Rutherford County schools has backed off on it's request to keep parents from listening in on their child's online classes.
Many parents had their suspicions raised when they asked to sign a document that "strongly discourages non student observation of online meetings due to the potential of confidential information about a student being revealed.”
Parents wondered, "why don't they want me hearing/seeing what's going on with my child's education?".
Rutherford County schools were quick to explain their intentions with the waiver, "intended to protect the academic privacy of other students in the classroom who are visible during certain virtual class sessions."
They went on to say:
"We absolutely believe that parent involvement is key to successful schools and students. We also are not attempting to hide what is being taught in the classroom. Our schools use the academic standards adopted by the Tennessee Department of Education, and the curriculum materials our teachers use are readily available and shared with parents."
But... it's not like anything goes. New guidelines say parents still have to get permission to monitor their child's online classes. And they are not allowed to record or share information about other students.