District says ParentSquare is safe after teachers' unions advised against phone use; ECC asks for guidance
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Summary
At an Aug. 5 Equity Council meeting Assistant Superintendent Bill Bradford addressed concerns that teachers were being advised by union counsel not to install ParentSquare on personal phones, saying the district considers the app safe and that teachers are protected regardless of device used.
Assistant Superintendent Bill Bradford told the Equity Council Committee on Aug. 5 that ParentSquare, the district's two-way family-communication platform, is permitted on personal devices and that the district has provided follow-up education after union guidance raised concerns.
An ECC member said she had heard that Kentucky Education Association and American Federation of Teachers lawyers were advising teachers not to put ParentSquare on their phones and to communicate only via district-issued computers. The member asked whether that guidance would reduce two-way communication and parental access.
Bradford replied: "ParentSquare itself is a safe app that we are legally able to apply on any device, and teachers are automatically protected by using that on their devices, regardless of whether they do it on their district issue technology device or their personal cell phones because the app itself is the traceable communication system, not the actual infrastructure, of the technology." He added the district provided additional education on considerations teachers should take to protect themselves while using the platform.
Bradford said the district acknowledges a communication gap in training and has provided follow-up education so staff understand privacy and liability considerations when using ParentSquare. He said schools will also support families who missed online registration during open-house events.
This was discussion only; no formal policy change or board action on ParentSquare was proposed at the Aug. 5 ECC meeting. The ECC requested follow-up information and staff confirmed that school-based staff will help families who missed online sign-up windows.