One must wonder what type of sexual syndrome would cause an adult woman teacher to have sex with a minor student. This week, Allenna Williams Ward, 23, a South Carolina teacher was arrested and charged with sexual misconduct with at least four students in places such as at the school, in her car, a motel and behind a restaurant. The students were 14 and 15 years old.

Last year another female teacher was arrested in a community only 20 miles distant from this incident. In her case, however, the student was only 11 years old.

The frequency of such events are alarming. While psychologists poised to testify in defense of the latest offending teacher claim that female teacher abuse of minors is extremely uncommon, the facts say differently.

Adrianne Hockett, Houston, rented an apartment for her escapades with a male student. Amber Jennings, Sturbridge, Mass., had sex and e-mailed naked photos of herself to a male student. Amber Marshall, Indiana, had sexual relations with several students before turning herself in and confessing. Amira Sa?™Di, Georgia, said that she didn?™t think her sex with a student was wrong because the age of consent is 16 in that state. Angela Corner, Kentucky, ran away with her 14-year-old student, claiming that they planned to marry. Angela Stellwag, N.J., sex with a 14-year-old boy in her apartment. Beth Raymond, Maine, charged with sexual assault on a minor. Bethany Sherrill, Florida, sex with a 15-year-old student. Carneo Patch, substitute teacher in Utah, oral sex with a 17-year-old student. Carol Flannigan, Florida, slept with an 11-year-old student. Cathy Herninghaus, Missouri, sex with three special education students. Celeste Emerick, Ohio, had parties showing porno. Christina Gallagher, N.J., sex with a 17-year-old student. Georgianne Harrell of Georgia whose sexual escapes was with a 9-year-old student and Kelly Lynn Dalecki of Florida whose affair was with a 13-year-old. Mary Kay Letourneau, Washington, in prison for sex with a 12-year-old. Pamela Turner, former model, Tenn., sex with a 13-year-old student.

There are no less than 41 additional cases either recently resolved in courts or on the dockets. One can only imagine how many other cases exist that have not been discovered.

The quantity of such offenses would clearly suggest that the occurrence is not uncommon nor unusual. It is becoming an epidemic. Psychologists suggest that some of these women had an arrested sexual development and were themselves, sexually children. Perhaps that, in itself, led them to enter the teaching profession. The phenomena is even more complex, however, since the majority of these teachers are strikingly attractive. Some are downright beautiful.

While the number of such offenses climbs annually, there can be no doubt that there is some discrimination at work here. The sexual activities between male teachers and female students are almost legendary and create a far less outcry of public indignation. These cases, in fact, are almost expected on the typical campus. The defining difference here appears to be that the average age of a girl student having sex with a male teacher is 16.7 years old. In the case of female teachers, the average age of their male student sex partners is 14.2.

We used to call it recess. Now they call it cease fire and teaching ranks as a hazardous profession right up there with putting out oil well fires or driving at Indy. The truth is that teachers deserve a lot of credit (Of course, if we paid them more, they wouldn?™t need it. Side-bar humor) for placing dedication above personal security, all for the love to teaching and children.

Part of the problem, however, can be found in the tendency of some school districts to conform the education system to the ?œstreet culture??instead of changing the street culture to conform to society. Street English is accepted in classrooms and some examinations have been adjusted to the mores of the street.

I can image the new examinations:

1) Joe has 2 ounces of cocaine. If he sells an 8 ball to Antonio for $320 and 2 grams to Juan for $85 per gram, what is the street value of the rest of his hold?

2) Raul got 6 years for murder. He also got $10,000 for the hit. If his common-law wife spends $100 per month, how much money will be left when he gets out?

3) Latisha will have her baby June and she is now in her fourth month so in what month did LeRoy get her pregnant?

There would appear to be an inherent injustice in this position since today education compromises with the language of the street but prohibited American Indians from speaking their native languages in schools of the early 1900s.

Reducing education quality to serve sub-cultures does not appear to me to be the best route to public service. I cannot believe that qualifying corruptions of language is the best inheritance we can provide to future generations. What will we permit next, students rapping the National Anthem?

We will always have social anomalies expressed in language, dress, music and actions but that does not mean that we should perpetuate them by giving them status or recognition. The hippie came and went and with him went all the beautiful flower people, music, poetry and unity. The remnants, however, were increased drug usage and new social values. What will be the final residue of the street culture and what affect will it have on our way of life? The question is valid since we are inviting the decline of social values by expressing the viewpoint in education that sub-cultures must be honored simply because they exist.