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January 23, 2008
Please, hold all my callsBoardBuzz was feeling the pain this morning for Fairfax County (Va.) when we saw this item on Good Morning America. It seems last week's inclement weather in Virginia has touched off more than a flurry (pun completely intended) of discussion. The Washington Post carried the story today as well.
Here's what happened: It seems that a disgruntled student, unable to reach a school administrator at work, called him at home to complain about the lack of a snow day. But wait, the plot thickens.
On his lunch break, Lake Braddock senior Devraj "Dave" S. Kori, 17, used a listed home phone number to call Dean Tistadt, chief operating officer for the county system, to ask why he had not closed the schools. Kori left his name and phone number and got a message later in the day from Tistadt's wife."How dare you call us at home! If you have a problem with going to school, you do not call somebody's house and complain about it," Candy Tistadt's minute-long message began. At one point, she uttered the phrase "snotty-nosed little brats," and near the end, she said, "Get over it, kid, and go to school!"
Not so long ago, that might have been the end of it -- a few choice words by an agitated administrator (or spouse). But with the frenetic pace of students' online networking, it's harder for grown-ups to have the last word. Kori's call and Tistadt's response sparked online debate among area students about whether the student's actions constituted harassment and whether the response was warranted.
Kori took Tistadt's message, left on his cellphone, and posted an audio link on a Facebook page he had created after he got home from school called "Let them know what you think about schools not being cancelled." The Web page listed Dean Tistadt's work and home numbers.
Now, the Tistadts have made national news and have received dozens of calls, presumably from students. What's an administrator to do? BoardBuzz, having once been students, can understand that there's nothing better than a snow day. But we also get that every time a flake falls, schools can't be closed. And with today's students more connected than ever, through cell phones, the internet, social networking, and other technologies, word can spread faster than a blizzard (another pun intended).
BoardBuzz does note that Dean Tistadt recognizes the ingenuity of the student, "Candy Tistadt did not return phone messages, but Dean Tistadt credited Kori for having the 'courage of his convictions to stand up and be identified.' He also credited him for causing the high volume of crank calls, not to mention considerable grief and embarrassment for his wife. 'This has been horrible for her,' he said, adding that he and his wife both learned a hard lesson about the long reach of the Internet."
What's the solution to helping encourage connected kids to use their powers for the greater good, rather than the greater annoyance? Does your school district have any sort of policy for dealing with situations like this? Leave us a comment and tell us about it.
Posted January 23, 2008 10:51 AM | Education Technology | Students
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Comments(3)
Posted by: Linda on January 23, 2008 9:35 PM
I can relate to the frustration felt by Dean Tinstadt's wife. My husband is a principal who goes to meeting on evenings and often weekends and gets up early to check on weather conditions.
It's hard to imagine the stress of being an educational leader, or even being related to one. I've been doing it for 21 years now. I wonder how long it will take me to crack.
Posted by: Mark on January 24, 2008 5:36 PM
A kid calls an adult with a polite question and gets an angry and rude response. What's wrong with this picture?
Posted by: Craig Colgan on January 29, 2008 3:13 PM
The key issue is not: We have all lost our privacy. Nor: Kids today have no impulse control. Nor: The shrieking school district spouse is out of control. Nope. THE key issue here is that this public school district does not adequately engage its customers, its constituents, so they feel connected. The school district should be very vigorously making use of the very tools that were used against it in this case. So that the students and the parents feel listened to. School districts need to use You Tube, and they need to blog about snow day cancellations and other issues THEMSELVES. Get connected or feel the wrath. This is the lesson of the Fairfax Shrieker.
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