Would you leave a class WhatsApp due to a "mole"

[PsychoHacker]

I have one DC so I'm not very experienced with this sort of thing. I'm trying to work out if this is a non issue or if I have a right to be miffed.

There's a unofficial WhatsApp chat for DC's class. I've found it pretty useful as I don't have any other DC and this is my first rodeo with a child in school.

For a while now I've suspected that someone has been "feeding back" the chat to the school. The reason being that any time something is discussed, there seems to be a notice posted within a few hours, discussing exactly what was said in the chat.

I've not really given it too much thought as there is never anyone being malicious or saying anything bad about the school however there has been a few minor rants regarding the usual things like homework or school events etc.

There was a specific topic discussed recently that had nothing to do with the school, and there's no way the school would have any knowledge of it unless someone told them. Again nothing malicious however this really confirmed the "mole" theory for me.

Last week someone in the chat basically "outed" themselves as a friend of the teachers. Fine, doesn't make much of a difference to anyone however the more I think of it, the more uncomfortable it makes me.

Why would anyone feel the need to go running to the school with every little detail posted in this chat? Most of the topics are nonsense. Are they trying to score brownie points? Isolate themselves from the other parents? I just don't understand the thought process behind it.

I think I'll need to leave the chat as it's making me rather uncomfortable that someone is sharing my messages and input without my permission. Such a shame as the chat has been very helpful with keeping me informed with events and anything else school related. Wwyd?

Gosh. Certainly does sound bizarre!

I think it’s quite useful. One of the parents is a nursery teacher so someone on the thread puts up a nit warning and everyone gets an email from school asking them to check for nits type stuff. If your not whinging about staff there isn’t really an issue.

I'll take the advice on here and stay in the chat for the useful information, but not contribute, as I'm not too comfortable with the whole set up

This is a good approach, OP. The groups are great for whole-class party invites, event reminders etc. I've been in a couple and honestly they work best if everyone only shares factual stuff.

As long as your own posts aren't controversial then no absolutely need to leave the chat altogether.

A class WhatsApp is a public forum not private messages. It would be weird to leave over this imho. Stay in the WhatsApp and use it for the normal purposes - ie to communicate about bland school things.

Are they trying to score points with the staff? This I think was what was happening in our group. I know a TA who had a friend in the group and I think she was currying favour with SLT. To be fair, SLT would definitely have been open to it.

It bothered me because someone is using it for their own personal gain without discussing it with the members first.

I really don’t get it? Why would relaying mundane things to the school give anyone any personal gain? What personal gain is anyone getting by reporting stuff to the school?

School staff will be well aware of who the sh*t stirrers are and avoid them, likewise they will be aware of those reporting things back who are trying to support the school, but they aren’t getting backhanders!

I suspect you are minimising this given the reaction you’ve got in response to this post…

I really don’t get it? Why would relaying mundane things to the school give anyone any personal gain? What personal gain is anyone getting by reporting stuff to the school?

exactly

All very peculiar

personal gain
I really had no idea there was money to be made in selling WhatsApp secrets to school. I can confirm which parent is confused about PE day, the 3 parents who couldn't get into the ridiculously shit app to book lunches, which kid lost their water bottle at camp AND that there is a whole class party next Saturday. How much can be made from this highly secret stuff? Does the office pay up, or is DS's teacher to fund it directly?

i think the OP’s daft assertion that passing on mundane detail has resulted in personal gain is a sign that her the person who supposedly has made a “personal gain” is not someone who the OP is generally on very good terms with!

No one will likely notice or give a fig if you leave op but you’ll miss out on info potentially.

or maybe some will think you’ve flounced over something (which I suppose they’d be right really!)

Those who think that reporting to management doesn't happen have clearly never worked in schools. It's a way of 'getting in' with the senior leadership team. Showing loyalty.

A member of my department once reported me for being happy about a snow day in a department Whatsapp group (presumably took a screenshot and showed SLT)! My head of department was nagged about it. Sensible woman that she was, she never passed the complaint on to me.

So how did you find out?

Later, when we'd both left, ex HOD (now a friend) told me.

As soon as she said it, I KNEW who'd done it. Such a suck up.

Oh you were the poster who thought the person who told the teacher that the WhatsApp class group were doubting her qualifications as a teacher was in the wrong

when actually…. They were telling someone something very important and relevant to their job. In fact libellous when you think about it.

I'm the person that thinks gossiping and running to SLT is wrong. We aren't children. The teacher was on the staff board as a TA. SLT shouldn't put that in reception if they don't want to cause confusion.

You said

The parents were discussing the new class teacher, who had previously been working as a TA, saying she wasn't a proper teacher. Poor girl was mortified and made a point of telling me she was a qualified teacher. She was lovely and really good teacher!
Not sure which parent it was, but one of them was friends with a TA (not an entirely pleasant woman) who sometimes worked with the class. It was all getting fed back to her and through her to the head teacher.

so you think it was wrong that this malicious and false chatter wasn’t reported to the school despite it DIRECTLY concerning the teaching ability and professionalism of a member of staff?

When the teacher changed, the school should have told the class she was a teacher, rather than a TA. A TA may not even have GCSEs. A teacher has a BA & a PGCE. WHY wouldn't you make parents aware? Of course parents were concerned their children may be taught for 2 terms by an unqualified person.

I'm quite aware of the situation thanks. No need to try to twist it to suit your narrative.

The school slipped up by not clarifying the elevated qualifications of this teacher
the WhatsApp group bitched about it
someone advised the school of the concerns re a ta teaching their children

seems rather sensible to me

Can a TA seriously not have a single GCSE to their name?

Exactly. Except the school didn't step in to update parents. The poor teacher mentioned it to me in a conversation we were having.

And hopefully you updated the group accordingly to stop the false gossip

I'm on the class WhatsApp and I work in the office.
If someone asks about x - then I let school know. I can't answer it myself on the app because I'm a member of staff and I'm not allowed to give out school info other than through the school communication channel. I sign a code of conduct each year which limits what I can do on social media.
I'm not spying ffs!!
But, as parents aren't you asked to sign a code of conduct? Ranting on a WhatsApp group is so disrespectful to the school. Also if you have an issue - how can the school do anything about it unless you tell them?!

No. It's a parent set up group. Nothing signed anywhere about it.

Exactly

At the end of the day nothing is private - I never write/ put anything online or on WhatsApp I wouldn’t be happy for the whole world to see