District: Students accountable

If this news doesn't have a precedent-setting effect, certainly other public school officials are watching. A school board in Illinois unanimously passed rule changes so that students will now be "accountable for what they post on blogs and social-networking Web sites," the Chicago Tribune reports. "All students participating in extracurricular activities, including athletic teams, fine arts groups and school clubs, will have to sign a pledge agreeing that evidence of 'illegal or inappropriate' behavior posted on the Internet could be grounds for disciplinary action." Those student participants represent about 80% of the district's 3,200 high school students. Interestingly, only one parent commented during the meeting's public-comment period. She said the district was overstepping its bounds, that monitoring what students are doing online is parents' job. Something else that occurs: They'll probably soon be changing the rules for middle-schoolers too, because online socializing (and pranks and harassment, etc. certainly don't just occur at the high school level. [People, do post in our forum if you agree/disagree!]