Find the Latest Resources in Education Today
Schools struggle to address video recording in classrooms
Some teachers say video can be a useful tool to maintain classroom discipline; others say allowing classroom recordings raises privacy questions
The United Educators Association supports the use of video as a deterrent to discipline problems in the classroom, and it believes that classrooms are common areas.
Jane Pavelko could see that one of her students was getting out of control fast one day last semester, so the Shackelford Junior High history teacher in Arlington, Texas, whipped out her cell phone and pretended to record the angry outburst that threatened the order of her classroom.
“Teachers need whatever tools they can get to maintain discipline in the classroom,” said Pavelko, who retired in December from a 34-year teaching career.
The ploy worked, she said, and the student calmed down.
But Pavelko received the first reprimand of her career for breaking district policy.
Arlington school trustees approved the district’s Student Code of Conduct for 2012-13 last week, without altering the part that addresses a teacher’s video- or audio recording of a student in the classroom for discipline purposes.
At issue for teachers is whether classrooms constitute “common areas” in a school building—and whether recording (or threatening to record) unruly students invades student privacy.
Arlington and many other districts do not define the classroom as a common area.
The United Educators Association, to which Pavelko and some 20,000 other North Texas teachers belong, supports the use of video as a deterrent to discipline problems in the classroom, and it believes that classrooms are common areas.
See also:
Teacher who video-recorded disruptive student suing for job loss
Bowie Hogg, vice president of the Arlington school board, said the current trustees have not talked about the issues of teachers videotaping students in the classroom, or what constitutes a common area.
“That’s truly the first time I’ve heard of it,” he said of the open-forum comments at last week’s school board meeting. “I know we very effectively use cameras in the hallways and other areas. I see pros and cons to both arguments, and it’s worth a discussion.”
Hogg said the issue raises a number of secondary questions: Should teachers use their own cameras? Can students record teachers? Should the district put cameras in all of the classrooms at great expense?
“I’ve always been one to embrace technology, but it can be misused,” he said.
2 Responses to Schools struggle to address video recording in classrooms
You must be logged in to post a comment Login
ehammerstrom
May 22, 2012 at 5:02 pm
In truth, this is not a new issue. Most state Supreme Courts have already ruled on the use of videotape in classrooms for a variety of purposes. Taping of employees is usually prohibited under Wiretapping and Eavesdropping Statutes. Taping of students is usually a violation of the privacy of other students in the room, or a violation of confidentiality.
rvolkman260
May 22, 2012 at 6:31 pm
Interesting issues.
And as we move to more BYOD environments, you can expect students with these devices to record teachers without their knowledge. These “out of context” video/audio recordings could also present problems down the road.