Facebook can mean face time with school principals

The photos in question showed Payne in pubs and beer gardens while on summer vacation.  In a comment on her Facebook page, Payne announced was headed out to play a game called "Crazy Bitch Bingo."

For young teachers like Payne for whom technology is second nature, what may seem like innocent fun is leading them into a world of trouble.

The bottom line, said Tim Callahan, spokesman for the Professional Association of Georgia Educators, is teachers have to be careful.

In Payne's case, he said,  “It appears that hasty judgments may have been made both by the school administrator and by the teacher who resigned before seeking legal counsel.”

Because her page Facebook page was set to the highest privacy level, Payne believed her posts were only accessible to her friends. She denied giving students access to her page, which school officials have said is the crux of the issue.

Her lawyer, Richard Storrs, has requested a hearing before the school board. “Ultimately what we want is the termination to be rescinded, her back pay and legal fees,” he said.

Although local school districts have jumped on the social networking bandwagon, none have electronic usage policies that extend beyond the workplace. Doing so, they fear, would mean infringing on teachers' First Amendment rights.

“We treat it on a case by case basis,” said Keith Bromery, spokesman for the Atlanta Public Schools. “When something comes up that disrupts the learning environment or impacts public perceptions of the character of our instructional staff, we initiate our own investigation and we submit the matter at the same time to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission. Depending on those investigations, we decide whether we’re going to take action or not.”

Gary Walker, director of the Georgia Professional Standards Commission's ethics division, said he deals with about 600 such cases a year.  Of those, about 20 involve social media sites and range from "extremely inappropriate sexual content and nudity to photos of teachers with alcohol in their hands."

More than half of those, Walker said, have warranted disciplinary action including revoking teaching licenses.

Consequently, more school districts are considering policies that specifically deal with sites like Facebook and MySpace, said Lisa Soronen, senior staff attorney for the National School Board Association.

"It's an emerging issue but it's hard to know how often they are adopted," she said.

There can be challenges to writing such policies, she said, because you don't want to limit speech, especially off campus.

"On the other hand," Soronen said, "If you read enough of these stories, and I do, you realize that some of the behavior is teachers not thinking about the consequences of their conduct."

"But if  you raise awareness, especially for younger teachers, education can be a powerful way of changing behavior."

Barrow County school administrators drafted a social media policy 30 days ago, said spokeswoman Lisa Leighton. The move was not in response to Payne's case, she said, adding that the board will consider the policy at its Dec. 1 meeting. Prior to that, she said, the district relied on the state's Professional Standards Code of Ethics.

The state code addresses on- and off-campus behavior including inappropriate relationships with students and "anything that violates the mores of the community," said Walker, of the Professional Standards Commission.

"I had one teacher working as a stripper about 50 miles from where she was teaching second grade," he said.

Payne isn’t the first teacher to come under scrutiny for online activities.  Teachers from here to New York, where a high school teacher Stephen Murmer was fired for painting canvasses with his buttocks in a YouTube video,  have been disciplined.

More than four in five online adults use social media at least once a month, and half of those participate in social networks like Facebook and LinkedIn, according to a recent Forrest Research report. Of those, 42 percent maintain a profile on those sites.

But many teachers say they draw a clear line between personal and professional posts and caution against using the sites to reach out to students.

Ruth Keenan, who teaches at J.C. Booth Middle School in Peachtree City, said teachers have always had to exercise discretion on and off the job.

“It’s common sense not to allow students on your Facebook page,” said Keenan, 54. She uses Facebook to stay in touch with her grown children.  She has heard of teachers who allow their students to become Facebook friends; but doesn't advise it -- unless the site is used to post lessons and helpful links.

“It’s a horrible idea, especially if you’re a young teacher,” she said. “It’s so easy to cross that line between being their buddy and being their teacher.”

Jennifer McGovern rarely signs on to the site.  The 38-year-old Sugar Hill kindergarten teacher succumbed to the pressure of joining the virtual community only after her mother, who lives in Chattanooga, Tenn., pleaded with her to do so.

“My mom begged me to get one to keep in touch,” said McGovern, who shares her site only with family and very close friends.

“As great as technology has been to improving education, used the wrong way, it can be very damaging,” said Jeff Hubbard, president of the Georgia Association of Educators. “Teachers need to be careful not only when it comes to computers but cell phones. The slightest verbal gaffe or well intentioned photograph can end someone’s career.”

Hubbard said that once something is posted on the internet, it’s up to scrutiny and can be viewed as going against the tenants of the professional code of ethics.

“There’s no rule that says a person over the legal drinking age can’t consume alcohol,” he said referring to Payne’s case. “The concern is at what point does that inhibit a person’s ability to be an effective role model.”

The GAE issued a warning to teachers as early as last spring about the risks associated with the Internet, urging them to use the same discretion online as they would in the classroom.

Well before the social media explosion, Hubbard said teachers were entangled with dating sites and faced charges of unprofessionalism.

“People have to understand their IP address can be pulled up,” said Hubbard. “It’s just basically a matter of people using good common sense, knowing that in today’s world everything’s traceable and sometimes people look for things that might not be there.”

Avoiding potential problems with social media:

Protect your privacy:  Make sure you are familiar with the privacy settings provided by the site you are using. Even if your information is "private," make sure everything you post is information you would be comfortable sharing with almost anyone.

Think before you post:  Even though the First Amendment protects your speech, such speech may fall outside of First Amendment protection if it "impedes your employer's effectiveness or efficiency or otherwise disrupts the workplace." Keep in mind that information posted on your profile page is often searchable.

Picture perfect: Do not post any photographs of yourself or others that could be considered unprofessional or inappropriate, or link to any material that could be considered unprofessional or profane.

Know your friends: Do not accept friend requests from anyone you do not know. Do not accept friend requests from your students or their parents. If a student or parent of a student messages you through a social networking site, do not respond.

Source: Georgia Association of Educators