A new Missouri Senate Bill is taking aim at teachers who use social networking to communicate with their students. According to MSNBC, Senate Bill 54, which goes into effect on August 28, is quickly becoming known as the “Facebook law.”
Though the law primarily offers liabilities for school districts who fail to disclose suspected or known child abuse by employees, a smaller mandate about social network usage is attracting a lot of attention.
Section 162.069 specifies that teachers are not allowed to have a “nonwork related website that allows exclusive access with a current or former student.” This new mandate must be incorporated into every school district’s written policy by January of 2012. The law further elaborates that teachers “cannot establish a work related website unless it is available to school administrators and the child’s legal custodian, physical custodian, or legal guardian.”
The reaction to this law has been strong on both sides. While many educators and parents applaud the bill for protecting children’s rights, others say to goes too far in restricting the teacher student relationship. In comments posted on a discussion page via The Atlantic Wire, many people, including teachers, expressed concern that the definition of “exclusive access” was unclear. Others wondered if “former student” barred adults from contacting past teachers via social media. What happens when students turn 18, asked one commenter, a high school social sciences teacher. “If a student at 18 years old wants to friend that second grade teacher who really helped him out when feeling bad, [are] he and the teacher breaking the law?”
How do you feel about the new Missouri law? Does it go too far? How will it be enforced? Sound off by leaving your comments below.