IP: NYC schools reportedly adopt restrictive web linking, use rules

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> From: Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>
> Subject: FC: NYC schools reportedly adopt restrictive web linking, use rules
> Cc: john () elfrank org
>
>
> [This means a link to politechbot.com would be verboten since (FWIW) the 
> site includes banner ads. Not to mention other news sites. --Declan]
>
> *********
>
> Date: Sun, 24 Jun 2001 12:20:47 -0400
> From: Seth Johnson <seth.johnson () realmeasures dyndns org>
> Organization: Real Measures
> Subject: New NYC Board of Ed. Web Publishing Policy - REALITYCHECK, please.
>
> (Forwarded from WWWEDU list)
>
> John Elfrank-Dana wrote:
> > I hope everyone is having a good time at NECC.
> >
> > The new BOE policy for publishing web pages here in NYC is the
> > following.
> > 1. All schools (1100 of them) are supposed to submit their web sites
> > (even those of us who have been hosting independently for years), and
> > their teachers' sites to the Board of Ed. server.
> > 2. A district censor is supposed to review all the material of each site
> > and have it moved to the public viewing area, assuming it's in
> > compliance with the new acceptable use policy, which includes no links
> > to sites that have a commercial advertisement.  The censors will move
> > the content along at "their earliest possible convenience."
> > 3. No chats or asynchronous bulletin boards allowed!
> >
> > Anyone who has ever web mastered an active school or class web site that
> > functions as a real communications hub for timely information and class
> > dialogue should be equally dismayed as me.
> >
> > The policy will go in force Sept. 1.  They won't even tell us how much
> > disk space we will have.  They also refuse to support FrontPage
> > extensions (many of us use them to create active pages and discussions
> > forums for our classes).  One practical outcome of this policy: The
> > Board's AUP is in Adobe Acrobat, but I can't link for our visitors to
> > download the Acrobat Reader because Adobe has ads on its site!!  2. Our
> > e-books collection, which VATEA funded for thousands of dollars, won't
> > work because it requires a web server on location. 3. No discussion
> > boards for class discussions (protected or not).
> >
> > This policy was conceived by Board of Ed. lawyers and techs who are not
> > now nor have been educators.  It's another slap in the face to teachers
> > as professionals.  It's like the doctors under managed care who have
> > lost control of their practice.  For teachers who use the Internet as an
> > instructional tool, this is very heavy-handed policy.
> >
> > Are other districts implementing similar policies? If so, how has it
> > been going?  What organizations, if any, have an interest in this kind
> > of policy?  What rights, if any, do teachers have to control the content
> > of their instruction?  Is this an intrusion into teacher practice?
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > John Elfrank-Dana
> > Web Master/ Social Studies Teacher
> > Murry Bergtraum High School
> > http://www.bergtraum.org/ushistory
> > john () elfrank org



For archives see: http://www.interesting-people.org/