To report a class group chat.

[LondonElle]

I have two boys one in year 6 of primary school.
One older and in secondary school.
A few parents have taken a immense dislike of the year 6 class teacher they believe she is too strict.
Some of the children are about to take a grammar school test next week and certain parents are up in arms about the teacher upsetting their children by expecting too much off them? Raising her voice and therefore potentially causing them to fail their exams. I personally have no issues with the teacher and didn't when my older son was a pupil there last year.
The messages about this teacher started last week with a lot of parents piling on and ripping her character to shreds.
I thought it would blow over and didn't really want to get involved so kept my head down and didn't comment either way.
However within the last few days the messages have taken quite a nasty turn, one parent in particular seems hell bent on rallying the troops to get this teacher out, she has accused the teacher of gross misconduct, emotional abuse and is threatening legal action.
I wonder whether I should inform the school, I come from a family of teachers so this may be clouding my vision, I am also a member of the pta so have a good relationship with the school?
Should I keep my nose out?

@TSSDNCOP

In a WhatsApp of 30 people with whom my only connection might be a mutually taught child, I wouldn't share my private thoughts on anything.

I agree with this!

It isn't. If something can be screenshotted, it's not confidential and you don't put anything on there you wouldn't want your grandmother to read

totally depends on the dynamics, I have posted very private stuff on WhatsApp to mates in 1 on 1 convo I would not put up on FB or Twitter. Posting private or emotive stuff on an open WhatsApp group though is not wise but regardless it is still not the same or as severe as putting it on Twitter as many times the staff will not get screenshotted and it blows over. If you put it on FB or Twitter though openly to a mass audience it's a whole different ball game.

Even if you have to do it anonymously, please do it

If you are going to do it, own it at least.

But as I said up thread, what's the point? The Head cannot do anything with that information. They can only respond directly to an approach from a parent which they will be well-equipped to do.

@October2020 - that is simply untrue. I have been a school governor and work in a primary school. Headteachers do care if parents make malicious comments on social media about members of staff, and they do raise it with governing bodies. They are required to educate children about the dangers of social media and cyber bullying, so why on earth would they be happy for parents to demonstrate how not to behave?

As you presumably know the headteacher fairly well, I would not hesitate to report to him / her.

This happens ALL THE TIME. The Head won't care, the teacher won't care. Social media is always full of parents moaning, just check out the 'can you recommend a local school' posts on your local fb page

as a teacher, I can say I'd very much care and be very anxious and worried over it. That and some heads will start to think you, the teacher, might be the problem and start poking around or questioning your professionalism.

You're mistaken if you think a 'private' WhatsApp group of random people, connected only by having children in the same class at school, is the same as private email or letter. You can have private groups on Facebook too, yet people can (and do) take screenshots of things that will get people in trouble for whatever reason. If you say something in a big WhatsApp group like that you should do so with the awareness that it could be shared. We have a team WhatsApp for work, which I think has become more common since Covid. I wouldn't say anything stupid or inflammatory on there either.

To the OP though, I'd leave it and definitely leave the group. The school are already aware. There's no value in sharing details of the insults. I've only been in two class groups and they have both been pretty tame. As others have described 'what day is PE?', 'when is homework due?'. Harmless and occasionally useful. If anything like this started I'd be out like a shot.

'This happens ALL THE TIME. The Head won't care, the teacher won't care. Social media is always full of parents moaning, just check out the 'can you recommend a local school' posts on your local fb page.'

This! A head teacher had more important things to be doing than looking at a load of hysterical parent's rabid comments.

It isn't. If something can be screenshotted, it's not confidential and you don't put anything on there you wouldn't want your grandmother to read.

Again my point is that can apply to any communication, including pre-digital communication

A letter can be photocopied, a phone call recorded. People don't tend to do this - though they could.

Caution in a group conversation is advisable of course but the screen shotting idea is a digital version of the 2 copying methods I described above, which people can do but it's reasonable to assume most people won't.

I wouldn't say anything stupid or inflammatory on there either

I try not to say anything stupid or inflammatory anywhere - a phone call, one to one or in writing, in any medium.

I would never attack anyone like this group is doing to the teacher. Most people are the same.

The point isn't the forum & what can be expected, but the act - speaking or writing abusively about someone else is wrong, not the forum where it takes place.

Are these parents dumb?

If they get rid of the teacher their kids will be taught by supplies for the re to if the year.

Stupid tests.

Also my daughters go to grammar schools and they are expected to be extremely resilient - the school has a zero tolerance approach so they need to get used to it.

rest of the year

Yeah I'd report it

Wow! With parents like those, it’s not hard to see why teachers are leaving the profession in droves.

I would say something on the WhatsApp group. If people remain silent, then it adds fuel to the ring leaders as they assume that others feel the same way. Giving a more balanced view along with reiterating that individuals could complain via the head might help. As an aside, perhaps the parents are also inadvertently putting pressure on their kids and their kids are looking for excuses in case they don't do so well. It sounds like she of the parents are getting rather het up over the prospect of their kids not getting the results that they wanted them to.

Teacher and parent member of whats app groups. I think I'd say very early on (and you could still do it now) : 'I feel uncomfortable with the comments being made here. If you're unhappy with something, you need to go straight to the teacher as per school policy. If not, onto head etc.' I would imagine others are feeling the same as you and you might get some support which might give them pause for thought. I am lucky to be in the world's quietest what's app groups, the odd homework question and that's it!

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/374850/Cyberbullying_Advice_for_Headteachers_and_School_Staff_121114.pdf

This clearly states that parents should not denigrate staff. It is more or less cyber bullying. The school need to know. Bullying doesn’t have to be direct, it can also be about making life difficult for someone.

All schools have a social media policy which includes cyber bullying.

So the school already know about it. You have nothing to add to this. It seems as though you want to show the school you are on their side and you disagree with the WhatsApp group but if people are talking about disciplinaries and court cases, there is nothing at all to be gained from putting yourself in the middle of this. If you feel strongly that you don't agree with the group, then leave it. Or call them out. You've done neither so it will just make you seem like a gossip who neither side can trust.

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/374850/Cyberbullying_Advice_for_Headteachers_and_School_Staff_121114.pdf

This clearly states that parents should not denigrate staff. It is more or less cyber bullying. The school need to know. Bullying doesn’t have to be direct, it can also be about making life difficult for someone.

All schools have a social media policy which includes cyber bullying.

I think that’s a really good point about it not having to be direct. If your child came home and said “Everyone else in my class is on a WhatsApp group. Jo Bloggs started badmouthing me and now they’ve all joined in and organised to all tell the teacher lies about me, so I get into trouble”, we’d call it bullying.

Did everyone miss that the parent has already put in a complaint to the school and has told them everyone on the WhatsApp agrees with them? So the school have a complaint, know who made it and know it's being discussed on a WhatsApp.
The OP has nothing to add to this.

@likearoomwithoutaroof
I came on to say the same thing. Ours is all about PE kit days! Thankfully.

We had similar. I screenshot, left the group but didn’t need to do anything with the screenshots because they all outed themselves anyway. It completely blew up.
The teachers handled it really well and the parents came out looking awful.
I was glad to not have been part of it.

@MrsRobbieHart

Say nothing on the group. Screen shot everything and send to the head.

This.

The parents are openly risking it being made public. They must be so dim.

The school has a responsibility to act on behalf on the member of the staff. They will not be impressed. Basically they will say ‘when your child comes to our school, there is the teacher/ parent contract which you signed which you have agreed to. You are denigrating our staff, and if you are unhappy with our response, please feel free to move your child elsewhere.

The is defamation of character. The school will very much like to know. Remember most teachers are members of unions with big legal teams.

If that was me, I’d be asking my union to take this on.

There's someone on our class WhatsApp who also works at the school, she's a pain in the arse, anything you write on the WhatsApp she runs to report. I really wish she'd leave the chat. I once said something on there joking (it was obvious I was joking) but she reported it, I then got a call about it saying "someone" had reported what I said. It's a private group not a public forum and what I said was a joke (it was nothing offensive or anything).

I'd suggest you ignore and leave the chat if you feel like you have a conflict of interest. Like others have said it's just a bunch of mums on WhatsApp talking in a private group, I highly doubt anything will come of it so just let them get on with the moaning and remove yourself.