Video: Columbus Schools Make Detailed Changes To Staff And Student Policies
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The Columbus School Board is working to add an extra layer of safety for its students.
“As a district we have to go through and revisit our policy and see where we are deficient and how we need to strengthen them.”
For example, the Staff/Student Non-Fraternization Policy states that teachers and students shall not associate in the presence of tobacco or alcohol use.
“Us and our due process, and trying to find out what policies we need to address, and of course working with MSBA to identify which policy we may need to create along with the ones we already have on the books that are now no longer valid because of the ever-changing landscape,” says Columbus Board of Trustees member Jason Spears.
Spears says the policies are designed to help the students and teachers maintain a healthy learning environment.
Monday night, the board voted unanimously to implement the new policies. Assistant Principal of Joe Cook Elementary School and parent Alfred Brandon says he’s happy the school is taking steps before an incident happens.
“It’s particularly comforting to know that when you send your child to school, that they are in safe hands and that there are measures in place to prevent outside forces, so to speak, from coming into a school, or even for our staff to be in an inappropriate relationship as far as with students, so the idea that those policies are in place is comforting to me as a parent,” adds Brandon.
With every new day, companies, businesses and organizations rely heavily on social media. Brandon says it can have pros and cons for any school system.
“From time to time, you have problems at the school that stem from social media. Our intent here is to kind of limit those interactions with student versus student problems and that manifests itself in the school.
“Also, from the standpoint that our faculty and staff are reminded to be professional in all that they do, and to avoid the appearance of impropriety. So, to that point our faculty and staff are encouraged to maintain a professional relationship with anyone on social media.
“More along the lines of creating this separate space so people can understand their responsibilities and their relationship. It’s not to keep people apart as much as it is about just knowing that there are protocols in place that prohibit any type of additional engagement with those students,” says Brandon.
For more on the policies the school board has implemented, click on the links below.
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