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When Young Teachers Go Wild on the Web

washingtonpost.com — It's almost like Googling someone: Log on to Facebook. Join the Washington, D.C., network. Search the Web site for your favorite school system. And then watch the public profiles of 20-something teachers unfurl like gift wrap on the screen, revealing a sense of humor that can be overtly sarcastic or unintentionally unprofessional -- or both.

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  • miranda622, on 04/28/2008, -3/+101People do need to be careful what they put on the web - nothing is private. But I do wonder why the reporter felt the need to "out" the teachers who didn't realize their profiles were publicly available, and removed them as soon as they were contacted for interviews, especially when they could very well lose their jobs over it.
    • JointheArmy, on 04/28/2008, -7/+41Lose your job over your facebook? I know this ***** happens all the time, but who the ***** cares what they do in their private life. As long as nothing illegal is going on, who cares? It seems like the schools actually troll Facebook and that's a scary thought.
      • Ebeach, on 04/29/2008, -4/+17why do I always need to remind people that if It's on the Internet, it's not in your private life.
        And speaking as a public school employee, yes school systems do troll the many networking sites. Oh sure, they don't discriminate on the basis of creed color age or sex, but if you're a young professional with a social life who happens to blog about your Friday night parties, they will find it and use it against you. I've seen it happen many times =(
        • cawpin, on 04/29/2008, -10/+4If you aren't on the clock then your employer has nothing to say about it.
          • consoneo, on 04/29/2008, -2/+12Welcome to the real world big boy. You're completely wrong. Especially in a "Right to work" state.
          • vondrak, on 04/29/2008, -1/+13Actually some schools (not just private) have morality clauses that allow for a teacher to be terminated for things done outside of work.
            And teachers aren't the only ones who have that. Look at the NFL, just ask Adam Jones, Michael Vick, etc, etc.
          • otros, on 04/29/2008, -1/+2@vondrak: i'm pretty sure anyone would get fire if one would find himself in jail. that has nothing to do with morality, i can't see him being able to do his work behind bars.

            also "pacman" wasn't terminated.
          • vondrak, on 04/30/2008, -0/+1@otros:
            I wasn't implying that they would get fired, but that their employers do have something to say about what they do off the clock.
        • hellotyler, on 04/29/2008, -3/+2So once you are a teacher you can't party anymore ? Even though you are of age and it's perfectly legal ? Sounds like one terrible system you guys are running.
          • Tenoq, on 04/29/2008, -1/+1No, you can party - just don't publish your exploits in a public forum for criticism by your peers - which include parents. How does the school's administration look when a parent finds teachers misbehaving? The
      • kiroh, on 04/29/2008, -8/+12Parents care, for one. Inappropriate material posted to a public site displays a lack of forethought and propriety on the part of the teacher, which brings into question their ability to teach children without saying or doing something bloody stupid.
        • Tyr7BE, on 04/29/2008, -17/+6Did you go to high school at all? The teacher's job is to read the textbook. The brighter kids will know it inherently, the dumber kids won't stand a chance to begin with, and that's the way it is. When I was going through school, the most successful teachers were the ones who had the ability to talk to the students - that means establishing a rapport, and when you're 17 years old, that means swearing, telling drinking stories from when you were their age, and generally relating to the kids. Kids don't care what the lesson is about, but if it's delivered by someone they 'respect' (in their own little teenage way), they'll be a hell of a lot more likely to listen.
          • kiroh, on 04/29/2008, -6/+12And when you're 8 years old, what then? We're not just talking about senior high school teachers here.
            Even so, when I was going to school I liked the "cool" teachers who could relate to me the most. I learned the most, however, from the hardass teachers who wouldn't take that kind of behaviour and made you work hard for your grades. It took me about 10 years before I truly realized the difference.
            If a teacher needs to swear, tell drinking stories and the like in order to get through to the students, then that teacher is not doing his job.
          • barfooz, on 04/29/2008, -6/+10You're absolutely wrong. Kids don't respect teachers who stoop to their level. They respect the teachers who respect themselves and treat students tough but fair. You think there's going to be any semblance of discipline in a class where the teacher talks like a thug and tells stories about drinking, etc.?
      • Nuhaus, on 04/29/2008, -2/+6Teachers are held to a higher standard in public life. In Canada they have a code of conduct which must be followed. A teacher can be fired for being drunk in public or for other more arbitrary forms of "lude conduct". It's entirely unfair, but all that a teacher needs to remember is to keep his/her private life private. If you want to be the kind of person who celebrates getting wasted by posting pictures of it on the internet, then perhaps teaching children is not the appropriate career choice.
        • mattlreese, on 04/29/2008, -4/+0That is total BS. Really by that standard there are hundreds of jobs that could be held at a "higher standard" for the "good of the public" and who the hell defines what a higher standard is. I bet in at some schools if I put on my profile I agreed with the theory of evolution I could get fired.

          Like someone said above as long as they are not breaking the law then there should be nothing wrong with what they do on the web.
      • KathrynMac, on 04/29/2008, -0/+2Unfortunately, a lot of people do care what teachers do on their own time. As a matter of fact, it wasn't very long ago that women weren't permitted to teach if they were pregnant (even if she was married). Before that, a woman was not even permitted to be married if she was a teacher. For ex: http://books.google.com/books?id=98UI8lfyWXgC&pg=P ...
        Society has long held teachers to a much higher standard than they have held themselves. Hypocrites.
    • Vandel405, on 04/29/2008, -1/+4I agree, but sadly, it will probably take a number of years before the generations who didn't grow up on the internet realize this.
    • wakkow, on 04/29/2008, -7/+3I think it's fair to "out" those teachers because they should know better. All of my friends that are teachers (in their 20's) know to keep their pages private so only friends can access it. They get add requests from their students all the time that they deny.

      "I never thought about parents and kids [seeing it] before"
      Seriously? It's their own fault for not thinking at least a little bit about it.
    • PhantomRogue, on 04/29/2008, -2/+14Umm... Who cares what people did or do in their personal time? If they go to swinger clubs, what business is it of mine? As long as they dont start banging their students, who gives a rats ass what they do in their personal time?
      • heyblue, on 04/29/2008, -5/+2It's ok for teachers to go to swinger clubs, it's not ok to post the pictures on facebook. How would one expect to maintain parent and student respect with those pics in the public domain?
        • isaactwito, on 04/29/2008, -3/+4How about actually letting your kids mature and realize that adults are just like them in most ways except older. It gives them a stronger edge in the world than sheltering them from the authenticity of the people around them.
    • Doubledown, on 04/29/2008, -0/+6This is actually more of a "Wake Up" call than anything else. You mean to tell me that before the interweb, teachers were not calling their friends retards and other such names??!?!?!?!? C'mon, people need to get off their high horse and realize that people are going to be just that... people. Times change, but cynical people will always be there.
    • Emmo213, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1The problem arises from the difference in generations. For some of the older generations they were okay with their personal and professional life intermixing. That's partly why people would be okay with working 60+ hour weeks. Now in the younger generations (myself included) we consider our work and personal lives completely separate. Once I'm outside of work I don't want to think about work, I don't want to do work, and I normally don't want to see people from work. They are two completely different parts of my life and that's how I'd like it to stay. But if you're a teacher, you're going to be teaching the kids from the older generations and the parents don't understand or agree with the separation of work and life. That's why the teachers see what they're doing as nothing is wrong and the parents are outraged.
  • RHMiller, on 04/28/2008, -13/+18This is very true. I'm an educator and am amazed at what people will put on the web these days...teachers and students alike.
    • DiggzDE, on 04/29/2008, -3/+18I buried this because of it's ridiculous nature. These people are educators but they are also human beings. They have personal interests and such and should be expected to be able to hold a social life outside of their classroom. Expecting teachers to retain some sort of professionalism through all aspects of their life is completely unreasonable.

      I agree that what people (everywhere) put on the web these days is rather idiotic at times (especially if they put up embarrassing information) but almost every example that the author of this article used is just a sensationalist one. These teachers, as long as they don't direct or friend their own students on their profiles, don't seem to be doing anything wrong. They should be allowed to live their own lives as long as they remain professional in their own workplace.
      • barfooz, on 04/29/2008, -3/+4"These teachers, as long as they don't direct or friend their own students on their profiles, don't seem to be doing anything wrong."

        The moment you post on Facebook, your information has been recorded on the public record permanently. It's irrelevant whether you direct your students to your page, you've put the information out there for your students to find, and when you have 30 Internet-savvy students per class, it is just a matter of time before someone looks you up. And then your employer is embarrassed, and your ass is fired. I agree with the spirit of your post, but if you're not smart enough to use discretion about what you put into the public forum, you're going to get burned.

    • indigit4l, on 04/29/2008, -3/+9Times have changed concerning researching people. However times have changed on what's appropriate. The author can't seem to stomach the acronym MILF and is clearly a conservative person. He can ***** off.
      • toastgodsupreme, on 04/29/2008, -0/+6Sadly there are too many overly conservative people in positions of authority. And THAT is where the problem is.

        Parents who spend almost no time with their children and then turn around and become outraged when some teacher uses the word retard on a personal site which is totally unrelated to their kids' education. These people are also the biggest hypocrites, usually doing what they advocate against the most.
    • passedoutghost, on 04/29/2008, -1/+0Let's have a look at your post history shall we?
  • chinolofus, on 04/28/2008, -6/+87pics?
    • DragonForce4, on 04/29/2008, -2/+8or it didn't happen.
    • ell0bo, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1I got pics of my ex that teaches down there laying around on one of my computers if that'll help you in some way?
  • ClipSet, on 04/28/2008, -4/+332Title is very misleading. I was expecting young hot teachers topless. I'm disappointed.
    • paradexes, on 04/28/2008, -8/+4FTA: "One Montgomery County special education teacher displayed a poster that depicts talking sperm and invokes a slang term for oral sex. One woman who identified herself as a Prince William County kindergarten teacher posted a satiric shampoo commercial with a half-naked man having an orgasm in the shower."

      Damn that was one hot description.
    • SpookyPig, on 04/29/2008, -2/+6Yeah... but then you run the risk (if you're still in high school) of running into your teachers. Be surfin around, getting ready for some good ol fashioned fappin then all the sudden "WAIT? IS THAT?... OH GOD!"
      • Scaryclouds, on 04/29/2008, -0/+3Well if your teachers is Mrs. Ten hove it may not be so bad... Young and hot is young and hot so as long as it's not family...
    • mcnasby, on 04/29/2008, -3/+13For serious! They couldn't even say the word MILF. Instead they said: "The page features multiple "bumper stickers," including one that uses a crude acronym for attractive mothers"

      A MILF, is by no means crude. Obviously someone doesn't have a true appreciation for American Pie.
    • tritiumpie, on 04/29/2008, -3/+1I agree.

      OOC
      • wild, on 04/29/2008, -1/+1Sheesh man, at least type it the right way. Unless you're a eunuch...
        • tritiumpie, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1dude... I was agreeing that "I was expecting young hot teachers topless. I'm disappointed." therefore, "O" instead of "G". dork.
    • digjam, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1FTA...."The annals of teachers-gone-wild-on-the-Web...."
      I lol'd :P
  • Senturion, on 04/28/2008, -15/+24No segment of society is immune to stupidity.
    In my opinion, and this is backed up by having a girlfriend who is a teacher, teachers are largely adults who never wanted to leave high school.
    • dizzythegreat, on 04/29/2008, -4/+9Dugg. Very, very, very, very agreed. Especially those who teach, for instance, English, Math, History or the like. Or teachers of other subjects who teach them with far too much busy work or teach the class for the sake of the class and its work rather than for the sake of the subject and its practical applications.
    • DNABeast, on 04/29/2008, -1/+4I've seen a retardation of social skills amongst Teachers. I think it's because they have to be the grown ups around silly teens that when they get off work they feel that to 'off work' they should act just as silly.
    • sjbradyusd, on 04/29/2008, -1/+4agree. just think of your coach and/or P.E. teacher.
  • say592, on 04/28/2008, -34/+161 Diggs in the course of ten hours, and its on the front page?

    Sometimes the algorithm makes no sense...
    • cvxdes1, on 04/28/2008, -0/+25Stop complaining about what makes it to the front ***** page.
    • Kratos76, on 04/29/2008, -3/+2Sense. This picture makes none.
      • virtualsnyper, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1Caption to Darth Vader filtering sea water ... right?
    • zongamin, on 04/29/2008, -1/+2screw you!
  • mywhitenoise, on 04/28/2008, -18/+2My sister says some pretty stupid ***** to her students (harmless, but little racist...I remember her telling a story how she called one of her black students a chocolate bear), as well as a myspace.
    • twitchr, on 04/28/2008, -9/+8Harmless? there is nothing harmless about teaching young students to be racist. Kids look up to their teachers both academically and socially. I hope your sister gets fired.
      • mywhitenoise, on 04/28/2008, -8/+6it's not that offensive, it's not like she called him a *****. What a pussy.
        • twitchr, on 04/28/2008, -4/+5yeah, except that kids take in stuff like that and then the next time they see a black kid in public they call him a chocolate bear. it might not seem offensive, but something innocent like that lets that kid know that its ok to be racist.
          • zeabu, on 04/29/2008, -0/+3Relativation is the greatest gift that should be teached. You can make racist jokes, without being a racist, and you can color between the lines and be the biggest *****. Like you.

            If people could see things in different lights, there would be less discussion, less war, more understanding.

            Like that guy Davila in the article, being shocked by a painting of girl in a brah, and one without... com'on, it's not some harcore ddp.
          • zongamin, on 04/29/2008, -1/+2bear?
      • heliox, on 04/28/2008, -1/+1I like chocolate!
      • BadseedJR, on 04/28/2008, -5/+6Making a reference to someone's appearance is not racist. Putting them down because of it would be. You are an idiot.
      • crazyhorse13, on 04/28/2008, -1/+1Black whale.
    • jeriqo, on 04/28/2008, -0/+3WTF?
      • mywhitenoise, on 04/29/2008, -2/+1She said it in private, she teaches 2nd grade. Kids say cute things, she called him something cute...but stupid.
  • ControlcChris, on 04/28/2008, -3/+68Where were all these sexed up teachers when i was in school?
  • jamesov89, on 04/28/2008, -10/+96titsorgtfo
  • liquidtaco, on 04/28/2008, -12/+6If I posted online that the number one rule of my job was not to smoke crack while pregnant, something tells me that I would not be all that surprised if I got fired.
  • s0lace, on 04/28/2008, -9/+13"niceeee"
    • BadseedJR, on 04/28/2008, -2/+4"but... she's hot"
      At least I got your reference.
      • proghead, on 04/29/2008, -1/+2if you had the greasemonkey script you would know that six dugg him up and six dugg him down.
        • zeabu, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1That script is not accurate. it misses the +1 of the OP.
  • OfNumbers, on 04/28/2008, -0/+71"Just to be clear, these are not teenagers, the typical Internet scofflaws and sources of ceaseless discussion about cyber-bullying, sexual predators and so on. These are adults, many in their 20s, who are behaving, for the most part, like young adults."

    Just to be clear, these adults were teens only a fraction of a lifetime ago. Obviously the author was shocked that they could grow up and somehow retain old habits.
    • dannyboy3020, on 04/28/2008, -0/+56For some reason, teachers are not allowed to have lives.
    • jimmiss, on 04/28/2008, -0/+24This is a generational problem, not an age related problem. Although I can see how the two could be confused. If you are 50+ it's very possible for you to not understand the nature or modern electronic communication.
      • OfNumbers, on 04/28/2008, -0/+12Thereby making the rest of us pioneers. Scary *****.
    • crazyhorse13, on 04/28/2008, -0/+1To add to your point, I doubt those bumper stickers were very new.
    • Ikulus, on 04/29/2008, -0/+11The implication is that 20-somethings no longer behave like teenagers, which, as we all know in this generation is not true.

      Does this mean previous generations of 20-somethings behaved like "adults"? Or is the internet only shedding light on what always existed?
      • brettmurf, on 04/29/2008, -0/+8This applies to people of any age. People of age 50+ will go out and make fools of themselves. The biggest difference is that they usually stay at home instead. Younger people go out and have fun. They also tend to do some more foolish things. We now have our e-profiles to share that with other people.
        We just feel the need to pretend that people are better than they are and uphold them to unrealistic standards. If someone is a great teacher, who cares what their facebook profile says. If it isn't overtly racist or hateful, it does no harm to anyone.
    • TheR3dMenace, on 04/29/2008, -0/+5Your sense of humor dies at age 25 apparently
    • otros, on 04/29/2008, -0/+4that's the most idiotic part of the article. "These are adults, many in their 20s, who are behaving, for the most part, like young adults" well no *****, Sherlock. Maybe it's because they are young adults?
  • sys9five, on 04/28/2008, -3/+82Um...so? They are people in the twenties doing what they normally do. I think most of them can differentiate work behavior from recreational behavior.
    • Noquar, on 04/28/2008, -17/+4That's the problem. "They are people in the twenties doing what they normally do." Why is using language like that, acting like that, and displaying it like that now considered normal? When I have kids, I want to know that the teacher of my child isn't out lying half conscious with a bottle of tequila and having pictures taken in his/her offtime. I want someone my child can respect in and out of school. In my opinion, when you take the step of teaching and forming the young minds of our nation, you agree to a higher standard and a life, not just a job.
      • flangepiece, on 04/29/2008, -1/+5...maybe they could get paid as if they held our kids' futures in their hands then? Us Brits have just had a round of strikes by teachers who need to be able to pay the rent and would like decent working conditions and stuff. Fine by me as long as they don't go and piss any pay rises up the wall :-)
        .
        • york2600, on 04/29/2008, -0/+4In the US you can make more as a low level grocery store manager then a school teacher in many school districts. The manager job requires a high school education. Teachers need a 4 year degree plus a year to get a credential / license. It's pretty sad.
      • JYoungest1, on 04/29/2008, -0/+2noquar wants a cold robot to teach his kids

        So what, all the best teachers the ones who are not robots, they seem to be the only ones i remember, and because i remember them i remember the things I learned. The best college professors are the biggest alcoholics when they go home for a weekend, we all know this. Lets stop listening to old people who just cant grasp this new network age, let alone get their computer to turn on.
        • Noquar, on 04/29/2008, -1/+0By all means point out where I said I didn't want someone passionate. I apparently did not identify clearly what I was referring too. I was referencing the notion that someone can defend pictures of them obviously drunk and/or using language such as retard, when she works with disabled children. It's like calling your friends gay, then turning to your gay friend and telling them you didn't mean it, you love them. I want people who think before they act, and are willing to accept their consequences, especially when they play such an important role in our most precious resource - our children. And as others have mentioned, yes, many teachers do need to get paid for. We shouldn't have to explain away so much of the behavior with, "Oh, that's just what young adults do."
    • Eganj, on 04/28/2008, -0/+6As soon as you get them paid enough to justify that lemme know. I mean holy *****...teachers are....human? Who knew...
      • Noquar, on 04/29/2008, -5/+2We could fill up the entire site with jobs that should be paid more. Low pay is no excuse. We're all human, my beef isn't with a mistake, it's with a mentality that "that's just what young adults do."
        • mystcnurse, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1Except that every teacher I know, almost, has to wait tables or bartend on the weekends just to get by. Along with grading papers during the week nights. What do you expect. Have you ever hung out with a bunch of bartenders? I think they just get a little role confusion going on.
        • york2600, on 04/29/2008, -0/+2It's simple supply and demand. My girlfriend is just entering grad school to get her teachers license and masters in elementary education. Unfortunately there are a lot of people in her current undergrad classes that I would never let near any child of mine. They're morons. The problem is since there aren't enough teachers they're guaranteed a job. Pay better and more people will want to be teachers. More competition = the ability to fire the crappy teachers. The ability to replace ***** teachers = higher standards for teachers. I for one am I willing to pay for quality teachers.
    • nickdngr, on 04/29/2008, -6/+4So, you're putting your kids in Catholic school so they can be taught by nuns...Your kids are going to be able to tell you all about creationism and that's preferable to teachers having regular, separate social lives.
      • brettg102, on 04/29/2008, -2/+295% of Catholic schools are taught by lay people with the rare clergy mixed in for religous education. The catholic church can barely keep parishes open...you think they can afford to staff a school with 20-30 priests or ordained brothers/sisters? You're ***** ignorant. (Product of 12 years of Catholic Education, which I will GUARANTEE was much more cutting edge than yours.)
      • Hamletlere, on 04/29/2008, -0/+7You do realize that the Catholic church supports evolution, right?
    • mille716, on 04/29/2008, -0/+3Exactly. I'm a teacher in my twenties and work in an urban school. Trust me, those students just don't connect as well with some teacher in their 60's preaching to them about being angels. They know I'm not an angel outside of school and respect that more than someone who is pretending to be. I still consider myself to be a responsible adult (albeit one who goes out on the weekends) who can positively impact their lives. There's a saying in the profession that the best students don't make the best teachers. It's basically implying that the person who stayed in on Friday and Saturday nights studying in high school and college are not the ideal personalities to control and teach a classroom full of kids.
    • DarkDx, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1Or maybe they can fussion both :D
  • BagginsBoy, on 04/28/2008, -2/+110I found a picture of my (female) graduate-student teacher on Facebook making out with another chick at a party, and it was awesome.
  • voodoochild461, on 04/28/2008, -2/+59Teachers have a right to a life too, I learned this when one of them asked my friend to bring in lots of pancakes to school on April 20th.
  • donniex7, on 04/28/2008, -9/+4wait, i'm dating a 20-something teacher...
  • henrik.falk, on 04/28/2008, -18/+5Hey look! American morality!
    • heliox, on 04/28/2008, -2/+9Hey look! Shut the ***** up!
    • crazyhorse13, on 04/28/2008, -2/+2What, you thought everyone over here was corrupt? Some of us still have values.
    • santaliqueur, on 04/29/2008, -0/+8I wish I wasn't American. Every other country on Earth is better than us. I learned this by reading Digg.
      • rotten777, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1You have a sampling size error in your life.
    • kindassassin96, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1Hey look! International douchebagery!
  • senatorpjt, on 04/28/2008, -3/+57You mean teachers are actually human beings? They have faults? Unbelievable.
    • proghead, on 04/29/2008, -2/+3dude i love your icon! :D
    • chemdiva, on 04/29/2008, -3/+1Would your response be different if this was firefighters or police? Teachers tend to be held to a higher standard than the average citizen. Now that i've said it, i would really like to see the expose on the police force facebook pages! That could be even more outrageous.
  • Pyehole, on 04/28/2008, -7/+17As somebody who is doing much of the hiring in my office I have eliminated more than 1 candidate from consideration based on what I've discovered by looking through either google searches or quick searches on various social networking websites such as myspace and facebook. This has made me very conscious of what I reveal to the world about myself because at some point I'll be moving on and sending out résumés myself...
    • ranger45, on 04/29/2008, -2/+6+1 I have done the same. Potential employees out there: expect to be Googled and have social networks searched. You put it out there. Your new employer will look.
    • Olfster, on 04/29/2008, -1/+13Now did you pay someone to do this for your organization or did you do this investigation yourself? If you paid someone to undertake this investigation the people have a right to know that you used this information as part of the hiring decision and you must inform them of such no matter what state you reside in. My advice, even though not asked for, is that you understand your state and federal law (FCRA) so that the people whose information is used in the hiring have an understanding that this information is available and being used in your hiring decision. If your in California and did not inform them you are breaking the law, whether you undertook the investigation yourself or hired someone. :)
    • Ishkabible, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1Have you ever not hired someone for something you saw while researching, that you have done yourself?
    • mCanada, on 04/29/2008, -0/+7moral: use aliases on msg boards and temporarily disable your facebook when job hunting.
      • widgetmaker, on 04/29/2008, -0/+3OR clean up your facebook and make it accessible to all, that way they can see the good side of you, not that you're hiding something.
        • mCanada, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1Privacy doesn't equal hiding. Information can be distorted in an infinite amount of ways, even if the information on you looks innocuous.
    • kindernacht, on 04/29/2008, -2/+4wow, what a pretentious shmuck.
      • Pyehole, on 04/29/2008, -1/+1Whatever. When I see the angst ridden drivel of some emo kid still living at home on his myspace page and I ask myself the question: "do I really want to work with this guy?", the answer is pretty self-evident.
    • CrackyJSquirrel, on 04/29/2008, -1/+2Exactly the reason none of my real information goes onto social networks.. Every user name is Cracky J. Squirrel... Its a bit awkward when you have to send pictures of the kid the your parents and they ask who is "cracky"? :)
    • Anonchrist, on 04/29/2008, -3/+2I know I am going to get dugg down for saying this, but you sir are an ass. Unless the content affected how they would preform at work or was illegal, it sounds like you may have been discriminating against a different cultural lifestyle. People are unprofessional when not at work...
      • MojoJonJon, on 04/29/2008, -1/+1EXACTLY!!
      • Pyehole, on 04/30/2008, -0/+1What makes you think that what I found won't impact their ability to do the job?
  • cowcowmoomoo1, on 04/28/2008, -6/+27People are so touchy today. Why do their private lives have to be so intertwined with their professions? The two, in the case of teachers, have nothing to do with one another.
    • barfooz, on 04/29/2008, -1/+7Facebook and MySpace are NOT private. Whatever you post from your private life on those sites is from then on public information. If that information is embarrassing to your employer, you're going to get in trouble. E.g., If you are a Washington DC Public Schools teacher and you write "Teaching in DCPS -- Lesson #1: Don't smoke crack while pregnant." on your Facebook page, you are a moron and are asking for trouble.

      People need to learn how to use discretion. It's not a matter of being prude, it's a matter of being intelligent about how you portray yourself online. There is no anonymity on those sites.
    • twst1up, on 04/29/2008, -1/+8well, basically because who you are in your personal life undoubtedly reflects who you are professionally. I say if you're ok posting pics of yourself drunk, or in a less than respectable manner than it should be ok if i don't want you as my kids educator
    • kiroh, on 04/29/2008, -3/+4Except that they are responsible for teaching children, many of which may have ready access to the internet (the older ones at least). They chose a job that requires a certain level of professionalism; if they can't deal with that then I'd say it's time for them to find other work.
      • brettmurf, on 04/29/2008, -2/+2Are you paying them for the weekends? The emphasis is the job requiring professionalism. That means they are working and not out doing whatever the hell they want.
        • kiroh, on 04/29/2008, -1/+2I'm paying them to teach my children. If they learn from their teacher that it's ok to go out, get drunk, make out with everyone they see, and then post the whole thing for the world to see, then they are not doing their job.

          They are public employees. You wouldn't accept that behaviour from your mayor, senator, president, ect. Why is it ok for teachers?

          (Correction: You personally might be ok with public figures displaying this lack of judgement, but I'd be willing to bet that the majority aren't)
        • xptoast, on 04/29/2008, -1/+2I am pretty sure that it doesnt matter if they figure it out from teachers cuase they will figure it out without the teachers anyhow.
    • elementop, on 04/29/2008, -3/+6That's bovine scatology.
      If the school board can find the teacher's Facebook or MySpace account, you'd better believe their students can, too. Do you think this teacher's students will take him/her seriously when (s)he stands up in front of the class and says "Be careful with alcohol; it can cause you a lot of trouble" then posts pictures on said social networking sites getting absolutely S***faced?
  • Super6, on 04/28/2008, -9/+4I found my teacher's facebook, kind of creepy.
  • grahag, on 04/28/2008, -3/+31I think people need to realize that outside of work, their life is their life. If they're unprofessional at work, then by all means, focus attention on them, but EVERYONE needs to blow off some steam. Cut 'em some slack.
    • strypersarmy, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1but just dont post your drunkin make out session that you had at T.G.I. Fridays on the internetz.
  • handsomeramin, on 04/28/2008, -1/+15You know, I see how it might be a little unprofessional for teachers to make an account on social networks, but who really ***** cares? It is like they track people down, they're still people, and they have the right to the interweb...
    • mrjit, on 04/29/2008, -0/+5Considering most of my generation (I'm 23) have myspace/facebook accounts - and this is the time where most of my generation is graduating college and a vast number of the females are moving into teaching, it's a bit of an archaic reasoning to feel that a teacher having a social-site presence is unprofessional. I've had my Facebook since I was 18, working in retail. I'm now a full-time professional, and while I've definitely moved to keep it more mature than in the past, there is no reason for people in my age range - but teachers - to have to sign off.
  • Elliottx, on 04/28/2008, -1/+23Since when were teachers considered to not be human? O.o
  • Phydu7, on 04/28/2008, -2/+8dugg for "including one that uses a crude acronym for attractive mothers"
    • crazyhorse13, on 04/29/2008, -4/+2hmmm.... hot momma?
      /s just to be safe
      • brettmurf, on 04/29/2008, -0/+9You failed for not knowing what an acronym is anyhow. Sarcasm cannot help you with that one.
  • Xoti, on 04/28/2008, -11/+8THIS IS MADNESS!
  • DanotheSnitch, on 04/28/2008, -0/+3I think we need links to some of these profiles before we pass judgment
  • AronT, on 04/28/2008, -3/+38It is stupid that people are rated professionally based on how they conduct themselves outside of work. If two students have the same degree, same GPA, same qualifications and one is over-looked because they live a lifestyle the interviewer doesn't agree with - that is just plain wrong.

    In all honesty, it makes me want to link my Facebook profile on my resume - if I don't get hired because of what I'm like outside of work then I don't really want to work there.
    • JointVenture, on 04/29/2008, -12/+5You just contradicted yourself.

      You said it shouldn't matter what you do outside work and then you said if they didn't agree with what you did outside work you wouldn't want to work there.

      Good luck on the job hunt, its going to be a long one for you.
      • mystcnurse, on 04/29/2008, -1/+5I would hire him... or her - for being honest and real, which is a lot more than you can say for a lot of people who "appear" to be moral. I could give mulitple examples.
      • CrackyJSquirrel, on 04/29/2008, -1/+4I wouldn't want to hire you since you don't know the meaning of "contradiction"
      • AronT, on 04/29/2008, -0/+4That is not a contradiction, but good try. Oh and by the way, I'm gainfully employed at a company that knows how I am outside of work - thanks for playing.
    • brettmurf, on 04/29/2008, -0/+5I am, fortunately, looking for a job in the digital art world and have the benefit of facebook being a screening process for my part. I hope they look at my profile and decide that they would enjoy working with me.
      If they decide that they would not hire me based upon my daily activities, I sure as hell do not want to work for them. However, most fields do not have the benefit of expecting employers to be down to earth or have a sense of humor.
    • Ishkabible, on 04/29/2008, -0/+0Is it a contradiction if he believes it to be one way but performs his actions while knowing that it is another way?
    • JointVenture, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1Forgive me, I was having a Rev Wright moment.
  • nickdngr, on 04/28/2008, -1/+17These damn reporters are ruining it for everybody, teachers across the country are going to start privatizing their pages, ruining all the fun for everyone who ever wanted to sleep with a sluttish teacher...
    • mystcnurse, on 04/29/2008, -1/+6and it isn't like they don't have MUCH BETTER and MORE IMPORTANT issues to report on.
  • AtomicPC, on 04/28/2008, -2/+25HOLY CRAP!! Young adults acting like young adults! Pulitzer prize winning journalism! Or just jizm. What's next people eating turkey at Thanksgiving or buying presents at Christmas?
    • DarkDx, on 04/29/2008, -0/+6BREAKING NEWS: People seen walking at NYC streets, follow up at 11 pm
  • relic120, on 04/28/2008, -1/+21This is stupid and that reporter is an idiot. Find some real ***** story to write, ass hat.
  • Puisapres, on 04/28/2008, -0/+20This article couldn't have come at a better time - the other night I googled my professor and found his flickr page, which contained numerous pics of him dressed as Harry Potter and wearing the Gryffindor colors.
  • liah, on 04/29/2008, -3/+13Why the hell does it matter what they're doing in their private life as long as they're doing well in their job? Unless they're a pedophile or a murderer, it shouldn't be anyone's business but theirs.

    People have been doing things like this for years. Just because you didn't see it then doesn't mean it was never there. It didn't affect employers then, what right have they got to suddenly start judging people on it now?
    • barfooz, on 04/29/2008, -1/+1Of course people have been doing things off-hours that their employers would object to since forever. The difference is that now people are writing about it online in public forums and using zero discretion and self-censorship. So now all that dirty laundry is sitting out in the open, waiting for a student or student's parent to come sniff it out, and that happens to be embarrassing to most employers, schools included. Look, no one's arguing for people to be saints in their off time. Be a kink, get drunk off your ass, do whatever the hell you want, just don't write it up on what is essentially our modern society's bathroom wall. Use some discretion.
  • Drgn547, on 04/28/2008, -1/+9"These are adults, many in their 20s, who are behaving, for the most part, like young adults."
    Since when is being in your 20's NOT considered being a young adult? Most teachers (Master's Degree required in most states) don't graduate college until they're somewhere between 23-25... It's not surprising that they have college-esque content when they are indeed fresh out of college. Granted, they should remove risky content before getting professional jobs, but it's also not fair to purposely seek this information out just to exploit it.
    • Lionhart, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1I don't know what state you're in where teachers have master's degrees, but I wish I lived there. Here we're lucky if they have anything more than a 2 year AA degree. (Florida)
  • BuzzFriendly, on 04/29/2008, -0/+13The teachers need to retaliate by posting when "Young reporters go wild on the web"
  • mille716, on 04/29/2008, -0/+23I'm a 28 year old teacher. My district says we can have a profile but just to use common sense with it since obviously students are going to look at it. It really would affect my classroom management if the students were looking at pictures of me when I was really, really drunk last weekend. Most teachers I know just put theirs on private and it's never a problem.
  • liuite, on 04/29/2008, -0/+9i clicked on it thinking i was going to find "Young teachers gone wild"
  • wiihuck, on 04/29/2008, -0/+4Should I change "babysitting and dropping knowledge" as the description for my middle school job?
    • widgetmaker, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1Nah, I had my manager add me as a friend on facebook, and forgot to change the job description on there from something not exactly flattering to the job. never got pulle up on it.
  • misterteenwolf, on 04/29/2008, -1/+8buried for not having hot chicks
  • thedragon4453, on 04/29/2008, -6/+8I'm slightly surprised to see that no one is arguing the other way on this. People need to not be stupid, and teachers are no exception. In the same way that you don't want to see the mayor doing beer bongs, you don't want to see teachers acting like this.

    Before I'm buried to oblivion though, I'll say that I don't personally care what the teachers do if it doesn't effect their job performance. The part that I think is stupid is that they are posting things on facebook and myspace that isn't professionally becoming. This same things applies not just to teachers, but everyone. If you are going for the type of job where professionalism is important, then you shouldn't be posting things like this on the internet for everyone to see.

    I am sure that teachers are people just like everyone else, but I am somewhat in a leadership position, and I don't come into work advertising the night before when I got smashed out of my mind. I don't see how this is much different.
    • wiihuck, on 04/29/2008, -2/+4facebook != coming into work

      that's how it's different.
      • barfooz, on 04/29/2008, -2/+3No, it's not different. These teachers posted in a public forum. Work is also a public forum. Whatever you do in either area can be freely observed and scrutinized by anyone. If you do something / write something in a public forum that your employer finds objectionable, you're likely to be fired. That's just the way it works.
      • thedragon4453, on 04/29/2008, -1/+3Yeah, but with tech going the way it is, posting on facebook isn't much different then just coming to work and announcing everything that happened. If I posted that I just smoked a couple of massive bowls on facebook, half of my staff would know about it in minutes.

        I don't think that teachers should get into any serious trouble for this, but I don't think that common sense says its a wise thing to do. Like it or not, teachers and many other professionals represent their employers even outside of work. They can still do what they want, they should just exercise a little discretion.
      • widgetmaker, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1Not when your co workers and boss can see your profile (you can't exactly deny a friend request) You sometimes have to be very careful about what you do post, and more importantly the times you do so, time stamps on fb feed items could be a killer (yes you can disable them but who really bothers)
        • wiihuck, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1i "ignore" friend requests all the time. when someone who is not my friend tries to add me, i deny their request.
          you can exactly deny a friend request.
    • theprogrammer, on 04/29/2008, -2/+0So, being a leader implies being a faker. That's awesome.
      • widgetmaker, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1Or it implies having to watch what people think of you as they have to work for you.
    • ZenMojo, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1These people assumed reasonably that Facebook wouldn't open up their restricted online content to every person who happens to live in Washington, DC.
  • dudeguy1234, on 04/29/2008, -2/+5People should really go do something more productive than looking at their employees Facebooks.
  • Goya, on 04/29/2008, -0/+18Want to recruit better teachers? Make the pay comparable to other top professions and these slackers will get nudged out. Teaching is similar to being a doctor, you must diagnose the student (learning styles, behaviors), figure out a plan of action and get the desired results. Except teachers deal with 30-40 patients at the same time in one room each with different problems where many do not even want to be there.
    And the summers off argument does not fly, my last paycheck is in may and my next one is in september. Teachers can spread their pay out 12 mos, but they arent getting paid for time off.
    • greeniemeani, on 04/29/2008, -2/+3Yeah - my mom is a teacher, makes 70k in the south (very cheap living), and goes to her brother's condo for two months in the summer. Such bad pay.

      Teaching has absolutely nothing in common with being a doctor and requires far less training and skill, which is why more people can do it and which is why it pays significantly less. Most teachers just get up in front of class and talk or flip through powerpoint slides. Give me a ***** break.
      • my10cent, on 04/29/2008, -1/+0You my friend is a LIAR, my wife teaches in the south and she makes 29k a year, I don't know in what fantasy land your mom works, I flipped around the different counties here in the south and there is NONE that pays 70k.
        • greeniemeani, on 04/29/2008, -0/+2She teaches in a very wealthy suburban neighborhood and has around 20 years of experience. Of course a new teacher is only going to make 25-35k.
      • mattlreese, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1So your saying its not ok for teachers to make an acceptable amount of money. In this day in age you need 70k a year if you expect to own a decent house and raise kids. And I bet the mother has been teaching for quite a while. I have friends 4 years out of college making more money then she does.
        • greeniemeani, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1Not in the south. If you live in the west coast, you are correct. I made it explicitly clear that she is in the south.

          If you know kids right 4 years out of college who make more than 70k, then it's obvious you are on the west coast.
          • mattlreese, on 04/29/2008, -0/+0I live in the north east but same difference
    • spikespikespike, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1Who says these people are slackers? Just because they drink on the weekend and say inappropriate things on occasion does not mean their job performance suffered.
  • JointVenture, on 04/29/2008, -0/+3I think its funny as ***** that people are actually bitching about their privacy and defending posting your personal ***** on the internet at the same time.

    It made me a little dizzy just thinking about it so Ive decided to go post about my privacy issues on my facebook, myspace and personal blog.
    • Ishkabible, on 04/29/2008, -1/+1I think it's not necessarily about privacy, but about being judged for things that are happening outside of the workplace and which people claim don't affect their job perfomance.
      • widgetmaker, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1Except it can affect a job. Whether it's a teacher having kids find their pics, or your boss seeing what you truly get upto at the weekend..
    • meechwings, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1There's a difference between wanting privacy and posting personal stuff online that you want your friends to see.

      Granted, the people here may not have made the right privacy choices, but it's still not as hypocritical as you may think.
  • Bender1001, on 04/29/2008, -0/+2Deceptive!! Damn you Washington Post and your clever headlines that don't deliver the goods!
  • stavrogin2, on 04/29/2008, -0/+18"In Prince William, Rich Davila, a real estate company director and the father of a 6-year-old first-grader, said that when he found a substitute teacher's risque MySpace page recently, he complained to school officials and the teacher was eventually removed. School officials said they cannot comment on the teacher's case, citing personnel rules."
    "The teacher's page includes a painting of a young woman lifting up her dress, exposing her lingerie, and another showing her bare chest. "I felt sick to my stomach when I saw the page," Davila said."

    How the ***** do you father a kid in the first place if you get sick to your stomach seeing a nude painting of a woman?
    • oddtom, on 04/29/2008, -0/+3Probably a conservative nutcase. Remember, it's only for procreation. Don't enjoy it, sinner!
  • soulpiercer7, on 04/29/2008, -0/+3how do you join this washington d.c. network?
  • mcnasby, on 04/29/2008, -0/+8The interesting thing about this whole scenario is that in the past, teachers, and "adults" alike are painted as these staunch, unyielding and overtly serious creatures. Seemingly on a pedestal - a step above "immature" teenagers. But the internet is changing that perception.

    In a way, it shows how lazy one's personality is if he/she doesn't protect his/her own privacy online. But in another way -- these social networks are revealing how human these people really are. Everyone has a sense of humor, everyone wants to have fun and enjoy themselves. These social networks are just unveiling the true personalities of adults. Surprise, surprise - they like to have fun and joke around. Personally, if I was in high school and found my teacher's Facebook profile and saw that maybe he was a bit of a goof outside of the classroom, and hey, maybe even liked some of the same music -- I'd probably appreciate and respect him that much more. Sometimes I think our society is too uptight and serious for its own good.
    • short, on 04/29/2008, -0/+1Case in point: Facebook and MySpace didn't exist in the early 90s, but one of our high school teachers told us he listened to and even went to concerts of bands we liked. He just seemed much cooler after that -- and the classroom actually became a better (and more fun) place to learn.
  • Lionhart, on 04/29/2008, -0/+13This kind of idiotic reporting is what makes this country a really dumb place to live. People have fun in their free time. Grow up.
  • crl276, on 04/29/2008, -1/+3this is ridiculous. who cares if 22 year old school teachers have had a couple of drinks in their time. i bet mr. "bars and restaurants" has a few shameful memories that he'd like to forget too. good thing he doesn't have a facebook
  • WNW3, on 04/29/2008, -0/+3No pic links yet? WTF? Digg is letting me down
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