Brick School Board Adopts Social Media Policy, But Some Feel It Goes Too Far

Just how far should school districts go in regulating communications between teachers and students? Is banning social media connections between them overly restrictive or a necessary step?

That was the crux of the discussion Thursday night at Brick Township High School, as the township’s Board of Education voted to adopt a policy governing use of the district’s computers and communications between students and staff via electronic means. The policy, No. 4119.26, covers the use of district computers for things such as ”illegal, inappropriate or obscene purposes,” but also dictates how staff members can communicate with students, in particular banning contacts on social media, such as Facebook, with some very limited exceptions such as between parents who are teachers and their own children who are students in the district.

That ban did not sit well with board member Susan Suter, who questioned the need for what she called such extreme measures and abstained from the vote. The policy was adopted by a 6-0-1 vote.

“I feel like this policy is strangling the staff,” Suter said, as she urged the board to consider amending it to includ. She said her child has benefited from having Facebook connections with teachers, who have said encouraging things when her daughter has had a rough day.

“I don’t want to lose that,” Suter said.

Board president Sharon Cantillo said while she agreed with many of the points Suter made, the board needed to get some policy in place as the district is undergoing New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum reviews now.

“We need a policy in place or we will fail QSAC,” Cantillo said.

The policy is in response to a state mandate issued as a result of a law passed by the state legislature last spring. The law, S411, went into effect April 24 and gave districts 120 days to come up with a policy, according to the text of the law. The intent is to “prevent improper communications between school employees and students made via e-mail, cellular phones, social networking websites, and other Internet-based social media.”

An Aug. 19 letter from the state Department of Education, pointed out the requirement to school districts, saying those that hadn’t put a policy in placed needed to do so.

The law, first introduced as a bill in 2012, was prompted a number of incidents of inappropriate relationships between teachers and students where the prime means of communicating as through cell phones or social media. And while some districts in the state had enacted policies already, not all had.

A number of districts continue to grapple with how best to implement it locally. Many have adopted a boilerplate version of the policy recommended by the state Department of Education; Brick is one of the few that has customized it.

Board member Frank Pannucci Jr. said that while 99 percent of the teachers are responsible and professional, the need for this policy arose ”because of the 1 percent who aren’t professional.”

Cantillo said the board held two meetings devoted specifically to developing the policy -- meetings that Suter was unable to attend -- and that the members discussed the Facebook issue in particular at length.

“There are some teachers who have maintained healthy and wonderful relationships with students,” Cantillo said of the Facebook friendships. “I know some students who have been saved by these relationships.”

But Cantillo added that she was swayed toward the tighter restrictions to start by information shared with the board by Dr. Richard Caldes, who said there had been inappropriate contact between teachers and students via social media during his time as principal at Brick Memorial.

“There was some pretty bad stuff. It did put responsibility on us,” Caldes said.

Suter urged the board to consider adding provisions for a waiver that parents could sign to allow their children to remain friends on Facebook with teachers.

“We sign waivers to allow our children’s photos and information to be used in the media,” Suter said. ”I should have that same right as a parent here.”

“I think that’s my position as a parent to determine what’s inappropriate,” Suter said.

Cantillo said the tighter restrictions protect not only the district but teachers as well, because in cases where there have been questions of appropriateness, ”teachers predominantly have lost their careers.”

Cantillo assured Suter the board would meet soon to keep working on the policy.

How do you feel about the ban on Facebook friendships between students and teachers? Tell us in the comments below.