HELP My Co-Teacher Is A Bully and Admin Won’t Do Anything About It.

by Rivette Pena M.A.

What do you do when you witness unfair treatment of students by a fellow teacher but no one believes you? A teacher wrote to me an asked what he should do. We’ll call this teacher Fred. Fred says that a teacher he works with, we will call her Francine, is a bully to students who are weak and vulnerable.

As time went on, Fred noticed a trend with Francine. She would come down hard on a child that wouldn’t fight back. She would beat them down into submission and embarrass them in front of their classmates. She would ricule the child and write them up for no valid reason. Francine would not take Fred’s proffessional advice Fred was so appalled by her behavior that he sought out the advice of admin.

You see Francine is a very popular teacher at the school she is at. She is very active in all things extra-curricular. Some students are very fond of Francine. She coaches, hosts afterschool activities, makes herself available to admin whenever needed and with a smile I might add. She is seen as an asset to the campus. On the outside, Francine is the kind of teacher every Principle wants on his staff.

She has a firm handle on the curriculum and classroom management. She looked upon highly. At least until there are no eyes around, then her true colors come out. She has an aversion to any kid that is special ed and requires extra attention. They become Fred’s problem. Fred is mild mannered and soft spoken. He does his job and does it well. He is focussed on the success of his students.

Each time he went, admin just looked puzzled. Francine would never act that way. She was so well liked by everyone. Her scores were good and she had little trouble in her classroom. There were no parental complaints so Fred must be overreacting. Her walk-throughs were alll outstanding.

They saw the active, polite and encouraging Francine. They didn’t witness Francine berate a child who Fred had already informed her about. This child who was disheveled and out of sorts. He was not cared for at home and was wearing clothes that were obviously not his. He was embarrassed and exhausted. But Francine zeroed in on his vulnerability. She reprimanded for being slumped over while attempting to do his work.

She berated him in front of the class for not paying attention. He needed to sit up straight and do his work. She then called him to her desk. Yes her desk because no one was there to observe so no reason to get up. She continued to yell at him in front of his classmates. She asked if he understood. He replied, “yes”. She corrected ‘just yes?’. He replied , “yes” but she wasn’t satisfied. She wanted Yes Ma’am but didn’t let him know that. He was so shaken he covered his face in an attempt to hide his shame. She then wrote him up for insubordination.

2. Have the children write letters to admin or parents. The parents of his victims may not care or believe these children. Administration may reprimand Fred for stirring the pot and putting the district in a difficult situation.

This student became a victim because he wasn’t well kept. He didn’t carry himself well. He didn’t speak up for himself or excel in ways that Francine found appealing.

Fred has tried everthing and is at a loss. What should he do when his admin doesn’t want to see the truth?

As outraged as I am, I don’t have many answers. We have all worked with those teachers who exhibit duplicitous behavior. How do you reveal the person behind the the curtain?

Every option I consided had repercussions for Fred.

1. Secretly record the behavior. Fred may be reprimanded for violating rights and putting the district in danger of getting sued.

3. Talk to Francine. Fracine has made it clear to Fred that she knows what she is doing and it is none of Fred’s business.

This is a difficult situation to be in Fred and I apologize for not having an answer. I wish you well and I will pray for that teacher’s students.

I am at a loss. If you have any suggestions for Fred please send them to me at articles4magazine@ gmail.com.