Superintendent of Schools and Facebook. He should know better.

[DawnCt1]

This is a gross display of unprofessionalism. The town in question is a small town. It won't take long for teachers, students and citizens of the town to figure out who the administrator is. This superintendent "needs to retire or be terminated".

Courant.com
Superintendent's Facebook Posts Could Be Trouble

By SHAWN R. BEALS, sbeals@courant.com

July 28, 2010

WINDSOR LOCKS —


In an exchange on Facebook, David Telesca, the new school superintendent, wrote that on his first day "on site," he was involved with "counseling an administrator to retire or face termination." Telesca followed his comment with a smiley face.

This was part of an exchange between Telesca and a group of his "friends" on the popular social networking site about his new position.

Telesca began his Facebook exchange on July 1, his first day under contract as superintendent, by noting that the school district was closed that day, that he slept until 10 a.m. and that he then browsed the Internet.

"If every day is like this, it'll be the best job ever," his update continued.

The subsequent exchange between Telesca and five people appears to be a subject of a special board of education meeting tonight at 7.

Several comments — dated between July 1 and July 9 — follow on Telesca's Facebook page, including one that said "SUPER? You're OKAAYYYYYY!" apparently in reference to his title of superintendent, to which Telesca responded, "Yes, but OKAAYYYYYY-intendent doesn't fit on my business cards."

It was after another Facebook user remarked that every day on the job won't be the same as his first day that Telesca responded: "I noticed that … my first day on site involved counseling an administrator to retire or face termination. "

Telesca's Facebook page appears to have been taken off the site.

He said Tuesday that he would not comment on the Facebook posts. Board of Education Chairwoman Patricia King also declined to comment.

Tonight's school board meeting is in the central office, and King said the meeting was called to discuss a personnel matter.

The meeting agenda includes an executive session for "Discussion of Superintendent of Schools position/contract."

A spokesman for the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education said Tuesday that he could not recall any instances in the state when social media usage was a problem for a school district.

"It comes up on a national level," said Nick Caruso, the spokesman. "Almost as a rule, boards of education are starting to look at policies that say you're a public figure and if you post things in a public forum you will be held accountable."

CABE holds workshops on social media programs, and offers several sample policies for school boards to set rules on social media usage for district employees and students, Caruso said.

"If you're a teacher and your students see it and you're in a less than flattering situation, it could affect the way you teach," Caruso said.

Telesca, a former assistant superintendent in Plainville schools, took over the superintendent's job from Gregory Little, who retired at the end of the school year.

Officials from the Windsor Locks Teachers Association could not be reached for comment.

http://www.courant.com/community/wi...intendent-0728-20100727,0,1457347,print.story

 

[iwrbnd]

How very unprofessional and sad!

I work for my small town's school district and I always think before I post anything of fb and make sure a parent, teacher or my principal could read it!

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Wow. Dumb move. What was he thinking??

 

[Lionqueen2]

Some of the things people are willing to post on Facebook continue to amaze me.

 

[Pigeon]

Yes, he should know better.

But honestly, it doesn't surprise me.

 

[DawnCt1]

Its awful. I don't think that this will sit well with any of the teachers. If he talks about "an administrator" so freely, who else will he start visiously gossiping about? I believe that this administrator has legal recourse here. It isn't hard to figure out who it is that he was posting about. This would be a well justified law suit.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Tonight's school board meeting is in the central office, and King said the meeting was called to discuss a personnel matter.

The meeting agenda includes an executive session for "Discussion of Superintendent of Schools position/contract."

A spokesman for the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education said Tuesday that he could not recall any instances in the state when social media usage was a problem for a school district.

"It comes up on a national level," said Nick Caruso, the spokesman. "Almost as a rule, boards of education are starting to look at policies that say you're a public figure and if you post things in a public forum you will be held accountable."

I wonder who's going to have (or get) to counsel THIS administrator to resign or face termination. Surely he violated something in his contract? What was he thinking, or was he even thinking? People with positions a lot responsible and a lot less public than his have been fired or simply not hired based on FaceBook, MySpace, etc. . I feel bad for the people passed over for this job in favor of this jerk

 

[klj27]

My husband is a school administrator and would never do anything that stupid, but doesn't even have a facebook because of his job. It just takes one person to see something and take it out of context. He figures why put yourself in that position.

Now, this guy, seems like he is not in the right position. Making jokes like that with your friends is one thing. Joking like that for the world to see is stupid.

Commenting on personnel matters is very likely grounds for termination.

School superintendant is such a huge job and I would highly doubt this guys decision making skills after reading this exchange.

 

[DawnCt1]

My husband is a school administrator and would never do anything that stupid, but doesn't even have a facebook because of his job. It just takes one person to see something and take it out of context. He figures why put yourself in that position.

Now, this guy, seems like he is not in the right position. Making jokes like that with your friends is one thing. Joking like that for the world to see is stupid.

Commenting on personnel matters is very likely grounds for termination.

School superintendant is such a huge job and I would highly doubt this guys decision making skills after reading this exchange.

Lets hope the school board sees it the way you do.

 

[barkley]

if he was "browsing the internet" (as he indicated on facebook) on a district computer or during his schedualed work time, depending on the ethics code for his employer, he could be immediatly terminated for that-with no need to go into the social networking issues.


we have public schools in our neck of the woods where the ethics code is VERY specific about this, in large part b/c their employees are considered government employees-and use of the internet for anything other than what can be proven to be work related is considered, under our state law-a misuse of public funds.

it may sound like something obscure that never gets enforced, but in the ethics training the staff gets they are cautioned that so much as using the school's computer to briefly check your personal e-mail on your break can be grounds for disciplinary action up to and including termination (and it's kind of interesting to occasionaly hit the state auditor's web site and read up on the cases that get reported by co-workers and the community, and the outcomes).



btw-the person he "counseled" would have great standing at this point for a lawsuit-threatening to fire someone because they choose not to retire could be pursued on so many levels.

 

[sbell111]

I don't see the problem.

 

[sbell111]

btw-the person he "counseled" would have great standing at this point for a lawsuit-threatening to fire someone because they choose not to retire could be pursued on so many levels.

Yet, offering to allow someone to retire rather than be fired isn't illegal, at all. The person in question, of course, has no standing anyway because his identity was not given. In fact, no confidential information was appraently shared by the superdude.

 

[SueInBoston]

DawnCt1

Thanks for posting...

just yesterday my 16 year old asked me if she should create another facebook account for the more serious stuff in her future life. Job apps, college apps, etc..and we had a nice discussion. This is a very good thread to show her the consequences...

 

[DawnCt1]

I don't see the problem.

Really? You don't see a problem with any administrator discussing personnel issues on a public forum where he is known as the school administrator of a particular town, talking, with a smiley face no less, about forcing a particular administrator out, (retire or be fired) and that particular administrator retires and EVERYONE in town knows who retired between July 1st and July 9th? Seems at the least, grossly unprofessional. At worst, a breech of employee confidentiality issues.

 

[DawnCt1]

Yet, offering to allow someone to retire rather than be fired isn't illegal, at all. The person in question, of course, has no standing anyway because his identity was not given. In fact, no confidential information was appraently shared by the superdude.

Having that confidential conversation, and I stress confidential, may be entirely appropriate. Posting a very obvious and transparent situation publicly; (I can assure you, everyone in town will know who that administrator is by the end of the day) is HIDEOUS.

 

[sbell111]

Really? You don't see a problem with any administrator discussing personnel issues on a public forum where he is known as the school administrator of a particular town, talking, with a smiley face no less, about forcing a particular administrator out, (retire or be fired) and that particular administrator retires and EVERYONE in town knows who retired between July 1st and July 9th? Seems at the least, grossly unprofessional. At worst, a breech of employee confidentiality issues.

Again, merely mentioning that you had to ask a non-identified person to resign is not a breach in confidentiality.

 

[DawnCt1]

Again, merely mentioning that you had to ask a non-identified person to resign is not a breach in confidentiality.

It clearly is if that person is readily and immediately identifiable. I do not live in that town but I knew by 8:45 am exactly who it was.

 

[sbell111]

Having that confidential conversation, and I stress confidential, may be entirely appropriate. Posting a very obvious and transparent situation publicly; (I can assure you, everyone in town will know who that administrator is by the end of the day) is HIDEOUS.

Regardless of how you feel about it, no laws were broken.

 

[DawnCt1]

Regardless of how you feel about it, no laws were broken.

So you think he will get to keep his job despite the fact that he posted, what most people would consider confidential information and found it funny? Do you think that his blatant lack of professionalism should permit him to keep his job?

 

[klj27]

Regardless of how you feel about it, no laws were broken.

I don't think this is about laws. It is about what is written in his contract and I would bet he definately violated something in the terms of his employment. It probably comes down to how much the people in charge like him when deciding whether or not he gets reprimanded.