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02 December 2004: Justifiable Hiring Procedures (2 of 2)
According to an AP article on Yahoo! News, a fifth grade teacher in Louisville, KY was arrested for drunk driving on her way to school. The breathalyzer estimated her blood alcohol level to be .20, more than twice the legal limit of .08. This teacher had no disciplinary actions in her file, and had been teaching in the same district for nineteen years. She pleaded not guilty at her initial arraignment.
As you can imagine, I was shocked to read this article. I remember high school rumors of teachers drinking spiked coffee, and the assumption that the job was often so difficult that alcoholism was the only way to cope. Now that the shoe is on the other foot, it's less funny.
I came into the teaching profession with the benefit of having already explored several other careers. When I finally began teaching, what I expected proved to be true; I believe teaching to be the most emotionally exhausting carreer a person can have. Does that justify alcoholism? Putting yourself, your community and your students in danger by driving drunk with the intention of teaching drunk? Absolutely not. But, now I know why a breathalyzer test is required to get a job in some districts.
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