SN posting photos of her "special" students on FB and instagram

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP again. Are teachers told things like this are inappropriate? Is there a code of ethics or some list of regulations? If not, I would not want to see her get in trouble. I'm pissed and if she were seasoned I'd say it's inexcusable. She is young and probably doesn't get why this is highly inappropriate and offensive.

Yes, teachers know that there are expectations of confidentiality. This information is reviewed many times.b what you describe is a violation of FERPA.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks you for the feedback. I think I may start with her and if she doesn't seem to get why I am annoyed I will love up the chain. I agree they grew up with oversharing so it's a different mentality. On the other hand it's so unprofessional. I also hate that she seems to see kids with SN as some sort of charity and she is so giving and amazing to help our poor defective kids. I doubt she meant to come across like this, but that was my initial impression.

[Anonymous]

I won't love up the chain, but I will move up the chain. Ha!

[Anonymous]

If she's really that green and new, I'd ask her take it down and explain why. Then, if she didn't comply, I'd email her principal. She sounds like a typical twenty-something with no idea about online privacy.

[Anonymous]

I hate Facebook. Also this woman is a very huge idiot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP again. Are teachers told things like this are inappropriate? Is there a code of ethics or some list of regulations? If not, I would not want to see her get in trouble. I'm pissed and if she were seasoned I'd say it's inexcusable. She is young and probably doesn't get why this is highly inappropriate and offensive.

Yes, teachers know that there are expectations of confidentiality. This information is reviewed many times.b what you describe is a violation of FERPA.

I'm a veteran teacher in MCPS and the only times that my administrators have discussed social media with us are to:
a) ask us not to be in contact with students via social media, and
b) ask us to watch what we ut up about ourselves on social media (pictures with alcohol, profanity, etc) no matter how "private" our settings seem.

I have better sense than to post personal details about my students on social media, but I'm a 40-something mom as well. Even so, I'm FB friends and IG followers of probably 200 other teachers (including those in SPED) and see countless postings with photos of students and identifying details about them. So, if this young lady is violating FERPA, so are dozens of other teachers across the country. Doesn't make it right, but they are doing it. So man be the information isn't as well and widely reviewed as people think.

[Anonymous]

Holy hell she should know better. She's breaking the law. I'd email her principal ASAP.

[Anonymous]

At our school we have to sign a photo release if we consent to having photos posted anywhere. I always decline and I would be raising hell if this were my school. Hold on a minute while I google our teacher.

[Anonymous]

Schools take pictures all the time not a big deal

[Anonymous]

Are teachers specifically told not to post photos and videos of students on social media without consent or are they just told the blanket statement "you must maintain confidentiality?" Most reasonable people can figure out that posting photos and identifying the kids as SN on social media violates confidentiality, but some people need these things spelled out. I guess my concern is at the higher level. If the school system doesn't make this clear and spell out the scenarios considered violations of confidentiality then this is a problem.

Do they get specific training on maintaining confidentiality or is it just something mentioned over and over? I ask this because our principal doesn't seem to completely understand the boundaries of confidentiality when she converses with us in the hallway about SN issues or posts photos in the hallway of kids hard at work in speech therapy and OT. She seems like a smart woman, yet this never occurred to her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At our school we have to sign a photo release if we consent to having photos posted anywhere. I always decline and I would be raising hell if this were my school. Hold on a minute while I google our teacher.

This, ours also has a special Facebook form now. Special needs or not she should not be posting.

[Anonymous]

Wow, you are going to really put her down, she's excited and wants to help. WTF. It doesn't take a genius to figure out she's a sn teacher and pictures of her students etc.... there is nothing wrong she didn't state names or the disability.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Schools take pictures all the time not a big deal

This is taken a step further. The children are identified as special needs. That is confidential information.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks you for the feedback. I think I may start with her and if she doesn't seem to get why I am annoyed I will love up the chain. I agree they grew up with oversharing so it's a different mentality. On the other hand it's so unprofessional. I also hate that she seems to see kids with SN as some sort of charity and she is so giving and amazing to help our poor defective kids. I doubt she meant to come across like this, but that was my initial impression.

I think that is a very mature way to handle it. Since she is quite young, I don't think she understands the complexity of the situation and the view from a parents perspective. As a teacher, we do get talks about boundaries and privacy. However, as someone who was once new, mistakes can happen. See if this stops what is happening. If not, definitely go to the principal or even if it does stop you may want to write him/her an anonymous note about how teacher's social media should reflect the schools best interests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, you are going to really put her down, she's excited and wants to help. WTF. It doesn't take a genius to figure out she's a sn teacher and pictures of her students etc.... there is nothing wrong she didn't state names or the disability.

When you identify the school, you are making it clear where these kids can be found. While the chances some pedophile figures kids with SN are easier prey will come get the kids is below 1%, it should be the parent's decision whether the child's photo is posted and special needs status is revealed.