Missouri passed a law that forbids teachers from contacting students directly on the internet (or "non-work sites"). This has been called the "Facebook Law," since the main goal was to limit teachers contacting students via Facebook. Ostensibly this is to protect students from pedophile teachers. In reality this law is a giant pain in the ass for educators.
Now, a woman is suing the state because she can't even talk to her own kids on Facebook.
Apparently the law doesn't discriminate between students at all. Any teacher is forbidden from contacting any student (defined as a child under 18 attending or formerly attended the school), not just the students in their classroom. Predictably the ACLU is supporting the teacher in her quest to repeal the law. Meanwhile, on the opposition side we have an "expert" who claims "10 percent of public school students in 2000" were sexually harassed by teachers. That sounds ridiculously high to me, but the real problem is that her solution is to block all contact between teachers and students.
I'm a teacher. I've found Facebook and classroom webpages to be a great tool in the classroom. If nothing else it works well for posting assignments and answering questions. This law looks like it would be a giant middle finger to teachers. First, we're just assumed to be child-molesting predators eagerly violating all of our students left and right. Second, it smacks of politicians being terrified of a new technology and outright banning it.
Am I wrong? Does this seem like a totally reasonable attempt at protecting students?
Now, a woman is suing the state because she can't even talk to her own kids on Facebook.
Apparently the law doesn't discriminate between students at all. Any teacher is forbidden from contacting any student (defined as a child under 18 attending or formerly attended the school), not just the students in their classroom. Predictably the ACLU is supporting the teacher in her quest to repeal the law. Meanwhile, on the opposition side we have an "expert" who claims "10 percent of public school students in 2000" were sexually harassed by teachers. That sounds ridiculously high to me, but the real problem is that her solution is to block all contact between teachers and students.
I'm a teacher. I've found Facebook and classroom webpages to be a great tool in the classroom. If nothing else it works well for posting assignments and answering questions. This law looks like it would be a giant middle finger to teachers. First, we're just assumed to be child-molesting predators eagerly violating all of our students left and right. Second, it smacks of politicians being terrified of a new technology and outright banning it.
Am I wrong? Does this seem like a totally reasonable attempt at protecting students?
