Missouri teachers protest social media crackdown

Missouri teachers protest social media crackdown

www.kansascity.com

The law was proposed after an Associated Press investigation found 87 Missouri teachers had lost their licenses between 2001 and 2005 because of sexual misconduct, some of which involved exchanging explicit online messages with students.

But many teachers are protesting the new restrictions, complaining the law will hurt their ability to keep in touch with students, whether for classroom purposes, personal problems or even emergencies.

The new law forbids teachers from having "exclusive access" online with current students or former students who remain minors, meaning any contact on

(visit the link for the full news article)

Talk about government interference. This makes me sick.

As a retired para-educator in "alternative schools" (for behaviorally and emotionally disturbed kids), and then a social worker interfacing with school-aged youth and their teachers and administrators, I have several years of experience with how important it is for students to feel they have an adult on whom they can count.

If teachers are forbidden to interact with students in confidential matters this restricts those of them who want to help all aspects of a student's life and development if they can.

I realize that they are not saying teachers are NEVER allowed to discuss private matters with students, or to keep in touch with former students, and thank the gods for that -- but this is the beginning of such control.

If they pass this law, then next comes enforced banning of telephone messages, meetings in public places like Starbucks or the Public Library, ANY chance for students to be able to access adults they respect and trust and come to for HELP.

I can't remember how many youths have spoken to me about things wrong at home, about self-destructive ideation or behavior, about doubts and worries and fears....but every one of them was respected by me and I did what I could to help.

Yes, there are perverts, and any teacher who engages in sexual flirtation (or worse) with students SHOULD be removed from the students, but for heaven's sake!!

I wonder if ATS members will have anything to say about this.


www.kansascity.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I have only one thing to say.

Teachers are there to teach, not to make status updates. If they feel they need to keep in "contact" then phone calls can be made. Facebook has absolutely no place in the education system.

reply to post by Skewed

Private messages give "truly supportive teachers the chance to get help for them when they're in dangerous or compromising situations," Lawson said.

Lawson once called a state child-abuse hotline after a private online conversation revealed dangerous drug use by a student's adult family member. She encouraged a pregnant teen to remain in school and helped the girl tell her parents. Another student confided that his attendance woes and classroom struggles were caused by the financial and emotional stress of caring for a mentally ill parent.

Lawson has no qualms with other provisions in the law to monitor teachers accused of sexual misconduct, such as conducting annual criminal background checks and requiring districts to share information about employees who are fired or resign in sex-abuse cases.

Still, she says, teachers often use Facebook and other online forums for legitimate educational purposes — and to help students with personal troubles they might not be willing to discuss in more public settings.

Read more: www.kansascity.com...

Did you read the article??

In this age of "tell an adult you trust" warnings to kids, mind you, kids who are more aware than ever about adult issues, abuses, real-world problems, and the like, AND the fact that many kids now WON'T pick up the phone, or use email, but EXCLUSIVELY use Facebook (though it's a voyeurish pile of rubbish IMO), it makes sense for caring adults to gain access to the "fad" of facebook. If it's the only way your students will use any sort of communication (a good teacher adapts to student behaviors inasmuch as it is healthy and productive to do so - i.e., keep up with the kids) to stay in touch, then it should be allowable.

I did say that of course phones can still be used, for texting OR FOR VOICE (imagine that! a voice conversation!)or email, or personal meetings in public places. There are ways to talk to others without using facebook (duh. though an astounding number of people seem to have forgotten that). So can paper mail (it is still illegal to read other people's mail, thank god, and it is still considered taboo to read others' diaries and "personal and confidential" documents)....
but if the kids will only use facebook, and they want the teachers to be there on facebook, so what?

If a teacher is going to abuse a student sexually, they should be fired and their license yanked, no question.

There is MORE to teaching than the official "subject matter."

reply to post by Skewed


then what place does it have in the "business" system?

reply to post by wildtimes


Teachers who molest children should be drug out in to the woods...............................................! Teachers are not kids friends their for dont need to be on their fb pages etc.. Teachers are not emergency contacts... If a teacher wants into a childs life that badly they should have their own kids.. These rules are to protect the children if you have a problem with that than you dont care for them in the first place... I have worked with children for over 15 years and I dont have a problem with this.... BTW its not gov interferance untill they try to tell you what to do with your own kids.....

reply to post by wildtimes


Seems like the state of Missouri is treating teachers like sex offenders, or there starting too.

Originally posted by wildtimes
reply to post by Skewed

 

then what place does it have in the "business" system?

As far as I am concerned, it has no place in the business system as well.

From my experience with facebook in the business world, I have seen that there really is no benefit or return on the time spent utilizing it. In my neck of the woods, facebook in the business world is only there as an excuse to waste time instead of actually working, creating a facade that real work is actually being done.

reply to post by jonco6

Teachers who molest children should be drug out in to the woods...............................................!

Completely agree with you.

Teachers are not kids friends their for dont need to be on their fb pages etc..

Absolute twaddle. Teachers are kids' adult mentors, like it or not. Teachers spend MORE time with their students than their parents do in many cases. And many parents are abusive and abuse drugs and don't see to it that their children have food, clean sheets, supervision, or guidance. What Xanadu do you live in?

Teachers are not emergency contacts...

Hogwash.

If a teacher wants into a childs life that badly they should have their own kids.. These rules are to protect the children if you have a problem with that than you dont care for them in the first place...

I wouldn't even dignify this with a response, except that I want to say I DO have my own kids, and the kids I came to know as an educator did NOT all have exemplary parents, which is why I got into the field in the first place.
EVERY ADULT in a child's life is IN THEIR LIFE. Some of those adults are psychos, others don't care about them, and some teachers want to be accessible. Some kids NEED teachers who are aware enough of the kids' lives to be able to spot trouble.

All I can say is that I'm glad you weren't one of my own kids' teachers. It's teachers who show no interest in a child's personality, mood swings, performance, general happiness, and outside-school wellbeing who should ALSO be removed.

Not much dif between an abuser and a detached, indifferent text-passer-outer. Neither gives the child a feeling of self-esteem or validation.

reply to post by LDragonFire


Did you read the article? And the reader comments so far to it?

I brought this up as a matter of government interfering with communication between individuals.

If anyone bothers to READ the article, they will see that the Missouri teachers who lost their licenses due to sexual misconduct were between 2001-2005, BEFORE facebook even existed for the mass public.

I encourage anyone who reads this post to please READ the ARTICLE before commenting. For heaven's sake.

reply to post by jonco6


What?! It is used to get business, to have people "like" the business, to announce sales and specials and special events....there hardly exists a business now which doesn't have a "facebook" page.

reply to post by Skewed


Agreed. I, personally, don't have any use for facebook, period.
I look forward to the day it dies entirely.

Originally posted by wildtimes
reply to post by jonco6

 

Teachers who molest children should be drug out in to the woods...............................................!

Originally posted by wildtimesCompletely agree with you.

Teachers are not kids friends their for dont need to be on their fb pages etc..

Originally posted by wildtimes
Absolute twaddle. Teachers are kids' adult mentors, like it or not. Teachers spend MORE time with their students than their parents do in many cases. And many parents are abusive and abuse drugs and don't see to it that their children have food, clean sheets, supervision, or guidance. What Xanadu do you live in?

The one the article is about first of all. Secondly if any of that is the case it will be knoticeable in the class you dont need to take kids out to a restraunt then where ever else or talk to them on fb to figure that out.

Teachers are not emergency contacts..

Originally posted by wildtimes Hogwash.

Really you think just because your a teacher you have unlimited rights and libertys with others children you dont. And if you think you do might I sugest talking to a therapist.

If a teacher wants into a childs life that badly they should have their own kids.. These rules are to protect the children if you have a problem with that than you dont care for them in the first place...

Originally posted by wildtimes
I wouldn't even dignify this with a response, except that I want to say I DO have my own kids, and the kids I came to know as an educator did NOT all have exemplary parents, which is why I got into the field in the first place.
EVERY ADULT in a child's life is IN THEIR LIFE. Some of those adults are psychos, others don't care about them, and some teachers want to be accessible. Some kids NEED teachers who are aware enough of the kids' lives to be able to spot trouble.

All I can say is that I'm glad you weren't one of my own kids' teachers. It's teachers who show no interest in a child's personality, mood swings, performance, general happiness, and outside-school wellbeing who should ALSO be removed.

Not much dif between an abuser and a detached, indifferent text-passer-outer. Neither gives the child a feeling of self-esteem or validation.

First of all yes every adult in a child life is in their life and its thoes psychos that think they need to be incontact with them at all hours of the day and night that are the issue. If you cannot identify with the child in the time you have at school then you have a prob. Also its easy to ask them at school how their weekend was its not rocket science but to show interest you dont need to have constant contact with them you sound like you want to be all of their parents. Yes some of their parents are bad in witch case they will call or fill you in at school in off time. But the soultion here it to keep the bad teachers from molesting them your telling me that its more important to catch bad parents than to stop teachers from molesting the kids I say both are important. And bad parents have been cought way before fb existed.and my space etc.. but seeing how you just want to argue Their is no reason to be here.

edit on 5-8-2011 by jonco6 because: fixing quotes

edit on 5-8-2011 by jonco6 because: (no reason given)

Okay, it's like this y'all...all PARENTS NEED TO MONITOR THEIR CHILDREN ONLINE! I know that's easier said than done, but that's the fact. No laws to to be made to restrict adults from using the internet (except for those in possession of child pornography). Once you let the Genie out of the bottle you can't put it back in. I think Missouri lawmakers should be spending their time worrying about how to FUND their schools!!!

This has been posted to death already so why are you bringing it up again instead of adding to the current threads?

reply to post by kro32


Posted to death? It was a brand new article in the news this morning. I did an ATS search and it didn't come up.
Sorry if I'm being redundant.

Originally posted by wildtimes
reply to post by kro32

 

Posted to death? It was a brand new article in the news this morning. I did an ATS search and it didn't come up.
Sorry if I'm being redundant.

You didn't search very well:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

www.abovetopsecret.com...

reply to post by jonco6

First of all yes every adult in a child life is in their life and its thoes psychos that think they need to be incontact with them at all hours of the day and night that are the issue. If you cannot identify with the child in the time you have at school then you have a prob. Also its easy to ask them at school how their weekend was its not rocket science but to show interest you dont need to have constant contact with them you sound like you want to be all of their parents. Yes some of their parents are bad in witch case they will call or fill you in at school in off time. But the soultion here it to keep the bad teachers from molesting them your telling me that its more important to catch bad parents than to stop teachers from molesting the kids I say both are important. And bad parents have been cought way before fb existed.and my space etc.. but seeing how you just want to argue Their is no reason to be here.

Dude, your spelling and grammar are appalling. I don't have any clue what you have done to "work with"
children for 15 years, but you clearly are not literate enough to be teaching much.

Yes, please, move along.
ETA: Oh, and, BTW, I AM a therapist. I have a Master's degree in Social Work, specializing in counseling, specifically Children and Families.

reply to post by kro32


Fair enough. My bad. I pasted the headline into the search engine.
Fine, I'm done here, then.
Cheers!