Comments on: Teacher Getting Crunk On Twitter Causes Controversy: Should They #FreeCrunkBear?

By: Melina Santos

Melina Santos — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 17:25:22 +0000

This is the problem with social networking these days, knowing when to post certain things and when not to post them. In this case, as a teacher (or as any other profession for that matter), you have to realize that the content of your posts and photos will have to be much more discrete and obviously appropriate. Nothing is private anymore and that was a dumb mistake on her behalf.

By: Hilary June

Hilary June — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 03:22:22 +0000

Totally agree.

By: Jessica Jeffers

Jessica Jeffers — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 13:48:20 +0000

Regardless of your feelings on the morality of being 23 and drinking, smoking pot, etc., the fact is that she is a role model and I think she forgot that. You can do all that stuff and not broadcast it publicly. Maybe students like that she’s open because it makes her more relatable, but a lot of parents are not going to be okay with their kids coming home and saying that their teacher condones marijuana.

Also, she may not have been doing anything illegal but she probably breached her employment contract, as Missy noted, and she’s also acting irresponsible by posting the pictures on Twitter and joking about doing her job while high (which is something that should get you fired from any job – and yes, grading is part of her job even if she’s doing it at home).

She’s 23 and needs to grow up and learn what it means to be a professional. Should she be prevented from ever teaching again? No, she’ll grow up. However, she does need to learn that actions have consequences and so I think that the suspension is justified. It may also teache her students to be more responsible with social media.

By: Maria Lopez

Maria Lopez — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 07:27:32 +0000

you said “doing cool and slutty things” about the girl in your analogy. I agree with Suzy, that bit really turned me off.

By: Santina Muha

Santina Muha — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 01:13:58 +0000

I didn’t call her slutty – I was making an analogy of someone displaying immature behavior by posting self incriminating photos of themselves on social media.

By: Missy Pawelek

Missy Pawelek — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 23:08:17 +0000

As an actual high school teacher, I understand why she was placed on administrative leave. I don’t claim to know the practices in every state or school district, but I was required to sign a moral turpitude clause in my contract when I was hired. In Colorado, here actions are not illegal and not even necessarily immoral. However, as a public employee, especially one who works with students, a teacher has a responsibility to act professionally while in public. Her pictures do not show her partying with students, but they are now part of the “public” by being broadcast online. I know that parents of my students would have a major issue if I were to ever say that I graded their child’s paper while drunk or high. Teachers definitely should have a life outside of their students (it’s actually very necessary when dealing with certain high school kids), but they also have a responsibility to promote good citizenship to a degree. So, like all responsible adults, teachers should do whatever they want but they should keep the dirty secrets out of the public eye.

By: Catherine Migel

Catherine Migel — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 21:09:18 +0000

This a tough one. But I have to say…it was immature for her to even have a public Twitter. It’s the responsibility you make as a teacher and if you don’t want your students knowing that stuff, make it so they can’t see it.

By: Caroline Jeffery

Caroline Jeffery — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 19:40:52 +0000

she’s a young person that has not yet fully learned the “rules” of professionalism. she’s not a bad person for drinking or smoking. she could have had a little more common sense in keeping her twitter private – but that’s part of the social media world she grew up in – you share everything online w/o consequence. whether she gets fired or not should be a reflection of the values of the school and their mission statement. i went to a catholic school where this would SURELY be a fireable offense. if she gets fired, that sucks, but she’s 23, she’ll get another job, whether as a teacher or not. it’s just part of the maturity process.