KATV Channel 7 - The Spirit of Arkansas: Teachers and Texting

Is it appropriate for teachers to text or friend a student on Facebook?  These new forms of communication are blurring social boundaries between students and teachers.  Some schools are adopting bans prohibiting students and teachers to text or participate in social networking sites.  The Virginia Board of Education has recently proposed a model policy to ban texting and social networking between teachers, coaches and students.  Board of Education members say the policy should help prevent sexual misconduct.  But, there are many teachers who say texting is a great way to communicate with kids.  Some teachers say that its a great way for students to ask last minute questions about homework or tests.  Other teachers say the line of communication can be a life-saver for some teens who may feel a little bit lost.  Regardless of what parents and educators think about texting... it is a form of communication that isn't going away any time soon.  Experts say parents need to talk to their teens about their communication with teachers.  Some families may not even know their teens are texting with their teenagers.  If your school does not have a policy in place, parents need to decide what rules they want to enforce about texting in their own home.