Image Credit: ADOBE STOCK
October 06, 2020 - 12:11 PM
A Peace River area teacher who put more students in her car than there were seatbelts for a few trips to pick up treats last June has had her teacher's license suspended for a day, according to a Consent Resolution Agreement posted online today, Oct. 6.
Isabella Miron Piazza has been a teacher since 2016 and was employed at the Peace River North School in June when she failed, in a few instances, to adhere to basic safety practices, according to the agreement posted online through the Teachers Regulation Branch.
On June 17, Miron Piazza drove four Grade 6 students in her car to a Subway restaurant to “pick up treats,” according to the agreement.
Then, on June 18, she did it again and drove five Grade 6 students in her car to a local restaurant to pick up treats.
“As the car only seated three people in the back, not all were wearing their seatbelts,” according to the decision posted by the B.C. Commissioner for Teacher Regulation. “Piazza told the students it would be fine as long as nobody saw and told one of the students to duck.”
When they returned to school, Miron Piazza told the students not to mention their outing to anyone.
She did it again, June 24, only this time she walked to Canadian Tire with five of her Grade 6 students where she picked up her car.
“She then drove with the students to two different restaurants to pick tip treats before returning to the school,” according to the agreement. “As there were not enough seatbelts in the backseat for four students, Miron Piazza told them that they would have to duck if they saw a police officer. When they returned to the school, (she) told the students that their outing was s secret and that they should not tell anyone."
The Teachers Regulation Branch said that Miron Piazza was in breach of school policy by failing to tell school administrators that she was taking students off school property and failing to obtain permission. She also failed to inform the students' parents and obtain their consent.
Perhaps more seriously, however, was that not only were the students involved not able to adhere to standard vehicle safety practices in these instances, it was also when most of the province was trying to socially distance due to COVID-19.
Once the district got wind of what happened, it suspended her the next month for six days without pay.
The B.C. Teacher Regulation Branch added the licence suspension this month.
In the end, they said her actions constituted misconduct and Miron Piazza failed to model appropriate behaviour expected of an educator.
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