Philadelphia 'Rubber Room' Teacher Heads Back To School, District Seeks Suspension
GRAYS FERRY, PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The outspoken Philadelphia School District teacher who had been assigned to the district's so-called "rubber room" for over a month returned to her classroom at Audenreid High School.
The school district charged Moffett with endangering the welfare of children after she gave out subway tokens and let students leave class to protest Audenreid's possible conversion to a charter school. While her case was being reviewed, she was removed from her classroom but forced to be present in a waiting room for the entire day, every day.
Fulfilling part of the agreement that got her back in the classroom, Moffett read a statement to her students that will also be mailed to parents. It acknowledges that she did not tell the principal that students were planning to leave for the protest.
Moffett has maintained she didn't tell the principal about the students' plans because the school already knew about them.
The statement, she quickly pointed out, is not an apology.
"It has nothing to do with what they previously accused me of in the past. So, per the settlement, this is what I will read, and I am fine reading it because it gets me back in the classroom and it is purely a statement of fact," Moffett said.
Moffett claims she has been a target since she publicly questioned a school district official at a community meeting. She said her case shows that the district needs to be more transparent.
The school district is pushing for a five-day suspension and the teacher's union plans to appeal.
(See CBS Philly's Previous Coverage Of The 'Rubber Room' Teacher)
Reported by Jim Melwert, KYW Newsradio 1060.
