[July 04, 2011] Montville teachers told no 'friending' of students Tweet MONTVILLE, Jun 29, 2011 (The Day - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- The Board of Education recently adopted a new social networking policy for the school district that will keep teachers from "friending" their students on Facebook. The policy will also restrict school employees from commenting or discussing the school district or fellow employees on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and MySpace. Employees should not expect any personal privacy in any personal communication or post made through social networking sites, according to the policy. Superintendent of Schools Pamela Aubin said the policy is very similar to those in surrounding school districts. She said it was implemented mainly to remind teachers and other employees to use judgment in what they say publicly. "We want to prevent staff from getting themselves in trouble," Aubin said. "If we're clear with our expectations, they know what it allows, what's permissible and what isn't. That's the purpose of the policy." Joel Farrior, the president of the Montville Education Association, a teachers' union, said he met with the Board of Education's policy committee on the plan. An eighth-grade social studies teacher at Tyl Middle School, Farrior said that computers are a big part of his classroom. He keeps an active website for his students. But he agreed that it was time for the Board of Education to update its policy on social networking. He said instant posts are often emotional and can lead teachers into trouble. He also supported the idea of keeping teachers from "friending" their students. "It gets to be a slippery slope when you friend a student in your class," Farrior said. "There has to be a boundary. I think (the policy) is a good move. I don't think people should fear it, either." [email protected] To see more of The Day, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.theday.com. Copyright (c) 2011, The Day, New London, Conn. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]