confidentiality

Home

Chat

Blogs

Collection

Directory

Home : 2003 : September : 18

confidentiality
By HJ

The deal about the fighting with another student is somewhat silly. The silly laws sometimes are making the whole concept of confidentiality seem silly.

As a matter of fact, confidentiality has reached the point that one
if afraid to open their mouths thinking some trial lawyer will be breathing down our throats. We need some Teacher Protection Law in Congress to protect us.
The best policy is to NEVER MENTION ANYTHING ABOUT YOUR JOB OUTSIDE OF school! Keep your mouth shut and avoid losing your job!
I understand keeping records private-IEPS, and other data. But if don't keep confidentiality in its

place, it could ruin careers. And really I don't see confidentiality taking place in real life. Wal Mart managers jump on employees in front of customers all the time. OK they are over 18.

Stuff like the "fighting with another students", no E Mails/phone calls to cell phones, no messages left on answering machines about student's behavior, no calls to parents/other faculty off school grounds, and other stuff is BS. Sorry to be that blunt.

There were a few other things I heard at a confidentiality meeting that if they come to mind again, I will post them.

Soon it will extend to
1. Asking a student if he did his homework
2. Putting names of students on the board for misbehavior.
3. Listing the times that a sped student is in the resource room on a lesson plan for a sub.
4. Listing on the wall students who have speech therapy.
5. Leaving a gradebook in a room unlocked when you are absent should a nosey sub find a student's grade and report it.
6. Letters to parents in the mail lest the mail arrive in the wrong place.
7. Bringing papers to grade away from the school premises
8. Failing to lock your door each evening.
9. Displaying samples of student's work in the hall .
10. In class exams where students could know how their classmates were doing.
11. Having students passing out report cards. (or subs/student teachers etc..)
12. Verbally reprimanding a student by name in class.
13. Punishing a child by taking away his recess since he or she would be humiliated by peers.

This could just be the beginning. Older teachers don't know about these new rules in some instances.