Educator Conduct and Expectations on Social Media by Jennifer Ready https://padlet.com/jready1/rnsdhi8m7ncs3eu1 en-us 2020-09-25 00:15:25 UTC 2020-09-26 03:26:22 UTC hello@padlet.com Perspective jready1 https://padlet.com/jready1/rnsdhi8m7ncs3eu1/wish/777917652 As a first year teacher, I find it difficult at times to keep tract of all of the daily requirements that go into teaching. On top of that, there are legal and ethical expectations related to conduct outside of the classroom that can be difficult to keep up with. This Padlet will outline specific laws and ethical components as they relate to teacher conduct and expectations on Social Media. ]]> 2020-09-25 00:34:28 UTC https://padlet.com/jready1/rnsdhi8m7ncs3eu1/wish/777917652 Audience jready1 https://padlet.com/jready1/rnsdhi8m7ncs3eu1/wish/777921059 The goal of this Padlet is to inform teachers in the state of Texas, particularly new teachers, of specific laws and expectations as they relate to posting on Social Media. These laws will be primarily related to teacher conduct on internet platforms related to student communication and personal use. ]]> 2020-09-25 00:36:00 UTC https://padlet.com/jready1/rnsdhi8m7ncs3eu1/wish/777921059 Impact jready1 https://padlet.com/jready1/rnsdhi8m7ncs3eu1/wish/777924627 As educators, many specific laws have been established in order for us to better serve students in a fair and equitable manner. Breaking an educator conduct law on social media can be detrimental to one's future in the field, so understanding these laws is imperative. Educator conduct laws go beyond the classroom setting and effect daily lives and social media presence. Because of the breadth and depth of these laws, some teachers may not have a full and adequate understanding of the expectations outlined by state, federal and local laws. This Padlet aims at closing that gap and equipping teachers with information need to protect themselves on social media. ]]> 2020-09-25 00:37:37 UTC https://padlet.com/jready1/rnsdhi8m7ncs3eu1/wish/777924627 Educator Conduct in a Pandemic jready1 https://padlet.com/jready1/rnsdhi8m7ncs3eu1/wish/777925334 As we know, educator conduct laws are critical to becoming a successful educator. Teaching in a pandemic, though, opens a new perspective to potential opportunities for educator misconduct that we may not realize. The age of technology has helped educators everywhere reach students during these hard times, but with technology comes ease of access. Students are easily able to access educator social media accounts and with a pandemic, comes controversial political opinions and other potentially negative social media postings. 
Teachers have also taken to social media to complain about new working conditions, which may be detrimental to their careers. ]]> 2020-09-25 00:37:56 UTC https://padlet.com/jready1/rnsdhi8m7ncs3eu1/wish/777925334 ATPE jready1 https://padlet.com/jready1/rnsdhi8m7ncs3eu1/wish/777989185 Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) is an educator association that works to assist teachers in various aspects of their careers. One item specifically that ATPE assists with is educator law. The organization offers information on specific educator laws as well as legal assistance in the event a teacher needs representation. The link below leads directly to their site in which they posted clear information regarding educator certification sanctions and discipline. The post is brief, but discusses at length the process of a sanction, which is action that may be taken against a teacher who is under investigation and found guilty of educator misconduct as outlined by the Texas Education Agency as well as the Educator Code of Ethics. ]]> 2020-09-25 01:08:11 UTC https://padlet.com/jready1/rnsdhi8m7ncs3eu1/wish/777989185 Discipline Expectations jready1 https://padlet.com/jready1/rnsdhi8m7ncs3eu1/wish/778059105 The attached article posted by the Texas Tribune discusses several aspects of student discipline. 
  • In some cases, students act out in violent ways that may even jeopardies teacher safety
  • Teachers have shared stories in which students threaten them in violent ways, such as threatening to burn down their homes. With easy access to public social media accounts, students may be able to follow through with some threats
  • Senate Bill 2432 allows for stricter punishments towards students who violently threaten teachers
  • This bill makes it easier to remove students from a classroom when threatening remarks are made
  • This article serves as a reminder that teachers can sometimes be limited in their available actions when working with students based on restrictive laws and fear of sanctions 
  • As we consider social media use, students who threaten teachers may find it easier to actually follow through with threats based on information accessible via social media. These laws help to protect teachers when/if students threaten them and they feel unsafe. 
]]> 2020-09-25 01:43:20 UTC https://padlet.com/jready1/rnsdhi8m7ncs3eu1/wish/778059105 Educator Misconduct jready1 https://padlet.com/jready1/rnsdhi8m7ncs3eu1/wish/778099086 The attached article posted in the Texas Tribune highlights an excellent example of ambiguity when interpreting educator conduct laws. 
  • Georgia Clark was fired from Ft. Worth ISD in 2019 after posting several tweets to President Trump asking for the deportation of illegal students at her school
  • Clark appealed the decision and the Commissioner of Education, Mike Morath, agreed that she should not have been fired and deserved her job back
  • Ft. Worth ISD stood behind their decision, stating they had amble reason to fire Clark
  • This story serves as an example of the thin line between educator conduct laws and first amendment rights
  • While right and wrong may seem clear in this case, Commissioner Morath expresses concern that if Clark's termination sticks, other educators may fear speaking with elected officials in the future
]]> 2020-09-25 02:03:29 UTC https://padlet.com/jready1/rnsdhi8m7ncs3eu1/wish/778099086 Texas Administrative Code jready1 https://padlet.com/jready1/rnsdhi8m7ncs3eu1/wish/781000265 31 Tex. Admin. Code § 247.2 (2018).
Section 247.2 of the Texas Administrative Code is a statutory law that outlines expectations for Educators entitled Educators' Code of Ethics. 
  • Standard 3.9 (I) outlines specific guidelines regarding teacher/student communication via various platforms, including social media
  • Educators should not attempt to conceal communications with students that take place via online platforms

]]> 2020-09-26 00:58:20 UTC https://padlet.com/jready1/rnsdhi8m7ncs3eu1/wish/781000265 China Spring ISD Employee Handbook jready1 https://padlet.com/jready1/rnsdhi8m7ncs3eu1/wish/781016965 CSISD's employee handbook outline specific expectations regarding social media use under policies CQ and DH. Following these local policies is important so as not to face disciplinary action.
  • Policies in the China Spring employee handbook specify that employees should not post student information and/or photos on their personal social media accounts without written consent 
China Spring ISD. (2020). Employee Handbook. China Spring, TX.
]]> 2020-09-26 01:23:00 UTC https://padlet.com/jready1/rnsdhi8m7ncs3eu1/wish/781016965 Texas Education Code jready1 https://padlet.com/jready1/rnsdhi8m7ncs3eu1/wish/781026492 Tex. Educ. Code § 38.027
The Texas Education Code section 38.027 is a statutory law that expresses the expectations related to educator communication with students. 
  • Educators are expected to monitor their communication with students outside the classroom
  • This law specifies that individual school districts should develop their own expectations for educator social media communication
]]> 2020-09-26 01:38:33 UTC https://padlet.com/jready1/rnsdhi8m7ncs3eu1/wish/781026492 Munroe v. Central Bucks School District jready1 https://padlet.com/jready1/rnsdhi8m7ncs3eu1/wish/781036988 Munroe v. Central Bucks School District, 805 F.3d 454 (3d Cir. 2015).
This court case outlines a specific scenario of judicial law in which items posted to an educators blog ended in disciplinary action. 
  • Natalie Munroe created a blog and among her many posts included a post in which she spoke about special education students
  • Munroe also indicated in her blog post that she was, in fact, posting on her blog during work hours
  • Munroe initiated this law suit using her first amendment rights as adequate evidence to support her actions
]]> 2020-09-26 01:55:04 UTC https://padlet.com/jready1/rnsdhi8m7ncs3eu1/wish/781036988 1st Amendment of the Bill of Rights jready1 https://padlet.com/jready1/rnsdhi8m7ncs3eu1/wish/781047175 U.S. Const. Amend. I
The first amendment to the Bill of Rights outlines freedoms of US citizens regarding speech and expression. 
  • The 1st amendment lists all citizens have the right to freedom of expression, speech, religion, and assembly
  • This piece of constitutional law is important when considering educator conduct on social media
  • In many cases, social media is protected under the 1st amendment, however other educator laws take precedence over this law
]]> 2020-09-26 02:11:08 UTC https://padlet.com/jready1/rnsdhi8m7ncs3eu1/wish/781047175 Educator's Guide to Social Media jready1 https://padlet.com/jready1/rnsdhi8m7ncs3eu1/wish/781053164 This guide written by Larry Magid and Kerry Gallagher offers educators several helpful guidelines related to social media use as an educator. Social media use can be a gray area for educators because it falls on the line between freedom of speech and educator ethics, so this guide is a great tool for educators to reference when in doubt. ]]> 2020-09-26 02:21:23 UTC https://padlet.com/jready1/rnsdhi8m7ncs3eu1/wish/781053164 Recommendations for Social Media Use jready1 https://padlet.com/jready1/rnsdhi8m7ncs3eu1/wish/781058121 Educators are role models on their campuses as well as in their communities, so professionalism on social media platforms is important. Below are several recommendations for educators to follow when posting content or using social media.
  • Always read your districts employee handbook and what your specific district outlines as social media expectations
  • Keep all social media accounts set to private in order to better monitor who has access to those accounts
  • Utilize monitored services to communicate with students, such as email or Remind
  • When you are unsure of a post on your social media accounts, reach out to your campus administration team for guidance
  • Always seek written approval for any social media posts regarding students/student information
  • Avoid posting to social media about information regarding your career or campus - don't post complaints or concerns about your campus, instead speak to your district leadership teams 
  • If something would not be appropriate to discuss in the classroom, do not post it to your public social media accounts
]]> 2020-09-26 02:30:09 UTC https://padlet.com/jready1/rnsdhi8m7ncs3eu1/wish/781058121 jready1 https://padlet.com/jready1/rnsdhi8m7ncs3eu1/wish/781076932 China Spring ISD. (2020). Employee Handbook. China Spring, TX.

31 Tex. Admin. Code § 247.2 (2018).

Magid, L., & Gallagher, K. (2020, August 17). The Educator's Guide to Social Media. Retrieved from https://www.connectsafely.org/eduguide/

Munroe v. Central Bucks School District, 805 F.3d 454 (3d Cir. 2015).

Tex. Educ. Code § 38.027

U.S. Const. Amend. I]]> 2020-09-26 03:02:52 UTC https://padlet.com/jready1/rnsdhi8m7ncs3eu1/wish/781076932 Educators' Code of Ethics jready1 https://padlet.com/jready1/rnsdhi8m7ncs3eu1/wish/781087120 31 Tex. Admin. Code § 247.2 (2018).
All public school districts in the state of Texas require teachers and educators to abide by the Texas Educators' Code of Ethics. 
  • Standard 1.9 states that teachers should not make threatening remarks towards their campus, students, or peers
  • This ethical expectation can be compared to the example of Georgia Clark, who tweeted to Donald Trump exposes illegal students at her campus
  • Clark's tweets serve as an example of an item that could be in breach of the ethical expectation on social media
]]> 2020-09-26 03:21:26 UTC https://padlet.com/jready1/rnsdhi8m7ncs3eu1/wish/781087120