Carroll teachers are not to ‘friend’ students or their parents on social media

With the Missouri state law going into effect Aug. 28
prohibiting social networking between teachers and students, local
educators and school officials are weighing in on what venues of
communication between the two parties are appropriate.

Carroll County Public Schools Assistant Superintendent of
Instruction Steven Johnson said teachers are informed during a
yearly training that includes the topic of staff and student
relationships that teachers are not to “friend” students – or the
parents of their students – on Facebook.

“Friending” others allows you to connect with them, often seeing
personal information that they post.

Teachers are advised should only communicate with students about
school-related topics, like coursework and grades. They are also
told that they should be very cautious about what they post on
their personal social media sites.

“Teachers are held to a high standard of ethical behavior,” he
said.

When teachers start interacting with students outside of school,
they open themselves up to possible criticism, accusations or even
litigation, Johnson said.

Director of Human Resources Jimmie Saylor said there is no
official written policy in place concerning teacher and student
social media site relationships, but there is a policy about staff
and student professionalism.

There have been a couple incidents over the years concerning
teachers exchanging too much information with parents and students
on Facebook, Saylor said. Issues have also been raised about
students posting things about their teachers on Facebook, which can
also be inappropriate.

“The teacher has to be very careful not to share student
information on a Facebook page” because of student privacy rights,
she said.

Complaints or problems concerning social media sites are
addressed on a case-by-case basis, Saylor said.

Franklin Middle School language arts teacher Deana Munchow, of
Littlestown, Pa., said she feels very strongly that teachers and
students should not be friends on Facebook. While several students
have tried to “friend” her, she has declined their requests.

“I just feel that Facebook is my private area,” she said.

Even if it happens unintentionally, the boundaries between
teacher and student could be blurred if the two become linked on
social media sites, Munchow said.

There are many other ways for students and teachers to keep in
contact, like email and through wiki pages, she said.

Munchow doesn’t post anything inappropriate on her Facebook, but
it’s not created at the level of professionalism she would want
parents and students to see, she said.

New Oxford High School language arts and English teacher Amanda
Bamberger said she would not friend a student on Facebook unless
she knew him or her on a personal level.

Bamberger, of Hampstead, said she knows some teachers who are
friends with their students because they interact with them
elsewhere, in the community where they both live. Bamberger said
that is not really an issue for her since she doesn’t live in the
community where she teaches.

While being friends with some students would probably be OK, she
thinks it wouldn’t be as appropriate with other students, so she
has decided to keep it separate. Also, she said some people may
challenge why teachers, especially young ones like herself, would
be friends with her students on social media sites.

One merit to connecting to students on Facebook would be that
the social media site is something in which they are interested.
Bamberger has used mock Facebook pages in her lesson plans because
it is something with which her students are familiar.

“I think if people are aware of the risks, and are professional
and responsible, they could use technologies as a way to connect
with [students],” Bamberger said.

While Munchow doesn’t think that students and teachers should
become friends on Facebook, she recognizes there can be exceptions,
like being related to a student.

She and Bamberger don’t think it should be prohibited by law, as
it now is in Missouri.

“I don’t think the government should be able to step in and tell
you who you can and can’t befriend on Facebook,” Munchow said.

Reach staff writer Alisha George at 410-857-7876 or
alisha.george@carrollcountytimes.com.

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