Internet changes face of policies

Teachers can be friendly in the classroom, but being “friends” with students on Facebook is off-limits.

That’s what many school districts are telling teachers this year.

Social networking sites on the Internet are forcing school systems to revamp policies to reflect the new technology. And while the old rules may have ended when the final bell rang and students went home, the new ones cover what a teacher does 364 days a year, 24-hours a day in the online world.

Facebook is a social networking site where people post information; including pictures of themselves, and invite people to “friend” them in order to get access to the information. The network reports it has 750 million active users.

John Leidy made a presentation this week to Perquimans County school employees on social media. He is the attorney for the school board there, and holds the same position for Camden County Schools and the Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools.

“Most legal disputes arise out of some kind of misunderstanding,” Leidy said. “People may not have the worst intentions, but someone can view it that way. That’s where things go off the rails and where teachers are vulnerable.”

He used the example of a teacher who had a photo on his Facebook page showing him in Key West holding alcoholic drinks in each hand and hugging a woman. That would not be appropriate for a teacher looking to set an example for young students.

The worst cases would be a teacher who used social networks to entice a student into a romantic relationship.

Camden County Schools have a policy on social networking.

“Social networking has place, but we caution students and staff to use caution,” said Superintendent Melvin Hawkins. “There is some good coming back from social networking, but you have to adhere to the policies.”

One rule is you can’t use school computers for anything other than proper school use.

“If it means using social networking to get information out to students, that’s one thing,” Hawkins said. “It’s not just during school hours, it’s 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”

Pasquotank County may soon be looking at a similar policy.

“We do not currently have a board policy that specifically addresses social networking,” said Angela Noblitt, a school spokeswoman. “However, we see the need for developing an appropriate policy will be working on this in the near future.”

This summer, New Hanover schools enacted a policy that says students and teachers can’t be friends on social media sites like Facebook.

Their new policy said school employees are not allowed to knowingly “friend” a student on Facebook.

Wake and Guilford County School Districts both have specific guidelines for teachers and staff to follow. Both restrict student teacher relationships on Facebook and other social media sites. Mecklenburg County does not have a section for social media, but all personnel must follow the policy guide for the code of ethics or action will be taken.

Teachers aren’t the only ones impacted.

“Though school personnel generally do not monitor students’ Internet activity conducted on non-school system computers during non-school hours, when the students’ on-line behavior has a direct and immediate effect on school safety or maintaining order and discipline in schools, the student may be disciplined in accordance with board policy,” reads the Perquimans County policy.

“It is problematic,” Leidy said. “Students and teachers “aren’t friends in the literal sense, but there is a relationship between students and teachers.

“Teachers have a First Amendment right to rant and rave on a Facebook page, but if it’s a matter related to their duties and they want to complain about the school or the students, that is not something that is protected by the First Amendment. People are just now getting around getting a handle on the need to regulate it.”

The new Perquimans policy says students can have cell phones on their person, but they can’t be turned on when school is in session. If a teacher sees a student in violation of the policy they are supposed to get the phone, turn it off without looking at it and turn it over to administration.

In a way the technology shouldn’t get in the way.

“While things have changed dramatically, you still should know what is proper and what isn’t,” Leidy said. You have to look at the difference of what is acceptable and what is not.”

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