Do Your Schools Have These Rules?

[luvsJack]

#1 All the teachers were told they should delete their FB pages and short of that, unfriend any and all students (past, present or future)

#2 Teachers can take no phone calls or texts from kids. At all, ever, for any reason.

#1--I can understand completely.

#2--some teachers also coach or director or sponsor activities and clubs. The kids involved need to be able to reach these teachers. To find out about practice or ask a question about something. Most have only used text.

Also, several teaches allow papers and reports to be submitted via e-mail. After submitting the paper, the kids would text the teachers to let them know it had been submitted. No answer required or expected. They can no longer do this.

I wonder how long until they will not be able to email either.

I understand the reasoning behind this, but otoh, it makes wanting our children to be responsible for communicating with their teachers, coaches, sponsors, etc a little harder.

 

[FireDancer]

All of my friends who teach have Facebook accounts but will not friend a student until they graduate.

I understand the rule about calling and texting and if you submit a paper via email you don't have to text the teacher that you sent it. I do a lot of work via email (I'm in I.T.) and I never text anyone that I've sent them something via email. If you want proof you can request a delivered and read receipt.

 

[phorsenuf]

I only agree with #1 partially. Not friending current and future students is a given. Saying I can't have a Facebook page, not going to happen. Just lock it down is all.

#2- don't agree with at all, provided the texts and calls were school related.

 

[MrsPete]

Those are pretty strict.

Teachers here are not allowed to Facebook with present students. I agree with that; it's too casual, too friendly a level, and it gives the student the idea that we're "friends" rather than professionals. Yeah, I understand the difference between friendly and being friends, but not all teenagers do. Many teachers here have a "personal rule" -- nothing imposed by anyone, just a CYA thing -- that they won't "friend" a former student 'til he or she's been out of school 4 years.

Telling an employee that they must get rid of a social network altogether doesn't sound reasonable.

As for phone calls, we don't have any such rules here -- though I do not give out my personal number to students in general. However, I have two high school daughters, and I have a relationship with a number of their friends outside of school: I know them from church and from scouts. They've been having sleepovers at my house forever. I do occasionally call these kids, and they occasionally call/text me.

However, these things don't stop kids and teachers/coaches from communicating -- they still have the official school phones and school email. And that's safer because there are records (especially of the emails), so no one can accuse the teacher of doing something that he or she didn't do. It's very sad that honest teachers/coaches have to be careful not to look like they've done something, but it is a fact of life.

I do think the overall goal is to funnel all communication through official channels.

 

[DopeyDame]

I think the big difference between emailing and texting is that the email is (presumably) going to the teacher's work email account and therefore is accessible at any time by school authorities - it gives them a lot more control.

I teach at a community college, and there's no way in the world I'd friend a student or give them my cell phone number so they could call or text me. They can call me at school through my department, reach me via our class webpage, or email me.
My students submit almost all of their work via email, and I've never had the need to be notified by text as well - when I check my email, it's quite obvious that homework is there waiting for me.

There also really shouldn't be frequent times when students need to talk to a coach or director - the practice schedule and locations should be well known and there should be a system in place stemming from the school to notify all of the kids of last minute changes due to weather, etc.

I'm sure there are some schools and teachers who are comfortable with kids and teachers having relationships and communication outside of official channels, but surely it's understandable why a school would want to limit that, even if 99.9% of the time it's totally appropriate and innocuous.

 

[princessmom29]

We cannot "friend" students on our personal pages, but most teachers maintain a class page for class communication. We cannot recieve any calls or texts during school, but the coaches use texting to communicate with players a LOT.

 

[princessmom29]

I think the big difference between emailing and texting is that the email is (presumably) going to the teacher's work email account and therefore is accessible at any time by school authorities - it gives them a lot more control.

I teach at a community college, and there's no way in the world I'd friend a student or give them my cell phone number so they could call or text me. They can call me at school through my department, reach me via our class webpage, or email me.
My students submit almost all of their work via email, and I've never had the need to be notified by text as well - when I check my email, it's quite obvious that homework is there waiting for me.

There also really shouldn't be frequent times when students need to talk to a coach or director - the practice schedule and locations should be well known and there should be a system in place stemming from the school to notify all of the kids of last minute changes due to weather, etc.

I'm sure there are some schools and teachers who are comfortable with kids and teachers having relationships and communication outside of official channels, but surely it's understandable why a school would want to limit that, even if 99.9% of the time it's totally appropriate and innocuous.

Most teachers use a proxy program to send and recieve text messages. You never have to give a child your number. You can text thier phones form your computer and you get texts back to your email.

 

[MrsPete]

, but surely it's understandable why a school would want to limit that, even if 99.9% of the time it's totally appropriate and innocuous.

Just like a whole lot of other things in life, 99.9% of teachers are never, ever going to do (or say) anything inappropriate with a student . . . but, oh, that .1%

 

[J3nn78]

No way would I give up my facebook account. That infringes on my rights. My page is private and I do not friend any current or future students or their parents. And I have had them try too.

I also never give out my cell number anyway so #2 is not an issue with me.

 

[Kath2003]

#1 All the teachers were told they should delete their FB pages and short of that, unfriend any and all students (past, present or future)

#2 Teachers can take no phone calls or texts from kids. At all, ever, for any reason.

#1 - They shouldn't have to DELETE their pages, but it is very much in their own interests to ensure full privacy settings and share NOTHING with ANY student or parent.

#2 On their own phone? YES. Absolutely! There is NO reason to share personal information with students. We have school cell phones for activities offsite; these numbers can be given out and the phone is stored in school once the activity has been completed.

 

[NotUrsula]

The FB thing isn't just a school rule here, as of the end of the month it is state law if the student in question is under 18.

AFAICT, it only applies to personal profiles, not to organization pages, so you can still have something like a page for the Central High Basketball Team.

FWIW, I'm not a teacher, but I use a Google Voice text proxy to let folks at my organization communicate with me via text without giving out my actual personal phone number. The texts go through my work email, which I can see via my smartphone. I don't see any reason why a teacher should not be able to use a service like this via work email, as the messages are all completely readable by the administration (and archived by the administration as well.)

 

[piperdown]

I think those rules are ridiculous. I believe in setting guidelines, but what they are doing is just a knee jerk reaction because the administration just doesn't want to deal with setting up and enforceing those guidelines.

DH has two facebook accounts. One is totally personal, and he doesn't use his real name. No students or school personnel are friends with him on that account. He has even gone so far as to not friend anyone who lives in our small town. He has nothing to hide, but he wants to keep his personal and professional life separate. He won't even friend our daughter because some of her friends are current and former students of his.

He has a second facebook account using his real name, where he does friend both former students (never current) and other teachers. He's found it helpful to keep up with the teacher gossip.

With regards to texting, he has set up a phone number through google voice that is text only, and that is what he gives students and parents. Again, he wants to keep things separated.

It's just common sense.

 

[daughtersrus]

When DD was applying for some teaching positions last year, one application wanted her to list the address for all social media sites she had as well as the passwords.

That was one district that she decided not to apply at.

She's changed her facebook to remove her last name so students can't search it. She communicates with other teachers via text but she won't give her cell# to parents or students.

 

[mom2rb]

I have been teaching gymnastics for 25 years. I have many ex students friend me. I have rules.

1. No current students.
2. If you are still in high school, your mother must friend me first.

I don't text kids period. I only text their parents. We have been having a problem with an ex coach texting and Facebooking kids. I feel that the only text a coach should send is,

1. Practice is canceled do to weather.
2. Where are you, the meet starts in 5 minutes.

Anything else is just not appropriate.

 

[golfgal]

We cannot "friend" students on our personal pages, but most teachers maintain a class page for class communication. We cannot recieve any calls or texts during school, but the coaches use texting to communicate with players a LOT.

That is pretty much what we have here. If we couldn't text with DD's golf coach most of the team would miss most everything...

 

[jen0610]

I don't text kids period. I only text their parents. We have been having a problem with an ex coach texting and Facebooking kids. I feel that the only text a coach should send is,

1. Practice is canceled do to weather.
2. Where are you, the meet starts in 5 minutes.

Anything else is just not appropriate.

This is what we do with the two teachers that we knew from outside of the school before they were actually DD's teachers.

The one teacher, she, her DH and I, all graduated high school together. Her 3 DD's and mine all dance at the same studio, in a couple of classes together. She had my cell number and I have hers. My kid is just that much bigger than her oldest, so there have been times when for one dance or another, one of her girls has had to use an outgrown pair of shoes that my DD has. She'll just send me a text and I get back to her.

The other teacher, I have know her since she was 3 months old. I grew up baby sitting her. They go to the same church as we do. Her family sat next to us at hockey for years. DD baby sits her DD now.

Do either of them have my DD's cell number, no. Are they friends on FB, no. Everything is done thru me, the parent.

 

[tink_n_pooh]

I think telling someone they cannot have a personal facebook page is ridiculous. Saying that they cannot be friends with students is a completely different matter. I have a lot of friends/family that are teachers and none of them are friends with their students on facebook. Once the student graduates I see nothing wrong with being facebook friends with them, if that is what you want to do. I'm friends with several of my high school teachers but I also graduated over 10 years ago.

I wouldn't give out my personal cell to my students or their parents, that could be asking for trouble.

 

[shortbun]

Our teachers are not allowed to friend students but some of them do. I think any teacher friending their students is soooo asking for trouble. They all have school board issued email addresses and are required to do their communication with those-some of them still use their personal emails though. It only becomes an issue if boundaries are crossed.

 

[Andtototoo]

When DD was applying for some teaching positions last year, one application wanted her to list the address for all social media sites she had as well as the passwords.

I wouldn't give out my social media info to begin with, but the PASSWORDS?!!!! IMO, if someone was stupid enough to give me their passwords, they're not smart enough to work for me.

 

[golfgal]

I have been teaching gymnastics for 25 years. I have many ex students friend me. I have rules.

1. No current students.
2. If you are still in high school, your mother must friend me first.

I don't text kids period. I only text their parents. We have been having a problem with an ex coach texting and Facebooking kids. I feel that the only text a coach should send is,

1. Practice is canceled do to weather.
2. Where are you, the meet starts in 5 minutes.

Anything else is just not appropriate.

Ok, but, my kids are in high school. If something needs to be communicated --TALK or TEXT them. If I got a text from one of the kids' coaches asking "where are you, the meet starts in 5 minutes"-I would be . The kids text their golf coach for things like "we are going to go golf, can you call the golf course" (free golf but the coach has to call first), "we want to hit balls, are you going to be there or can you call the course (same deal, free balls, coach has to call). DD's golf coach came and sat with us when DD was getting admitted to the hospital this past spring. DD has been playing golf for this coach since 5th grade. He is a big part of our lives. If it became an issue, sure we would do something about this but it's not and it's appropriate. Also, we are teaching our kids to be responsible. We do NOT want to be the first point of contact for ANYTHING at this point in their lives...