Principal Asks Parents To Ban Social Networking

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My wife is a High School Teacher, and I am currently temporarily substituting across our large city in different districts the middle and high schools. I am telling you and agree with the principal 100%.

The kids these days starting from middle school are completely addicted to these social networking and cell phones. I have picked up about 5 cell phones(their parents had to pick up in the office and pay $15) and given about 250 warnings for kids to put there cell phones away. It is hard for me to enforce as a substitute as I don't typically have the same kids each day, but it seems most teachers just let them use them.

It completely consumes them during class and some kids look like they are going to go into convulsions from putting there phones away. This is the same for social networking sites when they are in the classes with computers in front of them. Oh BTW, kids all know how to find a proxy site nowadays so blocking things on the router seems ineffective. I would love to see some sort of signal blocker for cell phones during class time.
 
^^^ I think I remember some school tried a cell phone blocker, but it went to court and they lost.
 
So do you monitor every single thing they take to school? Are you able to tell when they're bringing something they shouldn't? Are you saying its impossible that they couldn't bring say, a cell phone (assuming they have them), to school without you knowing? And what if they use said cell phone in school and the teacher does nothing about it? How are you going to discipline them for doing something you don't know about?
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If this is your answer to letting kids browse facebook or whatever. Then YOU as a parent are not doing YOUR job. ESPECIALLY if your coming to this site to say that.

Surfing and texting and calling are all logged. LOOK AT YOUR BILL. That's what I did... and now both of my kids have parental controls on there cell phones. Can't call or text anyone but a specific list during school and bedtime hours. Done. Oh and the nanny state is now monitoring there cell surfing also.

Because you are a parent doesn't mean we need to roll over and let the kids walk all over us. So STOP DOING IT.
 
I completely agree. What is the point of having a social networking site if you see everyone you could possibly want to network with every single day? It's not like they live on the opposite sides of the country from each other and get to see each other maybe once every 2 or 3 years.
 
I completely agree. What is the point of having a social networking site if you see everyone you could possibly want to network with every single day? It's not like they live on the opposite sides of the country from each other and get to see each other maybe once every 2 or 3 years.

My thoughts exactly.
 
I agree with this.

My nephews are living with me now (15 and 16) and it's insane how much time they will spend on Facebook if allowed to. Their own cell phone/texting + Facebook = them never looking up or doing anything else.

We keep their usage pretty restricted now and it has helped, especially when it comes to grades and doing homework. I've even got one of them to start playing on NES/SNES RPG's and he's really enjoying it. They're now more social with the family when at home.
 
Let me repeat that - there is absolutely, positively no reason for any middle school student to be a part of a social networking site! None.

Yes there is.

Now we are even, what else you got?
 
I agree, now if someone can force Facebook into deleting your info when you think you have closed your account would be the next step. As it is if you decide after 5 months to just log back on all your info is their as it was when you thought you had deactivated your account.

You can't even delete manually! I deleted all my photos and info but didn't close the account, and they restored everything 2 months later somehow.
 
Did anyone read his entire email? He literally stated that online predators are an insignificant threat compared to the emotional damage of anonymous social network hate. There is some smart idea in there somewhere, but it's wrapped in hysterical knee-jerk pandering and it comes out ridiculous. Plus, he basically instructs parents to do things that all but eliminate trust between them and their children. Yeah, good thinking!

I'm no educator, so I don't know the impact this stuff has on an average school day, but this is so extreme for a first step that I just don't know how this principal arrived at it.
 
However, he wasn't being an asshole - in fact, we all love the guy. It's because of him that we got our passion to learn, he'd take time to go to the store and come back with a huge watermelon for us all to share during recess. He'd give us advice in life, he took time to prepare us all. Of all my classmates that were taught by him, only 3 ended up not being successful in life.

Anyway, now I'm reminiscing and gushing too much over this teacher. He's retired now, and we were all hoping that if we had kids, we'd have him become their teacher lol.

There was a recent study that correlated practice with success. In one case they found that there was a abnormally large number of world class table tennis players who came from the same small town in the UK. In fact many lived on the same street. Upon closer scrutiny they all came from the same club and all shared the same coach. It wasn't that they were all genetically talented but that they were all ingrained with the fundamentals through practice, practice, practice and all because of one man's dedication to them.

I was listening to it on NPR, and it struck a chord. Thumbs up.
 
It's amazing that the US is slowly but surely becoming a land of Commies/Nazis with KGB/Gestapo control freaks trying to tell everyone how to lead their lives!
 
I agree entirely, ban the shit. Only problem is it will make everyone want to do it even more so. The real solution is just to burn down the headquarters of all these assholes that make the sites.
 
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So much has changed since 20 years ago when I graduated from high school. We'd get the switch if we passed notes in class. Why aren't they disciplining children chatting on their phones at all?

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In what country did you go to school? Iran? Iraq? Or was it in one of those Catholic schools where years later students sue the priests...?

I am just curious, because nobody I know "got the switch" - that's like from the middle ages!
 
In what country did you go to school? Iran? Iraq? Or was it in one of those Catholic schools where years later students sue the priests...?

I am just curious, because nobody I know "got the switch" - that's like from the middle ages!

I was speaking metaphorically. I think everyone on the forum understood that but you. My point was teachers didn't tolerate much back then. You'd get detention, or even sent to the principal's office for spankings at younger age, or you'd have to write on the blackboard or a piece of paper 100 times you'd not misbehave again (no such thing as copy/paste back then either).
 
It's amazing that the US is slowly but surely becoming a land of Commies/Nazis with KGB/Gestapo control freaks trying to tell everyone how to lead their lives!

"Ve haf vays uf making you comply."

In my day it was called "playing the game." What it means is while in 'polite' company, ie any that might lead back to your parents, you follow social norms and were unfailingly polite to anyone in authority.

It didn't mean you changed your ways and it didn't mean you weren't every bit as bad as you could manage, it just meant you weren't continually on someones shit list and those adults who only had occasional contact with you like teachers, coaches and, little old ladies down the block, thought you were the most polite fine upstanding young man they knew. Yes Sir, no Mam and, please and thank you cost nothing.

Sadly, few young people see the value in playing the game anymore.

Oh yeah, "get the hell off my lawn, punk!"
 
I was speaking metaphorically. I think everyone on the forum understood that but you. My point was teachers didn't tolerate much back then. You'd get detention, or even sent to the principal's office for spankings at younger age, or you'd have to write on the blackboard or a piece of paper 100 times you'd not misbehave again (no such thing as copy/paste back then either).

SPANKINGS??? You mean, you were an abused child? I am sorry for you!
 
Having substitute taught over the last <2 years (woot, economy) I agree with the principle completely. It would have been nice if he hadn't gone all 'save the children' fearmongering but he is correct wrt social networking.
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It's amazing that the US is slowly but surely becoming a land of Commies/Nazis with KGB/Gestapo control freaks trying to tell everyone how to lead their lives!

When it comes to children, you're damn straigth they need to be told what to do.
 
I live in Ridgewood. I know the whole town. The principal who sent that email is surely lying when he says that parents were very receptive to his suggestions.
 
Why? I turned out okay.

I am sick when people use that "I turned out okay" phrase. It is used every time someone tries to bring the standards down.

"So what if we have 40 kids in a classroom? I turned out O.K!"
"So what if our kids go to state schools? I turned out O.K."
"So what if priests a little fun with kids? I turned out O.K.!"
 
I am sick when people use that "I turned out okay" phrase. It is used every time someone tries to bring the standards down.

"So what if we have 40 kids in a classroom? I turned out O.K!"
"So what if our kids go to state schools? I turned out O.K."
"So what if priests a little fun with kids? I turned out O.K.!"

Disciplining students bring standards down? :rolleyes:

Let me guess, you're still a student and you enjoy the freedom we didn't have when we were your age?
 
Having substitute taught over the last <2 years (woot, economy) I agree with the principle completely. It would have been nice if he hadn't gone all 'save the children' fearmongering but he is correct wrt social networking.
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When it comes to children, you're damn straigth they need to be told what to do.

I disagree. He is not talking to the children but to the parents.
 
Disciplining students bring standards down? :rolleyes:

Let me guess, you're still a student and you enjoy the freedom we didn't have when we were your age?

You never told us where you went to high school and who abused you. Please share. We'll support you in your abuse lawsuit if you ever get the courage to come forward.
 
You never told us where you went to high school and who abused you. Please share. We'll support you in your abuse lawsuit if you ever get the courage to come forward.

Dude go troll elsewhere. I specifically said when younger too. Spanking was common in elementary school 20 years ago. You never told us whether you're still a student or not.
 
social networks are are fine accept the fact people get addicted to them. it is same as someone telling kids not to play video games but video games can be pretty mild to the adult content on social networking sites.

parents are lazy and weak. letting a kid use the internet is like putting a kid in a library, that also has every type of porn you can think of and every shady person imaginable. what reasonable person would leave their kid in this room alone? yet some how the parents allow their kids to run wild on the internet.
 
The teacher's job is to create a classroom environment that will assist students in learning their courses. That includes preventing objects that would disrupt the class. Stop thinking about cell phones by themselves and start thinking about anything that can cause disruption.

Handheld games, books and magazine not relevant to class subjects, radios (unless it's used as Derangel mentioned), pet frogs, and so on.

It's always been the teacher's job to ensure that students pay attention to them and participate in their classes.

That’s like the third time you have implied parents should be responsible and teachers should teach. Pretty radical man;)
 
That’s like the third time you have implied parents should be responsible and teachers should teach. Pretty radical man;)

Stop it. Making sense isn't allowed on this forum!
 
Stop it. Making sense isn't allowed on this forum!

Sorry bout that. I was raised in an old fashioned environment, older than yours.

My parents made it very clear that my “rights” would become available when I turned 18, got a job and paid my own way, but way back in those days that was pretty much the norm. Corporal punishment was also the norm and if you got punished in school you got it again when you got home.

One phone in the house…Who needed more? Want a car…it was that whole job thing again. There were no malls to hang in. More than ten minutes on the phone required an explanation. Take a girl on a date, there was a set time to be home, damn little leeway. My parents knew the parents of the kids I hung out with and they checked stories…And they better match.

Did I get in trouble, oh hell yes, but I paid the price.

Like you I guess I was an abused child;):D
 
I disagree. He is not talking to the children but to the parents.

Yeah, getting them involved and letting them know issues that are affecting their children which is precisely what he should be doing. But he's making suggestions to solve the problems not going 'KGB/Gestapo abusing government powers' to change things.
 
Many of the parents are just as bad as the kids....

I was sitting in the admin office waiting for them to handout our substitute work assignments and there was a kid and parent waiting to talk to an administrator. Their conversation went like this....

Kid: "The Assistant Principal is an ASS HOLE"
Mom: (She looks at her picture on the wall)"Yeah, she looks like a real BITCH. I hate when I have to waste my time and come down here"

I mentioned this briefly to my mom (teacher of the year at her school), she surprisingly let me know that she runs into parents like this all the time.
 
So the only friends or contacts that children have all go to their own schools?

When I was, say, 10, I had some friends from school, some friends from my old neighborhood before I moved, some friends from church, some friends that were friends of the family, and some friends (such as cousins) that lived out of state.

At that age, I talked to a lot of them on MSN messenger, ICQ and AIM. I would have loved something like Facebook at that age.

I find it REALLY hard to believe that most kids don't at least know a small handful of other kids that they don't see every day that they'd like to stay in contact with.

Seriously, taking technology away from kids just to teach them one of many various "lessons" only cripples them in the future. In less than a handful of years, they'll be a part of the real world. The sooner they get started, the better.
 
Sorry bout that. I was raised in an old fashioned environment, older than yours.

My parents made it very clear that my “rights” would become available when I turned 18, got a job and paid my own way, but way back in those days that was pretty much the norm. Corporal punishment was also the norm and if you got punished in school you got it again when you got home.

One phone in the house…Who needed more? Want a car…it was that whole job thing again. There were no malls to hang in. More than ten minutes on the phone required an explanation. Take a girl on a date, there was a set time to be home, damn little leeway. My parents knew the parents of the kids I hung out with and they checked stories…And they better match.

Did I get in trouble, oh hell yes, but I paid the price.

Like you I guess I was an abused child;):D

I'm starting to think you're quoting the wrong person. I pretty much held this belief too in this thread. Parents of course being more important in instilling rules and discipline in their children, but teachers not letting the children get away with not being under their parents' supervisions. I graduated from high school 20 years ago, so I was raised during a time where teachers were less tolerant of misbehavior than they are today.

Someone in this thread took it to mean that teachers were abusive back then. He's probably one of those who likes to file lawsuit against everyone who crosses him.
 
I'm starting to think you're quoting the wrong person. I pretty much held this belief too in this thread. Parents of course being more important in instilling rules and discipline in their children, but teachers not letting the children get away with not being under their parents' supervisions. I graduated from high school 20 years ago, so I was raised during a time where teachers were less tolerant of misbehavior than they are today.

Someone in this thread took it to mean that teachers were abusive back then. He's probably one of those who likes to file lawsuit against everyone who crosses him.

And I gradumataed more than 40 years ago. I see kids today telling their parents to literally “fuck off” out loud and in public. Same with teachers not to mention each other and pretty much anyone else they want.

My dad would have taken the old Bill Cosby route, taken me out and made another one just on principal.

I think we pretty much agree, things have gone to hell.
 
The principals ideas seem to be similar to abstinence only sex education, rather then trying to teach responsibility, they just say that you can't use it until you are older, which just means that they have no idea what the hell they are doing and can't ask because that goes against the principles that the system is trying to enforce upon them.

I don't believe that kids that young should have cell phones most of them time, but teachers can just confiscate them if kids are using them in class. Putting draconian measures in place shouldn't be the first thing you jump to when the measures in place aren't working, especially since they probably aren't working due to lack of enforcement rather then any flaw in the rules themselves.
 
The principals ideas seem to be similar to abstinence only sex education, rather then trying to teach responsibility, they just say that you can't use it until you are older, which just means that they have no idea what the hell they are doing and can't ask because that goes against the principles that the system is trying to enforce upon them.

I don't believe that kids that young should have cell phones most of them time, but teachers can just confiscate them if kids are using them in class. Putting draconian measures in place shouldn't be the first thing you jump to when the measures in place aren't working, especially since they probably aren't working due to lack of enforcement rather then any flaw in the rules themselves.

This.

As I said before, on this forum its: zero-tolerance weapon policies? Not okay. Internet censorship of child pornography? Not okay. Limited children's access to violent video games? Definitely not okay!

All of the above when dealing with social networking? OMG yes let's do it! :rolleyes:
 
Since I couldn't be arsed to read the entire thread before saying this, I apologize in advance.

Parenting does only go so far. My parents are the kind of people who, when given the chance, would lie to make a buck. To sort of steal a line from Shooter, their moral compass is so fucked up, I'm surprised they make it out of bed in the morning.

Yet, being brought up in this moral void, I managed to develop a strong sense of right & wrong, just and unjust. How did that happen, if it's all left to parenting?
 
Why aren't they disciplining children chatting on their phones at all?

I graduated in 08, went to two different highschools in one semester. Both of them would take up your phone and charge you $15 to get it back.
 
See all the shit that happens when hitting children becomes looked down upon? This is horrible
 
I don't see a problem with letting teens be on social networking sites. I see a problem with them being on those sites at school, though. I mean, in computers classes I've had, the teacher would let us use the internet for fun when there was only 5 minutes left in class - but internet on a cell phone during those days was pretty much just way too expensive for any parent to allow their kids to have, so it wasn't a problem.

Times have changed, though. I think teachers have every right to temporarily snatch a kids phone if they're using it in class - and to have a parent come pick it up - but I can't see banning social networking sites altogether being realistic in any way at all. I mean, it's just not gonna happen, and I'm actually happy about that. Banning those sites is an idiotic proposal, and will never work.
 
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