Published: Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Granite Falls School Board to debate cell phone searches
Granite Falls to consider policy that targets bullying by giving principals access to students' cell phones.
More school districts are considering a policy that lets principals search cell phones to deal with cyber-bullies.
The policy made headlines in the summer, when the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington said it threatened students' privacy rights.
Since then, the Washington State School Directors' Association has revised the policy. The state ACLU no longer objects to it.
Debate over the policy — which the Granite Falls School Board will consider tonight — underscored the tension that surrounds the use of commonplace technology in the classroom.
When the Oak Harbor School District took up the policy in August, the ACLU criticized the plan for being too broad.
Principals might have searched cell phones at their whim, said Brian Alseth, technology and liberty policy director for the state ACLU.
“Any search that actually takes place needs to be narrowly tailored,” Alseth said. “Schools don't need to go on fishing expeditions.”
And they won't, so long as they follow the rules, said Marilee Scarbrough, policy and legal services director for the school directors association.
Scarbrough worked with the ACLU to clarify the policy.
Yes, principals can search cell phones, Scarbrough said, but they need clear and concrete facts if they're going to do it.
In some cases, principals could search a cell phone for text messages sent after school hours, but only if those messages disrupted school, Scarbrough said.
The policy isn't meant to create an open-door policy to students' cell phones, Scarbrough said. Instead, it's meant to tackle cyber-bullying — the way students can be harassed through text messages and the Internet.
“It's needed because of the times in which we live,” she said. “It's not designed as a big hammer — it's to maintain a learning environment.”
Alseth called the revised policy reasonable and rational, but said school districts need to make sure they follow the rules.
“You can have perfect policy language, but there's always that human element,” he said. “We'll monitor the situation.”
Some school districts already are getting behind the revised policy.
The Granite Falls School Board is scheduled to consider the policy tonight.
The district hasn't had problems with cyber-bullying, Superintendent Karen Koschak said, but the policy gives them a tool to deal with it if they do.
The Oak Harbor School Board approved the policy 5-0 earlier this month.
Some Oak Harbor parents faulted the policy in the summer, but no one objected to the new version, district spokesman Joe Hunt said.
The district sent out hundreds of e-mails, explaining the policy, he said.
“That took away a lot of people's concerns,” he said.
Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455; arathbun@heraldnet.com.
Board addresses cell phone issue
The Granite Falls School Board will consider revising its policy on cell phone searches at its 6 p.m. meeting tonight. The board meets in the administration office board room, 307 N. Alder Ave., Granite Falls.
More info: www.gfalls.wednet.edu
The policy made headlines in the summer, when the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington said it threatened students' privacy rights.
Since then, the Washington State School Directors' Association has revised the policy. The state ACLU no longer objects to it.
Debate over the policy — which the Granite Falls School Board will consider tonight — underscored the tension that surrounds the use of commonplace technology in the classroom.
When the Oak Harbor School District took up the policy in August, the ACLU criticized the plan for being too broad.
Principals might have searched cell phones at their whim, said Brian Alseth, technology and liberty policy director for the state ACLU.
“Any search that actually takes place needs to be narrowly tailored,” Alseth said. “Schools don't need to go on fishing expeditions.”
And they won't, so long as they follow the rules, said Marilee Scarbrough, policy and legal services director for the school directors association.
Scarbrough worked with the ACLU to clarify the policy.
Yes, principals can search cell phones, Scarbrough said, but they need clear and concrete facts if they're going to do it.
In some cases, principals could search a cell phone for text messages sent after school hours, but only if those messages disrupted school, Scarbrough said.
The policy isn't meant to create an open-door policy to students' cell phones, Scarbrough said. Instead, it's meant to tackle cyber-bullying — the way students can be harassed through text messages and the Internet.
“It's needed because of the times in which we live,” she said. “It's not designed as a big hammer — it's to maintain a learning environment.”
Alseth called the revised policy reasonable and rational, but said school districts need to make sure they follow the rules.
“You can have perfect policy language, but there's always that human element,” he said. “We'll monitor the situation.”
Some school districts already are getting behind the revised policy.
The Granite Falls School Board is scheduled to consider the policy tonight.
The district hasn't had problems with cyber-bullying, Superintendent Karen Koschak said, but the policy gives them a tool to deal with it if they do.
The Oak Harbor School Board approved the policy 5-0 earlier this month.
Some Oak Harbor parents faulted the policy in the summer, but no one objected to the new version, district spokesman Joe Hunt said.
The district sent out hundreds of e-mails, explaining the policy, he said.
“That took away a lot of people's concerns,” he said.
Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455; arathbun@heraldnet.com.
Board addresses cell phone issue
The Granite Falls School Board will consider revising its policy on cell phone searches at its 6 p.m. meeting tonight. The board meets in the administration office board room, 307 N. Alder Ave., Granite Falls.
More info: www.gfalls.wednet.edu
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