Teacher placed on leave for questionable Facebook posting

[sws4420]

http://wkow.images.worldnow.com/images/9781795_BG1.JPG

BEAVER DAM (WKOW) -- Beaver Dam school officials placed a middle school teacher on administrative leave after discovering a photograph of the teacher with a gun on the teacher's Facebook page.

In the photo, teacher Betsy Ramsdale is training a rifle at the camera.

Ramsdale emailed 27 News in response to our inquiries saying she "removed the photo immediately" and that she is not "interested in any controversy." Ramsdale did not comment on her motivation for posting the photo.

Schools superintendent Donald Childs told 27 News he is unaware of any sinister intent on the teacher's part and said the use of the photo "appears to be poor judgment."

Childs said the Facebook photo was brought to the attention of school district officials by a concerned staff member at Beaver Dam Middle School.

Ramsdale's biography on the school district website states she is in her first year of teaching at the middle school. Department of Public Instruction records show Ramsdale has been licensed to teach since 1996.

Middle school parent Jennifer Buzzell said the teacher's decision to post the photograph was concerning.

"I don't think it's appropriate," Buzzell told 27 News. "I'm not sure why this would be on the computer at all."

"I don't see anything wrong with it," school parent Mark Hagstrom said. "She's on her time to do what she wants."

School parent Chad Van Loo said the photograph sends the wrong message.

"With the way things are going these days, with the kids bringing guns to school and bomb threats, (photograph) is something to be concerned about."

Ramsdale's union representation is through the Beaver Dam Education Association. Association president Janet Schumaker has yet to return a call from 27 News.


http://www.wkowtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9781795&nav=menu1362_2

[Bob]

Mixed feelings.
One you are a dumbass for posting something like this on a public webpage, especially if you are in any type of leadership role, which I think teachers are. But as the one guy said she is entitled to do what she wants with her own time away from the job. My issue with that is, keep it the fuck offline. How stupid are you? Don't you know in this day n age that a public site like that, myspace, and any other popular public sites are prone for that shit?
Granted, I have my own affection/addiction for a particular illegal substance but I don't broadcast it on any wide known public space, (no pun to this board but that's why I like it here, it's 'mostly' between us) simply for the fact I don't want it broadcast. Hell, I'm unemployed and still won't post that crap on those sites about that because potential employers (and others) could possibly view it and I'm not in anyrelevant capacity, close to a leadership role.

This is just irresponsibility in my eyes.

[HLBiteME!]

I was just at Dicks Sporting Goods at the mall yesterday to pick up a new rifle and some ammo. While I was filling out the paperwork, a student of mine saw me and came over to say hello. I really feel like that situation isn't much different from me posting a picture of me with the gun on my personal myspace page. My kids might know I have a gun now. That's about all you could say about that picture too. Unless there is some disturbing text there or other reason for alarm. Hunting is a perfectly legitimate hobby, and it's everyone right to own a gun as long as they are law abiding citizens and responsible with it. If there was someone holding the camera that took that picture, then it's being a bad example by pointing the gun at someone. But a picture like that could also be taken with a tripod, remote or timer. I understand that bringing a gun onto school property would get you in huge trouble. But if it's legal to own the gun, I don't see how putting a picture of you and the gun on your own website would get you into trouble. Unless that facebook page was somehow linked to the school webpage, like a class website or something. Would I get in trouble for putting a NRA sticker on my car and having it in the school parking lot?

[MedicCook]

It is rediculous that a teacher can't have a life outside of school. I guess being a gun advocate is against school regulations. It is a good thing they don't teach US history in school anymore.

[Thomas the Solitary]

She's cute.

Also: I see nothing wrong with it.
Maybe the students will perk up and actually listen to her.

[LLL]

Sorry, HLB and MC, but this is the action of a stupid cunt.....plain and simple. Her judgement is in question. It's not the same as some students observing a teacher purchasing a weapon for legitimate hunting purposes. This woman is aiming this rifle at the camera for a reason, possibly only known to her. The weapon looks like it might even be an assault rifle. Kids are very impressionable and the message she is sending is one of aggression toward others with her stance. It's not like she is standing next to a deer she has taken showing off the rack. This is wrong.


She's cute.

Also: I see nothing wrong with it.
Maybe the students will perk up and actually listen to her.

Cute? She's a homicidal maniac for chrissakes. :whistle:

[Thomas the Solitary]

bah. she looks like a very soft spoken, cute little girl type. Which is why that picture is hilarious.

That was my take on it. Who knows, though. She could be a raging bull bitch. But I really doubt it.

[sws4420]

Simply posing with the gun wouldn't have been an issue, I don't think. The fact that she's aiming it at the camera makes it a different story. It elicits the same type of response as this guy.
http://www.popbuzzuk.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/cho-seung-hui-pose.jpg

[LLL]

Agree, she has some agenda based on her stance. Hasn't she heard of Columbine, or doesn't she care?

[sws4420]

Perhaps not an agenda, but aiming a rifle at a camera and posting it on a social networking site doesn't exactly scream, "I'm sane".

SHe was obviously going for a response. She got one, but apparently not the one she thought she'd get.

[LLL]

Unfortunately, the point is supported across the pond..........

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29630925/

[HLBiteME!]

I guess that depends on who would be expected to view that facebook. If it was something that was mostly for her group of close friends, thats one thing. If it was something for her parents/students to see, thats another. Not knowing this womens personality, I can't really judge how alarmed I would be at seeing that picture. But I don't see any rules/laws that were broken either.

[sws4420]

Well you're a teacher, right? Are there any administrative guidelines to things like this in your district? You'd think there'd be some discussion among the administration and its teachers in the last ten years or so with all the school violence, teachers banging students, and other school-related trends.

[HLBiteME!]

Well you're a teacher, right? Are there any administrative guidelines to things like this in your district? You'd think there'd be some discussion among the administration and its teachers in the last ten years or so with all the school violence, teachers banging students, and other school-related trends.

We've never gotten a formal guide for what to do. But we have talked about it. Especially after last year where one of our teachers crossed the line with a student. They didn't do anything physical, but it was inappropriate. I've always had a myspace or an online blog, but I've tried to be a bit muted in voiceing my full honest opinion on things publically. I also keep my myspace on private. I've had students try to add me before, and I've always said no. On the one hand, we've had administrators tell us not to add students online, not to talk to them online. But then we have the superintendants conference days where they talk about using technology to get the most out of students, like by having a class myspace page, one teacher was talking about having a special challenge question on the class website, and you had to IM the answer from home. Which is an interesting idea. I've thought about doing some lessons as a podcast, for either students who need extra help, or who missed the class. So anyway, there's no official guideline, but basically told to keep our private life private. Going back to the original story, it was a co worker who saw the picture, not a parent or student.

I sort of get in the habit of compartmentalizing. Which probally isn't completly healthy. I've got my church self, my school self, my online self. No one person except my wife and closest friends really knows the full me. I tend not to say things even on this website that would create a problem if it got back to me. Like talking about how the school is run, or giving specific stories of what happens to me on any given day. I do share my education views on a national message board for education, where I have a username tha's anonomous enough, and I never give out any personal information about where I work or anything like that. I tend to have more of a life outside the classroom that other teachers at my school, and I have to keep that pretty guarded. I don't think it's wrong for a teacher to have hobbies outside of school, but as we saw from this story, it's not always good for other people to know. You never know what someone might not like and try and make trouble for you. I did put a McCain lawnsign on my front yard, but not a bumper sticker on my car. I've had students point blank ask me what church I go to, and I'm not going to deny my faith, but I'm going to keep that to myself as well. And then whenever I'm out in public, I've got to assume that my students or parents are out there somewhere. My wife used to think it was funny if she grabbed my rear end at the mall, because I would get all uncomfortable and tell her not to do that. When I go down to Albany for sports, I like to have fun and yell at the other team, but I don't do that quite as much when we are in Glens Falls. Stuff like that.

[sws4420]

I never thought a teacher would even be on this board. I think you were a hockey immigrant, though.

The compartmentalization you're speaking about isn't something I've ever been able to do. We have a teaching friend that we've seen in many different forums and we've noticed the enormous differences in how she acts in each of them. The way she acts around us is completely different than the way she acts around other parents at the baseball games. It's strange. I've always labeled that sort of behavior as fake, but maybe she's just doing what you do, who knows. Those of you that have never met me would be surprised at how exactly the same I am in person, I think. About half the board knows me offline, so they'd know better than I would.

I think I'd be terrified to be a teacher in today's world. It seems any little thing that any of us do wrong and get away with in our own lives would be scrutinized to death as a teacher. Certainly there are things that have happened in my life that would almost certainly end my teaching career had I been in that profession.