Parents of students who attend Rutherford County Schools (RCS) must agree not to monitor their child’s online classroom sessions.
Officials at all county schools are asking parents to sign forms agreeing not to watch these virtual classes.
The Tennessee Star received a copy of such a form this week.
“RCS strives to present these opportunities in a secure format that protects student privacy to the greatest extent possible, however because these meetings will occur virtually RCS is limited in its ability to fully control certain factors such as non-student observers that may be present in the home of a student participating in the virtual meeting,” according to the form.
“RCS strongly discourages non student observation of online meetings due to the potential of confidential information about a student being revealed.”
The form asks parents for their signature and warns that “violation of this agreement may result in RCS removing my child from the virtual meeting.”
RCS spokesman James Evans addressed the matter in an email to The Star this week.
“We are aware of the concern that has been raised about this distance-learning letter that was sent to parents. The intent was not to prevent parents from being involved with their children during distance learning, but it was intended to protect the academic privacy of other students in the classroom who are visible during certain virtual class sessions,” Evans said.
“We have issued new guidance to principals that parents can assist their children during virtual group lessons with permission of the instructor but should refrain from sharing or recording any information about other students in the classroom.”
Evans did not elaborate.
As reported Friday, 50 miles away, Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles said “NO!!!” to Gov. Bill Lee’s Big Brother-style child wellbeing program that plans to send government officials to families’ homes to do welfare checks of children.
The Tennessee Department of Education says it released a toolkit on child wellbeing checks to ensure the needs of children are being met during and after extended periods away from school. It is promoted as protecting children.
The department earmarked $1 million in COVID-19 funds to set up regional overseers to work with districts, which are encouraged to apply. A grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will give funding for eight regional staff members to work across the state.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
[…] are requiring parents to sign papers saying they will not listen to their child's classes. The Tennessee Star first reported that Rutherford County Schools in Tennessee was requiring parents to sign such a […]
Thanks for the useful information!!
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Owasso v. Falvo reiterated that public school students have no expectation of privacy.
Found on Wrightslaw
https://www.wrightslaw.com/info/priv.confid.observe.htm
I think parents should check on their kid once in awhile to see how they are doing, but I don’t think the parents should watch them the whole class or the whole period.
I agree, and with the parents staying in the entire period/class, they could give the kid answers or help they don’t need, having their child learn nothing.
Kaleb that’s why we have the problems we have. You may choose to do what you want with your children. But do to Teachers wanting their union agendas to be continued they seem to be indoctrinating our children to beliefs we think are dangerous to support their agenda. We pay their salaries. Therefore we have the right to make sure our children are educated not indoctrinated.
What is this school system trying to hide from the parents, is it the Marxist indoctrination, is it the fact they are teaching inaccurate history of our nation, or is it the false idea of white privilege?
Maybe this is the covid silver lining-educational transparency.
Nobody should be saying or doing anything in a classroom that requires privacy. As previous commenters have pointed out, this is supposed to be school, not group therapy and not a consciousness-raising session. If it’s all right for the other students to hear it it’s all right for parents to hear it.
With the horrendous record of children being sexually abused by male and female teachers….190000 from 1991 to 2000…..with the absolute lack of schools to protect children in the classroom from attacks by assassins and unwillingness to have police protect them(by defunding them) and with the lack of respect by school educators, administrations and the department of education to teach correctly history I will in no way adhere to their requirements. I am recording every season with my child and if any social justice criteria is taught I will immediately tale it to marsh’s blackburn and FOX news. I will distribute the recordings as I see fit to protect my child and raise him to think opposite of these criteria being pushed onto students. The school is to teach children reading, writing math. Of you can’t respect my wishes that I payfor through taxation then I will not honor your laws either.
This is worthy of the Babylon Bee. This is actually why parents should demand monitoring of classrooms– obviously to determine that their children aren’t being bullied Either by students or teachers, (but we don’t have to add that detail) and we can “protect the childrens’ privacy” by not having a teacher body-cam, but a “nanny-cam” at the back of the class so the kids’ faces are not seen. Teacher accountable, kids remain anonymous. If kids’ need to do “chalkwork”, then have a board out of sight of the nanny-cam. Just have a small area (lectern, board, and other display area for teacher’s displays to be seen in background, but kids’ don’t need to go to that location to participate).
Good idea. In today’s school environment all activies need to be monitored. Me I’m not a fan of big brother tactics, but the schools have brought this on themselves.
What do they have or want to hide? Parents have a Right to know what their children are learning! Are teachers indoctrinating them in any way? Are teachers teaching them Negative stuff? If that’s not it, then why don’t they want parents to see their classes? They should be able to give a good reason for not wanting the parents watching!! WHY?
I didn’t say anything because , because my opinion was not showed!!!
It doesn’t say the parent from what I can see. I understand this need for a couple of reasons.
1. It can be disruptive if they consistently interrupt (and you know they will).
2. It can be to protect your child. Others can have people monitoring your child w bad intent. There is no way to know.
I think their issue is that they need to state that parents can quietly monitor. People are so quick to personalize offense that they need it stated and maybe laid out step by step how this is for their child’s well being.
What do they have to hide?
Maybe the want to indoctrinate them on false history, or other things I think about but would not write here! What is there to hide? Parents should know “WHAT” teachers are teaching their kids, no matter what the subject is. They want to hide from parents for some negative reason. Parents, be on the “LOOK OUT” for these teachers!
Well, exactly.
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2020/08/09/teacher-worries-parents-will-overhear-what-hes-actually-teaching-their-kids-in-virtual-classroom-958053
This is exactly the same issue that has just been uncovered in other schools. In the article above one teacher, Matthew R. Kay, was caught posting that he was worried about parents discovering he was indoctrinating students with a radical left agenda and colluding with other teachers how best to prevent parents from catching on.
Not only will we be watching, we’ll be recording in our house. We encourage others to do so as well. These teachers, whose salaries we pay – not to mention equipment and facilities – can stuff it. The value of the digital product is we can watch lessons repeatedly. Shouldn’t be a problem if they’re quality lessons, ie: everyone’s doing their job. Cheers!
I’ve tried to comment on this article 3 times…maybe I have to reframe the comment.
Go to the most popular search engine and type in “Philadelphia teacher conservative parents”.
This situation seems to pattern itself after the Philadelphia model of not wanting parents to sit in on distance learning sessions.
Sounds like the Philadelphia model to me…
https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/2020/august/philly-teacher-worries-conservative-parents-can-now-see-his-virtual-classes-and-catch-him-destabilizing-their-kids
America-haters unmasked at last. One good thing coming out of the pandemic.
Say it with me:
“If they don’t want you to see, it’s because they’re up to no good.”
ANYONE who specifically asks parents to not watch the class is evil. And I’m married to a teacher, who thinks their ilk should be fired outright.
That’s a BIG no-no. Children belong to their parents, not the government or school systems.
Im not trying to start anything, but children aren’t property. We don’t belong to anyone. We are under the care of the parent, but they do not own us. One day children will get tired of their oppressive caretakers.
Viva la revolution
You either have really awful parents or are a victim of the brainwashing already. I was a kid too, and I was rebellious, but when I GREW UP, I realized Mom was trying to protect me even though it did not seem that way at the time, I was just being “repressed” by mean ol’ Mom.
Khai, be careful, there is a lot of bad stuff out there and I experienced more than I could say first hand while out disobeying my “oppressive mother.” I wish to God I had the respect & insight to have listened to her instead of the bad things that did happen to me that I will carry with me forever. I am not lecturing you either, I just hope something I say will stick so you don’t get into bad situations with bad people.
This requirement is telling us that our children belong to the state and they have the responsibility to teach them amp make up the rules. Well, folks, these children and we’re given to us by God to love and protect. The states are even trying to outlaw homeschooling. Which my husband and I finally opted to do when we realized what our children were being taught in a “christen” school. If it’s hidden and you cannot see it, they are hiding something. And communism has been taught in schools for years right under our noses. Time to wake up and take control.