Teacher fired for defending student against bullies

[ariesgem]

An Arizona teacher was fired after she stood up to bullies who were tormenting a fourth grade student, calling him the n-word and using other derogatory language. Pam Aister was removed from her classroom at Four Peaks Elementary School after 24 years in the classroom.

The veteran teacher was defending nine-year-old Malachi Gillis from a group of boys who were calling Gillis “monkey” and “crackhead” and telling him “you belong in a zoo.” Aister told ABC she stepped in and told the bullies, “If you pick on him, you’re picking on me.”

However, the bullies told their parents Aister told them to “shut up” and told one he had an “ugly face.” Parents of the bullies reported what they were told to the district, and on Monday Fountain Hills Unified School District officials voted 4-1 to terminate Aister.

“That makes me beyond mad because why is she being fired for something she is supposed to do?” Jennifer Gillis, Malachi’s mother said. “She’s supposed to be standing up for the students.”

Gillis’ family told CBS the abuse was so bad Malachi transferred to a different school. “They didn’t like it, so it turned into her threatening the kids because she stood up for this one black child in her class,” said Jennifer.

http://thegrio.com/2014/10/03/teacher-fired-defending-student-bullies/

There's a petition going on to have her reinstated here:

https://www.change.org/p/fountain-hills-unified-school-district-board-overturn-decision-to-fire-pam-aister

[chrisa]

1. But if she joined in on picking on the kid with the bullies, she would still have her job.

Bullies are overwhelmingly favored and coddled in schools. Those "special little snowflakes" are immune to consequences. Usually their parents are assholes too.

[yeoman6987]

2. Shut up

By teachers is prohibited in most schools now. However I think a discussion with the teacher on different tactics may have been more adventageous then firing her. I wonder how the union will view this.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

4. If she even said it.

I wouldn't be surprised to find out that the bullies got together and coordinated a story to tell their parents specifically to get the teacher in trouble. It's gotten to the point where I would think teachers might welcome video and audio surveillance in classrooms to show what really goes on, as opposed to what is said to have happened.

[Orrex]

7. ^^That.

[chrisa]

8. Maybe that's part of the problem. We let kids have too much control.

Why can't a teacher say "shut up?" A special little snowflake's feelings will be hurt? Teachers have it bad enough - overly sensitive parents make it much worse. No wonder their kids have such behavior problems.

[Drahthaardogs]

11. Seriously?

The kids are saying "shit" and "fuck" and everything under the sun but a teacher cannot tell them to shut up? They listen to music that makes me blush.

My principal in 4th grade would not have had "discussions" with the teacher. He would have paddled the bullies's rear end and made them sit inside for a recess. If the parents came to grief him, he would likely have paddled them too.

[jwirr]

3. Like parent like child.

[gollygee]

5. They deserved to be told to shut up

Also, when she said, "Shut up" it might very well have been part of, "You all need to shut up with the insults." And she might very well have said their behavior was ugly or something, rather than that someone had an "ugly face." Kids don't always remember everything exactly how it happened.

I side with the teacher here.

[benld74]

9. SO manyl levels of BS in that school district,,,,,

[cigsandcoffee]

10. There has to be more to this story.

I find it hard to believe they'd fire a 24-year teacher over something like this, where nothing can be really substantiated.

[NaturalHigh]

13. I was thinking the same thing.

This whole situation seems screwed up, but there has to be more to this. As for the little bullies, yes they need to shut up and learn to be decent human beings. Their parents should be ashamed of the way their kids acted.

[Eleanors38]

12. SOP in public schools: Bullies are in charge.