Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE – A newly-drafted policy that would prohibit unacceptable conduct between staff and students was introduced at last Wednesday’s SAD 1 board meeting.
According to the proposed policy, the interactions and relationships between staff members and students should be based upon mutual respect and trust, an understanding of the appropriate boundaries between adults and students in an educational setting, and be consistent with the educational mission of the schools.
Examples of unacceptable conduct by staff members, which includes teachers, coaches, counselors, administrators, and all other school employees and volunteers, that are expressly prohibited include but are not limited to the following:
• Any type of sexual or inappropriate physical contact with students or any other conduct that might be considered harassment under the board’s policy on harassment and sexual harassment of students;
• Singling out a particular student or students for personal attention and friendship beyond the normal teacher-student relationship;
• Maintaining personal contact with a student outside of school by telephone or text messaging, computer (such as e-mail, Instant Messenger, and social networking sites), or letters (beyond homework or other legitimate school business);
• For non-guidance/counseling staff, encouraging students to confide their personal or family problems and/or relationships. If a student initiates such discussions, staff members are expected to be supportive but to refer the student to appropriate guidance/counseling staff. In either case, staff involvement should be limited to a direct connection to the student’s school performance;
• Sexual banter, allusions, jokes or innuendoes, vulgar and inappropriate language with students;
• Asking a student to keep a secret of a sensitive, intimate or controversial nature;
• Disclosing intimate, personal, sensitive, controversial information regarding sexual, family, employment concerns, or other private matters to one or more students;
• Addressing students with terms of endearment, pet names or otherwise in an overly familiar manner; and
• Permitting students to address staff by their first name, nickname or otherwise in an overly familiar manner.
SAD 1 Superintendent Gehrig Johnson said the district has “grappled with a few issues” over the last few years in which the line between appropriate and inappropriate behavior was blurred.
“There’s been some confusion as to what’s acceptable and what isn’t,” he said. “We decided that by putting it in writing, it would help eliminate that ambiguity.”
Johnson said the advent of Facebook partly led to the policy.
“Facebook and other social networking sites have really come on in the last few years,” he said, “and some teachers have added students as ‘Friends’ on their personal Facebook pages. In some cases where it’s school-based that’s OK, but this policy addresses the purely social aspects of a staff-student relationship.
“Our employees are expected to be friendly, but not friends [with the students],” said Johnson, noting that this is primarily an issue at the middle and high schools.
Director Dana Allison was concerned that the policy would frustrate a troubled student to the point that they – or someone else – was harmed even further.
“If a student was being abused at home, for example, I don’t want them to be fearful to approach a teacher that they feel they can confide in,” she said. “I don’t want to have this policy so dogmatic that a kid gets so frustrated that they pick up a gun.”
Johnson stressed that the policy is aimed at eliminating the social dynamic between staff and students, and that the district has counselors that are trained to handle issues of abuse, family problems, etc.
Assistant Superintendent Ellen Schneider said she has had friends of her daughter, a student at Presque Isle High School, ask if they can add her to their Facebook pages.
“My message through my daughter is, ‘Once you’ve graduated, that’s fine,’” she said.
The proposed policy states that before engaging in the following activities, staff members will review the activity with their building principal or supervisor, as appropriate:
• Being alone with individual students out of public view;
• Driving students home or to other locations;
• Exchanging personal gifts (beyond the customary student-teacher gifts).
Staff members are expected to be sensitive to the appearance of impropriety in their conduct with students, and are encouraged to discuss issues with their building administrator or supervisor whenever they are unsure whether particular conduct may constitute a violation of this policy.
The document states that if a student and/or their parent/guardian believe a teacher or other staff member may be engaging in conduct that violates this policy, they are encouraged to notify the principal or other appropriate administrator.
Staff violations will result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal. Violations involving sexual or other abuse will also result in referral to the Department of Health and Human Services and/or law enforcement in accordance with board policy.
Johnson said the draft of the policy has been shared with some senior teachers and staff for input.
“This would be the first of this type of policy in the county,” he said, “but I think all districts will be doing something similar in the future.”
The policy will be further discussed next month.
Also at last week’s meeting, Nancy Cronkite was recognized for her 18 years of service on the board of directors. She opted not to seek re-election in November.
In addition, Lucy Richard was elected board chair, Jim Bubar was elected vice chair, and Robert Cawley, Curtis Culberson and Lori Kenneson were appointed to the finance committee.
The next regular SAD 1 meeting will be held at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 19 at Presque Isle Middle School.
