AIBU to think you should be careful with your behaviour if you're a teacher out of hours and socialising with parents?

[SuperFlyHigh]

I have a friend who's a contract supply teacher in a large town. She teaches primary - mostly I think all ages but currently with 9-10 year old mostly. She's been there about 3 years.

She spoke to me recently at first it was oh it'll be ok but now she thinks it could be more serious...

When they broke up for Easter holidays she and her colleagues went to a local pub near school, they go to this pub a fair bit, weed is consumed etc. sometimes some of the parents visit the same pub. Normally this isn't a problem but on this occasion a dad got into a row with my friend after he came onto her and she rebuffed him. When she said no, he drunkenly made a threat about reporting her to the school as she'd had weed and also she said a bit of speed too. He also said her son (who is 10) had seen her go into the park opposite the school and come back stoned at lunchtime. She does go into the park at lunch especially if weather is nice but she doesn't generally smoke (sometimes though with a drink) but certainly not weed at lunchtime.

Anyway the dad threatened to tell on her for both times.

Of course it's now after Easter and as far as she knows there has been no talk from the parent, she hasn't even seen the dad at pickup times (she is not generally around at pickup but sometimes bumps into parents near gates etc), she is employed by an agency so she's thinks they would be in touch, or headmaster.

I've said maybe she should not partake in illegal drugs after work at pub near school if parents could be present... Just in case.

So AIBU to advise her to be more careful in future near school?

just his word over hers

I got the impression the drug-taking was a group activity. IF the wanker were to go to the Head (I don't think this is very likely), the Head would presumably talk to others who were present. Maybe the others would all lie convincingly, maybe they wouldn't.

Absolute worst-case and very unlikely scenario would be that the horrible man went to the school the day after, the school involved the police and the police picked up CCTV footage.

The fact that this man is a sexually predatory arsehole would not absolve the OP's friend of the drug offences.

Teachers haven't been respected or treated like professionals for years, except when it is used as a threat or a bludgeon. Not the working conditions, the level of interference or the targets set by non-educationalists. I think the OP's friend is a fool, but I find that more tolerable than the saccharine squeals of parents who want professionals but won't give them respect or autonomy.

You read my mind Boojum

Well, I respect teachers. What's wrong with people?

Also, I very much doubt a head teacher would, or could, demand a drugs test!

There are some careers in which one is contracted to be drug tested, whether routinely or if allegations are made. Teaching isn't one of them.

For that matter, taking drugs is not, in itself, a sackable offence; that's the 'bringing the profession into disrepute' bit, ie being seen taking them.

So even if a head teacher/governors somehow had in their possession a drugs test from the teacher that lit up like a Christmas tree, that isn't relevant in itself. They really would need reason to believe it was affecting her work, OR there to be a 'professional disrepute' issue.

She could be routinely getting completely caned in the privacy of her own home every Friday night & then sleeping it off all weekend & coming in fresh as a daisy on Monday. Not school's concern.

They can test teachers for drugs, but they can only request, not order. There was a similar case not far from me a few years back where a teacher refused the request and was suspended and facing disciplinary action. The other teachers went out on strike and succeeded in having it overturned.

I believe that was a case where there were no allegations, it was just a random test. If there were actual allegations the outcome might well be different.

Nickname this pub has a huge garden with enclosed wooden fence so it's hidden from the street but you can smoke weed to your hearts content and not be seen. Parks are also a good spot for this (obviously not blatantly).

I've seen people smoking spliffs in the street but as Londoners will know certain areas are more known for this.

Crowy that's the thing she is a popular, good and well respected teacher not a bad one as far as I know.

Crowy, teaching is one of them. It's certainly in my contract.

Being in charge of other people's kids means that being under the influence would be potentially dangerous.

I think she's an absolute idiot, smoking weed and taking speed in a pub so local to her work. Don't shit in your own nest, it's plain stupid. I'd be extremely unhappy if I heard about one of my department doing this. I don't socialise anywhere near where I work. As a parent, I'd be straight to the head, frankly.

If the head hears about this, I can see her being told not to come back, particularly as she's only on supply. Teachers, whilst not robots, should not, in my opinion as one be getting pissed and taking drugs in close proximity to their work. Have a brain and keep it under wraps elsewhere.

Gide I did express surprise that they were drinking so near the school as really they don't have to! Like you say anyone can see them!

I only hope for her sake the cool dad decides not to dob her in.

For the rest of them and perm staff that is do they all think they're too cool for school?! I think they're certainly stupid over this but maybe it's a wake up call for all those who do it. It's not like they're in countryside in middle of nowhere and no social life or pubs about nearby.

Ah well I stand corrected if your contract does actually provide for compulsory drug testing at the behest/whim of your HT, YouTheCat.

Mine certainly never did when I taught in the UK - is this an academy? They seem much more invested in teaching as a form of 24/7 indentured labour.

I'm fully in agreement that one should be sober when teaching btw! I just don't see how a drug test (other than a breathalyser for alcohol if someone was drunk at work) would demonstrate this one way or another, as opposed to showing that the person had taken x drug at some point in last few days/weeks. Which certainly doesn't prove that they were intoxicated at work, or in public.

In my current international school a large proportion of the staff smoke weed - it's easier to come by here than booze. I don't - don't much enjoy it & spend my money on ropey local wine instead - but drug testing would take out half the faculty & a good chunk of the upper & lower sixth, so probably just as well we don't have it here...

OP's mate is definitely an idiot though - think we can all agree on that. Wake up call - be more discreet in future!

Not an academy and contract was from over 10 years ago.

It might vary from LA to LA though.

Update on this thread.

I saw friend for coffee today and she has agreed (along with other members of staff) to find another pub not near the school and she is also going to be super vigilant what she does there anyway.

I said I didn't care if she smoked weed etc out of school but showed her this thread and pointed out what parents and teachers (she already knew but was ignoring it) could potentially do if they found out. I said if the cool dad or someone dobbed her in there was not a lot she could do and would probably lose her job (contract with agency may be under threat too as she's contract staff) so I said keep your head down, don't do it and don't be so bloody stupid in future. She totally agreed and said she hadn't realised how stupid she was being but said "all the other teachers did it".

Anyway seems though she's learned her lesson.

Never heard of drug testing being requested, I've been in about six schools, 20 years of teaching. I think if that ever happens, there'd be a massive outcry. It's no-one's business what teachers get up to outside of class, although I saw a North American teacher was sacked for parading round at a bikini competition in Mexico on holiday recently, something about bringing the profession into disrepute.

Thanks for the update.

I am well aware that the old school friend of mine who is now head of the primary school my children went to, and was a teacher there when my girls were her pupils, indulges occasionally. However I also know she only does it in a private context, well away from my children, her own children, and anyone else who might have an axe to grind. Also if and when she does, all that happens is that she gets a massive fit of the giggles and then passes out quietly

Most of my friends who entered the teaching profession have chosen to live well out of their school's catchment area. BIL who is a deputy head at dtds sixth form has recently moved an extra five miles, he reckoned what with it being rated Outstanding last time round and therefore getting even more non-catchment applications it was worth it to be able to go out on the piss in peace down the village local.

I'm in a high profile role in the community I live in and I would never risk being drunk/ argumentative etc where I live. I'd go elsewhere as I understand that people have projections of what teachers, police etc should be so even though we are all only human, that isn't necessarily a good defence if you're in that sort of position of responsibility.
On the other hand I think the dad has a lot to answer for with his behaviour towards her

(By the way I didn't mean I'd go elsewhere to be argumentative!!! I meant if I wanted a night out which involved a drink!)