Recently, we have seen students being punished for statements and actions outside of school. At the same time, we have teachers fired for their outside jobs, here and here. Now, North Carolina teachers hat the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School are facing discipline over comments and photos that they put on their Facebook sites, including “I hate my students!”
The teachers posted such lovely missives as “I hate my students,” and “I work in the ghetto of Charlotte.” The pictures show the teachers drinking and posing in a manner that the district found inappropriate. The CMS Code of Conduct says that teachers can be punished for behaving in any unethical or lascivious conduct at any time if the conduct interferes with the employee’s professional abilities.
I find some of these comments to be very problematic. To say “I hate my students” is a legitimate concern for parents. However, I remain very concerned about the monitoring and punishment of teachers for conduct outside of work, particularly these pictures that are deemed inappropriate. Teachers should not have to live in a fishbowl and avoid stupid pictures with friends. Their personal life and professional life must have some demarcation.
We have seen the same crackdown on police officers.
For the full story, click here.
Facebook has become the new Sodium Pentothal. I note the dismissal of a Univ. of Texas football player for publishing a racial slur directed against president-elect Obama. Mac Brown the coach, did not challenge the comment but instead lamented that kids use Facebook irresponsibly. The player did apologize, albeit by letter read to the team, and likely written by the SID, I would guess. Says something about the kids, but more about Mac Brown.
This is a related but strongly disturbing development: I thought this was wrong when cheney (see Bart Gellman’s book) did it and I think it is wrong for Obama to do it. Information this intrusive does not belong in the hands of the president.
“A seven-page questionnaire being sent by the office of President-elect Barack Obama to those seeking cabinet and other high-ranking posts may be the most extensive — some say invasive — application ever.
The questionnaire includes 63 requests for personal and professional records, some covering applicants’ spouses and grown children as well, that are forcing job-seekers to rummage from basements to attics, in shoe boxes, diaries and computer archives to document both their achievements and missteps.
Only the smallest details are excluded; traffic tickets carrying fines of less than $50 need not be reported, the application says. Applicants are asked whether they or anyone in their family owns a gun. They must include any e-mail that might embarrass the president-elect,…”
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/13/us/politics/13apply.html?hp
More good reasons to stay away from FaceBook and the NC public educational system.
Teach Your Children Well
http://giovanniworld.wordpress.com/2008/11/18/teach-your-children-well/