Requires consent for videotaping teachers

BILL NUMBER:A9204

Title of bill

An act to amend the education law, in relation to obtaining teacher consent before videotaping

Purpose or general idea of bill

This bill will prohibit the videotaping teachers unless they receive consent prior to being videotaped.

Summary of specific provisions

The bill amends the education law by adding a new section 3020-b to prohibit public, nonpublic or private schools from videotaping teachers during regular school hours without receiving their written consent.

Justification

Recently two teachers at a charter school in the City of Albany accused the school's administration of secretly videotaping them in the classroom. One teacher was subsequently terminated from her job and the other teacher quit her job in protest. Though the school claims the teachers had prior notice that they would be videotaped for "evalu- ation" purposes, both teachers claimed they were never notified of this evaluation practice. In one classroom the teacher claims it was her students who noticed a hidden video camera's red blinking light and brought it to her attention. Though videotaping may be an appropriate method to evaluate a teacher's performance in a classroom, such vide- otaping should not be authorized without prior knowledge and consent of the teacher. If schools wish to videotape a teacher while they work and instruct students they should first receive the written consent of the teacher prior to be the videotaping of their teaching. This bill would require written consent to videotaping teachers in the classroom in any public, private or nonpublic school in New York State.

Prior legislative history

None

Fiscal implications

None

Effective date

This act will take effect immediately.