Your views on letter from School Governor
Discussion
OH posted this on private facebook account:
so happy.. have just been to meet xxx tutor, who said she was a kind, clever, caring model student that never puts a foot wrong J… not the disruptive naughty child that always makes bad choices she has been told she is for the last 2 yrs!!! I knew it was the teacher not the child that had the problem
Shortly after received this:
An incident has been brought to my attention as Chairman of the Governing Body at xxx School. I am afraid I need to raise the issue with you.
On or around xxx October 2015 you posted various comments on Facebook. These comments have been widely seen by a number of people connected with the school including parents and staff.
In those comments, among other things, you criticize one of the teachers – xxx. In doing so you undermine her professional reputation. She and her colleagues have been deeply distressed by your comments.
I should say that the headteachers, and through them the Governing Body, have the highest confidence in xxx who is an excellent teacher.
You will be aware that there has been extensive media coverage about harassment using internet or social media. Harassment is defined as:
“any unwelcome comments (written or spoken) or conduct which: violates an individual's dignity; and/or. creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment.”
I think there is little doubt that any objective observer would classify your Facebook comments as harassment.
You are probably also aware that under the “Prevention of Harassment Act 1997”, harassment can give rise to both criminal and civil proceedings.
I shall be discussing the matter with xxx in the next few days to determine whether she wishes to bring the incident to the attention of regulators or take any other action.
Before that I thought it only fair to let you make any comments or representations to me or directly to xxx which may impact any decision. It also gives
you the opportunity to reflect on the issue and, I hope, remove the relevant comments from Facebook.
I cannot emphasise too strongly that in a school environment, the use of social media or other mass communication to raise issues or pass comment which may cause distress or anxiety is totally inappropriate. If you have matters which you wish to raise then speak in the first instance to xxx or xxx. If that does not resolve the issue you are more than welcome to communicate your concerns to me.
Whilst I feel the OH might have been a little more diplomatic, I thought the quasi legal tone of the ensuing letter was inappropriate from a School Governor. Your thoughts?
so happy.. have just been to meet xxx tutor, who said she was a kind, clever, caring model student that never puts a foot wrong J… not the disruptive naughty child that always makes bad choices she has been told she is for the last 2 yrs!!! I knew it was the teacher not the child that had the problem
Shortly after received this:
An incident has been brought to my attention as Chairman of the Governing Body at xxx School. I am afraid I need to raise the issue with you.
On or around xxx October 2015 you posted various comments on Facebook. These comments have been widely seen by a number of people connected with the school including parents and staff.
In those comments, among other things, you criticize one of the teachers – xxx. In doing so you undermine her professional reputation. She and her colleagues have been deeply distressed by your comments.
I should say that the headteachers, and through them the Governing Body, have the highest confidence in xxx who is an excellent teacher.
You will be aware that there has been extensive media coverage about harassment using internet or social media. Harassment is defined as:
“any unwelcome comments (written or spoken) or conduct which: violates an individual's dignity; and/or. creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment.”
I think there is little doubt that any objective observer would classify your Facebook comments as harassment.
You are probably also aware that under the “Prevention of Harassment Act 1997”, harassment can give rise to both criminal and civil proceedings.
I shall be discussing the matter with xxx in the next few days to determine whether she wishes to bring the incident to the attention of regulators or take any other action.
Before that I thought it only fair to let you make any comments or representations to me or directly to xxx which may impact any decision. It also gives
you the opportunity to reflect on the issue and, I hope, remove the relevant comments from Facebook.
I cannot emphasise too strongly that in a school environment, the use of social media or other mass communication to raise issues or pass comment which may cause distress or anxiety is totally inappropriate. If you have matters which you wish to raise then speak in the first instance to xxx or xxx. If that does not resolve the issue you are more than welcome to communicate your concerns to me.
Whilst I feel the OH might have been a little more diplomatic, I thought the quasi legal tone of the ensuing letter was inappropriate from a School Governor. Your thoughts?
JustinP1 said:
I don't think either party has holy light shining on them in this.
However, consider if the letter was like this:
"Dear Facebooker,
I write on behalf of the governors of X school. It's been brought to my attention that you have posted on Facebook some comments about teaching at the school.
I would ask that any concerns you have about teaching are raised with the Headteacher, or, failing this, I am more than happy to hear your concerns.
I appreciate that this was not your intention, however, I hope you can also appreciate that your comments can be read of criticising a teacher in public. Not only does this undermine the school, it has caused distress to Mrs Miggins.
As such, I would like to ask that you could remove these comments from public viewing. I appreciate that you have concerns which is why I offer my telephone number and email address, where I am more than happy to discuss them with you.
Yours,
Sensible Governor.
Would this even be an issue now, if that were the letter?
This my opinion.However, consider if the letter was like this:
"Dear Facebooker,
I write on behalf of the governors of X school. It's been brought to my attention that you have posted on Facebook some comments about teaching at the school.
I would ask that any concerns you have about teaching are raised with the Headteacher, or, failing this, I am more than happy to hear your concerns.
I appreciate that this was not your intention, however, I hope you can also appreciate that your comments can be read of criticising a teacher in public. Not only does this undermine the school, it has caused distress to Mrs Miggins.
As such, I would like to ask that you could remove these comments from public viewing. I appreciate that you have concerns which is why I offer my telephone number and email address, where I am more than happy to discuss them with you.
Yours,
Sensible Governor.
Would this even be an issue now, if that were the letter?
In answer to other queries, facebook setting are private but she probably has too many 'friends'. She had previously communicated her opinion to the school. This was her only comment on facebook, she stands by it but has removed it to diffuse the situation (which we believe we have done).
My view is that it would have been better not posted, but I also question the appropriateness of the tone and the involvement of the Governor.
dacouch said:
C Lee Farquar said:
This my opinion.
In answer to other queries, facebook setting are private but she probably has too many 'friends'. She had previously communicated her opinion to the school. This was her only comment on facebook, she stands by it but has removed it to diffuse the situation (which we believe we have done).
My view is that it would have been better not posted, but I also question the appropriateness of the tone and the involvement of the Governor.
As Ash has asked, what were the other comments your wife posted on Facebook referring to the teacher / school that the letter from the Governor refers to?In answer to other queries, facebook setting are private but she probably has too many 'friends'. She had previously communicated her opinion to the school. This was her only comment on facebook, she stands by it but has removed it to diffuse the situation (which we believe we have done).
My view is that it would have been better not posted, but I also question the appropriateness of the tone and the involvement of the Governor.
She was referring to two different teachers - she has made no other comment on facebook. She had raised an issue about the teacher on the section the parent can comment on a school report, which was returned to the Head but not shown to anyone else.
pinchmeimdreamin said:
To me this reads as Tinkerbell's new teacher has been told for the last 2 years by her previous teacher that Tinkerbell is a little s
t, However OP's OH has been questioning this with the teacher.
Now Tinkerbell's new teacher has agreed that she is in fact a model student and OH has simply stated to a few friends ( Via FB admittedly) that she has been proven right and it was the previous teacher who had a problem with Tinkerbell..
This is pretty much how I see it. She has now moved to Secondary school.t, However OP's OH has been questioning this with the teacher.Now Tinkerbell's new teacher has agreed that she is in fact a model student and OH has simply stated to a few friends ( Via FB admittedly) that she has been proven right and it was the previous teacher who had a problem with Tinkerbell..
Tinkerbell has had faultless reports throughout her schooling bar from one teacher. I suspect it was largely down to a personality clash and that the teacher is a little out of her depth.
Whilst it probably doesn't bear to go into too much detail, Tinkerbell was excluded from class for saying 'oh my God' when another student spilt paint everywhere (blasphemy), whereas another child with domestic issues called the teacher 'a fxxcking xxxt' and was given a laptop to play with so as not to distract the other students.
The teacher was not named, the post is recounted verbatim. We had highlighted inconsistencies to the teacher, nothing particularly serious.
I'm not looking for anyone to agree or sanction the OH'd post. I don't use facebook and can't see why anyone would want to put their thoughts on there.
The reason I started the thread is because I would welcome thoughts on the content of the Governor's letter. I felt the tone and content was incompatible with the role of a school Governor and if the school had an issue then the Head should have raised the issue first.
I'm not looking for anyone to agree or sanction the OH'd post. I don't use facebook and can't see why anyone would want to put their thoughts on there.
The reason I started the thread is because I would welcome thoughts on the content of the Governor's letter. I felt the tone and content was incompatible with the role of a school Governor and if the school had an issue then the Head should have raised the issue first.
Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff