LTISD Info

The Lake Travis View reported that “Sheriffs arrested a Lake Travis High School student Monday for allegedly taking close-up photos of females’ bodies without their consent.”

Just how did this happen if the school district had been enforcing their own rules? The 2009-2010 LTHS Student/Parent Handbook & Code of Conduct says:

ELECTRONIC DEVICES CELL PHONES, PAGERS, PDA’S
For safety purposes, the district permits students to possess telecommunications devices, including mobile cell phones; however, these devices must remain turned off during the instructional class time, including during all testing. The use of cell phones in locker rooms or restroom areas at any time while at school is strictly prohibited. A student who uses a telecommunications device during instructional class time shall have the device confiscated. The [student/parent] may pick up the confiscated telecommunications device from the assistant principal’s office for a fee of $15. Confiscated telecommunications devices that are not retrieved by the student or student’s parents will be disposed of after the notice required by law.

According to the news articles about the incident:

“According to a search warrant affidavit, an assistant principal found more than 150 pictures on a cell phone …”

150 pictures?! Now that is a lot of photography. We should also note that the photographs “were of clothed girls.”

A recent comment by someone posted on the Lake Travis View web site makes a very interesting observation:
“This is the dumbest and scariest thing I have ever read! A teenage boy arrested for taking pictures of fully clothed girls. I did not even realize taking photos of people without thier consent was against the law!
Since this is evidently true, I suggest no more photos be taken at football games (like the ones on the right). And for heavens sakes don’t take pictures at a basketball game where you might get an unsuspecting students fully clothed body in the photo! You will get arrested and charged with a felony!”

But to take 150 photographs would mean that the student was obviously using his cell phone a lot, even during “instructional class time?”

In fact the student was caught by another student during “instructional class time” according to the sheriff’s deputies:

“…he photographed a girl from behind during class, according to deputies”

Why does the district even allow students to have phones? They claim its “for safety purposes.” But who’s safety? If you need to communicate with your child, couldn’t you just call the school office? Does this mean that the district doesn’t know where your child is located?

Doesn’t this place another burden on the teachers to simultaneously “police” the use of electronic devices and deliver educational instruction?

Let’s face it, the district is hopelessly inept, the LTISD issued a computer to my son that included photographs of Heidi Gudelman’s (Principal of the Lake Pointe Elementary School) Las Vegas vacation.

Reality tells us that a recent “QuickNews” email from the district about the “inappropriate photography” incident can’t be true.

“The LTHS administration will continue to take all appropriate and necessary measures to safeguard our students and communicate with our parent community.”

If this were true, the district would have enforced their own rules and then this incident would never have happened.

Now if all this isn’t enough, the school district is allowing middle schoolers to use “music playing devices” at school.

My son recently brought home this permission form allowing him to use a music device at school.

Note that the 2009-2010 Middle School Student/Parent Handbook & Code of Conduct says:

Cell Phones, Cameras, and Other Electronic Devices
Students are not permitted to possess such items as, I-pods, CD players, tape recorders, other digital musical players, camcorders, DVD players, cameras, electronic devices or games at school, unless prior permission has been obtained from the principal.  Without such permission, teachers will collect the items and turn them in to the principal’s office.  The principal will determine whether to return items to students at the end of the day or to contact parents to pick up the items.

What brought about this change?

We need to ask the school district some questions:

Why do students need these additional distractions at school?

How does allowing these “music devices” enhance the educational benefit of the students? Does this help to elevate the LTISD above “academically acceptable?” How does this help Rocky Kirk make the LTISD “the most exemplary school district in Texas?”

How does the district think they can control the use of these devices? The district has already demonstrated that they can’t  or won’t enforce their own rules, so what changed? Can the district ensure that these “music devices” which are often “multi-use” devices will not be used to take “improper photos?”

How does this impact the teachers who are already spending time preparing, teaching and disciplining their classrooms?