The four Tri-Town school districts are contemplating a new policy that would prohibit school staff from sharing any personal information about students online – intentionally or unintentionally – in order to protect the identities and private data of the students who attend their school.
This new policy would not only require staff to refrain from downloading and utilizing any software, app, or Google extension that could potentially share student’s private data for profit, but would preclude staff from posting anywhere on social media the full names of students featured in photos.
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Elise Frangos said on March 12 that the Central Office Administration is updating the staff privacy and technology policy to comply with updates to federal and state laws – the Family Educational Rights Protection Act (FERPA), the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, and the Protection of Pupils Rights Amendment (PPRA).
Frangos said she has adopted the practice of carefully reading the privacy and user agreements of the different online tools the schools in the districts are turning to, and if it appears as though data might not be kept private, she forwards a privacy agreement specifically devised by the district to get companies to agree not to sell data of its users, including students.
“And if they do, the liability rests on them,” said Frangos. “They can be sued.”
Many “free” apps aren’t as free as they appear, she cautioned, “And many of them reserve the right to transmit data.”
Old Rochester Regional School Committee member Jim Muse wasn’t sure about what exactly the policy entailed as he combed through the language of the draft before the school committees that evening. He wanted clarification as to whether the policy implied that students’ full names may not be used to identify them in photos, or whether it would be limited to just a first name or a last name.
A full name such as “Mary Smith,” Frangos said, “That would be improper … because it can be dangerous if there are predatory people [that see it].”
But this depends on the will of the committees, Frangos said, as the committees discussed ways to allow for student recognition while also protecting them from any unintended consequences of making their names and faces public.
“Nothing is really very secure,” said Frangos. “We’re living in a hack-able world, so it depends on this committee.”
For Rochester School Committee member Joe Pires, “I truly believe in recognition. I think it’s powerful, but I believe the security of the child outweighs recognition.”
ORR School Committee member Heather Burke wanted to know how this would affect coaches of sports teams, asking, “Would we not be able to put up team pictures?”
“I have to process this,” said ORR High School Principal Mike Devoll in response to the question. “It’s the first time I’m seeing this, [and there are] a lot of implications.”
The committees acknowledged that the schools issue press releases all the time to local media outlets, including Honor Roll students’ names, but perhaps this policy only pertains to staff re-posting such releases somewhere online.
Frangos said this part of the privacy policy would pertain to names accompanying photos, especially students age 13 and under. “I just think that we have to be careful not to identify anyone in anyway,” Frangos said.
The committees were leaning toward language that would restrict any names to, perhaps, a first name and last initial when applied to photos.
“This is a complicated issue,” said Rochester School Committee Chairman Sharon Hartley.
“I think we need to take the opportunity to bring it back to counsel,” Superintendent Dr. Doug White advised.
This privacy agreement would be part of a broader agreement that staff members need to sign and then comply with.
“Any violation is unethical and may constitute a criminal offense, [or] access privileges being revoked,” said Frangos. “If parent finds a data breach … our district now has a large liability when, actually, our superintendent does. This policy, she said, would spread that responsibility out to individual staff members.
Frangos did add that this policy would not prohibit staff from using new apps, extensions, or software, but would require staff to approach the Central Office first so the appropriate privacy agreement can be sent to the company.
Still, said White, “There’s more work to be done.”
The next joint meeting of the school committees is scheduled for May 23 at 6:30 pm in the ORRJHS media room.
Joint meeting of the school committees
By Jean Perry