Are teachers allowed to take photos of students?

[hyperdog]

I just discovered a facebook community page where an art teacher is taking literally hundreds of photos and posting in the facebook albums. I won't show a link to this facebook community page because I don't know if the teacher is breaking any rules or not but I know that the principal at the school where my friend works would stop him from taking pictures during school events, even if the students gladly posed for him and his intention was to give all the photos to the principal to help create the yearbook and stuff. Even during commencement, when he was taking photos of the graduated students who happily posed for him, the principal stopped him. He explained to the principal that the students are officially graduated on the day of commencement, so there is no rule being broken, but the principal stopped him from photographing students anyway. So my impression was that teachers are simply not allowed to photograph students, period!

But now I discovered this facebook community page where the teacher is doing precisely that, and by the dozens per week. And taking videos too. It is clear from the students in the photos that they do not mind, and from the facebook posts that they don't mind being published either. But what gives??? Yes, the school is different from the aforementioned principal's school, but does that matter? Should this teacher be reported? Do all the parents of the students in the photos know about this? It only takes one parent to complain to cause the board some serious problems, won't it?

 

[Aardvark154]

Danger Will Robinson!. The teacher is playing with fire, all it will take is one complaint.

Is this just, not really, is it reality in 2016 in North America absolutely!

 

[bolt.upright]

When my kid was in elementary school I had to sign a form at the beginning of the year. It said that photos could be taken on school trips, visiting news persons, even the normal school photos, etc. I always signed that it was okay to use her photo for any school purposes.

I can only assume, if a parent signed that it was NOT okay, the teacher would be informed and no photo of that child would appear anywhere. Who knows if anyone is checking though, or if this teacher is even doing school-authorized things on Facebook.

 

[hyperdog]

When my kid was in elementary school I had to sign a form at the beginning of the year. It said that photos could be taken on school trips, visiting news persons, even the normal school photos, etc. I always signed that it was okay to use her photo for any school purposes.

I can only assume, if a parent signed that it was NOT okay, the teacher would be informed and no photo of that child would appear anywhere. Who knows if anyone is checking though, or if this teacher is even doing school-authorized things on Facebook.

Ah! So it's all about permission forms. Perhaps that's why my friend was constantly stopped by his principal when he was taking photos at school events. There are literally hundreds of students at the events, and it is impossible to get permission forms signed for every student there on the spot, and I suppose the principal never got permission forms signed ahead of time at the beginning of the year for all 2000 students. So I suppose this teacher running her facebook page got permission forms signed by all the parents of the students in her class?

 

[bolt.upright]

Ah! So it's all about permission forms. Perhaps that's why my friend was constantly stopped by his principal when he was taking photos at school events. There are literally hundreds of students at the events, and it is impossible to get permission forms signed for every student there on the spot, and I suppose the principal never got permission forms signed ahead of time at the beginning of the year for all 2000 students. So I suppose this teacher running her facebook page got permission forms signed by all the parents of the students in her class?

It was just one, general permission form for the school to take photos and use them in media. Like when the weather guy from the local station goes to your kid's science fair or something, or the newspaper prints a picture of the kids at an event. No need for the individual teacher to get forms signed, it was already in their files.

 

[hyperdog]

Ok, I just spoke with him. He said that his principal DID get the general permission form signed in the beginning of the year by all students. The principal simply insisted that TEACHERS cannot take photos of students. Student council and such can take the event photos, but not teachers. He said that the principal did not want teachers to be seen carrying cameras because it tarnishes the image of a teacher, or something like that. So the debate is not about permission forms, but about what students think when they see a teacher photographing students. It takes only one student (or one parent) to complain that being a photographer does not befit the role of a teacher to cause havoc to the principal. Does that make any sense?

 

[bolt.upright]

Ok, I just spoke with him. He said that his principal DID get the general permission form signed in the beginning of the year by all students. The principal simply insisted that TEACHERS cannot take photos of students. Student council and such can take the event photos, but not teachers. He said that the principal did not want teachers to be seen carrying cameras because it tarnishes the image of a teacher, or something like that. So the debate is not about permission forms, but about what students think when they see a teacher photographing students. It takes only one student (or one parent) to complain that being a photographer does not befit the role of a teacher to cause havoc to the principal. Does that make any sense?

I guess. In any case, putting photos of your students on Facebook sounds like a little too much, if you ask me. If it was my kid, I'm not sure that I would think the general permission form would cover that, and I might ask that it be removed.

 

[Keebler Elf]

Should this teacher be reported?

:frusty:

This is what's wrong with our society today.

 

[Aardvark154]

So the debate is not about permission forms, but about what students think when they see a teacher photographing students. It takes only one student (or one parent) to complain that being a photographer does not befit the role of a teacher to cause havoc to the principal. Does that make any sense?

It isn't so much that taking photographs is not appropriate for teachers, as for one student, or one parent, or one member of the community to say that a photograph is inappropriate - and there goes a career down the drain!

 

[hyperdog]

It isn't so much that taking photographs is not appropriate for teachers, as for one student, or one parent, or one member of the community to say that a photograph is inappropriate - and there goes a career down the drain!

Sorry, I reread your sentence several times and am still not getting it. So perhaps the principal doesn't want (for example) male teachers to be photographing students because the male teacher may point the camera at a girl's breasts? Of course, that would mean that female teachers can take photos of students just fine then (and indeed the art teacher in the opening post is female).

 

[Aardvark154]

Sorry, I reread your sentence several times and am still not getting it. So perhaps the principal doesn't want (for example) male teachers to be photographing students because the male teacher may point the camera at a girl's breasts? Of course, that would mean that female teachers can take photos of students just fine then (and indeed the art teacher in the opening post is female).

Hyperdog, schools have become paranoid about being sued. Further a lot of parents see teachers taking photographs of children as being on a spectrum of pedophilia.

I'm not arguing that this is true, any more than a teacher who gives their students birthday cards or Christmas cards is a closet pedophile but it is perceived that way and a teacher who does so is asking for trouble.

 

[james t kirk]

On a related note, I think teachers need to be careful about all the various types of social media around now.

I'm aware of some teachers I know (my age) who have facebook pages and there is a debate among them on whether or not they should be "friends" with any of their students. Some say that they never accept friend requests from students. (I'm not sure if all the school boards now have policies about this.)

I'm not a teacher, but I would think you'd have to be crazy (as a teacher) to be "friends" with any of your students. It's just asking for trouble and why go there.

(Then again, I can't be bothered with any social media of any kind (save and except terb, which is already too much of a time vampire.))

 

[SkyRider]

Further a lot of parents see teachers taking photographs of children as being on a spectrum of pedophilia.

The sad truth is that some teachers are pedos. Isn't there a current thread about a 24 year old female teacher raping a student minor?

 

[huckfinn]

The sad truth is that some teachers are pedos. Isn't there a current thread about a 24 year old female teacher raping a student minor?

Sadly there are pedos in every walk of life. The highest offence rate is within family ie parents, aunts / uncles, friends etc.

 

[TeeJay]

:frusty:

This is what's wrong with our society today.

It isn't so much that taking photographs is not appropriate for teachers, as for one student, or one parent, or one member of the community to say that a photograph is inappropriate - and there goes a career down the drain!

Like this teacher?
http://www.citynews.ca/2016/04/26/milton-daycare-teacher-facing-child-porn-charges/

 

[TeeJay]

I'm aware of some teachers I know (my age) who have facebook pages and there is a debate among them on whether or not they should be "friends" with any of their students. Some say that they never accept friend requests from students. (I'm not sure if all the school boards now have policies about this.)

There is no debate whatsoever
This is grounds for termination from every school board I am aware of
They very clearly state no socializing with kids through social media, and anything publicly posted can be used against them
Only an idiot would friend a teen anyways
Or a pedo

 

[hyperdog]

So the main reason why teachers cannot take pictures of students is because of the media. Too many teachers have been arrested for pedophilia charges, and many parents are paranoid about this even if their kids are willing to pose for their teacher. Thus principals will do whatever it takes avoid trouble, which includes banning teachers from even holding a camera in the school. Do I finally have it nailed down now?

 

[Aardvark154]

So the main reason why teachers cannot take pictures of students is because of the media. Too many teachers have been arrested for pedophilia charges, and many parents are paranoid about this even if their kids are willing to pose for their teacher. Thus principals will do whatever it takes avoid trouble, which includes banning teachers from even holding a camera in the school. Do I finally have it nailed down now?

You do.

 

[NorthernBear]

When I was in high school the yearbook showed a rather innocent looking photo of a girl snuggling in the stands at a basketball game with a couple of guys.
The problem was that she was from another school in town and did not let her boyfriend know that she had re-aquainted herself with some guys from middle-school.
I know this because I met her boyfriend in a bar a few years later and he told me that this photo led to their eventual break-up.

Schools nowadays really need to be careful of what they print in yearbooks as liability is much greater now than it was when we were all kids.

 

[frankcastle]

Two words permission form