http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002145510Mon Jan 9, 2012, 09:58 PM
Star Member proud2BlibKansan (89,552 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore
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Illinois teacher commits suicide citing working conditions
Mary Thorson, a 32-year-old physical education teacher at Cottage Grove Upper Grade Center in Ford Heights, Illinois, took her own life on November 24, 2011. The note she left at the scene of her death was devoted almost entirely to the conditions in the Ford Heights school district, closing with, “We must speak up about what’s going on! This life has been unbelievable.â€
A veteran of the US Army Reserve, Thorson was a popular teacher at the school where she had worked since 2008, having taught in Chicago and suburban Bellwood before taking the position at Cottage Grove Upper Grade in the Chicago suburb of Ford Heights. Her colleagues noted her dedication to the students at the school, including her habit of providing them with warm clothing and school supplies.
Thorson had been suspended one week before her death due to an allegation that she had cursed at a student. Her family told the Chicago Tribune that she was worried about having become a target of the school administration and about being fired. Her personnel records were found neatly laid out on her bed after her death.
More than 98 percent of students in the Ford Heights school district live below the poverty line. In her final statement, Thorson wrote of extreme hardships faced by the students, the school administration’s disregard for teachers, and the lack of resources available in the district.
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Mary Thorson’s parents have made a special effort to communicate their daughter’s intentions. Her mother said that the young teacher’s suicide was directly related to the pressures at Cottage Grove Upper Grade Center, emphasizing that Mary had no prior mental health issues and was never in a combat situation in the Army Reserve. Thorson’s father said, “Is the school responsible? Yes, the school is responsible.â€
more . . . http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/jan2012/suic-j09.shtml
If she had been with the school district long enough to get tenure, she could have cussed the students, taught queer subjects, promoted liberalism, taught them how to sing "Barrack Hussein obama MMM MMM MMM" and even post on DU during class.
This i where I miss HannaBell, the schoolbus driver that knew so much about how charter schools were screwing the public school systems out of state money.
Response to proud2BlibKansan (Original post)
Mon Jan 9, 2012, 10:17 PM
Star Member madrchsod (52,191 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore
4. the teachers are under constant attack here in illinois.
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there has always been people who found fault in the teachers, administrations,and the state`s role .today the teachers take the full brunt of the hatred of public education. we can blame both the democrats and the republicans for demonizing public education and public teachers. we can blame the guy who is our president and the person he appointed to "fix" public education.
this lady is another victim of the war on public education.
Every ****ed up school district in the Chicago area is caused by the democrat party policy. Republicans are rare in northern IL. They don't have enough political clout to effect change.
Response to madrchsod (Reply #4)
Mon Jan 9, 2012, 10:19 PM
Star Member proud2BlibKansan (89,552 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore
5. Sadly, that's true in many other states as well
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It's an epidemic.
All your public school district are belong to you!
Response to proud2BlibKansan (Original post)
Mon Jan 9, 2012, 10:21 PM
Star Member Remember Me (1,117 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore
7. I now declare that IT IS MORALLY WRONG to allow schools to have different
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funding. ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS MUST BE EQUALLY FUNDED.
And it must start NOW.
So we have a local millage election to increase our taxes to better fund out school district, over and abouve the state allotment, and you believe that your district is entitled to some of it?
Response to proud2BlibKansan (Original post)
Mon Jan 9, 2012, 11:28 PM
Trillo (6,491 posts) Profile Journal Send DU Mail Ignore
17. That's sad.
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In nearly every job I've ever had, mostly every tenth word or so was a cuss word, and the bosses cursed workers everyday.
Perhaps those administrators don't live in the real world.
You DUmbass. K-12 is a little different working environment that a Micky-D's.