Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Thoughts Without Words: Another teacher fired over Facebook comments

It seems that every time I turn around another teacher is fired for blogging or doing something in their own life that is private that someone finds out and becomes public.

Seems that a NY teacher posted something on her facebook that wasn't flattering at all. Shocking, yes, but it was a private posting. Meaning it wasn't public. One of her "friends" took it to the principal, nice friend huh?

Anyway, I won't say what she said, but more of comment on a teacher's right of free speech. Especially in this case, where it wasn't public, but private. Students rip teachers all the time on Ratemyteachers.com. And that is protected by the 1st amendment. Heck a student sued because she said her first amendment rights were violated when she was suspend.

What rights do teachers have? Can we not say anything anymore? I was told students have a first amendment right because it doesn't effect the learning environment, but if a teacher says something it does affect the environment. I call bull on this reasoning. When there is a facebook page calling teachers fat, lazy, pedophiles, or drunk then that's a problem and does disrupt the learning environment. Parents & administrators look at ratemyteacher and take it as actual fact. Yet, we can't be removed from their site.

Once again...where are the teacher's rights?

2 comments:

Roger Sweeny said...

At my high school in a Boston suburb, a student used her phone to take an unflattering picture of a teacher and then posted it on facebook, where she and some other students made, um, rude comments.

The student got a three-day suspension and was transferred to a different teacher's class. A friend who also commented was also transferred out.

The school has a well-articulated policy of no cell phones during school hours so that may have been what part of the suspension was for.

Mr. W said...

sounds like a good policy is in place. Our school recently loosened our cell phone policy to make parents and students happier. Of course teachers aren't too happy about it.

I would hope that some of that suspension would be from the picture and posting online too.