When it met in regular session July 8, the Watonga School Board handled its policy on how teachers and staff electronically communicate with students.
The move was mandated by the Legislature, which passed a bill this session on the matter.
According to the law, school employees may only communicate with students electronically if it is a group email or text message, or the parent, guardian or another school official is part of the message.
There are only a few approved platforms for communication as well. Those include Google classroom, Parent Square and Google email. On those platforms messages cannot be permanently deleted and the entire conversation can be seen and tracked.
If for some reason a student contacts a teacher or staff member – such as an emergency when the student cannot reach a family member – the adult is required to notify the administration right away and provide the message to them.
In the case of private messages between students and a staff member or teacher, the adult will be placed on administrative leave pending investigation.
If during the investigation the administration believes laws have been broken, law enforcement is notified and the investigation continues. Depending on the outcome of the investigation, there are various levels of punishment the school district can levy against the adult employee, up to and including dismissal.
For the entire text of the law, see 1210.163 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes.