The use of social media in the United States is a current norm among most people, including school-age children, parents, and educators. Social media is used for educational purposes: “35% of schools have student and/or instructor-run blogs”, “46% of schools have students participate in online pen pal or other international programs”, “49% of National School Boards Association (NSBA) schools participate in online collaboration with other schools”, “59% of schools say their students use social networking for educational purposes”, and “27% of schools have an online community for teachers and administrators” (Gupta, 2016). Due to the high frequency of social media use, schools must be aware of the legal discourse that impacts the use of school related social media. The use of social media in the educational setting is a fairly new concept, therefore there is not much legal discourse surrounding the topic. As issues arise in the years to come, there may be more laws created to prote...
Teacher evaluation is a controversial topic, but a necessary process. Teachers are responsible for providing students with the tools and recourses to meet the standards through mastering content knowledge and academic skills, and the role of the administrator to be an instructional leader in order to foster high quality learning and student success (Stiggins, 2014, p. 8). The teacher evaluation process must be used as a growth-tool to ensure that students are receiving the highest quality of education possible. Although, some controversial legal requirements of teacher evaluation are present, the data collected through teacher observations and the evaluation process is extremely valuable in fostering instructional growth within the classroom. New York State Law Currently, New York State schools are required to evaluate the performance of classroom teachers and principals in an annual professional performance review (APPR) ( School Law , 2014, p. 381). The teacher evaluation...