EDITORIAL: A necessary new wall goes up between teachers and kids

Chicago’s public school system is only doing what’s right in putting strict limits on teachers’ and students’ use of social media and text messaging to communicate.

Teachers and kids can’t “friend” each other on Facebook anymore, which probably wasn’t a good idea to begin with.

It’s regrettable that it has to be this way. But if it prevents even one more case of child sexual abuse, it has to happen.

The Chicago Public Schools on Wednesday laid down the new rules in the wake of a Chicago Tribune investigation into hundreds of cases of child sexual abuse over years, including CPS teachers who attempted to groom students for sexual relationships through text messaging.

The new rules make sense. From now on, teachers and coaches in the public schools cannot communicate with students on social media platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat. Text messaging between students and teachers also is banned — except for group communication and alerts approved by parents.

To send email to CPS staff members, students now must use a CPS-controlled system. Calls to staff members’ personal cell phones are prohibited.

Many workplaces have social media policies, and schools should be no different. From San Diego to Sarasota, Florida, school districts are establishing rules as to how teachers and students can — and cannot — connect.

It is sad, in a way. We would love to live in a world in which such rules were not necessary. The vast majority of teachers and other employees in any school are there only because they want to be of help to young people. Social media and text messaging are good ways to be available to kids.

But we have been reminded over and over in recent months that we must do a better job of protecting children. In the last year alone, new child sexual abuse scandals also have been uncovered in youth volleyball, USA Gymnastics and the Catholic church in Pennsylvania.

The Tribune reported cases of CPS teachers developing a rapport with targeted students by sending friendly text messages that later turned suggestive and even pornographic.

Such predatory behavior, and repeated mishandling of sexual abuse cases by school administrators, cried out for policy changes. An independent report by former federal prosecutor Maggie Hickey found “systemic deficiencies” from top to bottom in the way CPS trained staff members and handled misconduct.

So we welcome the new ground rules. Yet, we recognize that students also will lose something: their ability to turn easily — and privately — to good and caring teachers and coaches for help.

Every day in Chicago, such exemplary teachers quietly counsel stressed, depressed, homeless and hungry children. They’ll still be able to connect with students the old-fashioned way, in person — or by CPS-monitored email — but that won’t come as naturally as texting for many kids today.

We know of many teachers and coaches who over the years have given students a hot meal, warm gloves or a ride to school now and then. They are mentors, and sometimes heroes.

Many high school coaches say it’s important that they can spend a good deal of time with their student-athletes to keep them off the streets and give them a break from unstable homes. They already feel hamstrung by Illinois High School Association rules that limit coaches to 25 days with student-athletes in the summer.

Text messaging is a lifeline for players to stay in touch with coaches. Now they’re being told they can’t do that, except in rare circumstances.

All the same, we believe the new CPS rules are entirely workable. Contact between teachers and students outside the classroom or away from the athletic field will simply require a few extra steps in a more structured system.

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