Why can't parents separate teacher's private lives from their jobs?

Question

Since I am becoming an early childhood ed teacher, I was told that I have to be very careful what I do because some schools are so quick to fire a teacher just because a parent has a problem with the teacher's personal life.

Why can't parents separate teachers private lives from their workplace? Like I wanted to be a bar maid on the side to help pay for college but I cant because the schools I work at in the future will have a problem with that and so will parents. I am a writer and I have to write certain literatary masterpieces under a pen name because they are under the genre of horror and my mom said some parents in the future will try to use it against me if I was to write under my real name.

A teacher's personal life has nothing to do with her job. So why are parents so quick to use things against a teacher?Private life things?What a teacher does in the privacy of her home really shouldn't be a parent's business.As long as its not affecting his/her students.There are certain

Answer 1

Are you working in a school that has a union?  Will you have any sort of contract?  Even though I work in a public school, the only clause in my contract that applies to anything outside the work day has to do with morality - things like getting caught selling dope or having s*x with students.  Those sort of no-brainer things that would get you fired in any school.  

So, if you are looking at a contract, be sure to ask those questions up front - and make sure you have union representation.  Ask if that school has ever fired anyone for the kind of part time work they did while in college.  Unless the teacher was doing p**n or something, you can't be fired for just working in a bar during college, IF you have a union and you are a member.  Good heavens, if schools didn't want anyone who did anything remotely off-color during their college years, there would be darn few teachers!  

Bottom line, READ and KNOW your contract - ASK questions - and don't be afraid to stick up for your rights as a union member!

Answer 2

Actually, I don't think it matters as long as you don't do anything illegal. After you become a teacher, it really doesn't matter unless there is some kind of morality clause in your contract. I personally wouldn't do any of those things because I work and live in a small town and I wouldn't want parents to have that viewpoint of me. But, it wouldn't get me fired.

Answer 3

What you say is very true.  But, look at it this way...parents are entrusting you with their VERY MOST VALUABLE possession...not just the child, but the molding of the child's mind and opinions.  Your beliefs come through as you teach and give examples and advice to the children, like it or not.

Face it, you are a role model.  For example, bars are dangerous places.  Kids don't belong there, and they don't always make the connection that you are an adult, that you would never trust someone who talked to you in a bar, etc. etc.

Answer 4

Parents feel that because they entrust the care and education of their children to teachers, that they have a right to control how the teacher's live their lifes. They are afraid that if teachers have an alternate lifestyle, then that will influence their ability to teach. They want teachers to be perfect, but forget that they are human. Humans aren't perfect.

In the 1800's teaching was the one profession that single women were allowed. It was believed that because a married woman had "carnal knowledge" they were unfit to teach, because they might pass that knowledge onto the children.

However, men were allowed to teach regardless of marital status. Sexist, but that was how things were.

Not sure where you live, but my sister worked as a bar maid and she went into education. Taught 1st grade, then taught primary education classes at the Community College. She now  works for Head Start.

I also disagree with what your mother said about having to write under a pen name because you write horror. I think it would be worse to try to hide it and then have it come out anyway. If you are upfront about things when looking for jobs, then they know everything before hiring you. Also, teachers are represented by unions. The school has to have justification for firing someone. What kind of job they had before working for them isn't enough grounds for firing, especially if they knew before they hired you.

Answer 5

Unfortunately...teachers are held to a higher standard than most other citizens...I hope one day someone challenges this notion...