Email from Teacher

[jgh]

I do not see how it's innapropriate.

What I do see is a teacher that's trying to spend her money in her own local community. If I was a parent that could do this work, I'd be happy to help and wouldn't second guess the email.

 

[yoopermom]

Another poster here from rural America , and we really do have the nicest people in our community. This sort of thing would be "no big deal". It's not like she wrote an email soliciting income (like one other poster mentioned), she's just asking for help.

When the day comes that I can't help someone out in my community in a small way, that's the day I move to a different community....

Terri

 

[mamacatnv]

Re: the email. We filled out a form the beginning of the year from each teacher (not as part of the school packet, from the teacher for their particular class), the form asked if it could be shared with other parents, included in mass mailings etc.
It is very possible that there is no issue using the email addresses for everything from plumbing needs to lost puppies to the band bake sale.

 

[dominiondad]

If I was a plumber in the school district, would the school district provide me with a list of all parents email account so I could use them for advertising? If not, then I content that the teacher obtained information that is not public and therefore was inappropriate. If the school would provide that information to teh plumber, then the teacher is ok, but I would have serious concerns with the school district.

What if the teacher used the emails to advertise a favorite charity? What if the teacher was raising money for a political cause you didn't agree with? What if he/she was advertising for pool cleaning business they ahad on the side? What if it was legal adult-entertainment? I think its a dangerous slope to hand over records collected by a government entity to people for their personal use.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Other, just because: We have a pretty tight relationship with our middle school and high school band teachers. First, our children have them every year, and second we end up volunteering from stuff (especially the high school teacher).

While a little weird, it would be more weird if it were my child's Math teacher.

 

[mamacatnv]

If I was a plumber in the school district, would the school district provide me with a list of all parents email account so I could use them for advertising? If not, then I content that the teacher obtained information that is not public and therefore was inappropriate. If the school would provide that information to teh plumber, then the teacher is ok, but I would have serious concerns with the school district.

What if the teacher used the emails to advertise a favorite charity? What if the teacher was raising money for a political cause you didn't agree with? What if he/she was advertising for pool cleaning business they ahad on the side? What if it was legal adult-entertainment? I think its a dangerous slope to hand over records collected by a government entity to people for their personal use.

I understand your what if scenarios, however, that is where things are different, the what if's are not part of the equation. The what-if's don't matter, they are not something that everyone automatically thinks of because that would not be courteous and therefore it's not thought of.
Common sense and courtesy are expected and therefore there is a line that is known and not crossed and it is assumed that everyone will abide by it, there is no need for a rule to mandate.

I have no idea if I am making sense at all. It is really hard to describe the lack of suspicious thinking when that is all one knows.

 

[disykat]

I'm going with inappropriate. As a parent, I provide the school system with a lot of private information about my family - birthdays, medical issues, contact information, who I work for, etc. I expect the school to use that information for the purpose of educating and caring for my children, not for the staff to use as a personal Angie's List.
If the school were any other business and an employee did this with their client list, I suspect the employee would be walked out.

I agree. It is totally inappropriate to use parent email addresses for anything non-school related unless they have given you their emails and permission to do so.

Now, if the teacher had been talking to parents in the hallway or after a band booster meeting and asked the same thing I'd have no problem with it.

 

[WDSearcher]

Beyond inappropriate. Now, granted I live in a community where the vast majority of mothers are Gladys Kravitz SAHMs, but this would have been forwarded to the principal and superintendent by a few dozen women before the end of the day.

"Beyond" inappropriate? How?

She's sending out an e-mail to a group of adults who she's familiar with, basically asking if anyone is or can recommend a plumber. I can see how some people might see that as odd, depending on where you live and what kind of school system you're in, etc., but certainly not "beyond inappropriate".

She's not trying to get a date for her class reunion or asking someone to come over and help her move her bedroom furniture around. The woman is looking for a reputable plumber.

 

[I Love Pluto]

Teachers are hired to TEACH CHILDREN! The school does not exist as our personal message board, nor as our personal rent-a-truck, nor as our personal find-a-plumber, electrician, etc.

TOTALLY unprofessional. (I am a retied teacher.)

 

[Becky2005]

I agree. I do not see anything wrong with it. Word of mouth is the best way to get a reliable contractor/plumber/roofer, etc. She was just seeing if anyone had someone they recommended (be it an actual licensend person or a handy-type parent). No problem there, I think!

Maybe I'm just too laid back anymore or since I go to networking events all the time figure it is all good. I mean, it is similar to trying to find a good auto mechanic -- how do you find one usually? Word of Mouth. How often do you need a good plumber? I wouldn't have the first clue where to look so it sounds to me like she was just looking for recommendations and has a big pool of people to ask. It didn't sound like she was asking who could come out there and repair it for her for free.

I'm all for sharing good resources...I look at as a win-win type of thing..she finds out about a good plumber, is local so $$ stays local and can also pass on a referral if need be.

Although, I'm sure some sort of school rule was broken but I like having more of the community feel (probably because several of the teachers/aides LIVE in our neighborhood anyway, have kids my kids ages, so some request like this wouldn't even be a blimp on my radar). My guess is she probably asked others already and nobody had a good answer for her so she went to the next source she had contacts with.

I would think it unusual but she did ADMIT it is a strange request.

 

[mr.bungle]

When I was in high school band, we were a family like group of 500 students plus families. Our band director worked hard and helped us achieve some prestigious awards and even the rose parade. He didn't make a lot of money because well, he was a band teacher. If he had requested some sort of help I have no doubts that if one of the band parents was able to, they would facilitate that help.

It doesn't sound like the OP's band instructor is asking for a hand out, rather a "hook up". I don't see anything wrong with that. I'm not a church going person, but don't people reach out for assistance at church? What if the pastor was having a tough time and reached out? Would it be breaching the lines of professionalism? Why can't we just help people, especially when they're the ones helping to mould future generations. Put the BS etiquette aside and be a good human being and help out a fellow human!

 

[mfd25wife]

See, now my husband would have responded back offering up his assistance with no charge. I wouldn't have been offended at all.

I see nothing wrong with it either. My husband would've been like another poster, he'd have offered to help!!

I was the one who received all the emails from DD's teachers. I would be the wife calling the husband and saying, "Honey. I have a honey-do to help someone". I don't think things like that email would ruffle anyone's feathers around here. Then again, people here send emails, mass texts, facebook posts, etc. anytime we know someone is in need. We get them for house fires, thefts, broken appliances, etc. even if someone knows someone else is in need but won't ask. I volunteer DH occasionally since he was a mechanic, a paramedic, and added 750 sq ft to our house, including the electrical, carpentry, flooring, and some of the plumbing. It's people helping people IMO.

 

[EMHDad]

See, now my husband would have responded back offering up his assistance with no charge. I wouldn't have been offended at all.

Not a plumber, but I agree and like seeing the community take care of each other. That may have to do with the fact that I live in a town of 500. I would have called one of my two plumbers in my congregation and connected them to my child's teacher.

 

[anna_chronistic]

Eh, I see both sides. I live in a small town now, and although we are friendly and helpful and I have no doubt someone would respond to this plea, this would be considered inappropriate and would likely be cause for an executive session of the School Board so they could "discuss personnel." She wouldn't be fired over it, but she'd get some retraining in how to use e-mail and other technology appropriately, considering her role in the district. Someone else mentioned a power differential, and that is one part of the problem, along with the potential inappropriate "gift" issue, using school-supplied e-mail lists for personal business, and even the very tone of the e-mail. But she likely is very young, and younger generations might not be quite as aware of what is appropriate, in terms of technology use. On the other hand, what is "appropriate" is changing as rapidly, in some ways, as technology itself!

My problem with it is that she should not have used her students' parents as a first response team, and that is what casts doubt, for me, on her true intentions. She undoubtedly has an e-mail list of all her fellow teachers, and she should have contacted friends, coworkers, and her church first, through e-mail, phone, facebook, etc., if she really wanted a recommendation. Now, if a parent learned of her plight, that parent could appropriately e-mail other band parents (whom they know well and whose e-mail addresses they know, not by just sending a mass e-mail or getting e-mail addresses from a mass e-mail) and request assistance for the teacher.

Dynamics of a small town obviously differ from region to region, because she would absolutely receive assistance in my town, but the way she went about asking would put up people's backs. If nothing else, she perhaps needs to be aware that people of different generations (and she's bridging potentially 3 here: her students' generation, her own, and the parents' generation) will perceive her request differently, and she needs to be aware of and sensitive to that.

 

[mfd25wife]

Eh, I see both sides. I live in a small town now, and although we are friendly and helpful and I have no doubt someone would respond to this plea, this would be considered inappropriate and would likely be cause for an executive session of the School Board so they could "discuss personnel." She wouldn't be fired over it, but she'd get some retraining in how to use e-mail and other technology appropriately, considering her role in the district. Someone else mentioned a power differential, and that is one part of the problem, along with the potential inappropriate "gift" issue, using school-supplied e-mail lists for personal business, and even the very tone of the e-mail. But she likely is very young, and younger generations might not be quite as aware of what is appropriate, in terms of technology use. On the other hand, what is "appropriate" is changing as rapidly, in some ways, as technology itself!

My problem with it is that she should not have used her students' parents as a first response team, and that is what casts doubt, for me, on her true intentions. She undoubtedly has an e-mail list of all her fellow teachers, and she should have contacted friends, coworkers, and her church first, through e-mail, phone, facebook, etc., if she really wanted a recommendation. Now, if a parent learned of her plight, that parent could appropriately e-mail other band parents (whom they know well and whose e-mail addresses they know, not by just sending a mass e-mail or getting e-mail addresses from a mass e-mail) and request assistance for the teacher.

Dynamics of a small town obviously differ from region to region, because she would absolutely receive assistance in my town, but the way she went about asking would put up people's backs. If nothing else, she perhaps needs to be aware that people of different generations (and she's bridging potentially 3 here: her students' generation, her own, and the parents' generation) will perceive her request differently, and she needs to be aware of and sensitive to that.

Do we know that she didn't try the others first? I may have missed it, but I thought the post just said that she sent it to the parents, and didn't say whether the director had tried another route.

I would think that if it was deemed inappropriate use because it was a personal matter on school property or technology, sending it to teachers on their email addresses would be no different. It's till a personal issue regardless of who it was sent to.

Our school board wouldn't even come close to touching that one, I don't believe. At most, the principal might send the teacher and email or call and say she shouldn't do it. Our school board would not see this as a matter for them. They are the last resort of dealing with complaints. They only get involved if it's gone past the principal and then superintendent. And, we have a small school where people are just as likely to call up a member or see them at the gas station. I'd say grocery store, but there isn't one.

 

[Help Please!]

As a former band student/current elementary music teacher...I would not be bothered at all if I received this from one of my kids' teachers. I, like some others, like the "community" feel of teachers/families helping each other out...I think that kids get more out of school when parents/teachers are connected. Hence the reason I attend concerts, plays, and recitals that my students are in outside of school.

However, as a teacher myself, I wouldn't send it.

 

[richmond282]

I don't know that that warrants being forwarded to the principal or anything, but I would not send out an email to my band parents like that. I WOULD however post something along those lines on FB (I don't allow my band kids or their parents to be my FB friend either)

 

[shortbun]

Our elementary/k-8 published a website of all the people who wanted to participate that listed their occupation, work phones, etc. We networked within the group all the time. I think she needs help and wants to keep her business in the school community. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[disykat]

Our elementary/k-8 published a website of all the people who wanted to participate that listed their occupation, work phones, etc. We networked within the group all the time. I think she needs help and wants to keep her business in the school community. Nothing wrong with that.

Huge difference between that and what this teacher did. They gave emails so they could get updates about their kids. She essentially spammed them with her request.

 

[ilovefh]

First let me say I wouldn't send out an email like that I don't think.

That said, in the small town we're from it wouldn't seem weird. The teachers pretty much know all the parents very well. If I sent this type of email out to my field hockey parents when I coached I don't think it would be received as weird. We were a tight knight group and I knew the parents and kids very well after coaching their daughters for 7 years.

Now, the school we're at now, it would seem weird. Of the 130 kids I have I've met maybe a quarter of the parents. I'm willing to bet the majority don't even know my name.