Rutherford County School district in Tennessee is forcing parents to sign a mandatory consent form agreeing they promise to not observe their children’s online classroom sessions, saying the school is worried that “non-student observers” might overhear confidential information, according to the Gateway Pundit.
A copy of the form was obtained by the Tennessee Star and reads: “[Rutherford County Schools] 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.”
“RCS strongly discourages non student observation of online meetings due to the potential of confidential information about a student being revealed,” the notice read.
The Tennessee Star received a comment from RCS spokesman James Evans this week to explain the school’s stance on the issue and why they went to such dramatic lengths to guarantee parents do not hear what teachers might be telling their children.
“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 stated.
“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,” he added.
The form does not explicitly ban concerned parents from being present during the online school sessions; however, it does make threats that a “violation of this agreement may result in RCS removing my child from the virtual meeting.”
The implication of the new policy appears to be parents may observe what their kids might be hearing in school, but they must also accept that their children will be removed from class if they do so.
The school district also cautioned guardians not to record the virtual lessons.
“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,” an RCS spokesman told the Star.
Last week, the Star reported Mayor Andy Ogles of Maury County, Tennessee told Gov. Bill Lee “NO!!!” to an Orwellian nightmare-style child-security program, critics say, that wants to send government representatives to the homes of families for welfare checks on children.
The Tennessee Department of Education explained the procedure on child well-being checks is to make certain the needs of children are being attended to during and after extensive periods of time away from their schools. The idea is being promoted as protecting the safety of children.
Ogles told constituents on Facebook “I will NOT stand for this, neither as your Mayor nor as a Father! … Governor Bill Lee initiating wellbeing checks for EVERY child in TN.”
The department allocated $1 million in pandemic resources to prepare regional overseers employed by the state to work with districts, who were then urged to apply. A grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is slated to provide further financial support for eight regional staff members to work throughout the state as well.
A conservative education reform advocate in the area named Karen Bracken was shocked by the casual overreach and came out hard against the program on Facebook to rally parents, writing in a post:
“TN CITIZENS….
CALL GOVERNOR LEE NOW. DEMAND THAT THE WELLNESS TOOLKIT IS THROWN IN THE TRASH. SLAM HIS PHONE 615-741-2001
VOLUNTEERS TO INTERVIEW EVERY STUDENT AND THE LETTER GOING HOME SAYS NO ONE CAN BE IN THE ROOM WHILE THE STUDENT IS BEING INTERVIEWED.
THIS GOES FOR PUBLIC, PRIVATE, HOMESCHOOL AND HOME BOUND STUDENTS TO THE AGE OF 18.
PRINCESS PENNY SAID THEY HAVE 38 AGENCIES AND OTHERS STEPPING UP TO DO THE WELLNESS VISITS. REALLY????
IF THEY CARE SO MUCH FOR OUR KIDS AND THEIR PARENTS THEN LET THEM GET BACK TO A NORMAL LIFE INSTEAD OF KEEPING THEM IN A CONSTANT STATE OF FEAR.
THEY HAVE CROSSED THE LINE. WE DO NOT WANT REVISIONS WE WANT IT TRASH CANNED.
GET PREPARED FOR A MARCH IN NASHVILLE IF IT IS NOT TRASH CANNED.”