HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — The Huntsville City Schools Board of Education passed changes to its cell phone policy at a meeting Tuesday night.
All members of the board, except District 1 Board Member Andrea Alvarez, voted in favor of making the changes.
Policy changes include:
- Superintendent making sure that any disciplinary action that is imposed is consistent for all students, employees or individuals
- Blocking or filtering internet access to obscene visual depictions, child sexual abuse material or images harmful to minors
- Restricting access by minors to inappropriate and harmful material on the Internet;
- Limiting Internet access by students only to age-appropriate subject matters and materials;
- Providing specific procedures and other protections that prioritize the safety and security of minors when they are using electronic mail, chat rooms, and other forms of direct electronic communications;
- Preventing “hacking” and other forms of unauthorized use of or access to computer or Internet files, sites, databases or equipment;
- Prohibiting access by students to unlawfully obtained data or information, including “hacking,” and other unlawful online activity by students;
- Prohibiting access to websites, web applications, or software that exposes students to the disclosure, use, or dissemination of their personal information;
- Prohibiting students from accessing social media platforms, unless expressly directed by a teacher for educational purposes;
- Educating minors about appropriate online behavior, including interacting with other individuals on social networking websites and in chat rooms and cyberbullying awareness and response.
This comes after Governor Kay Ivey signed the FOCUS Act back in May. It bans smartphones in the classroom.
HCS’s Code of Conduct prior to this passing already students are allowed to bring, but not use or operate, wireless communication devices. These devices are supposed to be turned off and stored off their person in a locker, car, or other location during the instructional day except under limited circumstances.
The definition of an ‘instructional day’ is:
● When school is open and in session;● During class time, lunch, transitions between classes, and any non-instructional periods;● Any time that students are required to store their Wireless Communication Devices by the Code of Conduct or other school rules; or● Any time students are instructed to store their devices by school staff.
The existing policy also says that students who disobey the policy can be disciplined, and students are subject to inspection of their wireless devices if there is reasonable suspicion that the device contains evidence of violation of “law, Board policy, the Code of Conduct, or other school rules, provided that the nature and extent of such reading, examination, or inspection shall be reasonably related and limited to the suspected violation.”
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