Poll: Should Teachers and Students Be 'Friends' on Facebook?

Should students and teachers ever be friends on Facebook?

It's a new question school districts around the country are having to consider.

In some cases, there's been inappropriate contact when the friending has occurred.

According to the Huffington Post, a teacher in New York "friended several female students and wrote comments including 'this is sexy' under their photos."  And this: "A substitute teacher sent a message to a student saying that her boyfriend did not "deserve a beautiful girl like you."

At the same time, districts have to consider the academic benefits of social networking. There are some who say social media – particularly Facebook – can be an excellent means of communicating with today's youth, since a great majority log onto Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and other Internet mechanisms on a daily basis.

Nancy Willard, author of "Cyber Savvy: Embracing Digital Safety and Civility," is quoted in the Huffington Post article. She sees a fundamental problem with Facebook.

"On Facebook, flirting is encouraged," she told HuffPo. "You are encouraged to post your relationship status and your relationship interests. That's not appropriate for a relationship between teachers and students."

What do you think? What do your kids think? If you're a teacher, what are your feelings? Take our poll, and leave us your comments.