Is it appropriate for a high school teacher to give his cell phone number to his students?

[Anonymous]

Coach, perfectly fine. My middle schooler and my high schooler both have their coaches cell number. How else are they supposed to let them know they have to miss practice or are late and need let into the gym or whatever ?

These comments are ridiculous. Some of you are so paranoid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And does this answer change if he's a coach and they are on his team? What if they are not on his team?

I don't have a student athlete, so I don't know what the accepted practice is.

I think a lot of public schools have specifically policies that prohibit this, because it’s very easy to imagine how it can be viewed as inappropriate as well as turn into an actual inappropriate relationship.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Coach, perfectly fine. My middle schooler and my high schooler both have their coaches cell number. How else are they supposed to let them know they have to miss practice or are late and need let into the gym or whatever ?

These comments are ridiculous. Some of you are so paranoid.

DD’s team uses slack. Parents have access to it as well. I would not be okay with teachers or coaches communicating directly with minors. They should also be aware of the need to protect themselves and not communicate privately with the kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son’s middle Middle school soccer coach has team Numbers and they have his and are in a group text chat. Some coaches use snap chat or other social media groups to communicate with team. I don’t see anything wrong with it.

SafeSport does not allow this - any communication with a player from a coach MUST include the parent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. My son has told me that this is not allowed at his public school.

+1

[Anonymous]

Kendrick Lamar just released a song on this very topic!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Coach, perfectly fine. My middle schooler and my high schooler both have their coaches cell number. How else are they supposed to let them know they have to miss practice or are late and need let into the gym or whatever ?

These comments are ridiculous. Some of you are so paranoid.

DD’s team uses slack. Parents have access to it as well. I would not be okay with teachers or coaches communicating directly with minors. They should also be aware of the need to protect themselves and not communicate privately with the kids.

For regular communication and game/practice info sure (I think mine use the Band app) but both of my kids have their coaches cell and vice versa. It is mainly for short practical connections like I mentioned above. No one thinks anything of it - maybe bc my daughters coaches are women.

This is a public school.

[Anonymous]

My son’s public hs coaches all use What’s App.

Club uses TeamSnap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son’s middle Middle school soccer coach has team Numbers and they have his and are in a group text chat. Some coaches use snap chat or other social media groups to communicate with team. I don’t see anything wrong with it.

SafeSport does not allow this - any communication with a player from a coach MUST include the parent

This must be specific to middle school bc high school is definitely not like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Coach, perfectly fine. My middle schooler and my high schooler both have their coaches cell number. How else are they supposed to let them know they have to miss practice or are late and need let into the gym or whatever ?

These comments are ridiculous. Some of you are so paranoid.

You don't sound too bright. I hope your kids aren't targeted for abuse simply because their parent is so clueless. Predators are very well aware which kids they can groom with little worry.

[Anonymous]

NP
These are examples of communication:
"I have a family matter this evening so Coach Tom will be leading practice."

"Practice is canceled due to lightning."

"Please attend this Thursday's practice as we will discuss important team news."

On the messaging end
"I can't attend practice because we'll be out of town"
"OK thanks for letting me know"

"Am I at the wrong field?"
"It's on the other side of the school"

I can't help but agree with the poster who does not see this as grooming. Obviously, casual texting with more details/ lengthy back and forth would be a different matter but this is helpful and has been normal in our experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP
These are examples of communication:
"I have a family matter this evening so Coach Tom will be leading practice."

"Practice is canceled due to lightning."

"Please attend this Thursday's practice as we will discuss important team news."

On the messaging end
"I can't attend practice because we'll be out of town"
"OK thanks for letting me know"

"Am I at the wrong field?"
"It's on the other side of the school"

I can't help but agree with the poster who does not see this as grooming. Obviously, casual texting with more details/ lengthy back and forth would be a different matter but this is helpful and has been normal in our experience.

Nobody is suggesting that all communication would be grooming. There is a reason school divisions ban this type of thing. Wouldn't it be wonderful if there was no danger of adults taking advantage of kids but this is the real world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP
These are examples of communication:
"I have a family matter this evening so Coach Tom will be leading practice."

"Practice is canceled due to lightning."

"Please attend this Thursday's practice as we will discuss important team news."

On the messaging end
"I can't attend practice because we'll be out of town"
"OK thanks for letting me know"

"Am I at the wrong field?"
"It's on the other side of the school"

I can't help but agree with the poster who does not see this as grooming. Obviously, casual texting with more details/ lengthy back and forth would be a different matter but this is helpful and has been normal in our experience.

Nobody is suggesting that all communication would be grooming. There is a reason school divisions ban this type of thing. Wouldn't it be wonderful if there was no danger of adults taking advantage of kids but this is the real world.

If they do it parents should be on the app. Our coach said no to parents being on the private app and it goes against multiple rules. Huge red flag.

[Anonymous]

Any coach or teacher who is texting a student one on one, is either a complete moron or a groomer.

A parent should always be on the text chain.

[Anonymous]

It was very common--maybe universal--when I was in school, both with teachers who doubled as coaches and coaches who did not otherwise work at the school. I personally saw it go south in both directions -- students/players who used it for ill (e.g., prank calls/texts), and teachers/coaches who messaged extensively with students/players they later "began" dating when the latter turned 18. I'm sure as a whole most of the communications school-wide were appropriate, but I'd have a very hard time permitting this as a parent.