[LM_NET] Insight on local override capability needed -- quickly

[Nancy Willard <nwillard@CSRIU.ORG>]

Librarians are the folks who I think might be best able to give me this
insight.

I am concerned about the ability of "first responders" -- principals,
counselors, and school resource officers -- to be able to quickly override
the school filter to review material of concern that might have been posted
by a student. These reports are likely to come from another student or a
parent. Jeff Weise, the Red Lake shooter, had posted such concerning
material online.

I have raised this concern with some high level folks in DC. The preliminary
response I got back was that the school security chiefs can get access so
things appear to be OK. In my opinion, access of the first responders who
know the kids, is critical. I was also told that principals do not want to
go to these sites because they would get spyware and spam. Interesting
balancing of priorities. The principal may not want to look at a site to
determine the presence of cyberbullying material, threat of violence, or
threat of suicide for fear of getting sypware and spam.

So I need some from-the-ground feedback. In your school, does your
principal, counselor, and school resource officer have both the authority
and the ability to immediately override the filter to view material on a
site that has been blocked by a filter.

A second, although less relevant question. It seems to me that there would
be more risk of spyware and other nasties from student surfing. Isn't this
what firewall protection is for? What is the current level of risk in
schools from these nasties?

I need this information rapidly. Thanks in advance to my favorite group of
folks.

Nancy

-- 
Nancy Willard, M.S., J.D.
Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use
http://csriu.org
http://cyberbully.org
nwillard@csriu.org

Cyberbullying and Cyberthreats: Responding to the Challenge of Online Social
Cruelty, Threats, and Distress, a resource for educators, is now available
online at http://cyberbully.org.

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