Missouri Lawmakers Repeal Teacher Facebook Law

[CommanderFrank]

Score one for the good guys and continued free speech rights. We reported several times on the new Missouri Law preventing teachers from communicating directly with students in an attempt to fend off possible inappropriate behavior. The law was under fire from the start and was finally repealed on Friday.

"When we make errors we need to fix them, and that's what we're doing here today," said Rep. Chris Kelly, a Democrat from Columbia.

 

[Modred189]

Interesting, indeed. Particularly because my wife's school district (OH) recently made it a rule for teachers as part of their employment conduct. Seems like a better way to go, since there's no real appeal process, and teachers cannot afford the legal expense to challenge it.

Ah well, her response was, "Who cares? It's unprofessional for teachers to 'friend' students on facebook anyway."

 

[tunatime]

to say that teachers can talk whit kids is dumb, if the teacher wants to have a 2end facebook page just for kids in there class in case some one has a question about homework or some thing and that teacher feels like answering it don't stop them.

 

[gathagan]

I fully understand that limiting one's speech is non-Constitutional, but that's not really what these types of issues are dealing with.

If a teacher wants to communicate over the Internet with their students, email works just fine.

The problem lies in the area where the lines blur between professional and personal interaction.

There's a reason for labels like "social networking".

While it's not a 100% perfect analogy, using Facebook is the virtual equivalent to inviting people over to your house.

If a teacher had a bunch of their students hanging around their house at all hours of the day, or if a teacher was hanging around a students house at all hours of the day, you can bet that there would be some concerns voiced.

 

[Modred189]

to say that teachers can talk whit kids is dumb, if the teacher wants to have a 2end facebook page just for kids in there class in case some one has a question about homework or some thing and that teacher feels like answering it don't stop them.

Dear lord I hope this was sarcasm!

 

[malingjc]

to say that teachers can talk whit kids is dumb, if the teacher wants to have a 2end facebook page just for kids in there class in case some one has a question about homework or some thing and that teacher feels like answering it don't stop them.

There's other ways to do that. As an (volunteer) admin of my former grade school, I like using moodle for a CMS system. You can message people back and forth on there but it can be easily monitored by the school.

 

[HOCP4ME]

It's always nice when a legislature admits they made a mistake and fixes it.

 

[tigerade]

to say that teachers can talk whit kids is dumb, if the teacher wants to have a 2end facebook page just for kids in there class in case some one has a question about homework or some thing and that teacher feels like answering it don't stop them.

Your english teacher is out there somewhere... crying.

 

[Valset]

Interesting, indeed. Particularly because my wife's school district (OH) recently made it a rule for teachers as part of their employment conduct. Seems like a better way to go, since there's no real appeal process, and teachers cannot afford the legal expense to challenge it.

Ah well, her response was, "Who cares? It's unprofessional for teachers to 'friend' students on facebook anyway."

while not in disagreement with that it is in stark contrast of people pushing teachers to be caring and involved with their students. They are suppose to know when they are in trouble, having issues, act as counselors , hell in some cases outright raise them but not "friend" them on a social network. as a kid I remember it being very different. Times have changed

having said that it was just stupidity any way you looked at it. if your going to screw your student teach them to use secure email and safe computer usage. or don't use it at all. above all the art of keeping his / her mouth shut.