Response Letter To Scenario #2

Dear Ms. Benedict, 

Thank you for inquiring about Ben's accidental encounter on the computer in class yesterday.  The school does have a filter that guards students from inappropriate material for students.  Additionally, the district computers are monitored for inappropriate content.  Websites are constantly re-assessed to ensure they are educationally relevant.  Although these measures are very effective, the district is not able to block all offensive material on the internet.  As a parent, you signed an Acceptable Use Policy form giving your child permission to use school computers in spite of this risk.  The Acceptable Use Policy states, "Despite these [security] measures, students may be able to access content that the Board has not authorized for education purposes, and/or that is inappropriate, offensive, or objectionable.  Parents/Guardians assume this risk by consenting to allow their students to use the Board's Computer Networks."  

Wikipedia is a collective intelligence style website that is typically an appropriate resource for students to access for educational purposes.  Online users who add to Wikipedia pages are required to cite sources.  Users can also add, delete, or edit content.  It appears that the inappropriate content Ben saw was recently posted and had not yet been removed as "irrelevant" and "inappropriate" by Wikipedia and users.  

Ben did the right thing by making me aware of what I saw so I could contribute to filtering changes.  We take pride in teaching our students digital citizenship at school, and Ben exhibited this through his recognition of improper internet etiquette.

It is unfortunate that the image did not get filtered by our district Network, but it is impossible for everything obscene on the internet to be blocked. By signing the Acceptable Use Policy, you as a parent recognized this risk and agreed to permit Ben to use school computers.  You also agreed "not to hold the Board, its individual members or employees responsible for content [your] child may access or be exposed to while using the Board's Computer Networks."  If you would like to revoke this privilege, please let me know and I will contact the District Technology coordinator on your behalf to update Ben's acceptable use policy form.  

Again, thank you for contacting me with your concerns.  Please let me know if I can answer any further questions. 

Sincerely, 

Maura Meyers

[Scenario #2:]

Dear Miss Richards,

I am the mother of Ben Watson.  Yesterday in your class, Ben and his friend, Ryan, visited Wikipedia and saw inappropriate sexual information posted in a section on the rock cycle (of all things!).  Ben said that he told you about it right away and that you told him to stay away from that page.  Is there anything else that will be done about this??  Doesn’t the school have a filter?  How could something like this happen under your watch??  Please respond asap.

Ms. Benedict