Schools To Police Web

This is a bit chilling. I agree that minors need their web surfing and publishing activities either monitored, or done after some form of responsible guidance from an adult. But should it really be up to our public school system to perform that function and discipline students for whatever it is they might view as unacceptable?

While the intent may be good, there are any number of nightmare scenarios one could predict from this type of control. Could some forms of political speech be as ripe for censure as anything else once the system is in place and accepted?

I can't recall any reason for, or instance of, a school system policing high school student's off hours thoughts, words, or even actions when I was growing up. If anything, I get the impression our public schools today weaken the influence of parents in some cases through some social services programs. Now, they want to assume the job which parents should be doing? The state as exhibited in our public school system is growing more troubling all the time.

And from Libertyville to boot? How ironic is that?

LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. (AP) -- High school students are going to be held accountable for what they post on blogs and on social-networking Web sites such as MySpace.com.

The board of Community High School District 128 voted unanimously on Monday to require that all students participating in extracurricular activities sign a pledge agreeing that evidence of "illegal or inappropriate" behavior posted on the Internet could be grounds for disciplinary action.

The rule will take effect at the start of the next school year, officials said.

District officials won't regularly search students' sites, but will monitor them if they get a worrisome tip from another student, a parent or a community member.

Comments

[VirginiaBreeze]

I am also concerned that we allow our government to monitor what children do in their own hours. I think this problem arose when they offered free school computers and the kids were using those to post, download, etc. Still, as scary as this seems have you viewed some of the MySpace profiles? Many of those frighten me more. In any case, the schools could put blocks on sites visited on their computers and the parents must be responsible for knowing what their kids are doing online. Yet, many are not. There has been an increasing amount of crimes committed by those who also post on MySpace, and of victims of the same. If the parents do not monitor their child's actions and they are dangerous...who should? Such a touchy situation to deal with.

[SinCerely]

While I agree some type of monitoring by a parent/guardian needs to be done, I DO NOT IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM support such an action as this school board is taking.

Public school students are entitled to due process under the law. If my children were to attend these schools you can bet your sweet ass I would have them in court!

Police departments all over are using sites such as MySpace to look into activities of well known bad boys, girls living in their communities. That is entirely different. The police can investigate/prosicute in many cases. We just went through this with my 18 yr. old cousin. Dumb ass had a picture on MySpace that showed a bag of pot on his shoulder. Small town police dept. got a hold of the picture and went looking for evidence he was dealing pot.

But for a school district who has no say what my children do after school on their own time it's absurd. The most they should be able to do is report any suspicious activity to the local police department. Not punish the child through the school system. Unless of course it involves a planned activity on school property.

To say a parent is not doing their job so government has to respond is bullshit. In all likelihood the bad kid posting bad things will eventually have a run in with authorities.

That permission slip/agreement would be sent back to school not signed by me, that's for sure.

[Rick]

"People have asked our government to do too many things that they should have been able to do themselves, so now we will have the backlash of that. Big Brother."

So very true and unfortunately the govt is only too happy to do it.

[IMHERE]

Well if mom and dad paid attention then the school wouldn't feel the need to police it.

People have asked our government to do too many things that they should have been able to do themselves, so now we will have the backlash of that. Big Brother.