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School Board's privacy policy is a big deal, not just 'nice'

Re: School Board takes a pleasant turn, column by Diane Steinle, March 15, and School Board gets an "F,' A-section editorial, March 2.

In her column, Diane Steinle manages to repeat the same idea, by my count, 13 times. According to Ms. Steinle, the board went "from naughty to nice." She wrote that the March 8 meeting was like a "tea party" with "no wrasslin'." "The board smiled sweetly," she added. I was said to offer "a sugar cube of praise" to everyone. The board used "good manners," and "Nice. . . is nice." Etc., etc.

What the reader won't find in her cutesy, 719-word column is the real reason for my concern about school Superintendent Clayton Wilcox's e-mails as they were originally posted on the School Board Web site.

The issue is confidentiality. For example, one e-mail contained the full name of a student who was recommended to be removed from his regular class and put into an alternative discipline program. Another example: A signed e-mail from a relative of a previous employee stated that the employee's child had died of AIDS. There were other examples. Contrary to the St. Petersburg Times' March 2 editorial, I didn't "comb through" all 600 of the e-mails.

Since I brought up the issue at the Feb. 22 board meeting, the superintendent has instituted a careful process to ensure that no e-mails are posted which might violate student or employee confidentiality. The process also makes certain that appropriate follow-up occurs before posting. Of course, this is exactly the sort of control that I recommended. Recently, many of the superintendent's e-mails have been posted following careful screening.

The School Board's responsibility is to set policy for our school district. We also are responsible to see that it is followed. You may criticize me for how I went about it, but I still feel strongly that this issue needed to be brought forward.

Student and employee confidentiality is governed by state and federal law (as well as by School Board policy). This is not a minor matter.

I consider our confidentiality policy to be a promise to our employees and students. One might expect that Ms. Steinle and the entire Times editorial board would understand this concept. Journalists have gone to jail for honoring a promise of confidentiality. This is hardly a "picayune" issue.

Sound-emitting device helps blind cross safely

Re: Largo proposal to make roadway safer falls short, editorial, March 18.

There is nothing being proposed to make the East Bay Drive/Keene Road intersection safer for blind or visually impaired pedestrians.

The new pedestrian signal proposed by the Largo city staff will not make it any safer for blind or visually impaired pedestrians. Why did the staff not propose that an Accessible Pedestrian Signal be installed for the intersection? The APS notifies the pedestrian audibly when it is safe to cross. The current APS technology has a sound emitting from the pedestrian call button so the blind pedestrian can locate it to request activation of the "walk phase." The APS verbally notifies the pedestrian when it is safe to begin crossing. It also verbally indicates when it is not safe to cross. The APS works in conjunction with the Walk/Don't Walk pedestrian signal.

In my opinion, all major intersections in Pinellas County with the pedestrian safety issues of Keene/East Bay should be equipped with APS technology. This technology will not only benefit blind and visually impaired pedestrians, it alerts other pedestrians of the need to be extra cautious when crossing.

I commend the Largo staff for proposing that the police ticket motorists who fail to yield to pedestrians. As a blind person who travels independently with a guide dog, I encounter motorists all too often who fail to appropriately yield the right of way.

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[Last modified March 23, 2005, 00:55:18]