BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) -
Since the start of the school year, three local teachers have been arrested for allegedly getting violent with students. The Louisiana Federation of Teachers says the main thing they're seeing is a change in the culture of classrooms.
"There is not teacher that goes into the classroom that has decided that what they really want to do is to be a warden in some institution." says Steve Monaghan, President of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers.
He says in some cases, classroom behavior requires teachers to become just that - a warden.
"If that teacher is dealing excessively with discipline, discipline, discipline all day long - we're all human beings," said Monaghan. "At some point there is a breaking point."
Monaghan says he doesn't condone violent "breaking points." But he says while parents expect teachers to act a certain way in the classrooms, they should have expectations of their kids too - like his parents did.
"If you didn't behave, as you knew you should, you knew the consequences wouldn't be just at school, they'd also be at home," he added.
9 News caught up with some parents picking up their kids from school, and they agreed that the basics should be taught at home.
"I expect them to follow the rules that have been set by the teacher and the school," said Emily Blosser. "I expect them to be respectful to their teacher."
"I think that your children are an extension of you. When they're out in public, in general, but they should definitely be well behaved," said John Harden. "And if my child's not well behaved, then he'll certainly have to deal with me when he gets home."
These are not new teachers who may not know how to handle a student or a classroom. For example, Richard Haywood, the McKinley High teacher accused of punching a student in the face, had been teaching for 12 years.
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