Part 4: Classroom Video Camera Project . . . Where The Cameras Are in Over 120 TN Schools

Part 4: Classroom Video Camera Project . . . Where The Cameras Are in Over 120 TN Schools

Denise Wilburn and Jim Horn

After two weeks of waiting, the State of Tennessee today released the list of school districts and schools in the state that are participants in the video data gathering project sponsored by the Gates Foundation in the amount of $3.2 million.  

ThereNow.com, a Utah company with ties to the Gates Foundation, has been named as the primary vendor and storage site for all video data and accompanying notes.  See Parts 1, 2 and 3 of this report.

It is now clear the state has adopted not only the Common Core Standards and the PARCC assessments but has also accepted the Gates evaluation plan including:

·  Value added testing (TVAAS)

·  Student surveys

·  Video-recorded lessons

These are all part of the MET study that has been critiqued by leading researchers in educational assessment.  There are apparently many problems with the study and Gates’ resulting conclusions based on this study.

Lots of questions must be asked to make sure that children are protected .  Adapt them to your own community (see list of schools below), and be at the next Board meeting to ask them.  If you can’t attend, send them to your local newspaper:

1.     How did the video component of the Gates’ evaluation plan come to Washington County?  The second Annual Report on Teacher Evaluation says “Sixty wide-angle video cameras were deployed to 55 schools during the 2012–13 school year and nearly 100 more will be deployed during the 2013–14 school year,” but it does not say where they would be deployed.  Now we know.

2.     Why did we find out about the cameras in Washington County from WCEA instead of our individual building administrators or central administration?

3.     What information will be shared with teachers about the videotaping process and the data collected?

4.     How much input will teachers have into this process?

5.     Who will see these videos?  Teachers only? Teachers and principals only?  Teachers, principals, and central office staff?  Gates’ staff of video reviewers? Third parties that use the data to develop educational products?

6.     Did state and local governmental bodies approve the collection, storage, and transfer of video and audio data from classroom interactions?  If so, which ones?

7.     Will these videotapes be uploaded to the Gates’ research data storage and retrieval site?  It looks like Rep. Bill Dunn has some concerns about this in HB1549 (http://legiscan.com/TN/text/HB1549/2013).

8.     Will there be consent forms for teachers to sign that explain the full extent of the purposes for and uses of the videotapes?

9.     How will parents be informed that their children may be videotaped for transfer and storage by third parties for research purposes?  Will they sign consent forms?  What if they do not wish their children to be videotaped?

10.  What protocols will be established and followed to guarantee responsible conduct of research, per requirements of U. S. Government Statutes, Regulations and Policies, as well as State of Tennessee statutes and pending legislative initiatives?

11.  Does the use of these videos violate any privacy, confidentiality or other policies that protect teachers and students?  Will we receive assurances about this in writing?  

12.  Will these videotapes be part of this year’s evaluation process?  If not this year, then when?

13.   Will these cameras be used at other times besides the designated evaluation times?

14.  Can these videotapes be subpoenaed from legal purposes?

District	ThereNow Schools with Cameras
Achievement School District	Corning Elementary School
Achievement School District	Frayser Elementary School
Achievement School District	Westside Middle School
Achievement School District	LEAD at Brickchurch
Achievement School District	Gordon Science and Arts Academy
Achievement School District	Cornerstone Prep Memphis
Alcoa	Alcoa Middle School
Alcoa	District-wide
Alcoa	Alcoa High School
Bristol	Avoca Elementary School
Cannon County	Auburn Elementary
Cannon County	East Side Elementary
Cannon County	Short Mountain Elementary
Cannon County	West Side Elementary
Cannon County	Woodland Elementary
Cannon County	Woodbury Grammar
Cannon County	Cannon County High School
Carter County	Unaka Elementary School
Carter County	Happy Valley Middle School
Carter County	Cloudland Elementary School
Carter County	Valley Forge Elementary School
Carter County	Happy Valley High School
Carter County	Hunter School
Carter County	Unaka High School
Carter County	Hampton High School
Carter County	Cloudland High School
Carter County	Happy Valley Elementary School
Carter County	Keenburg School
Carter County	Hampton Elementary School
Carter County	Siam School
Carter County	Little Milligan School
Chester County	Chester County High School
Claiborne County	Midway Elementary School
Crocket County	Crockett County High School
Crockett County	Maury City Elementary
Crockett County	Crockett County Middle School
Crockett County	Crockett County High School
Crockett County	District-wide
Etowah	Etowah Elementary School
Fentress County	South Fentress Elementary School
Fentress County	York Elementary School
Fentress County	York Elementary School
Fentress County	Pine Haven Elementary School
Fentress County	Allardt Elementary School
Franklin SSD	Moore Elementary School
Haywood County	Haywood Jr. High School
Haywood County	Haywood High School
Hickman County	East Hickman High School
Humboldt	Stigall Primary School
Lauderdale County	Lauderdale Middle School
Lauderdale County	Halls Elementary School
Lauderdale County	Halls High School
Lauderdale County	Halls Junior High School
Lauderdale County	Ripley Elementary
Lauderdale County	Ripley High School
Lauderdale County	Ripley Primary
Lexington	Lexington Middle School
Lexington	Paul G. Caywood Elementary School
Madison County	Rose Hill Middle School
Madison County	Northeast
Maury County	J. E. Woodard Elementary School
Morgan County	Central Middle School
Oak Ridge	Woodland Elementary School
Oak Ridge	Glenwood Elementary School
Oak Ridge	Linden Elementary School
Oak Ridge	Willow Brook Elementary School
Oak Ridge	District-wide
Obion County	Lake Road Elementary School
Putnam County	Putnam Co Adult High School
Putnam County	Algood Elementary School
Putnam County	Algood Middle School
Putnam County	Avery Trace Middle School
Putnam County	Baxter Elementary School
Putnam County	Burks Elementary
Putnam County	Cane Creek Elementary School
Putnam County	Capshaw Elementary School
Putnam County	Cookeville High School
Putnam County	Cornerstone Middle School
Putnam County	Jere Whitson Elementary
Putnam County	Monterey High School
Putnam County	Northeast Elementary School
Putnam County	Park View Elementary
Putnam County	Prescott South Elementary School
Putnam County	Prescott South Middle School
Putnam County	Sycamore Elementary School
Putnam County	Upperman High School
Putnam County	White Plains Academy
Roane County	Oliver Springs High School
Tipton County	Austin Peay Elementary School
Tipton County	Atoka Elementary School
Tipton County	Brighton Elementary School
Tipton County	Brighton Middle School
Tipton County	Crestview Elementary School
Tipton County	Covington High School
Tipton County	Covington Integrated Arts Academy
Tipton County	Crestview Middle School
Tipton County	Drummonds Elementary School
Tipton County	Munford Elementary School
Tipton County	Munford High School
Tipton County	Brighton High School
TNDOE	State-wide
Trousdale County	Trousdale County Elementary School
Trousdale County	Jim Satterfield Middle School
Trousdale County	Trousdale County High School
Trousdale County	Trousdale County Elementary School
Warren County	Warren County Middle School
Washington County	Boones Creek Elementary School
Washington County	Boones Creek Middle School
Washington County	Daniel Boone High School
Washington County	David Crokett [sic] High School
Washington County	Fall Branch Elementary School
Washington County	Gray Elementary School
Washington County	Jonesborough Elementary School
Washington County	Jonesborough Middle School
Washington County	Lamar Elementary School
Washington County	South Central Elementary School
Washington County	Sulphur Springs Elementary School
Washington County	University School
Washington County	West View Elementary School
Washington County	Asbury School
Washington County	District-wide