ANDERSON COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — Senate Bill 181, in effect since last Friday, mandates that all electronic communication between school staff, coaches, volunteers and students must be conducted through designated traceable platforms.
"The biggest challenge was to ensure adequate time was spent working with the attorney to interpret and understand the nuances of the intricate details of the statute,"
Sheila Mitchell, Superintendent of Anderson County Schools said on Wednesday. "Many questions were fielded from staff, volunteers, and parents/guardians who were concerned."
The Kentucky Education Association recently offered guidance to teachers, urging them not to use personal phones to communicate with students except in cases where the student is a family member.
"Because the implementation was a quick turn around, we communicated with students and parents via social media and email. We have student athletes as well as band students and their parents are already utilizing our traceable communication platform. We also have implemented a process for parents who want to sign a waiver to allow their students to communicate with staff and/or volunteers on non traceable communication platforms. A big challenge was to get the platform purchased and set up for 3700 students and families and get the staff and non-paid volunteers trained quickly to ensure compliance during the summer," Mitchell said.
Another piece of advice for educators from KEA? Use district-approved programs or applications on school issued devices like laptops, tablets or work phones.
For Mitchell, the biggest concern was if there is a student or student family emergency in which immediate support is needed and student contacts an employee "outside of traceable communication platform."
However, this has already happened and "the staff member was able to contact the parent to avoid a violation."
"Staff have many concerns including accidentally or unintentionally stepping outside of the statute due to interpretation, the quick implementation of this statute, and the multiple questions and interpretations of the statute. Education attorneys have communicated multiple questions that need to be answered in order for final guidance and clarification to be provided," Mitchell said.
Mitchell also told LEX18 that "with input from stakeholders such as teachers, administrators, parents and an education attorney, this statute could be revised to make positive change for Kentucky schools."
