Waltham Schools Creating New Internet Safety Policy

The Waltham School Committee has started to formulate a new Internet safety policy. 

The new policy must be completed by July 1 in order to continue receiving federal funding for school Internet access, said to during a Wednesday, June 6 School Committee meeting at . Despite the new policy, the district is already teaching Internet safety, according to Nicholson.

A public hearing was held on the matter, but no residents spoke during it. A committee, however, has already drafted a new policy and the district is currently finding ways to teach the lessons within the current curriculum.

INITIATIVES OF NEW POLICY (Source: Susan Nicholson)

• The district must put in writing that it is already teaching Internet safety.
• The policy would detail safety lessons including appropriate behavior in social media, chatrooms and other online outlets.
• Those lessons would also include cyberbullying and how to respond to it.

CLARIFICATION

• Nicholson also clarified confusion on the acceptable use of technology policy in the district and the Internet safety policy saying the federal Children's Internet Protection Act requires the school to adopt a new safety policy. The district, she said, has complied with that law for years. 

CURRENT PROTECTIONS

• Currently, the district filters out inappropriate web content (Facebook, gambling websites) at least at the high school and possibly other schools. Also,