problem without specifically pointing fingers.

Some parents will get upset if you talk to everyone, some will get upset if you only talk to a few. There are some areas where teachers take a hit no matter how they handle the problem, and student hygiene is one of those areas.

[chillfactor]

39. what an ill-informed response....

I take it you have never worked in a classroom....many children come to school unclean and with dirty, soiled clothing and readily smell up a contained classroom....please remove Teddy as your avatar..Teddy would have been ashamed of associating his name with such an unconscionable response...

[Wait Wut]

41. OMG!!!

Are you Teddy resurrected? How else would you know what he could possibly think of a shallow, self-centered, lazy teacher?

I'm sorry, but until you prove that you are, in fact, Ted Kennedy, I'm keeping my avatar. And, I think Teddy would have slapped her across the face for being a lousy teacher with all the compassion of a demon. Oops. No offense.

[Sheldon Cooper]

42. I would give her hell simply for using the phrase 'enough said'.

I loathe that saying.

[Wait Wut]

43. Agreed.

It's rude and comes across as condescending.

[Quantess]

5. She should have kept it to herself.

Smelly children are not cute, I fully agree. However, most of us have the tact not to say so out loud.

[B2G]

7. She should have 'kept it to herself'??

You can't be serious.

Hygiene is important. Smelly kids *aren't* cute, and unless the parents remedy this and teach their kids proper hygiene, they are being setup to become smelly middle schoolers who get the crap tormented out of them by their peers.

[Quantess]

11. Well, I'll put it this way.

She took a risk by speaking up about it, and she really should have known it would come back to bite her. Also, she was fairly lacking in tact.

You just cannot be that brutally honest. People think their children are so wonderful even when they are kind of dirty, and that their children are so fantastic that their teachers can just as easily overlook the stink, too. Yeah...no.

You have to break it gently.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

17. and this is WHY kids think they are awesome

and their parents think they can do no wrong. you can't even speak the TRUTH to parents about their kids (this is at once a statement and a WTF kind of question)?!? screw being gentle... just tell the truth. you don't have to be an ass about it... but telling the truth in a varnished format just screws everyone in the end...

sP

[Orrex]

8. She should have gone through proper channels

I imagine that the district has procedures in place for addressing matters of health and hygiene because these can affect the school beyond an individual classroom. The teacher should have followed protocol rather than taking it upon herself to draft a letter to her students' parents.

The letter that she sent home is unprofessional both in tone and in presentation, not least because she probably meant "unkempt."

I don't see how any particular child or parent suffered "shaming" as a result of the letter.

[Xithras]

13. The PROPER course of action would have referred it to the office, and then CPS.

My wife worked as a Pre-K Head Start teacher for years, and she had multiple cases like this. Standard procedure was to report it to the main office, so a report could be made to CPS for a follow-up with the family.

Not only was this teacher unprofessional, but she may have failed to satisfy her mandatory reporting requirements by not reporting possible child neglect.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

18. CPS because a kid is stinky?

yeah, that would have gone over well... talk about fucking up in the extreme...

sP

[Wait Wut]

20. No. Fucking up in the extreme is being ignorant to signs of abuse/neglect.

http://dcf.wisconsin.gov/children/cps/progserv/signs.HTM

http://www.nj.gov/dcf/reporting/indicators/

https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/usermanuals/educator/educatorc.cfm

http://www.michigan.gov/dhs/0,4562,7-124-7119-15254--,00.html

I could go on. There are thousands and thousands of links.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

22. oh but wait...

perhaps after sending a notice HOME TO THE PARENTS you could correctly assess where the real problem lies? nah, that would require NOT USING the kind of thinking that gets us 'zero tolerance' policies.

you were so worried about offending the parents with a simple letter and NOW your defending calling CPS??? yeah, let's make sure we call CPS because mom is working three jobs and is having difficulty getting the laundry and nightly baths done. at least this teacher's way didn't involve bringing in the fucking police (which is really what CPS is). wow... talk about a disconnect in logic.

sP

[Wait Wut]

25. Yes, because...

...we should all worry about the one single mom that may have too much on her plate instead of the thousands of children that are neglected/abused every single day. I was a single mom that worked my ass off to raise my son. I also received a visit from DCFS (not the police). She was very kind and gave my son a lecture that was actually pretty hilarious (he was mad because I took away his Nintendo or Playstation...one or the other). I didn't get pissed off and I wasn't offended. I thanked her. Too many people are too damned concerned about a little inconvenience when it comes to children. 15 minutes out of your day to debunk a claim of neglect/abuse is nothing compared to the hell thousands of children endure. Screw the parents that feel put out by a visit. You take the time to wash clothes. I washed some of my sons clothes in the damned sink with dish detergent when I didn't have money for the laundromat. You give your kid a bath. 15 minutes. That's all it takes. More than one kid? Bathe them two at a time. Have the older kids help. You fucking make time for your kids. That's your job as a parent. If you're a teacher concerned about kids with poor hygiene, you make a fucking attempt to find the cause. You don't just hope it goes away with a magic letter on yellow paper.

And, how is sending a 'letter' home to ALL parents addressing your concerns about a particular child? If there are two or three kids in a classroom that you feel may be neglected, do you think their parents are going to change because of a generic letter? Parents of abused and neglected children are experts at lying. So are their children. That letter will get tossed in the garbage and for a few days, maybe a week, they'll send the kid to school in clean clothes. Long enough to shake off the lazy teacher that can't pick up a phone.

It's obvious she had time to scrawl out a crap letter and make 30-40 copies. It would have been more difficult to only make 3 copies and personalize them, how?

Bringing in the 'fucking police' has saved more kids lives than a generic letter written by a lazy teacher.

[kcr]

28. Or, we hear about how CPS is so overloaded

that maybe we think it's a bit ridiculous to think that CPS should be called over generally smelly children. Particularly pre-k, when they're learning how to wipe their behinds, and that's probably what this teacher has a problem with. They're going to smell at that age from time to time. A child who regularly shows up every day smelly to begin with soiled clothes might warrant looking into because that could indicate a problem. But based on the note this teacher sent home, I have a feeling that's not the problem. I think it's the teacher.

[Wait Wut]

30. Agreed, on CPS.

It's depressing. I had a friend years ago, back in Chicago, that was a caseworker for DCFS. She went in for the right reasons, but had to quit. She said she didn't have time to care, anymore.

I also agree that this is probably more because of the teacher. But, if she's seriously that concerned with some of these kids she should take the time to follow-up instead of sounding like a spoiled brat, herself.

[kcr]

34. I can't even imagine

what your friend went through. And hopefully the teacher will learn from this.

[Wait Wut]

37. To give you a hint...

...she went from being a caseworker for DCFS to being a UPS driver. Loves it. Or, she did when I last saw her about 13 years ago.

I hope the teacher learns from this, or finds a more suitable career. I know better than to become a teacher or a cop. That's why I'm a graphic artist.

[Xithras]

26. If it's consistent? Yes. It's also legally required in most states.

Nobody is going to call CPS over a kid who comes in smelly once or twice, but if it's a consistent problem it needs to be investigated. Consistently dirty children are one of the most common indicators of child neglect. Teachers are not appropriately trained to be investigating the households of their students, and should never be in the position of determining whether a dirty child is the result of a "busy" parent or a neglectful one. Kids have ended up dead because teachers have made the wrong call on that one. That's why the law is blunt in requiring teachers to report this. Teachers who fail to do so can face punishments ranging from termination to criminal prosecution.

CPS is the proper agency to be investigating problems like these. If it's just a busy parent, the investigator will discover that and it'll be the end of it. If the problem is something worse, they'll find that too.

[etherealtruth]

32. Please define "smelly"

certainly we can agree that wreaking of feces or urine is "smelly" ... what about folk from communities that use significant amounts of fragrant herbs and spices in their cooking. You can certainly smell that ... is that smelly?

Sorry I have heard idiots (idiots that should know better) refer to ethnic groups as smelly .... even dirty, because they do not smell like "Americans." In their ignorance they have no idea how folk consuming a typical US diet do not smell all that grand to folk in many parts of the world.

The teacher's note was childish and insulting ... I just wonder if it was true?

[Xithras]

35. Again, it's the role of CPS, not the teacher, to make that determination.

Generally, teachers don't call CPS directly. They report it to the school administration, who calls CPS in turn. In every school my wife taught at, a CPS call generally required the agreement of both the principal and the teacher that the situation was "abnormal".

But we all know an offensive odor when we smell one. If the teacher thinks it's a problem, it should be turned in. If the CPS investigator determines that the cause is simply "fragrant herbs", then the investigation will find that and teacher gets to live with the smell. Either way, the teacher doesn't get to make that determination.

[etherealtruth]

38. The thing that concers me about the article ...

"In this case, however, parents said they are not only upset and angry at Dunnigan’s unsanctioned approach to the matter but questioned whether the teacher’s letter is indicative of a larger culture of insensitivity and dismissiveness toward parents within some of the district’s more troubled schools."

If cultural insensitivity is involved the teacher needs intervention much more than having to live with it.

On the larger issue I do agree with you professions that are required (by law) to report suspected abuse or neglect do need to report and let CPS make a skilled determination. If it were to be found that her objection to the kids was based on 'cultural insensitivity' (read racism or ethnic bias) the teacher needs to be removed from the class room and receive some very intensive training prior to her return.

I have three children ... I have no doubt that at some point at least one of my kids attended class with someone with poor hygeine ... I can tell you (as a parent) i NEVER received a letter even approaching this letter.

[FarCenter]

15. The children are probably complaining about the smell as well.

At BUILD Academy, 20 percent of parents have submitted applications to have their children transferred out of the school, the most requests of any elementary school in the district.

[joeybee12]

23. It is a health and safety manner, however, this is a rude letter...

I have no trouble witha letter ebing sent, but this is poorly written and geared to produce a defensive reaction from those getting it.

[etherealtruth]

29. That was my first reaction ...

... however, i think we need to know more about the kids involved. What is the ethnic makeup of the class? cultural dietary differences may lead to different body "smells" .... Americans with diets high in red meat and processed foods have a distinctive odor (but this is the culture we are part of, so to us it is not an odor or a "smell&quot . Folk from the Indian sub-continent use a variety of herbs and spices that lead to a distinctive "smell" ... and on and on.

What is the makeup of this idiots class? Is there the potential that her concern for hygiene and safety has more to do with ignorance and bigotry? I actually don't know, but know there is the potential for this.

[joeybee12]

31. Problem is most news articles don't give you enough information like that...

They just go for the controversy part without any background or context.

[etherealtruth]

33. That is the truth

The thing that piqued my interest was the school board's fears that the letter was culturally insensitive (or something along those lines).

It made me stop and say hmmmm

[Nine]

24. The school board is missing the point, in my opinion.

Addressing the parents generally instead of singling out the few families with the issue is the one thing I agree with. It would have been better yet to bring the concern to the supervisor and let them send out a schoolwide letter.

Other than that, my main objections are that the teacher came across as disgusted by her students, and that she said it was just "a few" kids which is bound to encourage gossip among parents about who the "culprits" are.

I think the health risks of unbathed kids and smelly clothes is overstated. Social stigma is a much bigger issue. I'll admit that my child has sometimes gone to school not quite as sparkly clean as I would have preferred. He's also gone with perfectly clean hair that looked unkempt because of bedhead and cowlicks. Clean clothes can smell if you leave them in the washer a tad long. And although my son has never gone to school with dirty clothes, I wouldn't be surprised if respectable but overworked parents occasionally fall behind on laundry and recycle used outfits.

[Pretzel_Warrior]

27. pre-K kids can smell AWFUL if not cleaned every day

they poop themselves, crawl around on the floor, get into stuff....I have a very young one in day care, and kids can smell pretty ripe at times DURING the day--let alone if they are going to school dirty.

Maybe the teacher should have gotten permission or worded it better, but I totally understand her thought process.

[Starry Messenger]

36. I don't know why she didn't go through the school principal on this issue.

It seems like something the school should have dealt with as a community, rather than one teacher try to deal with it herself.

I think sending the letter out to everyone showed she wasn't trying to single anyone out, but it doesn't have a very professional tone.

But usually if there were a lot of kids coming to school seemingly neglected, I'd kick that upstairs.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

40. She was probably smelling the Sabres. nt