Comments on: G-Town Talks Disclaimer

By: JenniferW

JenniferW — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 14:17:43 +0000

Hello —
What a great post — and what a great blog. I am glad I stumbled up on it.

I would like to ask a question, if I may — did something happen that made them have such a reaction? Did a teacher or admin abuse blogging which made them react with such a warning or policy??

I do think that a school or district does need to remind their teachers that their words (written words) have a much bigger ripple than they had in the past. And if your blog does reflect negatively against your school or your fellow employees, it isn’t like in the past where you just go home and vent to your spouse and no one hears about it. You never know just how far your blog can go……..

However, if someone is venting on their blog — would this not be a great opportunity for admin to sit up and see if perhaps the thoughts are valid?

Grins, I am wavering on this one…….and will have to chew it a bit.

However, under NO circumstances, do I feel (at least in the USA) that anyone can take away my freedom of “type” (which is what I call blogging!

Thanks for a chance to post.
Jennifer

By: Peter Rock

Peter Rock — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 09:36:21 +0000

“As the principal hired by the district, my views should be in line with our community, the superintendent and the Board of Education”

Why?

“Otherwise, I’m likely to find myself using this blog to look for employment.”

If this is what you feel, then stating “If my views are not in line with so and so, then such and such may happen” may be more accurate. But to state that your views “should” be in line is counter to progressive action in education. What if your view is of an unpopular minority but stands the test of reason?

By: G-Town Talks » Disclaimer Discussion Continues

G-Town Talks » Disclaimer Discussion Continues — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 15:53:13 +0000

[...] Chris Lehmann continued the discussion over at Practical Theory that started with my earlier post about the disclaimer added to the tagline of this blog. I appreciate Chris’ work as he writes about the Science Leadership Academy in Philadephia. He talks in this post about the questions some have about blogging, and concludes with this, Any student who wants to come to SLA, any teacher who wants to teach here, could Google SLA, find this blog and learn a lot about our values, our process, and the thoughts (and ramblings) of the principal. With luck, that will be part of the process of enhancing our community and strengthening its values. If nothing else came of this blog, that’d be worth it. [...]

By: Practical Theory

Practical Theory — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 02:08:45 +0000

Blogging in Education…

Kim Moritz, principal over at G-town and fellow admin-blogger, writes about her new disclaimer and the issues around being a edu-blogger. She’s a fearless blogger, and one of those bloggers who demand my attention whenever I see a new post from her in…

By: Doug

Doug — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 14:41:06 +0000

I would add one word to your disclaimer. …and do not (necessarily) reflect the views of the Gowanda School District as a whole.

I add this because I believe and hope that the views you express here are shared by many in the school district.

By: Tim L.

Tim L. — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 05:43:05 +0000

I think it’s a relatively safe maneuver. You never know when, like, the media would start hounding this or something.

By: Rick

Rick — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 04:58:03 +0000

That’s getting to be a common practice, both in and out of the educational community. I’ve seen some people get quite humorous with how they word their disclaimer, without losing the essential meaning. I look at the disclaimer as something similar to “Any resemblence between a character in this film and a living person is purely coincidental”. It was put in there by some attorney who needed to feel important. That said, it’s probably not a bad thing to have.

By: Amy

Amy — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 04:50:00 +0000

You, and only you, have a decision to make. Blog – make a difference, commit. Or stop, hide – and exist within the norm.

By: Dave Sherman

Dave Sherman — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 04:05:50 +0000

Kim,
This is a very timely topic for me and I have been thinking about this a lot the last few days. The blog that I write is actually part of the school district’s blog site. Each employee is able to have a blog, although only small number of teachers have taken advantage of this so far, and I am the only principal in the district actively blogging. Considering this situation, I have been wondering if I have less leeway to express my self. I will always act responsibly and professionally on my blog, but what if my opinion regarding a certain topic is different than that of a school board member, a community member, or a central office administrator? Am I at risk? Would I have more freedom to express myself if I owned a private blog on a site like Blogger? This would be a blog that was not connected to the school district in any way. Am I at risk when expressing my opinions regardless of what blog site I subscribe to? Do I give up freedom of speech rights by using a school district blog or does the 1st Amendment only protect me no matter what kind of blog I have? Are there any lawyers out there who can answer this question?

By: MJ's Blog

MJ's Blog — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 03:57:44 +0000

Crossing Into the Great Unknown…

I had dinner with a very good friend this evening. I wish I could tell you that we have known each……