MEMORANDUM

Memo To:   Dr. Kriner Cash, Superintendent, BPS

From:         Philip Rumore, President, BTF

Date:          March 30, 2020

Subject:     Coronavirus Issues

• Parental consent – We have been advised that under FERPA, video recordings/live streams may be considered educational records and should have parental consent for each student prior to being utilized. Please advise of us of how and where teachers can obtain copies of said consent forms for each of their students.  Obviously, working with issues/programs involving students with disabilities requires parental consent in most cases.  We want to prevent any litigation and damages resulting from the lack of written parental consent. 
• People with access to videos can apparently, through the use of screen-capturing software or downloading tools, not only repost, but also edit said video through other platforms. What has the district done to ensure that students and staff are protected from this unauthorized and illegal activity?
• Use of personal equipment and/or internet access – Obviously, the district must supply teachers with all the technology required to perform their duties, e.g. computers, secure internet access, materials, curriculum, etc. Staff, for many reasons, should not be required to use their personal technology, computers, internet carrier, etc.  Such usage obviously presents dangerous hacking issues, etc.
• Student counseling – Prior to having online one-on-one sessions with students, teachers must have a parent’s written permission to do same – especially with IEP students. There should be clarification that no such sessions shall be recorded.  There have been publicized reports of hackers gaining access to such conferences – NY Times, “Zoombombing”, March 20, 2020. 

Please provide a written response to the above concerns.  Be assured we will continue to work with you as we navigate through these unprecedented times. 

PR:su