Schools on Social Media

[Babujai]

My kids' school and the district recently got both a FB page and a Twitter account. Thanks to these I'm getting some news and events reminders that I might have otherwise missed. However, sometimes they post pics of students on the FB page. The kids' names aren't given...the pics aren't tagged, but it still makes me a little uncomfortable.

Would you be okay with your kid's pic on their school's FB page?

[mjande4]

I know at our school we sign an agreement at the beginning of the year allowing photos to be displayed/shown.

[steelcrazy]

Our PTA has a FB page and our photo policy states that names will never be given and no one will ever be tagged in the photo.  We also try to not take frontal face shots of the students.  We also have stated in our policy that we will only photograph those students whose parents signed a media release form from the district.

I said all that to say, you really need to pay attention to all of those papers that you quickly sign at the beginning of the school year.  I am going to guess that one of those was a media release form and by signing it you give the school permission to use your child's photo in the newpaper, webpages, social media, print media, and even local tv.  Please READ EVERYTHING prior to signing it.

[mjande4]

This was EXACTLY what I was thinking, but you explained it so much better!

Quoting steelcrazy:

Our PTA has a FB page and our photo policy states that names will never be given and no one will ever be tagged in the photo.  We also try to not take frontal face shots of the students.  We also have stated in our policy that we will only photograph those students whose parents signed a media release form from the district.

I said all that to say, you really need to pay attention to all of those papers that you quickly sign at the beginning of the school year.  I am going to guess that one of those was a media release form and by signing it you give the school permission to use your child's photo in the newpaper, webpages, social media, print media, and even local tv.  Please READ EVERYTHING prior to signing it.

[coolmommy2x]

I think we did too but I can't remember.

I know our new superintendent has a twitter account and a lot of families follow him for updates. We don't have a FB page, just a website.

Quoting mjande4:

I know at our school we sign an agreement at the beginning of the year allowing photos to be displayed/shown.

[steelcrazy]

I have my speach on this topic down pretty good.  I had a dad go ape shit crazy on me when he saw pictures of kids (none were even his) on our PTA FB page.  This is exactly what I told him and then he huffed off to bitch to the principal and she pretty much told him the same exact thing. 

Quoting mjande4:

This was EXACTLY what I was thinking, but you explained it so much better!

Quoting steelcrazy:

Our PTA has a FB page and our photo policy states that names will never be given and no one will ever be tagged in the photo.  We also try to not take frontal face shots of the students.  We also have stated in our policy that we will only photograph those students whose parents signed a media release form from the district.

I said all that to say, you really need to pay attention to all of those papers that you quickly sign at the beginning of the school year.  I am going to guess that one of those was a media release form and by signing it you give the school permission to use your child's photo in the newpaper, webpages, social media, print media, and even local tv.  Please READ EVERYTHING prior to signing it.

[Barabell]

Quoting mjande4:

I know at our school we sign an agreement at the beginning of the year allowing photos to be displayed/shown.

This. I usually sign that they can use my son's picture but have to get permission to add his name to it. Usually I have to sign an additional waiver then to get my son's name included in the year book. So I know they take what I sign on the media permission slip very seriously.

My son's schools have used FB and Twitter for awhile, but they usually do not post pictures of students. The few pictures they post are usually related to a special acknowledgement of a really high achievement.

[Kris_PBG]

Same here.

Quoting mjande4:

I know at our school we sign an agreement at the beginning of the year allowing photos to be displayed/shown.

[SahmTam]

 I think we had to sign media release forms as well. That sounds familiar. My kids' pictures are on the district's website in various locations on the site and they've been on the local news, too, when their classes or field trips have been featured. Our school also has a FB page, but I haven't seen pictures on there.

[SahmTam]

 I also meant to add that if parents are randomly adding pictures of groups of students they should probably stop that in case some of the parents don't want their kids pictures on social media and other parents wouldn't have access to the lists of whose kids can and cannot be on there.

[MrsApple]

Ditto.Our school and the PTA both post pictures from events/special days at school.

Quoting mjande4:

I know at our school we sign an agreement at the beginning of the year allowing photos to be displayed/shown.