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In response to a controversial law passed by the Missouri Legislature this fall, the Newburg R-II School Board unanimously passed a policy governing electronic communication between staff and students Thursday night.
At the recommendation of Superintendent John Westerman, the board passed a less restrictive version of the policy, which allows students and faculty to communicate through electronic media with some regulations.
“In this day and age, I just don’t think it’s possible not to (communicate through electronic media),” Westerman said.
The board’s policy is a direct response to Sentate Bills One and 54, also known as the Amy Hestir Student Protection Act.
SB 54 was signed into law Jul. 14, 2011, and aimed to protect students from sexual abuse from teachers and other school staff.
The law prohibited any communication between students and teachers via social networks, and was met with an outcry from the education world, including a request for an injunction against the law by the Missouri State Teacher’s Association.
MSTA claimed the law infringed upon constitutional rights of school employees.
Many teachers said the law would limit educators in a way that could have a negative impact, especially in the realm of extracurricular activities such as sports or field trips.
“It’s not uncommon for a coach to send a message saying, ‘Hey, practice will be at this time,’ and that is in no way inappropriate,” Westerman said Thursday.
Ultimately, districts were given some leeway with the passage of SB1, which Gov. Jay Nixon signed into law Oct. 21, repealing certain provisions in SB 54.
With SB1 signed into law, district employees are no longer prohibited from communicating with students through electronic media, but the district is required to adopt a policy addressing the issue.
The Newburg board was presented with two policy options Thursday, both of which Westerman assured would comply with the new law.
The first policy presented is more in line with the original language of SB 54.
“Employees may not communicate with district students via electronic media regardless of whether created or maintained by the employee or students,” the policy option reads.
This first option defined electronic media as social networks, texting and email.
“In order to enforce this policy, we’d almost have to hire someone full-time just to police this,” Westerman said to the board.
Westerman emphasized that in order to enforce a policy like the first option, a small district like Newburg would have no option other than to detour resources that could be used in educating the students.
In response to a controversial law passed by the Missouri Legislature this fall, the Newburg R-II School Board unanimously passed a policy governing electronic communication between staff and students Thursday night.
At the recommendation of Superintendent John Westerman, the board passed a less restrictive version of the policy, which allows students and faculty to communicate through electronic media with some regulations.
“In this day and age, I just don’t think it’s possible not to (communicate through electronic media),” Westerman said.
The board’s policy is a direct response to Sentate Bills One and 54, also known as the Amy Hestir Student Protection Act.
SB 54 was signed into law Jul. 14, 2011, and aimed to protect students from sexual abuse from teachers and other school staff.
The law prohibited any communication between students and teachers via social networks, and was met with an outcry from the education world, including a request for an injunction against the law by the Missouri State Teacher’s Association.
MSTA claimed the law infringed upon constitutional rights of school employees.
Many teachers said the law would limit educators in a way that could have a negative impact, especially in the realm of extracurricular activities such as sports or field trips.
“It’s not uncommon for a coach to send a message saying, ‘Hey, practice will be at this time,’ and that is in no way inappropriate,” Westerman said Thursday.
Ultimately, districts were given some leeway with the passage of SB1, which Gov. Jay Nixon signed into law Oct. 21, repealing certain provisions in SB 54.
With SB1 signed into law, district employees are no longer prohibited from communicating with students through electronic media, but the district is required to adopt a policy addressing the issue.
The Newburg board was presented with two policy options Thursday, both of which Westerman assured would comply with the new law.
The first policy presented is more in line with the original language of SB 54.
“Employees may not communicate with district students via electronic media regardless of whether created or maintained by the employee or students,” the policy option reads.
This first option defined electronic media as social networks, texting and email.
“In order to enforce this policy, we’d almost have to hire someone full-time just to police this,” Westerman said to the board.
Westerman emphasized that in order to enforce a policy like the first option, a small district like Newburg would have no option other than to detour resources that could be used in educating the students.
“Quite frankly, we are in the education business, not the policing business,” he said.
The second option, the policy the board adopted, aknowledges the limitation Westerman was talking about, and notes the district will not monitor every communication.
It does, however, place limitations and introduce protocol regarding communications that take place.
The first paragraph of the policy makes it clear that any inappropriate communication, specifically communication with sexual undertones, is strictly prohibited.
Under the policy, teachers will also be responsible for notifying the principal in writing any time an electronic communication takes place.
The notification must include the student’s name and the date and time the communication took place.
No further details of the communication, such as the content or exact media used, are necessary under the reporting requirement.
The district does, however, retain the right to access a specific communication if its appropriateness is questioned.
