School Climate & Safety

PTA, Facebook Promote Online Safety

By The Associated Press — June 14, 2010 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Facebook is joining forces with the National PTA to promote Internet safety through a set of tools and resources for students, schools, and parents.

The world’s largest online social network and the PTA will help build a program to provide information and support about such issues as cyberbullying, good online citizenship, and Internet security.

Because the partnership is just starting, officials do not have much detail on what kinds of resources they plan to offer through their respective websites and other means. Facebook spokesman Barry Schnitt said the plan is not just to educate students about being on Facebook, but about being online.

The PTA, which has 5 million members, will reach out to local parent-teacher groups to promote the program, while Facebook plans to do the same on its site, which claims 400 million users.

Anne Collier, co-director of Connectsafely.org, a forum about online safety issues, said combining Facebook’s broad reach and the PTA’s relationship with schools and parents make sense.

“Citizenship online and offline needs to be a part of the child’s life,” she said. “It needs to be taught at school and at home—it’s not just a digital thing.”

Child safety advocate Parry Aftab also welcomed the program, and said it’s important for parents not to be scared of technology but to use it to their advantage to communicate with their children.

“It’s not about turning it off any more, it’s not about scare tactics,” Ms. Aftab said. “It’s all about teaching our kids the skills they need to survive in this digital world.”

A version of this article appeared in the June 16, 2010 edition of Education Week as PTA, Facebook Promote Safety

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Reflections on Evidence-Based Grading Practices: What We Learned for Next Year
Get real insights on evidence-based grading from K-12 leaders.
Content provided by Otus
Artificial Intelligence K-12 Essentials Forum How AI Use Is Expanding in K-12 Schools
Join this free virtual event to explore how AI technology is—and is not—improving K-12 teaching and learning.
Federal Webinar Navigating the Rapid Pace of Education Policy Change: Your Questions, Answered
Join this free webinar to gain an understanding of key education policy developments affecting K-12 schools.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School Climate & Safety Spotlight Spotlight on Enhancing School Safety and Emergency Response
This Spotlight will help you explore proactive measures and effective strategies for enhancing school safety and emergency response.
School Climate & Safety States Emphasize School Violence Prevention, Not Just Security
In the wake of school shootings in their states last year, legislators hope to avert future tragedies.
7 min read
Local residents pray during a candlelight vigil following a shooting at Perry High School, on Jan. 4, 2024, in Perry, Iowa.
Local residents pray during a candlelight vigil following a shooting at Perry High School, on Jan. 4, 2024, in Perry, Iowa. The deaths in school shootings last year have led to new legislation in a half-dozen states.
Charlie Neibergall/AP
School Climate & Safety Leader To Learn From One Leader’s Plan to Cut Chronic Absenteeism—One Student at a Time
Naomi Tolentino helps educators in Kansas City, Kan., support strong school attendance.
9 min read
Naomi Tolentino Miranda leads a meeting on student attendance at J.C. Harmon High School on Jan. 16, 2025 in Kansas City, Kansas. Tolentino Miranda showed school administrators recent data reflecting positive progress in combating chronic absenteeism.
Naomi Tolentino leads a meeting on student attendance at J.C. Harmon High School on Jan. 16, 2025 in Kansas City, Kansas. Tolentino showed school administrators recent data reflecting positive progress in combating chronic absenteeism.
Erin Woodiel for Education Week
School Climate & Safety Q&A What a 'Positive, Proactive Approach' to Chronic Absenteeism Looks Like
A Kansas City, Kan., leader explains how her district shifted its approach to chronic absenteeism.
6 min read
Naomi Tolentino Miranda walks into J.C. Harmon High School on Jan. 16, 2025 in Kansas City, Kansas. Tolentino Miranda is the Coordinator for Student Support Programs and often visits school administrative teams to check on their progress combating chronic absenteeism among their students.
Naomi Tolentino walks into J.C. Harmon High School on Jan. 16, 2025, in Kansas City, Kan. Tolentino is the coordinator for student support programs and often visits school administrative teams to check on their progress in lowering chronic absenteeism among their students.
Erin Woodiel for Education Week