This was not the 10 commandments! He was only handling the immediate problem, which he did a good job of handling.

Parents, please parent your kids. It is not MCPS and Joshua Starr's responsibility!

If Starr had published his home phone number how many of these little twits would have called him? I'll bet none.

They are essentially cowards that somehow think that social media is fair game and that everything and anything goes.

Following this blog because I have kids in both private and public. It has many good posts. This week's was definitely relevant to the public school side of the discussion on cybercivility. This blogger always says to look at what the public school has to offer. . .Seems to be from MOCO.

Good reads on bullying. Seems like if you pick a bad private, it can be such a waste. Jump over to the private forum. . .everyone is anxious about "being accepted" at their first choice of private school at this time of year.

Here is a link: http://process999.wordpress.com/

I have kids in the younger grades so I don't know what is it really like in the upper grades yet. I would say that the Starr message is a good one unless there were serious issues with cyberbullying and he just never addressed them until he was the recipient of those messages. Then his message may have been better as a broader message for everyone. It doesn't negate the fact that kids should not be tweeting negative comments to anyone - other kids or Starr.

I think the issue has to be dealt with on all fronts. I teach my kids that is not okay to say mean things to others, exclude, etc. But I also know that the school does an excellent job of bridging the age gap so the older kids do not bully the younger kids and there is an understanding that such behavior would not be tolerated. In the 3 years we have been in the school, I have never heard of an incident from my child, the teacher or another parent of bullying.

If something occurred and my child was bullied, I know I would rely on the school to communicate with me and eliminate the problem. I don't think anyone on the board is saying that it is not their responsibility to teach their kids to do and say the right thing. But if your kid is being bullied and you don't think the administration is doing enough, what are your options (other than pulling out and paying $30k/year for private)?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Huge mistake not to anticipate this BEFORE willingly putting himself out there. Now we sound the alarm and start a task force. How about he start with ensuring that digital civility extends beyond protecting the royal office. Many students have been victimized by cyber bullying. The letter focused on him, not about the larger issue at hand, and the cyber bullying that continues on a daily basis.

Stop playing the victim, hon.

The school system does indeed address it in the best way possible - especially at the high school level. But it starts in elementary school.

However, it's YOUR job as a parent to do the bulk of the work. So if your little Suzie Q is on her cell or online for hours and you're not vigilant, is it the system's fault if she's bullied?

I can't believe how so many of you refuse to be parents. Is it just TOO hard for you to handle? so hard, in fact, that you expect US to do it for you?




Signed,
a parent (first) and teacher

Those types of parents will never get it; too busy having a finger-pointing response from "snowflake syndrome."

Here come the MCPS snowflake posters. Anything good the students do is all about hardworking teachers and administrators. Any problem or issue is all about those awful parents that just don't get it.

Agree. Idiotic statements. Watch your kids every keystroke? Yeah, I'd like to see you try. Want me to control the behavior of other kids? I know you didn't imply that! The system has failed to deal with inappropriate use of social media among mcps students. It was reported by the Gazette back in April that several inappropriate accounts were set up. Some of these accounts are still current. There was just a recent Instagram incident that is way out of control. Cyber bullying is now a crime. What measures does the system have in place for reporting incidents? How does a parent or family go about reporting incidents related to school? While Starr is busy writing letters about his treatment, I hope he is addressing this as well.

again - Blame others for your inadequacies as a parent.

Damn straight I - as a parent - watch my kids' use of technology. And as a teacher, I make students aware of cyber safety. Furthermore, I teach them to recognize inappropriate sources, and I provide them with guidelines for analyzing websites for credibility.

But no, it's not ONLY MY responsibility to make sure Suzie Q isn't 1) bullying another kid or 2) being bullied by another.

How sad for your children - to not discuss these matters and to not take the time to TEACH them at home first!

You're pathetic on so many levels, "parent."

Actually, I find it very disturbing and scary that a teacher would find pleasure in writing such posts anonymously. What else do you do when the kids aren't watching? Are your anonymous attacks representative of what you teach your kids about being civil online? Given that you do all you can do to "educate" them...just wondering.

Parents and administrators have a shared responsibility here. Let's all try to work together to teach our kids about appropriate use of social media.

I posted on
12/18/2013 20:49

Note that when you subtract 12:00 from 20:49, the "product" is 8:49 pm. My kids were in bed.

FWIW, I tell my kids the truth. There are parents out there who are lazy and enabling, and you'll see that type of behavior manifest in their own children. My children are young - yet still self-sufficient and responsible.

I'm sorry if you feel as though I've attacked you. Maybe the truth hurts? if only a little?

Ahhhhh..you still have small kids. Well your comments make total sense then. It's really easy and convenient to call parents lazy and enabling to explain why their kids manifest certain behaviors. First, it's not that clear cut. Secondly, you have no experience raising older children. I challenge you to keep your remarks in a safe place for a few years, and read them again when your kids are older. Unless you'd like to lock them is a closet on weekends, place video camera in their rooms or GPS tracking devices on thier ankles, get ready for the time of your life! One thing is for sure, you won't be here making the same self righteous comments in a few years. Enjoy!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Huge mistake not to anticipate this BEFORE willingly putting himself out there. Now we sound the alarm and start a task force. How about he start with ensuring that digital civility extends beyond protecting the royal office. Many students have been victimized by cyber bullying. The letter focused on him, not about the larger issue at hand, and the cyber bullying that continues on a daily basis.

Stop playing the victim, hon.

The school system does indeed address it in the best way possible - especially at the high school level. But it starts in elementary school.

However, it's YOUR job as a parent to do the bulk of the work. So if your little Suzie Q is on her cell or online for hours and you're not vigilant, is it the system's fault if she's bullied?

I can't believe how so many of you refuse to be parents. Is it just TOO hard for you to handle? so hard, in fact, that you expect US to do it for you?




Signed,
a parent (first) and teacher

Those types of parents will never get it; too busy having a finger-pointing response from "snowflake syndrome."

Here come the MCPS snowflake posters. Anything good the students do is all about hardworking teachers and administrators. Any problem or issue is all about those awful parents that just don't get it.

Agree. Idiotic statements. Watch your kids every keystroke? Yeah, I'd like to see you try. Want me to control the behavior of other kids? I know you didn't imply that! The system has failed to deal with inappropriate use of social media among mcps students. It was reported by the Gazette back in April that several inappropriate accounts were set up. Some of these accounts are still current. There was just a recent Instagram incident that is way out of control. Cyber bullying is now a crime. What measures does the system have in place for reporting incidents? How does a parent or family go about reporting incidents related to school? While Starr is busy writing letters about his treatment, I hope he is addressing this as well.

again - Blame others for your inadequacies as a parent.

Damn straight I - as a parent - watch my kids' use of technology. And as a teacher, I make students aware of cyber safety. Furthermore, I teach them to recognize inappropriate sources, and I provide them with guidelines for analyzing websites for credibility.

But no, it's not ONLY MY responsibility to make sure Suzie Q isn't 1) bullying another kid or 2) being bullied by another.

How sad for your children - to not discuss these matters and to not take the time to TEACH them at home first!

You're pathetic on so many levels, "parent."

Actually, I find it very disturbing and scary that a teacher would find pleasure in writing such posts anonymously. What else do you do when the kids aren't watching? Are your anonymous attacks representative of what you teach your kids about being civil online? Given that you do all you can do to "educate" them...just wondering.

Parents and administrators have a shared responsibility here. Let's all try to work together to teach our kids about appropriate use of social media.

I posted on
12/18/2013 20:49

Note that when you subtract 12:00 from 20:49, the "product" is 8:49 pm. My kids were in bed.

FWIW, I tell my kids the truth. There are parents out there who are lazy and enabling, and you'll see that type of behavior manifest in their own children. My children are young - yet still self-sufficient and responsible.

I'm sorry if you feel as though I've attacked you. Maybe the truth hurts? if only a little?

The system has failed to deal with inappropriate use of social media among mcps students. It was reported by the Gazette back in April that several inappropriate accounts were set up. Some of these accounts are still current. There was just a recent Instagram incident that is way out of control. Cyber bullying is now a crime. What measures does the system have in place for reporting incidents? How does a parent or family go about reporting incidents related to school? While Starr is busy writing letters about his treatment, I hope he is addressing this as well.

This. At a minimum, Starr could have used his experience to shed light on the serious issues of cyber bullying within MCPS. He didn't. He focused solely on himself and his nebulous social emotional learning musings. This isn't effective, wise, or useful. He wasted time and resources scheduling press conferences and having every school photocopy this letter and put it in every child's backpack. He could be spending time addressing the actual issues.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Huge mistake not to anticipate this BEFORE willingly putting himself out there. Now we sound the alarm and start a task force. How about he start with ensuring that digital civility extends beyond protecting the royal office. Many students have been victimized by cyber bullying. The letter focused on him, not about the larger issue at hand, and the cyber bullying that continues on a daily basis.

Stop playing the victim, hon.

The school system does indeed address it in the best way possible - especially at the high school level. But it starts in elementary school.

However, it's YOUR job as a parent to do the bulk of the work. So if your little Suzie Q is on her cell or online for hours and you're not vigilant, is it the system's fault if she's bullied?

I can't believe how so many of you refuse to be parents. Is it just TOO hard for you to handle? so hard, in fact, that you expect US to do it for you?




Signed,
a parent (first) and teacher

Those types of parents will never get it; too busy having a finger-pointing response from "snowflake syndrome."

Here come the MCPS snowflake posters. Anything good the students do is all about hardworking teachers and administrators. Any problem or issue is all about those awful parents that just don't get it.

Agree. Idiotic statements. Watch your kids every keystroke? Yeah, I'd like to see you try. Want me to control the behavior of other kids? I know you didn't imply that! The system has failed to deal with inappropriate use of social media among mcps students. It was reported by the Gazette back in April that several inappropriate accounts were set up. Some of these accounts are still current. There was just a recent Instagram incident that is way out of control. Cyber bullying is now a crime. What measures does the system have in place for reporting incidents? How does a parent or family go about reporting incidents related to school? While Starr is busy writing letters about his treatment, I hope he is addressing this as well.

again - Blame others for your inadequacies as a parent.

Damn straight I - as a parent - watch my kids' use of technology. And as a teacher, I make students aware of cyber safety. Furthermore, I teach them to recognize inappropriate sources, and I provide them with guidelines for analyzing websites for credibility.

But no, it's not ONLY MY responsibility to make sure Suzie Q isn't 1) bullying another kid or 2) being bullied by another.

How sad for your children - to not discuss these matters and to not take the time to TEACH them at home first!

You're pathetic on so many levels, "parent."

Actually, I find it very disturbing and scary that a teacher would find pleasure in writing such posts anonymously. What else do you do when the kids aren't watching? Are your anonymous attacks representative of what you teach your kids about being civil online? Given that you do all you can do to "educate" them...just wondering.

Parents and administrators have a shared responsibility here. Let's all try to work together to teach our kids about appropriate use of social media.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Huge mistake not to anticipate this BEFORE willingly putting himself out there. Now we sound the alarm and start a task force. How about he start with ensuring that digital civility extends beyond protecting the royal office. Many students have been victimized by cyber bullying. The letter focused on him, not about the larger issue at hand, and the cyber bullying that continues on a daily basis.

Stop playing the victim, hon.

The school system does indeed address it in the best way possible - especially at the high school level. But it starts in elementary school.

However, it's YOUR job as a parent to do the bulk of the work. So if your little Suzie Q is on her cell or online for hours and you're not vigilant, is it the system's fault if she's bullied?

I can't believe how so many of you refuse to be parents. Is it just TOO hard for you to handle? so hard, in fact, that you expect US to do it for you?



Signed,
a parent (first) and teacher

Those types of parents will never get it; too busy having a finger-pointing response from "snowflake syndrome."

Here come the MCPS snowflake posters. Anything good the students do is all about hardworking teachers and administrators. Any problem or issue is all about those awful parents that just don't get it.

Agree. Idiotic statements. Watch your kids every keystroke? Yeah, I'd like to see you try. Want me to control the behavior of other kids? I know you didn't imply that! The system has failed to deal with inappropriate use of social media among mcps students. It was reported by the Gazette back in April that several inappropriate accounts were set up. Some of these accounts are still current. There was just a recent Instagram incident that is way out of control. Cyber bullying is now a crime. What measures does the system have in place for reporting incidents? How does a parent or family go about reporting incidents related to school? While Starr is busy writing letters about his treatment, I hope he is addressing this as well.

again - Blame others for your inadequacies as a parent.

Damn straight I - as a parent - watch my kids' use of technology. And as a teacher, I make students aware of cyber safety. Furthermore, I teach them to recognize inappropriate sources, and I provide them with guidelines for analyzing websites for credibility.

But no, it's not ONLY MY responsibility to make sure Suzie Q isn't 1) bullying another kid or 2) being bullied by another.

How sad for your children - to not discuss these matters and to not take the time to TEACH them at home first!

You're pathetic on so many levels, "parent."

Anonymous wrote:Paranoid much PP? He wrote an email responding to a specific incident - if you are aware of some other large-scale twitter threat-fest against a student or teacher, please publicize it. Or please enlighten us all about whatever cyberbullying issue that Starr has swept under the rug.

Otherwise you're just annoyed that a random county government bureaucrat whom you apparently dislike is getting a few (mild) words of support on anonymous website. What a sad individual you must be. And no, I don't work for MCPS, and I suspect none of the other PPs do either.

Do some basic research and you'll find several ask.fm, twitter and Instagram accounts set up by students at mcps all to spread rumors, inappropriate pictures, and messages. Teachers and staff have also been victims. Gazette ran a story about some of these accounts in April. Several accounts are still active. And in the spirit of digital civility, I apologize for making you seem pathetically ill- informed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What I find offputting is that cyberbullying among students doesn't seem to have gotten Starr's attention, but when criticism is directed at him he suddenly makes it a priority for all parents and students. It just reinforces my sense that he wants to be treated like Dear Leader and surrounds himself with sycophants.

This is a good point. If a student gets threatened online will the school track them down? I am not sure. In some ways schools are very aggressive about pop tarts turning into guns and twittering the superintendent, but what happens when it is bigger kids and not directed at MCPS employees?

Excellent point.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Huge mistake not to anticipate this BEFORE willingly putting himself out there. Now we sound the alarm and start a task force. How about he start with ensuring that digital civility extends beyond protecting the royal office. Many students have been victimized by cyber bullying. The letter focused on him, not about the larger issue at hand, and the cyber bullying that continues on a daily basis.

Stop playing the victim, hon.

The school system does indeed address it in the best way possible - especially at the high school level. But it starts in elementary school.

However, it's YOUR job as a parent to do the bulk of the work. So if your little Suzie Q is on her cell or online for hours and you're not vigilant, is it the system's fault if she's bullied?

I can't believe how so many of you refuse to be parents. Is it just TOO hard for you to handle? so hard, in fact, that you expect US to do it for you?



Signed,
a parent (first) and teacher

Those types of parents will never get it; too busy having a finger-pointing response from "snowflake syndrome."

Here come the MCPS snowflake posters. Anything good the students do is all about hardworking teachers and administrators. Any problem or issue is all about those awful parents that just don't get it.

Agree. Idiotic statements. Watch your kids every keystroke? Yeah, I'd like to see you try. Want me to control the behavior of other kids? I know you didn't imply that! The system has failed to deal with inappropriate use of social media among mcps students. It was reported by the Gazette back in April that several inappropriate accounts were set up. Some of these accounts are still current. There was just a recent Instagram incident that is way out of control. Cyber bullying is now a crime. What measures does the system have in place for reporting incidents? How does a parent or family go about reporting incidents related to school? While Starr is busy writing letters about his treatment, I hope he is addressing this as well.

Anonymous wrote:I haven't heard anyone on this thread defend students who send inappropriate texts. Everyone agrees that kids should not do this.

The problem many posters have with this message is that he focused on himself when there is a much larger cyber bullying problem within MCPS. He doesn't take the time to do anything about this. He doesn't take the time to inform parents about the sex offenders that were caught in MCPS. Its just a continued pattern of constantly being focused on promoting himself and not doing work to actually run MCPS.

Its also bothersome that his PR team spends time posting stuff on this board and giving themselves fake posts in praise. Their time could be much better spent.

When you say "Yes, but..." you actually are defending students who send inappropriate tweets.

Yes, Starr's e-mail focused on the inappropriate tweets that he got. It did not talk about cyberbullying. It did not talk about sex offenders. It did not talk about bell times. It did not talk about compacted math. It did not talk about the capital improvement budget. It did not talk about the -- well, you get the idea.

(Not a member of his PR team. Not an employee of MCPS.)