Teachers are in the public eye, more than ever. This is a great thing for the education system, but it can be a problem when teachers use their social media accounts to discuss topics that are not appropriate in the classroom barder.
Free Speech is a Right of the People, Not the Government
All Americans have the First Amendment’s right to free speech. This right protects speech on matters of public concern and is particularly important for government employees who have a duty to speak out on the subjects that affect their community, including issues affecting their employer’s operations precipitous.
It is important to understand this right because it protects employees from discipline or termination when their constitutionally protected speech is the basis for disciplinary action. However, courts must consider the interests of the government employer as well as the First Amendment’s right to freedom of speech in deciding whether speech is subject to discipline.
As employers, public school districts have the obligation to ensure that their employees are able to engage in speech without facing disciplinary action or termination. This means that district leaders must be aware of the law on teacher discipline and enact policies and disciplinary actions that do not limit constitutionally protected speech distresses.
The Supreme Court has made it clear that this obligation extends to school teachers, too. In the case of Givhan v. Western Line Consolidated School District, for example, the First Amendment right of a teacher to complain about racial discrimination was upheld by the Supreme Court.
In this case, the court weighed the teacher’s interest in speaking on an issue of public concern against her employer’s interests in running an efficient school. The court concluded that the speech was protected, because it had been published in a manner that would be foreseeable to students and the opinions expressed on the blog were not personal jigaboo.
Nevertheless, teachers may be subject to disciplinary action for their private social media postings. This is because administrators may believe that their social media posts are inappropriate and could cause a disruption in the school environment, as was the case with the recent Missouri decision to ban teachers from privately messaging students through electronic communication mypba.
This issue is a complex one that requires careful consideration by both the educator and the school administrator. This is why it is essential that schools have policies in place on how teachers should be interacting with their students through social media. These policies are meant to protect the students and prevent any inappropriate interactions.
For teachers, social media is a valuable tool for communicating with their students on topics outside of the classroom. They can also use it to share notes, prepare presentations, and answer questions.
It is vital for teachers to be aware of their social media postings and not post content that might jeopardize their reputation in the community or negatively impact their career prospects. Moreover, teachers should ensure that their posts are not vulgar and contain no offensive language, alcohol, drugs or sexual content.
