Texted: What You and Your Children Need to Know

Meeting Minutes October 14, 2009

“TextED: What You and Your Children Need to Know”

President Lori Stevens called the meeting called to order at 7:30 pm and requested officer reports.

Ms. Stevens introduced the new LEAP logo, indicating that the design was donated by a graphic artist Phaedra Edwards and was commissioned to commemorate the 20th anniversary year of the Loudoun Education Alliance of Parents.

VP Communications Karen Cholakis alerted delegates to a NY Times article regarding kids, texting and multitasking. The article is posted on the LEAP Blog: LEAPforLoudoun.org.

Secretary Kristen Thatcher was absent and Past-President Maura Walsh-Copeland substituted. Walsh-Copeland stated last month’s minutes are posted on the LEAP website, and asked delegates to ensure their email addresses were submitted to receive LEAP reports.

Treasurer Ed Myers reported the LEAP account balance is $308.04 and that 6% of schools have remitted annual dues. Additionally, 30 of LCPS’ 76 schools were represented at the September meeting.

Ms. Stevens introduced the speakers for the program:

David Spage, LCPS Director of High School Education
Deputy James Spurlock, Crime Prevention Specialist, Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office
Dr. Amy Gordon, Ashburn Psychological Services

Ms. Stevens turned remainder of meeting over to First Vice President of Communications, Karen Cholakis.

David Spage, LCPS Director of High School Education

Mr. Spage was the former principal at Potomac Falls High School, and he has two phones – one is purple (with 28 text message he has never deleted), and the other is the LCPS assigned blackberry, which he uses for email. Mr. Spage asked all delegates to put their phones on vibrate during the meeting – for proper phone etiquette.

Mr. Spage provided definitions and an overview of LCPS policies:

Texting – the exchange of brief text over a cellular phone

Sexting – the sending of sexually explicit photos and/or videos over a cellular phone

The School Board has defined and published policy 8-34 for student conduct related to beepers, personal communication devices and laser pointers, to be in compliance with the Code of Virginia Section 22.1-279.6. Terms of LCPS policy 8-34 include:

Students are prohibited from operating beepers, cell phones or other personal communication devices during school hours, either while on school property, under school control or attending any school function or activity of any elementary, middle or high school unless expressly authorized to do so by school personnel.
Such devices may only be operated by students before or after school hours.
School officials may confiscate such devices in any instance where a student violates the provisions of this policy.
Any violation of this policy by a student may result in the student’s loss of privileges of possessing such devices while on school property, under school control or attending any school function or activity and may result in further disciplinary action.
Student use of such devices for unlawful or other prohibited purposes while on school property, under school control or attending any school function or activity may result in seizure of the device by school officials and disciplinary action, including expulsion.

Many Loudoun schools require phones to be off, put away and preferably in lockers. The reason is that students become distracted when cell phones are allowed in classrooms, either when they use them or see others using them.

If a student is found cheating, bullying, sexting or conducting any other inappropriate communication the schools will investigate, work with law enforcement and/or social services (the latter mostly for incidents of sexting). Consequences include a warning for a first infraction and calls to parents, removal of the cell phone, detention, or in-school restriction for repeat infractions. Mr. Spage stated that school policies will need to evolve as technology evolves.

Statistics provided include:

35% of students have cheated using cell phones
Teens send on average 2500 texts per month (more if on unlimited text service plans)
22% of girls and 18% of boys have taken and/or sent nude photos
Drivers are 23 times more likely to have an accident if texting while driving.

Texting is not ALL bad. It can be useful in emergency situations and school drills. However, parents should also be aware of the downside of hyper-connectedness, mainly social inhibition.

Mr. Spage asked how many parents have said routinely to their child, “Leave your laptop and cell phone when you go to bed, because I’m going to check it?” Parents NEED to be proactive to ensure that their child is using technology responsibly and safely.

Sources parents can use to do this include:

Become versed on “chat” and texting acronyms. Google “Part I Guide to Understanding Online Chat” for a list of acronyms you should know.
Also check out for more education and tips for the proper use of cell phones.

Teens are bombarded by technology in a “parent free” world in which they create a social image of themselves. They need to fully understand the impacts of the image they create that could damage their chances of getting into the college of their choice or be hired for the job they want most – because the images they upload now are will be out there FOREVER.

Deputy James Spurlock, Crime Prevention Specialist, Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office

Kids are using technology in ways it was never intended to be used. Law enforcement is 3 to 5 years behind the curve, and parents need to fill the gap.

Deputy Spurlock’s Power Point presentation can be found on the LEAP website, October 2009 minutes. WARNING: Dept. Spurlock’s presentation contains example photos of sexting.

Below is a summary of key points from his presentation:

Definition: Text messaging, or texting, is a colloquial term referring to the exchange of brief written messages between mobile phones, over cellular networks. This is most commonly done via the SMS (Short Messaging System) but also included messages sent via the MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service).

Did you know that kids now use their phones to access the internet to send IMs instead of text? They do so because IM’s are harder to check (therefore harder for parents to monitor).

The average American teen sends and/or receives more than 100 messages every day.

Some experts feel that texting can effect the development of face to face social skills that are largely developed during the teen years.

Text Messaging Problems and Challenges

Bullying
Image Distribution: with or without the subject’s knowledge. Images can find their way to international websites
Domestic /Relationship Abuse: constant checking up and controlling behavior
Separation Anxiety: when your child cannot put their phone down because they are afraid they’ll miss an important message, or are concerned messages will be about him/her.
Superman Complex: when your sweet, shy child sends messages via texting that they would never say in person. Distance provides anonymity.

Sexting: The act of sending sexually explicit messages or photos electronically, primarily between cell phones.

In 2008, a survey among teen revealed that approx. 22% of teenage girls and 18% of teenage boys had taken nude or semi-nude self-photos and sent them to someone or posted them on the internet.
The same survey revealed that 37% of girls and 40% of boys have sent sexually explicit text messages.
The transmission or sharing of these images can lead to arrest and prosecution under felony child pornography laws, including possession, manufacturing, and distribution of child pornography.

Sexting Dangers
Loss of control of the image.

• Sharing, posting, selling images

• Caching: The file is dumped in a repository and held so that it can be accessed even after the primary image has been erased from the original location)

Harassment
GPS Locating (geotagging). Students likely don’t know that phone logs can show where a photo was taken, and therefore help authorities find out who was in the photo.

Warning Signs

Withdrawn from family life or outside activities.
Does not use cell phone around family members or parents.
Hides when using cell phone.
Use cell phone late at night.
Will not share content of messages or show you their cell pics.

What should parents do?

Don’t allow cell phones or laptops in a child’s bedroom or other unattended location.
Bluetooth vs. Messaging
Know the lingo… ( Chat Decoder)
Check with your cell service provider. Are photos cached? Can you retrieve them?
Learn more about cell phone technology.
Know the capabilities of the cell phone before you hand it to your teen.
Talk with your cell service provider about filtering certain services.
Have and maintain an open dialogue with you teen.
Check their name via web browsers and social networking sites.

When in doubt ….. Remember you are the parent, you have the final say.

Dr. Amy Gordon, Ashburn Psychological Services

“Infomania” can be a debilitating state for children and teens, especially those who go to the lengths of keeping their phones on their pillow and answer at all hours during the night, impacting sleep habits.

Parents should make a phone use contract with their children to establish clear rules for phone use, such as no phone use at dinner, in teen’s bedroom, after a specific time of day, and “don’t send anything you wouldn’t want me or the world to see.” Kids can actually show signs of anxiety when they are without their phone, because they fear they are missing something if they are not getting their calls and texts “real time.”

Phone use can also be a double edged sword. A self-conscious student could open up, however, they also may say things via a text message that they would never say in person, thereby violating their own moral code. Excessive texting may also remove a child from the family environment, missing out with parents and siblings. Parents need to take charge to help foster appropriate means of gaining independence.

Phone use can become a constant distraction – at home, at school – with no time for a student to think on his or her own. The term “digital autism” has been coined to describe students who are “absent yet present” to “explain how technology is muting the quality of our social lives and our capacity to engage fully – not just for our kids and teens but also for us as adults.”

Talking about sex is nothing new – what’s new is how the “talk” is communicated, via text, photos and videos. Kids need to be aware of the concept of their “digital footprint” and know that photos are out there forever and can impact their college and job prospects.

It’s not clear quantitatively whether sexting leads to increased sexual activity, however teen pregnancies are still on the rise. There appears to be no impact on spelling proficiency due to texting (and acronyms) but students who text a significant amount tend to write shorter sentences and paragraphs.

Parent communication is key. Parents should talk to their children about sex and the impact of cell phone use and misuse before they get a phone. Parents also need to remember to model good behavior and turn off their own laptops and cell phones during family times.

Question and Answer Session:

Q: To Mr. Spage – Can’t we teach how to use cell phones and other technology for good educational uses?

A: Spage: Texting is not all bad. Colleges use texting to check understanding during and after lectures. As technology changes, LCPS will evolve as well.

A: Gordon: Examples of good texting uses are coaches utilizing cell phones to distribute plays and nursing students downloading medical references “real time.”

Q: What are the policies that apply to YAS (Youth After School) program workers’ ability to monitor and/or police texting “harassment” after school while on school grounds?

A: Dep. Spurlock: For a text to be considered “harassment” it must be sent TO the individual and the student must in turn fear for his or her safety. Two people talking about another is not harassment (it may just not be nice). Many kids don’t know what they’re doing is wrong, which is why parents must help teach proper technology use. Regarding photos, there is no right to privacy when an individual is in a public place. That’s how the paparazzi gets away with taking so many photos in public places.

Q: To Mr. Spage: What about collecting phones at the beginning of class? Wouldn’t that take care of some texting/sexting issues of using phones during class and at lunch?

A: Students do use phones at lunch. They can lose possession of their phone if they continuously violate policy. Keep in mind that we’re trying to have the students abide by the rules – teachers and staff don’t want to be responsible for taking possession of student’s property.

Q: Regarding the problems with texting and cell phones – how far down (age/grade) does this go – Middle School? Elementary School?

A: Spurlock: It’s getting lower and lower every year. Audience members acknowledged issues is both middle and elementary school grades.

Q: To Ms. Gordon: Why were nude photos published by Jessie Logan herself so psychologically damaging to her, eventually causing her to commit suicide?

A: It wasn’t only the photos that caused Ms. Logan psychological stress. She was also severely harassed by students and younger girls, disrupting the “balance” (rank/order). Her attempt to proactively address her mistake (by appearing on the “Today” show) made her very vulnerable and she became despondent when her open communication didn’t work.

Q: To Dep. Spurlock: Regarding cacheing, is there a legal standard for who can access previous text messages and photos from a phone?

A: As a parent – whoever OWNS the phone or service contract has legal authority. This includes any phone (including Tracphone-type instruments with card service plans) purchased or given to a child as a “gift,” as minors under 18 do not hold title to property. In addition, texting and photos are admissible evidence.

LCPS Assistant Superintendent, Sharon Ackerman, for Dr. Hatrick:

LCPS is required to include Internet Safety lesson plans in all grades, but nothing specific to cell phone use is included at this point. Regarding leveraging phones for education, the management of devices is still in progress. There is no consistency for use of the instruments; however, with the budget constraints we are looking at how to use phones more effectively to augment school technology.

Budget Update:

The 2011 budget process is underway. As of Sept. 30th LCPS had 606 students above the anticipated 2500 new students for the 2009-2010 school year. Next year LCPS is projecting 3200 new students, times $12,000 per student equals almost $39 million needed just for the new students alone. Three scenarios have been requested 1) receiving the same funds as this year, resulting is a $69 million deficit; 2) An equalized tax rate funding level, which would result in a $107 million deficit; and 3) A 5% reduction in funding, which would result in a $140 million deficit. Mrs. Ackerman said to keep in mind that even if last year’s Tiers 2 and 3 budget items were cut, the savings was only $53 million, indicating that even deeper cuts would be needed for the three scenarios under investigation.

H1N1 Update

LCPS will be offering H1N1 vaccinations (shots or mist). Elementary school consent calls and forms are going out starting this week, with vaccinations beginning 10/19. Middle and High school student notifications and consent form distribution will start the week of 10/26 with vaccinations taking place 11/4 through 11/13. There will be NO fee for the vaccinations. Every school has the consent forms on their websites.

Vice President Cholakis concluded the meeting by recognizing Tom Reed, School Board Member At-Large, and thanking the guest speakers and Ms. Ackerman for their updates. She encouraged delegates to share their opinions and post any remaining questions on the LEAP Blog, and reminded all that the next meeting will be Wednesday November 11, 2009 on the topic, “Moving the Mountain – How to Motivate Your Child.”

The meeting adjourned at 9:40 pm.

Submitted by Maura Walsh-Copeland, substituting for Secretary for Kristen Thatcher