Latest news with #elementaryschool
New York Times
6 hours ago
- General
- New York Times
How to Potty-Train a Co-Worker
Bathroom Battles Can you help me with this problem? I work in an elementary school as an occupational therapist. I work very closely with teachers in the school on Individualized Education Program legal documents, which need to be worked on collaboratively — I can only do my part if everyone else does their part. I have a co-worker that I work especially closely with, not by my choosing. Professionally he is obnoxious, always waiting until the last minute to complete parts of the document that are required for me to do my part, and terrible at staying on track during meetings… These are things I can handle. I can speak with him about these things. Where I struggle is that his bathroom habits are disgusting. In the school there are only four adult bathrooms. Teachers are all strapped for time, including finding time to use the bathroom, so I get that things might be a little rushed in the bathroom. The problem is that I have entered the bathroom immediately after him multiple times to find a toilet seat covered in urine and a toilet full of frothy pee. We've made eye contact and greeted each other as he exits and I enter. As someone who sits on a toilet to use it, this is unacceptable. This is unprofessional, since this is a shared space, but it doesn't necessarily rise to the level of bringing it up to my supervisor. I have to keep working with this guy, and using the bathroom after him. What should I do? — Anonymous Disgusting. (Your use of the word 'frothy' really sent me over the edge.) I agree that this is unacceptable. And universal: Though the subject makes for a provocative advice column question, I'll bet most of those reading this have had to deal with a co-worker — known or unknown — with disgusting bathroom habits. And it can feel purposeful sometimes. It feels that way to me, at least. Which brings me to this: I wonder if part of the issue here is that your colleague is passive-aggressively doing this deliberately. Does he seem displeased with his work? Is he hostile in other ways? You don't seem to feel any hesitation about discussing your challenges with him professionally; I wonder whether it might be worth having a bigger, 30,000-foot discussion with him about whether he's even happy in his job. I agree that your colleague's behavior doesn't necessarily rise to the level of making an intervention from a supervisor necessary, but I also don't think you should be expected to grin and bear it. Here's my advice: Design and print four signs and tape each sign on the outside of the door of each of the four bathrooms, or on the wall next to the toilet, where everyone can see them. The signs should state plainly, and succinctly, that people who use the bathroom are expected to clean up after themselves, which means flushing the toilet and wiping away bodily fluids so that surfaces are clean for other people. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
CNA
a day ago
- CNA
Teachers' arrests over sharing upskirt photos shock Japan
TOKYO: Japan's education minister reacted angrily on Friday (Jun 27) after the arrests of two teachers who allegedly shared photos showing girls' underwear in a group chat that reportedly included nearly 10 elementary and junior high school teachers. The case has shocked the country, which will next year launch its first national background check system for sex offences for those seeking to work with children. If convicted, the teachers – a 42-year-old who lives in central Japan, and a 37-year-old south of Tokyo – will face up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 3 million yen (US$21,000), a police spokesman said. The two men were arrested separately this week for taking photos in which girls' underwear was visible and sending them to the group chat, he told AFP. The men allegedly knew the girls "were under 13", the spokesman said. Police sources said they believed the group, managed by the 42-year-old teacher, had "nearly 10" teacher members including the two arrested, according to broadcaster NHK. Around 70 photos and videos were shared in the group including those apparently taken at school or during extracurricular activities, with some showing girls changing clothes, NHK and other media outlets said. "I feel really angry. This can never be tolerated," education minister Toshiko Abe told reporters on Friday. The ministry plans to hold an online meeting with the heads of local education boards to prevent similar incidents. The primary school in the central city of Nagoya where one of the teachers was working held a meeting with more than 270 anxious parents on Thursday evening, NHK said. "It's scary and creepy," a mother in her 30s told the broadcaster. "I'd like to know whether my child was one of the victims." The school has suspended physical education classes for the time being, NHK said. Nagoya mayor Ichiro Hirosawa on Thursday called the alleged crimes "unthinkable". "They made a national group and were sharing the images ... I feel very sorry, and at the same time I'm filled with anger," he said. Japan is preparing to launch its own version of Britain's Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) next year to protect children from sexual assault. The DBS system will require those seeking jobs that involve working with children to undergo background checks for historical sex offences.
NHK
2 days ago
- NHK
Japan police arrest 2 teachers for allegedly taking indecent images of girls
Japanese police have arrested two elementary school teachers for allegedly taking indecent images of girls and sharing them on social media. The police say they included photos that were apparently taken at schools or during extracurricular activities. One of the arrested teachers is 42-year-old Moriyama Yuji, a resident of Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture. The other is 37-year-old Kosemura Fumiya, who lives in Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture. They face allegations of taking voyeuristic images of schoolgirls' underwear at facilities in Aichi and Kanagawa and sharing them in a group chat on social media from 2024 through this year. Moriyama was sent to prosecutors on Thursday. The police believe the group was managed by Moriyama, with nearly 10 elementary and junior high school teachers, including the two arrested suspects, taking part. The police say about 70 photos and videos were shared by the group, including ones that showed girls changing clothes. The police suspect the arrested teachers may have repeatedly taken the images while working at schools and other locations.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
Elementary school teacher accused of abusing teen student after victim's father makes astonishing discovery
An elementary school teacher was arrested for abusing young student after the victim's father found a picture of the woman's 5-year-old child on Facebook that looked exactly like his son. The New Jersey teacher stands accused of a years-long betrayal of trust after authorities say she sexually abused a former student in her care, beginning when he was just 11 years old. Police began their investigation last year after the father made a post on Facebook. 'Tell me y'all don't see (what) I see. If that ain't my exact DNA it's definitely my son's and we both know I never touched you,' the post read. Last week, a Cape May County grand jury indicted Laura Caron, 34, of Cape May Court House, on two counts of aggravated sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child. According to court documents, the abuse began in 2016, when Caron was 28 and the victim just 11 years old. The charges stem from what prosecutors have alleged was a years-long sexual relationship that Caron initiated and maintained with a boy who had once been her student. 'These allegations are deeply disturbing, particularly given the position of trust the defendant held in relation to the victim,' said Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland in a statement following the indictment. 'Our office remains committed to protecting the most vulnerable members of our community.' The New Jersey elementary school teacher stands accused of a shocking and years-long betrayal of trust after authorities say she sexually abused a former student in her care, beginning when he was just 11 years old and later giving birth to his child The victim and his siblings, who had previously been Caron's students, began staying at her home intermittently, reportedly due to instability within their biological family. Over time, that arrangement became more permanent, and by 2016 the children were living with Caron full-time. Investigators allege how behind the closed doors of her Middle Township home, Caron began grooming the boy, eventually initiating a sexual relationship that continued for four years, until 2020. Prosecutors say Caron gave birth to a daughter in 2019, when the boy was just 13 years old. At the time, Caron was still employed as a fifth-grade teacher in the Middle Township School District, where she had taught for over a decade. What shattered the years of silence was the father's Facebook post. The post gained traction and raised immediate concerns. It was this viral accusation, suggesting that Caron's daughter resembled both the father and his son, that led police to open an investigation. The resulting probe, led by the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office and the Middle Township Police Department's Major Crimes Unit, uncovered what prosecutors now describe as a case of systematic abuse and manipulation. Court records show that Caron not only taught the victim, but also his younger brother. Both had been her students before they moved into her home with their sister. The affidavit of probable cause alleges that other children in the home noticed troubling signs including the victim sleeping in Caron's bed, rather than with his siblings, and showering with her. One of the victim's brothers reportedly witnessed a sexual encounter, believing Caron and the victim thought he was asleep. Another sibling reportedly possessed a screenshot of a conversation in which the victim admitted to being the father of Caron's child but pleaded with her not to tell anyone, saying he didn't want Caron to get in trouble. In January 2025, Caron was arrested. At a detention hearing, her defense attorney, John Tumelty, argued that the state had acted prematurely and that no DNA test had yet confirmed the paternity of the child. Prosecutors confirmed that a DNA warrant was obtained, but the results have not yet been publicly released. Despite the gravity of the charges, Caron was released pending trial. The Middle Township School District has not publicly commented on the indictment but confirmed that Caron was suspended without pay following her arrest. Tumelty also noted at the time that no complaints had been filed against Caron during her 11-year teaching career and that her mother, who lived in the same house, knew of no abuse. Still, investigators say the evidence is mounting. The indictment follows months of forensic analysis, interviews, and affidavits painting a disturbing picture of a teacher who allegedly used her authority and emotional proximity to manipulate and sexually exploit a child entrusted to her care. Prosecutors say Caron continued to abuse the victim until 2020, when the child was around 14 or 15 years old. If convicted, Caron faces up to 20 years in prison on the first-degree aggravated sexual assault charge, with an additional 5 to 10 years possible on each of the second-degree charges.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jamestown Public Schools won't hold special election for referendum
Jun. 7—JAMESTOWN — The Jamestown Public School District will not hold a special election for a referendum to build a new elementary school that addresses declining future enrollment and facility needs. Superintendent Rob Lech said at a special meeting of the Jamestown Public School Board on Thursday, June 5, that results of a community-wide survey show that it is not the right time to make a request for a referendum. "We have reached out to the community and said, 'We want your feedback,'" he said. "I think it's important that we listen to what that feedback was." School Board President Heidi Larson said Thursday was the last day the school board could call for a special election before a state law goes into effect on Aug. 1 that requires votes on referendums to be held at either a primary or general election. "We either had to move forward before August 1 or at a primary or a general election," Lech said. A community survey was conducted this spring to help guide the school board in determining future actions. The survey gathered feedback on the school district's two options for a potential referendum to build a new elementary school at the Washington Elementary School site. Washington Elementary School officially closed in May. Beginning in the 2025-26 school year, the school district will operate four elementary schools with seven elementary classrooms of each grade level for K-5. If the school district continued to operate five elementary schools, the general fund would have been projected to dry up by the 2029-30 school year, The Jamestown Sun reported in September. With the district already capped for its general fund levy, the cost to operate the same facilities and staff as the 2023-24 school year would result in a complete loss of the general fund balance by the 2029-30 school year. Closing Washington saves the school district $1.3 million in annual operating costs. The school board approved on March 3 a new boundary system for the elementary schools. The plan expands the Lincoln Elementary School boundary to the west into the current Washington boundary, Louis L'Amour expands to the north into the current Lincoln boundary south of the railroad, and Roosevelt Elementary expands to the west into the Lincoln boundary south of the railroad to the James River. In the future, the school board could bring a referendum forward for a new elementary school to address declining future enrollment and facility needs. The referendum options are: * Option one: Close Lincoln Elementary School and build a new elementary school on the Washington school site for Lincoln students within the new boundaries. The estimated cost is $23 million to build the elementary school with two classrooms for each grade in K-5. * Option two: Close Lincoln and Louis L'Amour elementary schools and build a new elementary school on the Washington school site large enough to serve students and staff from the two schools. The estimated cost is $29 million to build the elementary school with three classrooms for each grade in K-5. If the school board decides to move forward with either option, 60% voter approval would be required. City and rural residents in the school district would be eligible to vote. For option one, the estimated property tax increase would be $87 per year for a house with a market value of $100,000, $97 per year for commercial property, 98 cents per year for each cropland acre and 20 cents per year for each noncropland acre. For option two, the estimated property tax increase would be $110 per year for a house with a market value of $100,000, $122 per year for commercial property, $1.24 per year for each cropland acre and 25 cents per year for each noncropland acre. The school district worked with School Perceptions to conduct the survey that received 1,173 respondents, or a 14.1% response rate, with a plus or minus 2.92% statistical margin of error. School Perceptions helps educational leaders gather, organize and use data to make strategic decisions, according to its website. The survey results show 81% of JPS staff, 51% of parents with a student enrolled in the school district and 44% of nonparents/nonstaff would support a plan to replace one or more of the remaining elementary schools with a new facility. Daren Sievers, project manager at School Perceptions, said survey respondents were asked which option for a referendum they would support. Survey results show 26% of JPS staff, 19% of parents with a student enrolled in the district and 20% of nonparents/nonstaff would support only option one. Survey results show 12% of JPS staff, 9% of parents and 8% of nonparents/nonstaff would only support option two. Survey results also show 42% of JPS staff, 29% of parents and 22% of nonparents/staff would support either option. Sievers said School Perceptions added the results for the support of either option to the results of supporting options one or two. The survey results then show 68% of JPS staff, 48% of parents and 42% of nonparents/nonstaff would support option one, and 54% of JPS staff, 38% of parents and 30% of nonparents/nonstaff would support option two. Sievers said School Perceptions took into account that 20% of parents and 80% of nonparents/nonstaff would cast a ballot. With that weighted representation, survey results show 43.2% of parents and nonparents/nonstaff would "definitely" or "probably" support a bond referendum for option one, and 31.6% of parents and nonparents/nonstaff would "definitely" or "probably" support a referendum for option two. Each result has a plus or minus 2.92% statistical margin of error. School board member Aaron Roberts said the board should see analysis on comments from survey respondents. He said the comments would help the school board understand what issues need to be addressed moving forward. School board member Jason Rohr said survey results also show areas that the school district can improve its communication on. Survey respondents were asked how the school district is doing in four areas — delivering high-quality education, keeping the public informed, managing funds appropriately and building pride in the community. Survey results show about 68% of respondents chose "great" or "good" for delivering high-quality education, 54% chose "great" or "good" for keeping the public informed, 45% chose "great" or "good" for managing funds appropriately and 56% chose "great" or "good" for building pride in the community. Larson said the survey results will be referred to the facilities committee and the school board could hold a retreat later to discuss the school district's next steps.
