I am a parent in the Garland Independent School District.  My husband and I have been very active with the schools in helping where we can.  We have five kids with the oldest now a graduate with his International Baccalaureate degree.  We have three high schoolers and one in middle school.

I am starting this campaign, with my husband's backing, because one of our children was cyberbullied.   The cyber bullying took place on school grounds.  One incident was in the hallway between classes, and the other was in class during instructional time.  The students took pictures of my child, posted to Twitter without permission, with the intent to make fun of.  My child is an art student and loves playing with colors and various fabrics.  She wore mismatched clothes and the cyber bullying began.  My child was tipped off by friends, which led to us finding out.  The pictures were sent to us, and I immediately went to work on Twitter easily accessing public pages.  I took lots of screenshots and passed them onto the school.  The assistant principal at the high school took immediate action and a couple of kids were suspended while others are being investigated.

I wanted to make the teacher, whose class the cyber bullying went down in, aware of the situation.  In his reply email he was apologetic, but stated the following: "I cannot regulate every single thing students do from bell to bell." and "I battle with cell phones every single day.  Aside from confiscating them at the door when they enter, there is no way to regulate the use of them other than observance."  The teacher does agree with: "I agree that the students should NOT have access to GISD WIFI... Period."

I was very disappointed with the remarks regarding classroom device regulation and addressed it with the asst. principal, who said to me "It's his job".  The asst. principal is going so far to pull the timestamps from all the tweets (retweets and continued remarks) and cross-referencing them to the student's schedule to find out which teachers are allowing these students to be on their phones in general.

This has led to the suspension of two students.  In keeping track of the kids, I continued to monitor their pages for safety reasons.  The kids don't believe cyber bullying exists.  They think they are protected under "Freedom of Speech".  They also believe or at least thought that "their Twitter page belongs to them".  These are teenagers, one is a senior, which do not know what cyber bullying is or why there are consequences.   The kids do not realize that employers read these pages to assess character in determining whether they should hire an applicant or not.  This will, without a doubt, change the socioeconomic climate of our country.  We have a word for it:  Entitlement.

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Under the "Educator's Guide to Texas School Law" on page 420 is this statement regarding educators:

In loco parentis: “In place of a parent”; acting as a parent with respect to the care, supervision, and discipline of a child.  The development of student rights law has curtailed the common law in loco parentis powers of public school officials

http://f3.tiera.ru/1/genesis/570-574/574000/13867a6372d19fc1bcb62d418dc3b90d.

In the Garland Independent School District Substitute Handbook on page 6 is this regardng substitutes (you can imagine the criteria for the regular teacher):

Items 6-8:

6. In the classroom, circulate and supervise! Organize and grade all assigned work, if you are instructed to do so by the regular teachers.

7. Under no circumstances should students be placed in an unsupervised situation.  The substitue is to remain with her classes during all designated class times during group travel in the hallway, during class time, and at all assemblies, etc.  You must remain with your students when they attend Computer Lab.

8. The substitute has the same responsibility for students, equipment, and materials as the regular teacher for whom he/she is substituting.  Supervision of halls and corridors is a responsibility of all teachers especially when pupils are coming into the building or leaving the building at bell time as well as class passing period.  Substitutes should maintain a supervisory position at their doorway during class passing periods.

http://www.garlandisd.net/departments/human_resources/documents/13_14_Sub_Handbook.pdf

 

In the GISD Management Plan & Student Code of Conduct, August 2013, are the following points on Possession of Telecommunications and Entertainment Devices and Misuse of Computers & Internet.  Pages 6 & 7.

Except as permitted as instructional use, the District prohibits students from possessing a personal communication device, including cellular telephones, inside school buildings during school hours.  A student shall obtain prior approval before using personal telecommuniations or other personal electronic devices for on-going campus instructional purposes.  An authorized District employee may confiscate a personal telecommunications device, including a mobile telephone, used in violation of applicable campus rules.

 

The parent shall be notified after the telecommunications or cellular phone is confiscated. A parent may retrieve the device without charge on the first infraction.

1. When the device is confiscated and retrieved by the student an administrative fee not to exceed $15 may be charged.

2. If confiscated a second time and retrieved by the parent or the student, an administrative fee of $15 will be charged for the return of the device.

3. Three violations may result in confiscation of the device for the remainder of the school year.

4. Confiscated telecommunication devices or cellular phones shall be held by the District for 30 days after notification to parent has been made. After the 30-day period has expired, the District shall dispose of the telecommunication device or cellular phone. Refer to Board Policy [FNCE(LOCAL)].

Violating computer use policies, rules, or agreements signed by the student and/or agreements signed by the student’s parent.

 

         Using the Internet or other electronic communications to threaten students or employees or cause disruption to the educational program.

 

Sending or posting electronic messages that are abusive, obscene, sexually oriented, threatening, harassing, damaging to another’s reputation are illegal including cyberbullying and “sexting” either on or off school property, if the conduct causes a substantial disruption to the educational environment.

 

Using e-mail or Web sites at school to encourage illegal behavior or threaten school safety including off school property, if the conduct causes a substantial disruption to the educational environment.

 

Breach of computer security (see glossary).

 

Possessing published or electronic material that is designed to promote or encourage illegal behavior or that could threaten school safety.

http://www.garlandisd.net/gisdupdates/index.cfm/documents/getdocument/24?cc=E66285BF-BAB7-AA09-BF6E0D72629323EC

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In my research, I did find the following cyber program under GISD, but until now never heard of it. Under teacher resources:   Cybersafety Lessons and Activities for GISD students.

http://gmoodle.garlandisd.net/course/view.php?id=36

I ask the school board o enforce rules regarding smart devices, start an active campaign to educate students and parents of what cyber bullying is and is not.  I want them to also include an anti-cyber bullying week starting at the elementary school level just like "Red Ribbon Week", which is an anti-drug campaign.  To make sure that ethics and responsibility in social media is taught in the classroom.  I also want the teachers that ignore what students are doing on their smart devices in the classroom, to be reminded of the consequences, and if needed, action taken.  I also ask that students not have access to school WIFI.  GISD should start educational summits for parents on cyber bullying.

Let GISD pioneer the way in helping put an end to cyberbullying.  It's also time that parents be fully educated on cyber bulling.  It starts at home.  Educate.

Thank you for your considerations.

Heather and Steven Lawley

Garland, TX