Edubloggers Miguel Guhlin recently posted questions about teachers’ privacy and whether or not school districts have authority about what teachers do after hours and post online.
Clif Mims followed this by posting the following questions…
- Do/Should schools districts have any say about what staff members (Secretary, custodian, cafeteria staff, bus driver, mechanic, maintenance, etc.) do after hours? Post online?
- Do/Should parents and the community have any say in these matters?
- How does this translate to higher education?
- If the answers to these questions are “yes” then is the same true for individuals in other professions (Nurse, news reporter, radio DJ, police officer, elected official, unelected government employee, or store clerk)?
Thoughts?
June 12, 2009 at 5:29 pm |
I would answer this with a whole hearted Yes, absolutely they do. In an ideal world we would all behave in a manner befitting our position, however, the news is too full of proof that that is not the case. Throughout history, teachers have been held to a certain standard by the communities in which they teach, they did this because they knew the influence these people had on their children. I do not see todays world of technological advancements as being any different. If a teacher does things that are in any way viewable by the public, then they should be held accountable for those actions.
I will leave the higher education question to others, but my inclination is to say that in Higher education there has also been an accountability, although not as strict. I do not see that that should change.
As far as other professions goes, I believe that anyone who is in a position of influence (police officers, teachers, etc.) and they are an employee of a government, they should be held to some standard. As far as doctors, nurses, and such I believe economics will take care of that. They rely on the public for their livelihood, and if they are behaving in a way that is not becoming, they will soon be out of work.
June 16, 2009 at 4:11 am |
No I don’t think that schools should have any say in what teachers or anyone else does in their own time- unless it’s something like molesting a child or promoting/committing violence (which I think everyone would agree with). But as for their personal recreations, beliefs, habits, etc….I think that it is infringing on their privacy and constitutional rights to do so.