Young Teachers Finding Big Trouble Online

Questionable postings and photos on social-networking web pages are becoming an issue with younger US teachers, the Washington Post reports, raising questions about where to draw a line between private expression and standards for public employees. A case in point is a substitute special-education teacher whose page includes a so-called "bumper sticker" reading, "you're a retard, but i love you."

“These Web sites are the bars and restaurants of our new era,” said one parent whose complaint got another teacher dismissed. “It's like running into your teacher in a restaurant and seeing them not act appropriately.” One teacher said she realizes the page could haunt her. “I need to be more careful,” she says. “I just feel they shouldn't take it seriously.” (More Facebook stories.)