Header image: [AI Fail] DALL·E 2022-09-29 – A shop class teacher in Canada demonstrating cordless drill use 🤣
Starting in 2024, I’m making a list of “teacher stories” here for reference.
See the BC Commisioner for Teacher Regulation Discipline Reports: https://teacherregulation.gov.bc.ca/ProfessionalConduct/DisciplineOutcomes.aspx
➡ The is a link at the site above to the searchable discipline database. This is the source I used to write my MEd capstone paper.
(Mar 26, 2024) B.C. teacher suspended for allowing ‘extremely inappropriate’ student conduct https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/bc-teacher-suspended-allowing-extremely-inappropriate-student-conduct
- The province’s teacher regulator has released a cryptic announcement that an unnamed B.C. teacher has been suspended for two days for allowing “extremely inappropriate conduct” among students.
Redacted
This summary is published under section 54(3) of the Teachers Act to protect the identity of students who were harmed, abused or exploited by the teacher. To further protect the identity of the students involved and to avoid further harm to them, the more concerning details of the teacher’s conduct are not included in this summary.
- Teacher Professional Certificate of Qualification issued 2002
- The Teacher permitted their class to engage in extremely inappropriate conduct involving other students in the School
- The District issued the Teacher a letter of discipline and suspended the Teacher for three days without pay.
- The District also required the Teacher to complete the course, Reinforcing Respectful Professional Boundaries, through the Justice Institute of B.C
- 3-day, face-to-face course; $700
- The Teacher agreed to a two-day suspension of their certificate of qualification…
- a. The Teacher failed to model appropriate behaviour expected of an educator.
- b. The Teacher’s conduct showed a lack of understanding of appropriate professional boundaries.
Report:
(March 26, 2024) T-CC-2024.pdf
https://teacherregulation.gov.bc.ca/documents/FormsandPublications/ProfConduct/DisciplineOutcomes/T-CC-2024.pdf
[Ireland] (Mar 26, 2024) ‘Teachers feel vulnerable’ as one-in-five experience some form of cyberbullying https://www.rte.ie/news/education/2024/0326/1440020-cyberbullying-survey/
- the most common form of abuse is receiving angry, rude and vulgar messages or having such messages being posted online.
- videos of teachers being uploaded without their consent; trolling – harmful, untrue or cruel comments being posted online – fake websites or profiles; accounts being hacked and private information being posted about teachers.
- At Malahide Community School, students have to keep their phones in sealed pouches during the day which has helped to cut down on cyberbullying incidents involving both pupils and teachers.
- more than 80% have concerns including data harvesting, the potential of AI to undermine professional teacher autonomy and increased teacher workload.
Report:
(Mar 25, 2024) RED C ASTI Survey 2024 – Digital Technology and its Impact on Teachers’ Working Lives
https://www.asti.ie/document-library/red-c-asti-survey-2024-digital-technology-and-its-impact-on/
🤔 A similar story here in BC, no doubt. Such a survey would make for an interesting MA/MEd project.
(Mar 19, 2024) Surrey, B.C. schools close to in-catchment students and more are expected
https://globalnews.ca/news/10370017/surrey-schools-close-in-catchment-students/
- Three schools in Surrey, B.C., have been forced to suspend enrolment, even for students in the catchment area, due to overcrowding.
(Apr 26, 2021) Gibsons man charged with child pornography possession
https://www.coastreporter.net/local-news/gibsons-man-charged-with-child-pornography-possession-3667927
- Ross Road Elementary School
- The [RCMP] detachment is releasing the information “in the interest of public safety and to further the police investigation.”
Discipline outcome: Bowering, Graham Christopher
https://teacherregulation.gov.bc.ca/documents/FormsandPublications/ProfConduct/DisciplineOutcomes/BOWERING_CRA_20240305.pdf
- July 5, 2021, Bowering signed an undertaking not to practice
- Certificate of qualification canceled Jan 28, 2022
KF: This guy could have gone to, say, China in the interim like
(Sep 01, 2017) Ex-B.C. teacher quits Beijing private school after past sex history revealed https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/ex-b-c-teacher-quits-beijing-private-school-after-past-sex-history-revealed
- Feb 28, 2021: House raided by RCMP
- Bowering did not inform the school and continued teaching until Mar 12, 2021 (Spring Break). Arrested Mar 15, 2021
- Jan 31, 2023: Bowering sentenced to a 10-month conditional sentence, followed by two years probation.
- Lifetime ban on reapplication and reissuance of teachgin certificate
(Mar 6, 2024) BC teacher suspended for allowing students to hit each other with pool noodles
https://www.kelownanow.com/watercooler/news/news/Provincial/BC_teacher_suspended_for_allowing_students_to_hit_each_other_with_pool_noodles/
- Port Alberni
- “During this activity, Bodnar was looking on and encouraging the students by saying things like ‘Beat him! Get him! You can get him!’
- Student A “was hit in the face repeatedly with a pool noodle,” the report says, breaking the student’s glasses and bruising the student’s face.
- According to the Commissioner, Bodnar had been disciplined by the district in the past, including for demonstrating an athletic technique on a student and for encouraging a Grade 8 class to “twerk.”
Discipline outcome: Bodnar, Russell Stephen
https://teacherregulation.gov.bc.ca/documents/FormsandPublications/ProfConduct/DisciplineOutcomes/BODNAR_CRA_20240216.pdf
(Feb 20, 2024) B.C. teacher suspended for throwing things at students
https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/highlights/bc-teacher-suspended-for-throwing-things-at-students-8333133
- Justin Ray Arnesto told the student that reporting an incident would “not make any difference” because the principal “will take my side over your side.”
- He threw a computer charging device at the student. It hit a wall.
- He broke a pencil and threw it in the direction of a student.
Discipline outcome: Arnesto, Justin Ray https://teacherregulation.gov.bc.ca/documents/FormsandPublications/ProfConduct/DisciplineOutcomes/ARNESTO_CRA_20240206.pdf
(Feb 20, 2024) BC teacher suspended for pulling student’s arm
https://infotel.ca/newsitem/bc-teacher-suspended-for-pulling-students-arm/it103332
- In March 2022, the grade two student wrote graffiti on a school wall outside during a lunch break. Bernier, the student’s teacher, went outside to take a picture of the graffiti once she had heard about it
- When Bernier tried to photograph it, the student ran in front to block her view. The teacher then grabbed the student’s arm and pulled them away.
Discipline outcome: Bernier, Wendy Anne https://teacherregulation.gov.bc.ca/documents/FormsandPublications/ProfConduct/DisciplineOutcomes/BERNIER_CRA_20240129.pdf
NOT Canada, but an account from a school in Sweden where a newly-certified (2023) BC Teacher is currently working. Google-translated from Swedish:
(Feb 20, 2024) School receives criticism – several cases of violence against employees
https://www-mitti-se.translate.goog/nyheter/skola-far-kritik–flera-fall-av-vald-mot-anstallda-6.3.203727.df2dc636ff?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp
(Feb 20, 2024) B.C. teacher who called student’s hijab a ‘Halloween costume’ reprimanded
https://bc.ctvnews.ca/b-c-teacher-who-called-student-s-hijab-a-halloween-costume-reprimanded-1.6776997
- A substitute teacher…the incident happened on Nov. 1, 2022
- The Surrey school district issued Camozzi a letter of discipline in December 2022, and recommended that he undergo cultural sensitivity training offered through the Surrey Teachers’ Association and the B.C. Teachers’ Federation.
- “To date, Camozzi has not completed this training,” the consent agreement notes.
- The commissioner found the teacher’s behaviour “had a negative impact on both the student whose hijab he mocked, those present and those who later learned of his conduct,” and also that he had “engaged in similar conduct in the past.”
Discipline outcome: Camozzi, Donald Joseph https://teacherregulation.gov.bc.ca/documents/FormsandPublications/ProfConduct/DisciplineOutcomes/CAMOZZI_CRA_20240207.pdf
(Feb 16, 2024) No charges laid over explicit, AI-generated photos of Winnipeg students
https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/no-charges-laid-over-explicit-ai-generated-photos-of-winnipeg-students-1.6771991
As this is, unfortunately, almost certain to become more of a prevalent concern, I’m adding this story to the list.
- No charges will be laid after explicit, AI-generated photos of Winnipeg high school students were circulated online
Related to this, and connected to Standard 2, teachers should be aware of a new law and related service:
(Jan 29, 2024) New services help people protect their intimate images
https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2024AG0004-000096
- With the Intimate Images Protection Act coming into force on Monday, Jan. 29, 2024, the Province, in partnership with the Civil Resolution Tribunal, is launching two new services.
- These services will help people who have had their intimate images shared without their consent quickly access self-help tools to diagnose their legal issues, get information about their rights and connect to supports.
Unfortunately, this law does not seem to address AI-generated images, the law being (as always) one step behind the emerging technologies.
Related to this, read the key findings of the 2022 Canadian Centre for Child Protection‘s report on the financial sextortion of, predominantly, boys & young men https://content.c3p.ca/pdfs/C3P_AnalysisOfFinanSextortionPostsReddit_en.pdf (see page 4)
- “[Extorters] demand that the [catfished] victim send them money, and if not, they will send the victim’s nudes to their friends and family”
(Feb 15, 2024) Beloved Johnston Heights teacher goes viral in feel-good birthday video on social media https://www.surreyschools.ca/_ci/p/166744
☘ Awwww 🙂 I keep an eye out for happy/positive stories too but, as you know, in teaching, the “good” stuff usually happens/goes unnoticed.
(Feb 13, 2024) B.C. teacher reprimanded over incident with nut-filled candy
https://bc.ctvnews.ca/b-c-teacher-reprimanded-over-incident-with-nut-filled-candy-1.6767542
- “After the student with the allergy was invited to choose a candy, Babulal told the child not to eat it until she had checked it for nuts.”
- But the child left for the day before that could be done. After Babulal went looking for the student and could not find her, the teacher called the child’s mother to let her know what happened.
Discipline outcome: Babulal, Nancy Le’ann https://teacherregulation.gov.bc.ca/documents/FormsandPublications/ProfConduct/DisciplineOutcomes/BABULAL_CRA_20240129.pdf
(Feb 13, 2024) B.C. teacher charged with sexual exploitation, luring a child
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-teacher-sexual-exploitation-invermere-1.7114539
- Invermere
- Alleged offences took place over social media, RCMP say
- …charged Tuesday with sexual exploitation, making sexually explicit material available to a child and luring a child”
(Feb 13, 2024) Richmond School District denies wrongdoing in alleged science experiment accident
https://www.richmond-news.com/local-news/richmond-school-district-denies-wrongdoing-in-alleged-science-experiment-accident-8296894
- Jesse Wowk Elementary School
- If Mui’s child was injured from the incident, the school district and Woo said it was due to the child’s negligence or others not named in the lawsuit, which included failing to follow instructions to not engage in any activity without the teacher’s presence and engaging in “horseplay” when the child knew or ought to have known they might get injured.
(Feb 12, 2024) Canadian teacher accused of selling students’ art on personal website
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/12/art-teacher-sell-student-work-canada
- Students at Montreal’s Westwood junior high school made the chance discovery last night after searching out their art teacher’s website. On it they found their own art, available for purchase on coffee mugs, mobile phone cases and clothing.
UPDATE: (Mar 25, 2024) Parents file $1.5M lawsuit after Quebec teacher accused of selling students’ artwork online https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/parents-lawsuit-montreal-teacher-artwork-1.7154012
- The parents of 10 young students at Westwood Junior High School in Saint-Lazare, Que., an off-island suburb west of Montreal, filed the lawsuit for $1.575 million, or $155,000 per plaintiff plus punitive damages, against the teacher, Mario Perron, and the Lester B. Pearson School Board (LBPSB) for alleged copyright infringement.
(Feb 6, 2024) B.C. math instructor’s firing over ‘deeply intolerant’ YouTube videos not religious discrimination, human rights tribunal rules
https://bc.ctvnews.ca/b-c-math-teacher-fired-for-deeply-intolerant-youtube-videos-has-human-rights-complaint-dismissed-1.6758811
- Fraser International College in Burnaby ~ Not K-12 but interesting re Charter 2(a)
- A B.C. math instructor who was fired because of his “deeply intolerant” YouTube videos calling non-Christian gods the Antichrist and saying women who have abortions should be put to death, among other statements, has had his complaint at the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal thrown out.
- Gleb Glebov claimed his termination constituted religious discrimination, specifically against his Christian views…
- Argument …was a part of his ‘sincerely held’ religious beliefs, and whether is ability to practise his religion would be compromised if he couldn’t post the videos.
- While he may hold Christian religious beliefs, he has not provided any evidence to indicate that publicly disseminating his views is part of his sincerely held religious belief or practice
- In November 2019, an anonymous tipster sent an email to the school’s director, alerting her to the instructor’s YouTube videos. One of them was posted on a school Facebook page identifying Glebov as a teacher by name.
- Then on Dec. 9, the director held a meeting with Glebov, which he secretly recorded. The audio and transcript were reviewed by the tribunal.
(Jan 25, 2024) B.C. teacher who texted students after school hours disciplined https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/highlights/bc-teacher-who-texted-students-after-school-hours-disciplined-8159333
- The decision said the teacher spent a significant amount of time with the students, who became increasingly attached.
- One evening when the teacher was texting with one of the students, the student indicated that they might harm themselves,” the decision said. “The teacher did not take appropriate reporting steps to address the risk of self-harm,” the decision said
Discipline outcome: Name n/a https://teacherregulation.gov.bc.ca/documents/FormsandPublications/ProfConduct/DisciplineOutcomes/T-BA-2024.pdf