Below is my testimony on House Bill 4971:
Matt McCullough
Michigan Education Voice Fellow
4429 S. Clubview Dr
Adrian, MI 49221
Testimony: SOCIAL MEDIA POLICIES BETWEEN STUDENTS AND SCHOOL PERSONNEL
House Bill 4971 as introduced
Committee: Education
Sponsor: Rep. Adam F. Zemke
My name is Matt McCullough and as a Michigan Education Voice Fellow and current high school administrator, I feel it is my duty to give credence to revisiting House Bill 4971. While I commend this committee for visiting the topic of social media in schools and in use by educators, I feel it is unnecessary to create laws and layers of bureaucracy to police it. Corresponding through social media is no different than talking in person and should be covered by any board policy that concerns face to face communication. To separate social media use from 'real life' communication only confuses students and staff in thinking that what they do online is governed by a separate set of morals and values. In addition, the cost and time that will be necessary to construct and maintain a policy of this type along with time and cost of legal consultation and fees will be counterproductive to the ultimate goal of educators, using their energies toward teaching and learning. Therefore, I urge you to reconsider the need for a law of this nature.
Sincerely,
Matt McCullough
Matt McCullough
Michigan Education Voice Fellow
4429 S. Clubview Dr
Adrian, MI 49221
Testimony: SOCIAL MEDIA POLICIES BETWEEN STUDENTS AND SCHOOL PERSONNEL
House Bill 4971 as introduced
Committee: Education
Sponsor: Rep. Adam F. Zemke
My name is Matt McCullough and as a Michigan Education Voice Fellow and current high school administrator, I feel it is my duty to give credence to revisiting House Bill 4971. While I commend this committee for visiting the topic of social media in schools and in use by educators, I feel it is unnecessary to create laws and layers of bureaucracy to police it. Corresponding through social media is no different than talking in person and should be covered by any board policy that concerns face to face communication. To separate social media use from 'real life' communication only confuses students and staff in thinking that what they do online is governed by a separate set of morals and values. In addition, the cost and time that will be necessary to construct and maintain a policy of this type along with time and cost of legal consultation and fees will be counterproductive to the ultimate goal of educators, using their energies toward teaching and learning. Therefore, I urge you to reconsider the need for a law of this nature.
Sincerely,
Matt McCullough