Joplin Teachers Urge Nixon to Veto Facebook Bill
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| State Representative Jane Cunningham has no problem with child labor -- but boy is Facebook dangerous to Missouri's youngsters! |
Those teachers are asking Governor Jay Nixon to veto Senate Bill 54, a.k.a. the Amy Hestir Student Protection Act, because it would effectively ban them from using Facebook or other social media sites to communicate with their pupils, the News-Leader reports. And as the deadly tornado in Joplin has shown, Facebook isn't just a tool for would-be Humbert Humberts or Anthony Weiners -- it's also an effective way for a community to keep track of its members after a disaster.
School officials explained to the News-Leader that Facebook had been instrumental in uniting students after a tornado decimated their town.
According to the paper,
The school district put the News-Leader in contact with Bruce Vonder Haar, a high school TV production teacher. He wasn't familiar with the provisions of the bill but described teachers' efforts after the disaster.
Vonder Haar said he spoke to students through the school TV station's Facebook page. Through that page, he found a handful of students who had previously not been located.
"Facebook was a big part, for sure," he said.
According to its official summary, the bill would ban such activity, with a provision stating that "teachers cannot establish, maintain, or use a work-related website unless it is available to school administrators and the child's legal custodian, physical custodian, or legal guardian. Teachers also cannot have a nonwork-related website that allows exclusive access with a current or former student." Since Facebook allows private messaging, the site would ostensibly be verboten.
The bill was sent to Governor Nixon on May 26. He told the News-Leader he hadn't read it yet. (And what with flooding in one part of the state and the ongoing crisis in Joplin, it's kind of hard to blame him on that one.)
Incidentally, the bill's primary sponsor was state Senator Jane Cunningham, R-Chesterfield -- who, while declaring her love for the children in this instance, hasn't been nearly so interested in their welfare in the past.
Earlier this year, Cunningham drew near-universal scorn (and national headlines) for introducing a bizarre bill that would allow child labor in Missouri.
As Daily RFT's Chad Garrison reported at the time, the bill would remove restrictions on children under fourteen joining the workforce. Garrison writes, "They'd also be able to work all hours of the day, no longer need a work permit from their school and be able to work at motels and resorts so long as they're given a place to lay their weary heads each night. Moreover, businesses that employ children would no longer be subject to inspections from the Division of Labor Standards."
Yep, this lady is definitely into protecting children. Thank God she's here to save the pupils of Missouri from schoolteachers -- certainly, the plutocrats and corporate mavens of this state are much more likely to have the kiddos' best interests at heart than their own teachers.
What a joke.
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