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News >> ................................................................Last updated: 3/22/2010 |
Facebook policy targets teachers
Ryan Tom ~ Staff Writer
A 24-year-old Georgia teacher was fired this fall for posting a picture of herself holding a glass of wine
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A middle school teacher in North Carolina was suspended without pay this winter when she posted that she “had been subjected to a hate crime” by Christian students.
A 28-year-old elementary school teacher in Tennessee was suspended when parents discovered she had posted risqué photos of herself on MySpace.
Every teenager knows he or she will get in trouble for bragging about activities like drinking or sex on social networking sites. But for teachers, legal adults, the lines aren’t always so black and white.
Even though no incidents like this have occurred at East, District 303 evaluates the use of media in the district and encourages staff to use Blackboard rather than social networking sites to communicate with students.
One of the most highly publicized examples of teachers getting reprimanded for Facebook postings involves 24-year-old Ashley Payne, an English teacher in Georgia, who posted a photo of herself seated at a table, holding two glasses of wine while she was on a summer trip to Europe. Since her page was set to private, she never imagined the photos would cause a problem.
However, a parent of one of her students complained about the photos to the principal. As a result, the principal issued an ultimatum: either and is suing the school district to get her job back.
To prevent controversy like this, Principal Robert Miller said there will be a “formalized policy in the future, but it is very difficult to monitor the number of staff by checking every single site. The district will create one sooner or later because of the rise in technology.”
Teachers were nervous about discussing their Facebook use. The X-Ray distributed 200 surveys to East teachers Wednesday, but only 59 teachers responded. Of those 59, 29 said they have Facebook accounts. Only 2 percent of the respondents said they friend current students, and 21 percent said they friend former students.
Math teacher Dan Lindahl does have a Facebook. He said he thinks teachers who choose to have an account should be cautious. “Teachers should be careful how they represent themselves.”
Computer lab assistant Linda Caine keeps in touch with “about 200” of her former students. “I don’t become friends with students on Facebook until they graduate. I think it’s inappropriate. A lot of kids are under 18, and I don’t like snooping in their lives. I really think that when I can see them in person there’s no need to talk to them on Facebook.”
Some younger teachers even dump their Facebook accounts when they become teachers. New math teacher Dana Ironside said, “I personally deleted my facebook before teaching here. I don’t think I should be allowed to look at students’ profiles and report them to the school.”
Though many teachers do possess a Facebook, Miller advises there is a better way to communicate with students without using the website. “Teachers should communicate with students using Blackboard because it is monitored by the District. Blackboard is a tool for discussing projects and assignments.”
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