Good morning! I hope that this message finds you well. I am asking that all of the policy suggestions that ESE Advisory put forward to BCPS in November 2024 be addressed in today’s meeting so that we can get a sound policy safeguarding students with disabilities in self-contained ESE classrooms. It is very important to continuously ensure the health and safety of all students that are in self-contained exceptional education classrooms. Thank you!

It is imperative that the district provides cameras in self contained classrooms for the safety and protection of our children. There have been an increasing number of reported instances of teachers and staff abusing students with disabilities. Most of these have been cases with students that are nonverbal and were only discovered because they were caught on camera. My daughter is verbal and is able to tell me enough to know that she was being mistreated.

My daughter has attended two schools in the district within a 14 month period and currently I have withdrawn her from Broward Schools.

At the first school, her educational needs were being neglected. Countless days were spent watching movies, YouTube videos, and playing in centers instead of being provided with educational instruction. There were numerous times that I, and other parents, brought this to the school’s attention and were told it would be addressed or that it wasn’t true. I removed my daughter from this school for this and other reasons. Having cameras in classrooms can provide accountability since it is clear the reports from our children are not being believed.

At the second school my daughter attended, she was subjected to lies, threats, and punishments for behavior stemming from the teachers and staff’s disregard for her Individualized Education Plan. Her privacy was violated when two paraprofessionals, at different times in the day, opened the door while she was in the restroom despite not having any toileting needs on her IEP.

What happened to my daughter should not happen to any child, let alone a student with a disability. What happens to the teachers and staff that have done these things and are not held accountable? They will continue to neglect and abuse the most vulnerable students and possibly, without consequences for their actions, escalate their abusive behaviors. Having cameras in classrooms can provide the assurance that teachers and staff are held accountable to respecting a student’s rights and providing our children with the education they're entitled to, free from mistreatment and abuse. If you are wondering why so many students have left the district, this is why my daughter has. Without an exit interview either.

The State Camera Statute, now sunset, was well vetted. It was based on similar Statutes in Texas, Georgia and West Virginia which have been in practice now for over 5 years. There are about 10 States now with similar Camera Laws.
I have heard talk of privacy; the Courts have determined there is no expectation of privacy in a Public School Classroom. I have heard mention of FERPA, which protects Educational Records, and is moot in discussion of this proposed Policy.
Draft Policy 4900 says:
“Parental review of the video of the incident will be limited to solely the incident. If no incident was captured, no review shall occur.”
The District is proposing to deny a Parent access to view video of their own Children in their own Public School Classroom. ABSURD

Pass what you like, but call it what it is. The Draft Policy does not protect Students, it protects Staff at the expense of Students.
There is documentation of OUR Public Schools denying access to video because there was “no incident,’ when indeed there was. There are documented cases of video being supplied without audio, completely changing the context of any “incident,” in my opinion, to protect Staff.

Are we going to protect our most vulnerable Students, or pass a sham of a Policy that protects Staff at the expense of Students?
The vast majority of our Direct Instruction and Support Staff do an OUTSTANDING Job under difficult circumstances, but in an organization this big there may be just a few that should have chosen another profession.

These are OUR Public Schools, Staffed by Public Employees. The only reason the District exists is to Educate OUR Children. The Cameras in question are paid for by OUR tax dollars, they will be videotaping OUR Children in OUR Classrooms and you dare to tell us NO Video For You! UNACCEPTABLE

Thank you, and I hope you do the right thing for Students
Steve Moyer