Magic trick costs teacher job
The stories in the news about inappropriate relationships between teachers and students have been overwhelming. There was even a substitute teacher in New Port Richey who got in trouble after investigators say she had a relationship with an underage student.Well, another Pasco County substitute teacher’s job is on the line, but this time it’s because of a magic trick.
The charge from the school district — Wizardry!
Substitute teacher Jim Piculas does a 30-second magic trick where a toothpick disappears then reappears.
But after performing it in front of a classroom at Rushe Middle School in Land ‘O Lakes, Piculas said his job did a disappearing act of its own.
“I get a call the middle of the day from head of supervisor of substitute teachers. He says, ‘Jim, we have a huge issue, you can’t take any more assignments you need to come in right away,'” he said.
When Piculas went in, he learned his little magic trick cast a spell and went much farther than he’d hoped.
“I said, ‘Well Pat, can you explain this to me?’ ‘You’ve been accused of wizardry,’ [he said]. Wizardry?” he asked.
“What gave them the idea I was a wizard?”
#31;
(To clarify, I meant are you justifying the actions of the school?)
WE ARE DOOMED
#34 – WE ARE DOOMED
Finally… someone is talking sense around here.
Can’t we just blame lawyers and move on?
31 natefrog. Yes, I thought you were referring to the parent’s action. Taking it at face value, I have to assume that the school has a list of on-going concerns against this substitute teacher (see #3 above) in which case they would be justified in their actions. Alone, this one incident would not be any grounds for a reasonable person to fire anyone.
RBG
Let’s blame Bush and move on…
“Tampa Bay’s 10 talked to the assistant superintendent with the Pasco County School District who said it wasn’t just the wizardry and that Picular had other performance issues, including “not following lesson plans” and allowing students to play on unapproved computers.”
Did they add that paragraph after people posted about how stupid firing him was?
Don’t blame Christianity for this intolerance. I once attended a private Christian school (only 7th grade). And a visiting evangelist to the school, used magic tricks to illustrate some bible stories, in his act. I didn’t learn as much about the bible, as I did about stage magic, after that. But the school’s authorities never confused anything he did, with witchcraft. If this Florida teacher had done some simple tricks, it was probably to overcome the students’ boredom of the curriculum. And probably more effective than banging a tabletop and yelling WAKE UP!
It should be remember that this was the same state that gave us George Bush for president, because of their outdate punchcard voting system. And ignoring the minority votes that were mostly for Gore. Though I wouldn’t say that alternative thrilled me either. Just that it should never have come down to a single state, that could tabulate its own votes without so much complication. If anything could be labeled “Wizardry”, that was it!
And what do we do with wizards and witches?
(0:49)
This guy was fired for other reasons. He is just looking for attention.
“However, Assistant Superintendent Renalia DuBose denied the district ever used the word “wizardry” in its dealings with Piculas and said the magic trick was far down the list of reasons the sub is not being asked back.
The district said in a letter to Piculas that he was being let go because he did not follow lesson plans, allowed students to use computers despite being told not to by another teacher, and he left a student in charge during his fifth-period class.”
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Quirks/2008/05/06/sub_teacher_claims_fired_for_wizardry/5191//
Hey Florida, has its problems, but so does everywhere else (can you say California?). If this guy was fired for doing magic, that is just sad. But more may be coming out about the story. The smoke from the wizard’s trick will have to settle.
As for the 2000 election, can you libs not just move on? The county that screwed up the ballot counts was run by Democrats. The current problem with Florida’s Democrat delegates not being counted? Created by the DNC.
People’s continual criticism of 2000’s election just continues to demonstrate an ignorance of our constitutional government and the way elections work (pretty damn good if you look at it). Only when Liberals don’t get results they want do they whine.
#28 has the rational but wouldn’t this be more of a David Copperfield dissapearing act than a bubbling cauldren? A forgetting spell should have been done or they could have called Tommy Lee Jones or Will Smith in order to borrow their forgetting seeing the alien pen. Wizardry takes much more effort than a toothpick. #43 may not have all the facts either, for what reason did he leave a student in charge? What grade are these kids in and heaven forbid they should be on the computers! The superintendent did not tell him they could not be on the computers. One or the other is the scapegoat.
#44 – I think you misread my comment or confused it with a different post. My point was that we don’t have all of the facts. That is what I meant by saying the smoke would need to settle. And even then we may not get the whole story.
Okay don’t hate me because I’m from Land O’ Lakes and I actually teach for Pasco County. Our District Office is well known for this kind of craziness. For example, a long time teacher who suffered a long illness and had many health issues, one day lost it and took a bunch of pills in the school parking lot. Our Superintendent wanted her fired for “an immoral act” and because she didn’t use good judgement. Hellew…ever hear of clinical depression? Needless to say, the St. Pete Times and the Tribune covered this and slews of people wrote in in defense of the teacher. So, this whole wizard thing isn’t that surprising to me. Excuse the pun, but our district and some of our principals engage in witch hunts on a regular basis, especially if their authority feels challenged in the slightest bit or there’s a personal axe to grind. Dunno if that’s the case with our wizard friend, but you never know.
By the way, I’ve heard about the rubber room and I found it to be most disturbing. To set the record straight about the union in Florida, it is merely a fraternal organization. Florida is a right to work state…no binding arbitration…so the union is virtually powerless. They did succeed, however, in saving that poor woman’s job and ultimately the insurance to actually go get the help she needed. Sorry this wasn’t as funny as some of the other entries on this blog. Thanks for making me laugh out loud.
I live in Florida and it is a stupid state !!!!! Did you here the story a bout the judge that a sworn affidavit . And than took back his word on a search warrant. For a drug case . Forgery thing in hillsborough county in Florida .
I have not met to many substitutes that have control of a class or follow the teacher’s lesson plans. They are a warm body and their main job is to keep the children safe and do the best they can.
I wonder what Ms. Sinclair is thinking. Was this issue really worth all this bad publicity FOR PASCO COUNTY SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS. This issue is giving our schools and teachers a bad rap. I bet she wished she never got involved with this. What bad publicity for her!!!!
I am praying that this method is resolved. Sounds like the sub was trying to garnish the attention of his students.