A bill introduced by a South Carolina senator would mandate cameras in all of the state’s public school classrooms.
H 3216 was filed in December by Greenville County Republican State Representative Mike Burns, but this week it moved on to committee.
According to the measure, all classroom instruction must be videotaped and made public, “subject to certain privacy limitations.” The rationale was also clarified by the bill’s wording, which stated that “public access to classroom instruction recordings can enhance transparency, foster accountability, enable parental engagement, and ensure adherence to educational standards.”
The primary reason why some schools already have cameras installed in areas like corridors or building exteriors is because the bill’s wording makes no mention of safety or security.
According to reports, Burns stated that the bill was created to stop what he called “rogue” teachers from forcing their beliefs on pupils.
The bill sends a message to all teachers that they are unreliable, according to Sherry East, a York County educator and president of the South Carolina Education Association.
“The goal is to have good learners, to have good citizens come out of our schools, and we need to give teachers that professional courtesy to allow them to do their jobs,” East stated.
According to East, various classes and groups will learn in different ways, at different rates, and not always in accordance with a set lesson plan.
According to East, if the bill is passed into law, the recordings that are made publicly available will probably demonstrate various teaching philosophies.
This could lead to increased scrutiny and pressure on educators to follow lesson plans rather than rely on their professional training.
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She stated that parents are welcome to visit and witness the instruction their child is receiving and that any concerns regarding teacher behavior are primarily handled at the administrative level.
Regarding the bill, the South Carolina Parent-Teacher Association issued a statement to Queen City News. In order to “ensure that our stance reflects the best interests of students, families, and educators across the state,” they stated that they have not yet decided on a position on the measure and that it will be reviewed at a future meeting.
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Cost, workforce, and cybersecurity infrastructure are still some of the unanswered problems that the bill did not address.
East pointed out that the expense would probably be high—to the extent that it may be unaffordable for certain districts—and take funds away from a need.
“If you want to help a teacher, to know what’s going on in the classroom, why don’t you put an aide in there with a teacher,” East stated. “If you want an extra set of eyes and ears to make sure teachers are on task, then how about you hire me a second person to help me out? Or come in to visit?”
