SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Cell phones, text messaging, and social media make it easy to contact just about anyone, anywhere, at any time. However, this freedom has left school districts with the job of clearing up some questions.
“Our former policy basically doesn’t address what we have come to know as the way staff and student interact today,” explained Parker McKenna, human resources coordinator for Springfield Schools.
On Tuesday, the Springfield School Board moved to clarify what types of relationships and communication with students are appropriate and what's out of bounds.
“I think anything we can do to better define the parameters of appropriate staff-student relationships is a good thing for staff, students, and parents,” explained parker.
A new set of rules, taking effect March 1st, comes in response to the state's Amy Hestir Act. The bill mandating school districts adopt policies to protect students.
Springfield’s updated rules include limitations on electronic communication. Teachers can only contact students about educational issues-, and even then it has to be between the hours of 6am and 10pm. The communication also has to be on district-provided devices.
In August 2011, the district saw, firsthand, the effects of a teacher using these mediums to prey on kids.
Pleasant View teacher Jeffrey Turnbough was fired after being charged with trying to set up a sexual encounter with a student using texting and Facebook. The district hopes the new rules will make it harder for this to happen again.
“I think for parents, what this will do is provide a little bit assurance the district is taking steps to define those parameters,” explained Parker.
