Social Media and the School Community Cybertraps Live 026
Show outline If you have questions you’d like answered, please visit the Questions and Feedback page on Cybertraps.com The focus today is on the interactions among adults in our school communities Teachers, administrators, school board members, and parents Social media has altered the traditional power dynamics of the school community School Board members 2021 CA – Entire school board resigns after swearing and joking about parents during virtual meeting “They want their babysitters back.” “Parents want to be home alone so that they can smoke pot.” Profane, threatening language against a parent who criticized her on social media 2020 FL – School board member resigns after making racist comments on FB about Kamala Harris 2016 VT – Burlington School Board member sharply criticized for contents of FB feed Administrators 2020 VT – Principal fired for “insanely tone-deaf” Facebook post criticizing Black Lives Matter movement Principal’s attempt to apologize not successful 2019 NY – Superintendent resigns after wife tweets out allegations of an affair with a subordinate 2018 TX – Superintendent resigns after writing on a public FB page that “You can’t count on a black QB” “As an educator, this experience has taught me that I still have a lot to learn,” Redden wrote to board president Ted Wiggins. “My comments were not only uninformed but also hurtful, and I understand now why they were offensive to so many people.” Redden said he mistakenly thought he was responding to a friend’s private message. He deleted the post, but Spring resident Matt Ericksen sent the Chronicle screenshots of the comment Monday. 2015 LA – High school principal and her husband get backlash for posting image of them wearing their “people of Walmart” Halloween costumes Classism and racism? Just having fun? Teachers One Scottish teacher’s union described the combination of smartphones and social media as “catastrophic” for its members Orwellian scrutiny 2021 WI – High school english teacher (and wife of superintendent) placed on leave after series of racist, homophobic, and transphobic remarks on social media Superintendent also on leave New law firm brought in to investigate 2020 CA – Los Angeles teacher flees her home with her daughter after receiving death threats when an ‘angry parent shared a photo of her’ wearing an ‘I Can’t Breathe’ T-shirt during a virtual class 2018 OH – Teacher fired after encouraging preschoolers to fight and posting videos to Snapchat 2017 NJ – Teacher fired and had license suspended for two years after she describes students as “losers” on Facebook 2017 ND – Teacher resigns after investigation over offensive tweets about her special ed students Parents Steady rise in social media bullying of teachers and administrators by parents Teachers argue that social media is making parents more aggressive Parents have access to much more information about schools and teachers, increasing the potential for complaints and activism 2020 – Multiple reports of parents drinking, smoking pot, and wandering around half-dressed during their kids’ remote classes 2018 Ireland – Teacher successfully sues parent for libel over social media post 2016 Mexico – Parents successfully demand firing of teacher after spring break dance video circulates online What Can Be Done? Should schools ask parents to sign agreements about how they will use social media with respect to teachers and the school itself? THINK before you POST!!! Know how the technology works Slow down
Show outline
- If you have questions you’d like answered, please visit the Questions and Feedback page on Cybertraps.com
- The focus today is on the interactions among adults in our school communities
- Teachers, administrators, school board members, and parents
- Social media has altered the traditional power dynamics of the school community
- School Board members
- 2021 CA – Entire school board resigns after swearing and joking about parents during virtual meeting
- “They want their babysitters back.”
- “Parents want to be home alone so that they can smoke pot.”
- Profane, threatening language against a parent who criticized her on social media
- 2020 FL – School board member resigns after making racist comments on FB about Kamala Harris
- 2016 VT – Burlington School Board member sharply criticized for contents of FB feed
- Administrators
- 2020 VT – Principal fired for “insanely tone-deaf” Facebook post criticizing Black Lives Matter movement
- Principal’s attempt to apologize not successful
- 2019 NY – Superintendent resigns after wife tweets out allegations of an affair with a subordinate
- 2018 TX – Superintendent resigns after writing on a public FB page that “You can’t count on a black QB”
- “As an educator, this experience has taught me that I still have a lot to learn,” Redden wrote to board president Ted Wiggins. “My comments were not only uninformed but also hurtful, and I understand now why they were offensive to so many people.”
- Redden said he mistakenly thought he was responding to a friend’s private message. He deleted the post, but Spring resident Matt Ericksen sent the Chronicle screenshots of the comment Monday.
- 2015 LA – High school principal and her husband get backlash for posting image of them wearing their “people of Walmart” Halloween costumes
- Classism and racism?
- Just having fun?
- Teachers
- One Scottish teacher’s union described the combination of smartphones and social media as “catastrophic” for its members
- Orwellian scrutiny
- 2021 WI – High school english teacher (and wife of superintendent) placed on leave after series of racist, homophobic, and transphobic remarks on social media
- Superintendent also on leave
- New law firm brought in to investigate
- 2020 CA – Los Angeles teacher flees her home with her daughter after receiving death threats when an ‘angry parent shared a photo of her’ wearing an ‘I Can’t Breathe’ T-shirt during a virtual class
- 2018 OH – Teacher fired after encouraging preschoolers to fight and posting videos to Snapchat
- 2017 NJ – Teacher fired and had license suspended for two years after she describes students as “losers” on Facebook
- 2017 ND – Teacher resigns after investigation over offensive tweets about her special ed students
- Parents
- Steady rise in social media bullying of teachers and administrators by parents
- Teachers argue that social media is making parents more aggressive
- Parents have access to much more information about schools and teachers, increasing the potential for complaints and activism
- 2020 – Multiple reports of parents drinking, smoking pot, and wandering around half-dressed during their kids’ remote classes
- 2018 Ireland – Teacher successfully sues parent for libel over social media post
- 2016 Mexico – Parents successfully demand firing of teacher after spring break dance video circulates online
- What Can Be Done?
- Should schools ask parents to sign agreements about how they will use social media with respect to teachers and the school itself?
- THINK before you POST!!!
- Know how the technology works
- Slow down
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