The number of public school teachers facing disciplinary action is rising in Tennessee.
The Chattanooga Times Free Press reviewed disciplinary data over the past decade. The Tennessee State Board of Education has taken action against 434 teachers in the last 10 years.
Since 2004, 160 teachers were disciplined for failing to maintain appropriate boundaries with students or other minors, mainly through social media. At least 113 teachers were found in possession of or consuming alcohol or illegal drugs at school, school events, or field trips. About 30 teachers were disciplined for cheating on licensure exams, breaching testing security protocol, falsifying student grades, or altering transcripts.
In 2013, the State Education Board disciplined 51 teachers; there have already been 27 disciplined this year.
