NEW CASTLE —
Last July, the state Department of Education Professional Standards and Practice Commission opened an investigation into allegations against Michael Zack.
The accused was a substitute teacher in Northumberland County who allegedly sent explicit text messages to female students at Shamokin High School.
A month later, the commission suspended Zack’s teaching license. Zack, 24, was sentenced to six months house arrest and must register as a Megan’s Law offender.
In January, the professional standards commission opened an investigation into allegations that Kevin DeFrancesco, a teacher in Mercer County’s Jamestown School District had engaged in similar conduct with two girls — ages 13 and 14. In March, the commission suspended DeFrancesco’s license. In November, DeFrancesco, 29, was sentenced to 27 months in prison.
Shane Putorek, 27, from Cambria County, a music teacher in the Harmony Area School District was arrested last May on charges alleging he raped a 15-year-old boy. He is awaiting trial. Putorek surrendered his license before the commission needed to take any action, PDE records show.
These were three of 563 misconduct investigations opened against teachers in Pennsylvania last year, more than double the number reported in the prior year.
Gov. Tom Corbett’s budget includes a plan to increase the cost of a license for a would-be teacher by one-third to cover the cost of hiring staff to deal with a dramatic increase in allegations of teacher misconduct.
The department received about double the number of misconduct allegations in 2012 — 563 — as it had in any of the prior four years.
Eller said that the Department of Education gets about 36,000 new applications for licenses each year including 21,000 level I certificates for brand-new teachers and 14,000 certificates for level II teachers who have completed the initial training required for level I teachers.
The Department of Education plans to hire an addition attorney and a law clerk, while the Professional Standards and Practices Commission will also get another attorney and a law clerk, Eller said.
While the allegations of sexual misconduct grab most of the headlines, Tim Eller, a Department of Education spokesman said there appear to be a number of other factors at play, including the state’s investigation of allegations of wide-spread cheating by teachers during state standardized tests.
A Pennsylvania State Education Association spokesman said the union certainly frowns upon cheating by teachers. But the union also believes that the Corbett administration has suggested that the problems are more widespread than they actually are.
“Secretary Tomalis seemed to suggest that the scrutiny had contributed to a statewide drop in test scores,” said Wythe Keever of the PSEA. “It is one thing to say that you have evidence that there was cheating involving 100 teachers, but it’s another thing to say thousands across school districts were involved in a conspiracy to inflate test scores.”
Even with the dramatic increase in allegations, complaints about teacher misconduct are still less common than similar complaints about licensed professionals in other fields.
(Email: jfinnerty @cnhi.com)
All About You ...
Related Photos
Discussion
Your Schools: Teacher conduct comes under scrutiny
- All About You ...
-
-
Sarah Stright-Hartley: ‘With child’ doesn’t have to mean without style
Over the past month we've talked about wedding styles for women and wedding styles for men. I didn't want to leave out my pregnant ladies! Dressing for a wedding during the hottest months of the year while you're pregnant can be understandably difficult.
-
Kali Davies-Anderson: Ten things I’ve learned from my father
By the time you read this, Father’s Day 2013 will have come and gone. However, I would still like to take the time to wish all of you dads out there a happy Father’s Day, with special wishes going out to my own father, the infamous Bob “Booby” Davies and my husband and father to my children, the not quite as infamous Erik “Crow” Anderson.
-
Mitchel Olszak: Excuses for data sweep sound hollow
Perhaps 2013 will go down as the year privacy and civil liberties became too inconvenient for government. Listening to assorted officials defend massive programs that scoop up vast amounts of data certainly gives that impression.
-
Culinary Conversation: Lighter fare great during summer months
Sometimes a cook just wants to hear the word “easy.” And in warm weather, who wants to turn on the oven? We would love to hear what you’re making during these warm months.
-
Dave Ramsey: Offer settlement to creditors — not information
“Dave Says" is a weekly column featuring financial advice from nationally syndicated radio host Dave Ramsey. His column is filled with timely, relevant questions and answers taken from actual letters and calls on Ramsey's radio program, “The Dave Ramsey Show.
-
Need a last-minute gift idea for Father's Day? Pick up a ’Canes’ DVD!
One team. One vision. One heartbeat. TWO incredible keepsakes! Relive all the magic of New Castle High’s WPIAL championship basketball season by purchasing a collectible DVD or special section that was given out at the team’s banquet.
-
Lori Brothers: Tips to keep your breath from stinking
I remember, when I was about 12 years old, my grandmother talked about how mint was excellent to chew on because it prevented halitosis. She actually used this word, which expanded my vocabulary, but also horrified me.
-
Sarah Stright-Hartley: Summer sandals can go with just about anything
Ah, summer! The time to relax on the beach, sun yourself and attend many barbecues. And also the time to free your feet from the confines of the past several months being bundled up in boots and closed-toe shoes.
-
Kali Davies-Anderson: If I remember correctly ... aw, nevermind, I don’t.
I used to think I was good with remembering faces. In fact, I would see a person one time in the checkout of a grocery store and the next time I would see them I could recall the contents of their shopping cart. However, somewhere along the line this gift of facial recognition somehow dwindled
-
Mitchel Olszak: Casino satire comes to fruition
Several years ago, I wrote a satirical column about government subsidizing casinos. In it, I envisioned a time in the future when casinos became so prevalent that the gambling market was glutted with them.
- More All About You ... Headlines
-
