Mexican teachers attack political party offices

Published April 24, 2013

Associated Press

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  A teacher gives the thumb down sign as he holds a photograph of Mexico's President Enrique Pena Niet outside of the office of the Secretary of Educations after they attacked the building causing significant damage in Chilpancingo, Mexico, Wednesday April 24, 2013. Protesting against President Enrique Pena Nieto's education reform project, thousands of elementary and high school teachers in Guerrero, one of the country's poorest and worst-educated states, walked out more than a month ago, turning hundreds of thousands of children out of class and since have launched an increasingly disruptive string of protests. (AP Photo/Alejandrino Gonzalez)The Associated Press

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  Protesting teachers attack the regional offices of the Revolutionary Institutional Party, PRI, after they attacked the building causing significant damage in Chilpancingo, Mexico, Wednesday April 24, 2013. Protesting against President Enrique Pena Nieto's education reform project, thousands of elementary and high school teachers in Guerrero, one of the country's poorest and worst-educated states, walked out more than a month ago, turning hundreds of thousands of children out of class and since have launched an increasingly disruptive string of protests. (AP Photo/Alejandrino Gonzalez)The Associated Press

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  Protesting teachers stand outside of the regional offices of the Revolutionary Institutional Party, PRI, after they attacked the building causing significant damage in Chilpancingo, Mexico, Wednesday, April 24, 2013. Protesting against President Enrique Pena Nieto's education reform project, thousands of elementary and high school teachers in Guerrero, one of the country's poorest and worst-educated states, walked out more than a month ago, turning hundreds of thousands of children out of class and since have launched an increasingly disruptive string of protests. (AP Photo/Alejandrino Gonzalez)The Associated Press

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  Protesting teachers stand outside of the regional offices of the Revolutionary Institutional Party, PRI, after they attacked the building causing significant damage in Chilpancingo, Mexico, Wednesday, April 24, 2013. Protesting against President Enrique Pena Nieto's education reform project, thousands of elementary and high school teachers in Guerrero, one of the country's poorest and worst-educated states, walked out more than a month ago, turning hundreds of thousands of children out of class and since have launched an increasingly disruptive string of protests. (AP Photo/Alejandrino Gonzalez)The Associated Press

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ACAPULCO, Mexico –  Striking teachers in Mexico's Guerrero state have attacked the offices of four major political parties and a building of the state's education department.

They destroyed computers and furniture and set fire to two buildings in anger over legislators rejecting their strike demands.

Teachers in the state capital of Chilpancingo marched Wednesday to each of the five buildings, breaking windows and vandalizing offices. They set fire to the state headquarters of the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party and another building. No injuries have been reported.

The 20,000-member group went on strike shortly after President Enrique Pena Nieto signed into a law a sweeping education reform two months ago. Its members have since staged increasingly disruptive protests.

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3 North Dakota teachers suspended after allegedly leaving child outside in cold as punishment

Published April 02, 2013

Associated Press

FARGO, N.D. –  Three teachers at a North Dakota YMCA have been suspended amid allegations they made a 4-year-old boy stand outside in the cold as punishment.

A parent spotted the boy without a coat outside of the Y Learning Center on Monday morning in Fargo, KVLY-TV reported. The boy allegedly told the parent that he was being punished. The parent, in turn, called police.

YMCA staff told the TV station that the teachers were having trouble getting the child to put on his outdoor apparel, so they took the child and his clothes outside and "had him stand on his snowsuit and were waiting for him to be ready to put it on."

The teachers did not follow proper procedure, officials said.

"Our policy specifically states that we do not use any kind of punishment that would take away warmth, food, sleep, that kind of thing," YMCA Vice President Lorrie Thoemke said.

The center aims to let children play outside every day unless wintry conditions are too extreme. Early Monday, temperatures were in the mid-teens.

"By no means would this be proper procedure to take a child out for discipline reasons without proper clothing on," Thoemke said.

The 4-year-old was brought inside and properly dressed by another staff member, and the three teachers involved are now suspended, officials said.

Findstad said the Y is reviewing policies with its staff. Letters went out Monday to parents to explain what had happened.

KVLY reported that two children have been pulled from the program -- the boy who was left outside and the child of the parent who reported spotting him.

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Puerto Rico teachers protest changing pension plan

Published March 15, 2013

Associated Press

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico –  Dozens of teachers in Puerto Rico are protesting a proposal to cut retirement benefits and increase employee contributions to help save the island's crumbling public pension system.

The teachers gathered Friday afternoon in front of the governor's mansion in colonial Old San Juan.

Union leader Maria Lara Fontanez says teachers met with Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla last week to talk about their concerns but says they did not receive any guarantee the pension system wouldn't be changed.

Economists have said the teachers' pension plan is slightly healthier than a plan that covers other government employees in the U.S. territory.

The protest comes two days after a similar protest by hundreds of police officers.

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