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MADISON LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
District considers ban on staff-student texting
Officials fear repeat of incident that put one former teacher/coach behind bars.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Seniors (from left) Kelli Smith, Sarah McCray, Nicole Pike, Jordan King and Shelby Lawwill show off their texting gadgets Thursday, Nov. 20, at Madison Junior/Senior High School in Madison Twp. The Madison Board of Education is considering a ban on text messaging between staff and students.MADISON TWP. — No mor txtN btw studnts n tchaz? MayB.
In plain English, the Madison Local Schools Board of Education is considering — and favoring — a ban on text messaging between students and its teaching and coaching staff.
The board began discussing a possible policy earlier this week and will continue talks next month. If passed, Madison would be the first district locally to put the popular communication form off limits.
"I think it's reasonable because there are other ways to get the word out, but at the same time it's more convenient," said senior Shelby Lawwill, who said she gets about 500 texts a day.
"I think it's necessary to have that kind of communication. If practice is canceled and you get the text, you can plan ahead," said senior Kelli Smith. "I think with teachers it's not acceptable at all because there is no reason, but with coaches, as long as it's forwarded (to others), it's fine."
Varsity baseball coach and teacher Bob Evick is one of the Madison coaches who uses texting to convey notices of canceled practices or games to parents and team members.
"It's important to contact them pretty quick. By the time I call 30 or such families, it takes quite a while," said Evick, who added that texting groups is more reliable than phone trees.
"Could we survive without it? Yes, probably," he said. "But it doesn't mean we need to."
The school board is still in early talking stages and hasn't yet considered what kind of punishment a student, teacher or coach would face for violating the policy, said board President Glenn Cappel.
The district doesn't have a policy on other forms of communication, such as social networking Internet sites, but all board members agree personal communication is unnecessary.
Madison's discussion of the policy follows an incident last year in which a coach and teacher Jamie Wagner was fired and sentenced to three years in prison for a sexual crime that was discovered when an adult reported the coach had been inappropriately text messaging a girl.
Cappel said the case is the main reason the board is examining a ban.
"We don't want it to happen again," he said. "We just don't want the coaches or the teachers being that close in contact with the students."
Curtis Philpot, acting superintendent and high school principal, said he added an item to the teacher handbook following the case, advising responsible communication that should be limited to business. He also advises teachers and coaches to use distribution lists to prevent any possible misconceptions through one-on-one messages.
"I don't want to be blind to technology," said. "But I recognize there needs to be systems in place."
Board members said they want to go a step further than a handbook item and put some teeth behind the policy. They haven't found other school districts in Ohio that have a restriction on text messaging, but are researching policies from two schools in Mississippi, board members said.
All schools are struggling with how to regulate technology, said Scott Ebright, spokesman for the Ohio School Boards Association.
"Teachers and staff need to build relationships with students to help the children succeed in the classroom and life. However, the adults need to know where the line is and not cross it," he said.
Comments
By Alice
December 1, 2008 1:54 AM | Link to this
I went on this site to see what other people thought of the issue after discovering over 100 text messages passed between my daughter’s coach and her in one month. Should I be alarmed??? He seems like a very decent person and I have never had reason to be alarmed but these messages make me nervous. He texts her when she is in class and at night after 9pm when she is home!
By Shannon Ritter
November 26, 2008 9:20 AM | Link to this
Why not use a tool like twitter that would publish these announcements to a publically accessible website, and also allow the students to ‘opt in’ to receive these specific text notifications to their mobile phones. That way it’s all in the open, and students are able to opt-in to receive the messages/announcements directly to their phone as well.
By Teresa
November 21, 2008 5:28 PM | Link to this
Coaches have been sleeping with students long before now. In Madison, in the 80’s, when I went to school there. When communication relied on the morning and afternoon announcements. There’s no reason for coaches and students to have this type of private communication. ANY adult who has ANY connection to a student should ONLY be communicating with that student’s parents. Period. Anything else just makes it easier for someone to be wrongly accused or for that line to be crossed.
By Gina
November 21, 2008 4:11 PM | Link to this
Coaches sending text messages to students is highly inappropriate and also unreliable. Not all text messages that are sent are received. It’s much more effective to make a phone call so you know you have actually spoken to the intended recipient.
notatechnophobe: If you are truly “not a technophobe” then who are you to say that texting should be allowed? It’s not about letting pedophiles win, it’s about preventing a possible gateway for a pedophile to hurt a child.
By apathetic
November 21, 2008 3:41 PM | Link to this
“Good old fashioned communication is the best way to communicate information. What ever happened to phone calls? Text messaging seems to personal, to me, between students and teachers.” ummmm,,,yeah. A phone call is much less personal than a text. LOL. Don’t get the logic there. Why not send them a telegram saying practice has been cancelled?
By Not a Technophobe
November 21, 2008 2:21 PM | Link to this
Tired, et al who agree. Doing as suggested allows the pedophiles and other degenerates to win. Frankly, that’s unacceptable as the more involved teachers are with their classes, the more students benefit. And, please, if you think some deliberately and/or naively cross the line with this technology you can rest assured that its absence won’t stop them from doing it in other ways. At least this leaves a trail, classroom and on-field behaviors rarely, if ever do. Again, focus on the behaviors.
By Old Teacher
November 21, 2008 2:18 PM | Link to this
Being an old teacher and coach, I can see both sides of this debate. I do not believe there are any reasons for a teacher and student to be texting back and forth. But as a coach, especially during the winter season, practices are continously cancelled due to weather, and as Mr. Evick said, sending out a mass text to your players is the fastest was to relay the message.
By Rhonda F
November 21, 2008 1:43 PM | Link to this
Of course they should be banned…did you not read the first line of the story. Using condesned versions of words (notice I said condensed not abbreviated) is no way for a responsible educator to convey/receive a message.
By TIRED
November 21, 2008 12:41 PM | Link to this
unfortuantly in these days and times there is too much of a temptation with teachers who don’t know how to follow the rules and students to nieve to know there getting into something unacceptable, i think it would be wise to stop it for the students sake.
By Great Hera
November 21, 2008 12:35 PM | Link to this
Technology can solve this issue. Coaches can submit text messages to a centralized “mail box” and that can then route all out going texts to a distribution list. The players cell phone numbers would be “hidden” per se.
This provides anonymity to players, a layer of abstraction, auditing of messages - in general, accountability.
my .02cents
By Not a Technophobe
November 21, 2008 12:13 PM | Link to this
Text messaging benefits far outweigh a ban. Frankly, the focus should be on eliminating slimy behaviors, not communication channels and venues they can use. Ultimately, teachers should decide what, if any, and how, to better fulfill their classroom/athletic mission. Plus, let’s not forget that the destructive acts of concern also occurred well before cell phones, e-mail and yes, even text messaging. Yet, the board and many take comfort in a ban. Well, good luck with that as I disagree.
By Doug
November 21, 2008 10:08 AM | Link to this
As the parent of a teenage daughter, I would think the last thing any teacher would want is 30 teenage girls texting them ALL THE TIME like teenage girls do. I literally get 35 text a day and that’s only one teenager, and I’m her father, of whom I’m quite sure she text the least. I’m against this simply on the basis of personal sanity.
By Penny
November 21, 2008 9:33 AM | Link to this
Absolutely not! Teachers should not be texting students. They shouldn’t call students on their cell phones either. It just creates problems. Most teachers have parents e-mail addresses and cell phone numbers as well as work numbers, home numbers, and emergency numbers. Teacher’s should go through the proper channels to address problems and that is not with the minor age children. Coaches need to play by the rules as well. Many times they are the worst at following the rules themselves.
By gene baker
November 21, 2008 9:33 AM | Link to this
THIS PROBABLY IS A PERSONAL DECISION . BUT FOR MY PART I VOTE TO STOP IT IN THE INTEREST OF WHAT IS FAIR TO THE PARENTS . YOU CAN BET THE PARENTS ARE NOT IN THIS LOOP
By concerned citizen
November 21, 2008 9:29 AM | Link to this
Text messages, like emails, carry the propensity to be misinterpreted. I agree that teachers should NEVER, under any circumstances give their cell phone number to students. However, I think that coaches, or any teacher in charge of an after school activity, if canceled or rescheduled, should be able to send out a group text advising students involved AND their parents. If they know that the parents are going to see their text messages, as well as the students, I believe they will think twice.
By Information Age
November 21, 2008 8:56 AM | Link to this
Very intelligent answers to this this situation however when you have the email system in place, what would be the difference. Its up to the ADULTS (TEACHERS)to discern whats “APPROPRIATE” and what should be reported whether its in person or through the other means of COMMUNICATION.
By Dismay
November 21, 2008 8:48 AM | Link to this
There are too many things that have happened in the past to make this unexceptable.
Lindsay, do you mean nothing has ever happened between a coach and student? I can send you a couple ongoing incidents if you’d like. The least amount of personal contact between students and faculty is better for all concerned.
By C Billings
November 21, 2008 8:29 AM | Link to this
Technology is also making today’s generation of kids very, very LAZY. Good old fashioned communication is the best way to communicate informatio. What ever happened to phone calls? It seems even 90% of kids now have cell phones???? Text messaging seems to personal, to me, between students and teachers. There should be a line drawn in how the two should be communicating. And for God’s sakes, pick up the phone and push some numbers!!!
By Lindsay
November 21, 2008 8:05 AM | Link to this
I agree in some way with all of these posts. When it comes to coaches cancelling practices and games, texting is effective. It’s easier, and speedier. However, a teacher has no business giving their cell phone number to students. There are too many things that have happened in the past to make this unexceptable.
By JoanOH
November 21, 2008 7:55 AM | Link to this
It’s about time schools take a stand on cell phones and texting! Schools need to take a firm stand, set some rules, and stick to them, giving our children an opportunity to learn there are, indeed, rules in life with consequences when you disregard them. Cell phones and texting should be used after school hours. Give coaches an exception but only when it comes to cancelling games and practices.
By James Lynch
November 21, 2008 7:53 AM | Link to this
I agree with the original poster. Unfortunately we live in a world today where its to dangerous for botht he student and teacher to be communicating through texting. There is too much temptation for that relationship to go down a road it shouldn’t
By pacfandave
November 21, 2008 7:22 AM | Link to this
Personally, I would never have texted a student, would never have given a student my number, and would have ignored any text message from any student who had managed to obtain my number. Too many situations, real, contrived or inferred, may result from such a practice, none of which can be good for the teacher. In this day and age it is best for teachers to err on the side of paranoia.