Controversial Central Bucks teacher has a quiet day back at school

Natalie Munroe, the Central Bucks High School East teacher who was suspended in February for her scathing blog posts about students, was back teaching 11th-grade English on Wednesday, though her classes were far smaller than normal.

"Things went well," Munroe said about the first full day at the Doylestown school, where she had classes of 12, 15, and 8 students instead of the normal 30. A substitute teacher taught the students who had been allowed to transfer out of Munroe's classes, she said, handling classes of 5, 14, and 20.

Munroe's homeroom of 11 students was smaller than the one of 17 students she had last year, she said.

"There were a few points and whispers" from students, "but nobody said anything. No one was rude," Munroe said. "It was a normal day."

Some teachers were "very warm, and some were cordial," she said. Some of her closer friends from her four years at the school kept their distance, she said, "but no one was mean or hostile. Everyone was professional." Administrators were "friendly and fine," she said.

The administration has said Munroe has a legal right to return to work. But in an unusual move, students were allowed to transfer out of her classes because of "egregious or unique factors" - namely "crass and cruel" blog posts labeling some students as "frightfully dim" and "utterly loathsome."

The blog, which Munroe has maintained was for a handful of close friends, did not identify students or the school but included her photo.

She said the brother of a former student had tried to get into her class, but the request was rejected. District spokeswoman Carol Counihan said there were no requests to be assigned to Munroe's classes.

"We just want the year to go well, the kids to have a good year; Natalie's teaching, that she have a good year," Counihan said. "That's what we're here for."

Some students said they were tired of the attention Munroe's blog had drawn to their school.

"I just want to look forward to my last year," said one senior who asked that her name not be used. "I don't want people who don't know who we are to ruin our last year. Some of the people she wrote about are my friends, and it shouldn't be my problem to have to deal with this."

Munroe took down the blog in February, but has resumed posting comments about the district in addition to musings about recipes and restaurants. She said she would continue blogging "when and if I have time" - possibly about her experiences at school.

Senior Keegan Beljanski, who did not have Munroe as a teacher last year, appeared not to care that she was back. "It'll pass in a week or so," Beljanski said.