EDHS Contemporary World Affairs

MrsCavalluzzi · Guru

Is MySpace everyone's space?

KW00D · Senior Member

With regards to the first question:
Is punishing them a violation of the Fourth Amemdment[more specifically, the right to privacy]?

And the second one:
Yes it is outside of school, but underage drinking is Illegal, and therefore the punishment of being expelled from the extracurricular activity is 'going easy,' as it were.

[(JordanA.)] · Senior Member

i personaly think this is lame. I understand that teachers are supposed to be role modles for their students, but i think it is the teachers right to publish what they want as long as it wasnt published on a school computer. There only getting mad because it puts a bad face on the school that the teacher goes to..

mannyg · Veteran Member

teachers are people just like anybody else. they should be allowed to do what they want outside of school hours, and they should not be punished for things they do while not on the clock.

Luis777 · Senior Member

teachers can do what they want and put up what they want on there myspace or whatever...there only getting mad because it doesnt make the school lokk good...and i agree that they should get punished if they are updating this on a school computer

geriatric1991 · Senior Member

yes i agree that teachers are entitled to their private lives and should not be limited to a conservative ideal of some people. i hope what i just wrote makes sense. im sure you can figure it out

MrsCavalluzzi · Guru

KW00D wrote:

With regards to the first question:
Is punishing them a violation of the Fourth Amemdment[more specifically, the right to privacy]?

It's not a Fourth Amendment issue because there's no search involved- if the information is available online, there's no reasonable expectation of privacy. That's why the lawsuits have centered around the First Amendment instead. :)

Vanessabug · Senior Member

[1] I do not know what to think about the whole teachers thing. I dont know why any teacher would want its students to be able to see their crazy free life. I mean pictures of family and friends... NORMAL pictures are a completely different story. But inappropriate things seem so unneccesary.
[2] YES YES YES kids should be punished even if its a weekend. they signed the contract and that is a pledge. say they do go out and party and dont get caught, obviously nothing happens. but when they openly post pictures and everything, they are asking for major trouble. its like the criminals who were handcuffed together and then ran into eachother! DUH :)

ich_binJason · Senior Member

I'd say its fair game. As much as teachers deserve a private life, some naggy parent can claim it wasn't good for the schools reputation. I know from experience. I got kicked off cross-country for making fun of the Tyrant Greg Beckman and his food eating habits on myspace. The worst thing was they wanted me to apologize for something hilarious and truthful. Need less to say I'm biased with and feel its fair game.

KW00D · Senior Member

MrsCavalluzzi wrote:

KW00D wrote:

With regards to the first question:
Is punishing them a violation of the Fourth Amemdment[more specifically, the right to privacy]?
It's not a Fourth Amendment issue because there's no search involved- if the information is available online, there's no reasonable expectation of privacy. That's why the lawsuits have centered around the First Amendment instead. :)

Freedom of Speech/ Expression, yes?

But in a way, the teachers kind of get what they deserve. Granted, they're human as well, and they can't be professional allllll the time, but if one chooses to do something that has potentially bad consequences then they better be prepared for them, if that makes sense?

jacobcorbin · Senior Member

Well, i see what their issue is. If teachers, for some odd enough reason, possibly have put up pictures of them drinking, what kind of message does that to the students? More importantly, these teachers are employees of the school district and their behavior could be looked at as an overview of them. And no school district want parents to be accussing teacher of these sort of actions because then no one will want to be in those kinds of schools, (which in a radical sort of way) could potentially lead to closing down of those schools. Just something to think about.

MrsCavalluzzi · Guru

for those several of you who have advocated teacher consequences, I'm really interested in your thoughts on the subparts of that question.

if i (obviously, after I have my baby) go to a wine tasting this summer with a group of my former roommates from college, all of us being well over 21, and I want to post a picture from the trip on a Facebook page that I don't give current students access to, to whom am I "setting a bad example" that is worthy of me facing disciplinary consequences at my school?

where's the line? is it more about what sort of behavior is portrayed on the site or more about who has access to the page?

KW00D · Senior Member

MrsCavalluzzi wrote:

for those several of you who have advocated teacher consequences, I'm really interested in your thoughts on the subparts of that question.

if i (obviously, after I have my baby) go to a wine tasting this summer with a group of my former roommates from college, all of us being well over 21, and I want to post a picture from the trip on a Facebook page that I don't give current students access to, to whom am I "setting a bad example" that is worthy of me facing disciplinary consequences at my school?

where's the line? is it more about what sort of behavior is portrayed on the site or more about who has access to the page?

Most teachers follow the same example that you do, in that they don't accept friend requests until they graduate, therefore I don't think a bad example can be set.
It's definitely more about who has access to the page, and if the profile is private then there's really no problem.

Vanessabug · Senior Member

I think the picture of the wine tasting example is completely acceptable.
It is a tasteful picture.
I think a picture like this:

classless and ridiculous :) should result in punishment

-- Edited by Vanessabug on Friday 27th of March 2009 05:53:35 PM

ich_binJason · Senior Member

MrsCavalluzzi wrote:

for those several of you who have advocated teacher consequences, I'm really interested in your thoughts on the subparts of that question.

if i (obviously, after I have my baby) go to a wine tasting this summer with a group of my former roommates from college, all of us being well over 21, and I want to post a picture from the trip on a Facebook page that I don't give current students access to, to whom am I "setting a bad example" that is worthy of me facing disciplinary consequences at my school?

where's the line? is it more about what sort of behavior is portrayed on the site or more about who has access to the page?

I say its the behavior in context. If its you doing a keg stand at a party in Santa Barbara, ya, you'll probably be regarded as the coolest teacher behinds Mr. Disbennett, but you'll probably get punished. I'd say any law-breaking behavior should be the way you judge something. A wine tasting shouldn't be punishable, and besides if your facebook is blocked from students views, why should you be worried?

Bam · Senior Member

I think if the content is explicit then they should go on, on their own time but if their just going on to check their e-mail then I don't think they should be punished let alone be fired.

Captain John Manassero · Senior Member

let them eat cake

MrsCavalluzzi · Guru

ich_binJason wrote:

I say its the behavior in context. If its you doing a keg stand at a party in Santa Barbara, ya, you'll probably be regarded as the coolest teacher behinds Mr. Disbennett, but you'll probably get punished. I'd say any law-breaking behavior should be the way you judge something. A wine tasting shouldn't be punishable, and besides if your facebook is blocked from students views, why should you be worried?
excuse me, do I really just have to do Santa Barbara keg stands to be the coolest teacher behind Mr. Disbennett?!?!? i thought that Mr. Tsuda already had a lock on the title, but now that I know it's up for grabs...August road trip!!:)

I'm really not all that worried (except about my relative coolness status) because (a) I don't friend current students and (b) my FB page is pretty boring anyway except for status updates like "Sunshine Arena Cavalluzzi cannot believe one of my students would talk smack about Duke when his grade is in my hands" (JUST kidding...or am i?!?!?).
I just happen to think this is a super interesting question

lookitspeter · Senior Member

I think it is the district/the school's decision what the rules are. True, teachers are ordindary people and have the right to free speech but I think the job requires people to "better behaved" than most. Teachers are suppose to be role models to students and a positive influence in their lives so I don't think it's much to ask to keep their private lives private. I've always had this impression that people who become teachers are mild and well mannered (guess not?) so I can't really imagine a faculty member at our school being punished for posting something inappropriate on myspace. (Except maybe Kruz and Bladoh biggrin

)

And as for the content that should be punishable, I'm not sure how I would draw the line between what is allowed and what isn't because there should be some grace/leniency but I think, "I know it when I see it."

If someone has signed a contract saying they won't be an idiot (generalizing the use of the word idiot) and are caught/exposed they should be removed from their extracurricular activity. Kind of related to this, I think that law enforcement should be allowed to set up suspicious people. If they know there is a internet predator that rapists women the cops should be allowed to set the guy up to put him in prison. Justice is a dish best served cold.....

ich_binJason · Senior Member

hey i got a 5 1/2 outta 6 on that FRA and you wrote I did excellent on mandatory spending!! smile

I understand government a whole lot more than Econ. If Smith was running this class and a big Duke Fan, I'd be worshipping Duke. Tsuda is pretty awesome, just ask him what does on late start days. Nothing like fishing and eating sandwiches in Bolsa Chica.

Ayesha · Veteran Member

i think that it is up to the teacher what they post on their public profiles. they do have the right to privacy but at the same time being a teacher there is a certain level of responsibility. such as not adding current students, that would a responsible thing to do as a teacher. but if a teacher was adding their current students, they should just think before posting anything, just as we all should on myspace and FB. because anyone can see it once its out there. about the punishment, im not sure. i kind of think they should be, but not anything too extreme.

Vanessabug · Senior Member

"Sunshine Arena Cavalluzzi is making Vanessa Nicole Kinan laugh really hard in the 505 lab" (22 secs. ago)

edepuy · Veteran Member

why would a teacher friend their current students anyways on a space? they are their students teachers, not their friends and that is how the relationship should be. isn't it? i mean it's not like they can't be nice to their students and joke around and stuff, but they are teachers. it would be kinda weird if a teacher started hanging out with their students all the time and being buddy buddy with them.

watashiwa1293 · Veteran Member

TEACHERS ARE PEOPLE TOO!!! They have all have a life (well... maybe except Mr. Thomas :D) and do things that normal people would do. Plus, teachers should IDEALLY be mature adults who would know what would happen to them if they post racy pictures of themselves or pictures of themselves doing illegal activities. As long as they're posting pictures of themselves not doing anything illegal (like a picture of themselves drinking wine when they were over 21 at the time the picture was taken), then they shouldn't be punished. It is probably best for teachers to set their pages on private and to accept former students so that current students and/or their parents don't have a standing when they want to prosecute teachers for posting "questionable behavior". As for the second question... yes, student athletes should be removed for breaking a contract when they post pictures of themselves doing illegal activities because... that's just plain STUPID of themselves for posting the pictures in the first place!!!

EDHS Contemporary World Affairs

"Your distress about life might mean you have been living for the wrong reason, not that you have no reason for living." Tom O' Connor