There are people in Iowa who are trying to get cameras in every classroom. Parents would be able to tune in and watch any time. This is being discussed in other states too. As a parent, you might feel this is your right, but please think about what a teacher friend of mine writes below. Cameras in classrooms is a horrible idea, and it has nothing to do with not wanting parents to see what or how I teach. I am very proud of the work I do.
By Susan Vernon:
The people in power in this state want to install cameras in our classrooms that would allow any parent to watch what is happening there. If this doesn't infuriate you as a parent, you are not understanding it. You have a right to know what teachers are teaching and, by the way, you can already access that. But do you really think you have a right to know whether your neighbor's child struggles with reading? You will see that. Do you really think you have a right to know if your neighbor's child needed extra help in math today? You will see that. Do you really think you have a right to hear a child tell me they couldn't do their homework because their family couldn't afford to pay the electric bill? You will hear that. Do you really think you have a right to see which child didn't come to school in clean clothes, and which child had an accident in kindergarten, and which child got her first period in the middle of 7th grade social studies? Do you? Because you will see that. About someone else's child. They have outlawed facts. They have outlawed literature. Please don't let them outlaw your children's privacy. Please don't let them outlaw your children's safety. You have a right to know what and how I teach. I am proud of the work I do. If you want to see the 20+ hours of work I do at home each week to prepare for the work I do at school, I'll show you that too. But you do not have the right to watch other people's children learning. You just don't. This is not the plan of a truly free country. This is truly terrifying. I hope you understand this is an issue that goes beyond traditional liberal or conservative divides. I try hard not to post things that are too political because I want all of my students to know I value their right to their own opinions and beliefs. This goes beyond that. This is a liberty issue and a safety issue.