Should Schools Forbid Teachers from Friending Students on Facebook?

It’s a topic that brings much discussion, and depending on who you ask, the question of whether or not a teacher should be friends with a student on Facebook is one that elicits different answers.

Some school administrations have a rule in the books that this is not allowed. For others it’s left to the educators to decide. While students will friend teachers - is it OK for them to accept?

If the school system has a policy on the books - the answer is no.

A popular New Hampshire substitute teacher found out the hard way this week when she was dismissed from her Clarmont, NH job after refusing to unfriend students, despite it being school policy, Boston.com is reporting. Carol Thebarge, 79, was a teacher for 35 years, nine at the school she was currently in and students have been pretty outspoken about losing her. Thebarge herself reached out to students and administration on her Facebook page on Sunday about the situation.

The school’s superintendent told WBUR TV he had no choice to terminate the beloved educator because she didn’t follow school policies when as it applies to social media.