DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
P.O.
SUPTS. MEMO NO.15
April 21, 2006
ADMINISTRATIVE
|
TO: |
Division
Superintendents |
|
FROM: |
Patricia I.
Wright Acting
Superintendent of Public Instruction |
|
SUBJECT: |
Internet
Safety Instruction in Schools |
Legislation
approved by the 2006 General Assembly and signed by Governor Kaine adds a requirement to the acceptable Internet use
policies developed by the division superintendents that such policies include a
component on Internet safety for students.
This legislation can be found at the following address:
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?061+ful+CHAP0052+pdf
The Internet
safety component must be integrated within a division's instructional
program. This legislation also requires
the Superintendent of Public Instruction to issue guidelines to school
divisions regarding instructional programs related to
Internet safety.
The purpose
of this memorandum is to communicate to you the provisions of this important
piece of legislation and to encourage you to share with this department any
well-established resources used by your division to ensure the safe use of the
Internet by students in your schools.
Since the department is currently in the early stages of drafting
guidelines related to this legislation, this is an opportune time to gather
resource information from school divisions for inclusion in the guidelines. It
is the departments intent to draft guidelines over the summer for release
prior to the beginning of the 2006-2007 school year.
Should you
have information that you would like to have considered during guideline
development, please provide the following to the department:
A brief description of the Internet
safety program currently used within the division and the length of time that
the program has been in place.
All applicable public website
addresses where such information is available.
Please send
all information no later than May 26, 2006, to Charlie Makela, School
Library Media Programs & Research Services specialist, at Charlie.Makela@doe.virginia.gov. You may also contact Ms. Makela directly at
(804) 786-9412, should you have any questions.
PIW/ADW/fmc