Florida Teacher Fired... for Wizardry!
05-06-08, 09:19 AM
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Florida Teacher Fired... for Wizardry!
http://www.tampabays10.com/news/loca...?storyid=79533
Magic trick costs teacher job
By: Janie Porter
Land 'O Lakes, Florida -- The stories in the news about inappropriate relationships between teachers and students have been overwhelming. There was even a substitute teacher in New Port Richey who got in trouble after investigators say she had a relationship with an underage student.
Well, another Pasco County substitute teacher's job is on the line, but this time it's because of a magic trick.
The charge from the school district — Wizardry!
Substitute teacher Jim Piculas does a 30-second magic trick where a toothpick disappears then reappears.
But after performing it in front of a classroom at Rushe Middle School in Land 'O Lakes, Piculas said his job did a disappearing act of its own.
"I get a call the middle of the day from head of supervisor of substitute teachers. He says, 'Jim, we have a huge issue, you can't take any more assignments you need to come in right away,'" he said.
When Piculas went in, he learned his little magic trick cast a spell and went much farther than he'd hoped.
"I said, 'Well Pat, can you explain this to me?' 'You've been accused of wizardry,' [he said]. Wizardry?" he asked.
Tampa Bay's 10 talked to the assistant superintendent with the Pasco County School District who said it wasn't just the wizardry and that Picular had other performance issues, including "not following lesson plans" and allowing students to play on unapproved computers."
Piculas said he knew nothing about the accusations.
"That... I think was embellished after the fact to try to cover what initially what they were saying to me," he said.
After the magic trick, Rushe's principal requested Piculas be dismissed. Now, Piculas believes the incident may have bewitched his ability to get a job anywhere else.
"I still have no idea what my discipline involves because I've never received anything from the school district actually saying what it entails," said Piculas.
As a substitute teacher, the Pasco County School District considers Piculas to be an "at will employee." That means the district doesn't need to have cause for not bringing him back at all.
Magic trick costs teacher job
By: Janie Porter
Land 'O Lakes, Florida -- The stories in the news about inappropriate relationships between teachers and students have been overwhelming. There was even a substitute teacher in New Port Richey who got in trouble after investigators say she had a relationship with an underage student.
Well, another Pasco County substitute teacher's job is on the line, but this time it's because of a magic trick.
The charge from the school district — Wizardry!
Substitute teacher Jim Piculas does a 30-second magic trick where a toothpick disappears then reappears.
But after performing it in front of a classroom at Rushe Middle School in Land 'O Lakes, Piculas said his job did a disappearing act of its own.
"I get a call the middle of the day from head of supervisor of substitute teachers. He says, 'Jim, we have a huge issue, you can't take any more assignments you need to come in right away,'" he said.
When Piculas went in, he learned his little magic trick cast a spell and went much farther than he'd hoped.
"I said, 'Well Pat, can you explain this to me?' 'You've been accused of wizardry,' [he said]. Wizardry?" he asked.
Tampa Bay's 10 talked to the assistant superintendent with the Pasco County School District who said it wasn't just the wizardry and that Picular had other performance issues, including "not following lesson plans" and allowing students to play on unapproved computers."
Piculas said he knew nothing about the accusations.
"That... I think was embellished after the fact to try to cover what initially what they were saying to me," he said.
After the magic trick, Rushe's principal requested Piculas be dismissed. Now, Piculas believes the incident may have bewitched his ability to get a job anywhere else.
"I still have no idea what my discipline involves because I've never received anything from the school district actually saying what it entails," said Piculas.
As a substitute teacher, the Pasco County School District considers Piculas to be an "at will employee." That means the district doesn't need to have cause for not bringing him back at all.
05-06-08, 09:25 AM
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That's a somewhat misleading article.
Sounds like he got booted for reasons other than doing a single magic trick, what with the implied "other performance issues" including not following lesson plans and allowing students to play on unapproved computers.
If he did get fired for wizardry, he should cast an evil spell on the school to get revenge. That would show 'em...
Sounds like he got booted for reasons other than doing a single magic trick, what with the implied "other performance issues" including not following lesson plans and allowing students to play on unapproved computers.
If he did get fired for wizardry, he should cast an evil spell on the school to get revenge. That would show 'em...
Last edited by Pointyskull; 05-06-08 at 09:27 AM.
05-06-08, 09:54 AM
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Originally Posted by lotsofdvds
Tampa Bay's 10 talked to the assistant superintendent with the Pasco County School District who said it wasn't just the wizardry and that Picular had other performance issues, including "not following lesson plans" and allowing students to play on unapproved computers."
Build a church out of him!!!
05-06-08, 08:46 PM
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After the magic trick, Rushe's principal requested Piculas be dismissed. Now, Piculas believes the incident may have bewitched his ability to get a job anywhere else.
05-08-08, 08:18 AM
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It's what they don't tell you, he made *his* martini olive toothpick disappear, the other kids got to keep theirs. Then he poured them all thirds.
-Gunshy
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05-08-08, 09:43 PM
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I used to have a sub teacher back in high school that did magic tricks all the time. He got ticked at me and another kid when we figured out his card trick. I don't know how to explain the trick in writing, but basically one of the two decks all the cards were glued together and there was a hole in that "deck" and he'd slide the second deck into the fake. But me and the kid who sat next to me where at an angle and could see the hole.
Anyway, he was an idiot. He didn't do any lessons, just magic tricks all day. I forget what he called himself, something like the Great Mistini. He also claimed that he had an extra digit in his IL license plate and he was the only person in IL with an extra digit on his plate.
Anyway, he was an idiot. He didn't do any lessons, just magic tricks all day. I forget what he called himself, something like the Great Mistini. He also claimed that he had an extra digit in his IL license plate and he was the only person in IL with an extra digit on his plate.
