Online schooling raises privacy concerns

Online schooling during COVID-19 is raising privacy concerns for students and teachers as administrators try to enforce policies while students are not on campus. NBC News reports that schools are attempting to monitor virtual workspaces, but some rules are resulting in invasion of privacy claims. A student’s family in Baltimore is suing his school district after police were called when a screenshot of the student’s room revealed he had BB gun and toy guns in his bedroom. At-home toy guns have resulted in five and six-day suspensions for students in Colorado Springs and New Orleans. “Both educators and parents want to keep students safe, but not at the expense of their students’ privacy or at the risk of subjecting students to unnecessary harm,” NBC News reports. The key is to provide schools with student privacy resources, as well as over-communicating policies and rules to ensure transparency and thoughtfulness. Punishing students for at-home conduct can feel invasive, so it is essential for educators to consider policy consequences. Read more at NBC News.