Protecting Student Privacy Online

• Prior to joining a live lesson, students must be dressed appropriately, and they should use a location where the background is appropriate (e.g., without other family members in view, and without posters or other items that could be offensive). The location should be quiet, or microphones should be muted to avoid disturbing other students. If other people are in the child’s vicinity, take precautions to make sure that they are properly dressed, do not talk too loudly, and do not distract the child or his classmates from the lesson, and/or mute the microphone feature on your child’s device.

• Students and their parents/guardians are expressly prohibited from recording, duplicating, sharing, posting, or otherwise distributing any portion of the online learning classes or lessons.

• The school must provide students and parents with instructions on how to access the stored recordings. The instructions should include the length of time that the recordings will be available. If a video is retained for student discipline or other purposes, statutory restrictions, such as FERPA, may apply.

• Because some students will choose to opt-out of participating in recorded classes, which might also include the decision not to utilize the chat feature, alternative methods for capturing and measuring classroom participation must be identified. This information should be shared with students and parents.

• If video conferencing is not in use, parents/guardians should consider covering the webcam on students’ devices to protect inadvertent disclosure of activities in your home.

• Remember that it is not mandatory for students to use the video/webcam function on their device in live sessions. Parents/guardians can opt-out of using that feature at any time.

• Beware of signing up for an app or other technology advertised as “free.” It might cost you money down the road, so be careful about providing credit card information when signing up. Read the fine print, too, because you might be agreeing to share information about your child.

• Remember that the City Schools Student Code of Conduct applies to distance learning. Students must continue to act in a manner that is consistent with classroom expectations.

Electronic student records, like other student records, are governed by the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), applicable federal regulations, the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) 13A.08.02, and Board policies. Educational privacy rights are summarized in the annual notice provided by City Schools to parents and guardians, as well during student enrollment. Parents/guardians who wish to opt-out of using online platforms should contact their school principal.