Board OKs policy that clearly defines
student-teacher relationships
By Scott Mitchell Johnson
Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE – A new policy that prohibits unacceptable conduct between staff and students was approved last Wednesday night by the SAD 1 board of directors.
The policy, which pertains to all staff members including teachers, coaches, counselors, administrators and all other school employees, notes that the interactions and relationships between staff members and students should be based upon mutual respect and trust, an understanding of the appropriate boundaries between adults and students in an educational setting, and be consistent with the educational mission of the schools.
“Many of the things addressed here are common sense things that aren’t in writing anywhere,” said Superintendent Gehrig Johnson. “We felt it was important to put them into writing to make it clear what the district’s position is.
“There are bits and pieces of this that are addressed in other policies, but much of it isn’t,” he said.
Examples of prohibited conduct includes any type of sexual or inappropriate physical contact with students, singling out a particular student or students for personal attention and friendship beyond the normal teacher-student relationship, sexual banter, allusions, jokes or innuendoes, vulgar and inappropriate language with students; asking a student to keep a secret of a sensitive, intimate or controversial nature; addressing students with terms of endearment or pet names, and permitting students to address staff by their first name or nickname.
Johnson explained that as technology grows – namely Facebook – there have been more and more instances of confusion over what the district means in terms of inappropriate conduct.
“Facebook and other social networking sites have really come on in the last few years,” he said, “and some teachers have added students as ‘Friends’ on their personal Facebook pages. In some cases where it’s school-based that’s OK, but this policy addresses the purely social aspects of a staff-student relationship.
“The policy is aimed at the blatant violations that aren’t so easily understood by some employees,” said Johnson, “but again, much of this is common sense.”
Maintaining personal contact with a student outside of school by telephone or text messaging, computer (such as e-mail, Instant Messenger, and social networking sites), or letters (beyond homework or other legitimate school business) is now prohibited.
Not all directors felt the Facebook issue was warranted.
“Teachers and administrators are people and you might have a network of friends outside of school whether it’s at church or family friends, and I think a lot of those teachers are feeling that they have to cut all communications in the form of texting or social networking,” said Lori Kenneson. “If that family friend has a student that they might have chatted with before, the teachers now feel threatened.
“I think this policy will really put a lot of pressure where it doesn’t need to be,” she said. “I think blatant examples should be handled on a case-by-case basis. A lot of students are comfortable with a certain teacher and they make that connection, and I think that’s important. That’s gone on for a lot of years.”
Johnson said if the contact is school related, that’s fine.
“If it’s purely social and getting into personal relationships,” he said, “then we’re discouraging it … whether it’s Facebook or any other entity, and trying to keep the relationship professional which, 99 percent of the time, it is. This policy allows us to deal with those certain times that it isn’t.”
Director Paul Saija said in today’s society, it’s important to have a written policy.
“In this litigious age where people quickly go to an attorney if something goes wrong,” he said, “to have a written policy will help protect the employees.”
Terry Sandusky agreed.
“I think we need to adopt this policy,” he said. “You cannot possibly cite every example or possibility, but you need to have it within a framework you can work with. As I go around the school district taking pictures, I have serious questions as to whether students are too familiar with the teachers and teachers are too open and accepting of student conduct. If I notice it, then what I don’t see is more worrisome than what I do see.
“[If we don’t accept this] and we have a serious violation with Facebook or student-teacher conduct, we have no policy in place to really work with … we have no place to go. I would not want to be taken to task in public for failing to protect our kids,” said Sandusky. “Basically what we’re trying to do is create the correct boundary line between teachers and students. When the boundaries become blurred, then trouble occurs.”
After additional discussion, the policy was approved 10-4.
The next regular SAD 1 meeting will be held at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 16 at Pine Street.
