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Northmen’s Log g Oak Park High School
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Matt Kester Previous Job: math teacher at Winnetonka Number of years teaching: three years How do you like Oak Park so far? “I like it, the kids are nice, and it’s nice having my student athletes in
Jeri Willard Previous Job: debate, forensics and theatre teacher at Winnetonka Number of years teaching: 11 years How do you like Oak Park so far? “I’m an alum of Oak Park, and so far it’s awesome.” Nekita Fuller Previous Job: Taught at Avila University as a professor of social psychology Number of years teaching: more than 10 years How do you like Oak Park so far? “As a former parent, I have a wide knowledge of Oak Park and I have a great grasp of the family vibe that Oak Park gives. I’m excited to be here.” Stephanie Bauer Previous Job: Patient accounts at Shawnee Mission Medical counter How do you like Oak Park so far? “I like it.” Megan Ryer Previous Job: Worked at self-contained special education room. Number of years teaching: 0 How do you like about Oak Park so far? “I love seeing all the familiar faces that I’ve seen before.” Joe Hesman Previous Job: associate principal at Truman High School in Independence Number of years being an administrator: 11 years How do you like Oak Park so far? “I love it. We have a lot of great staff and great kids.”
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sentence from the Missouri Senate Bill 54 reads “By Jan., 1, 2012, every school district must develop a written policy concerning teacher-student communication and employee-student communication.” On Thursday, July 14, Gov. Jay Nixon signed the bill. The law is called the Amy Hestir Student Protection Act. “Allegedly Amy Hestir, a student, was inappropriately taken advantage of, inappropriately involved with a teacher,” said principal Joe Hesman. Originally scheduled to go into effect on Sunday, Aug. 28, the bill would have made changes to Missouri law with the intent of preventing child sexual abuse. The changes included modifications to criminal law, changes to the Children’s Division investigation process, extended statute of limitations for some crimes and mandatory additions to school district policies. These mandatory additions to policy particularly focused on student-teacher communications. The bill requires school boards to create new policies regarding com-
munication between school employees, both teachers and education professionals, and students. Each policy must include appropriate oral and nonverbal communication that personally takes place between students and teachers as well as the use of electronic media like social networking sites. Soon after hearing of the law, teachers began deleting students off of their Facebook friends lists. When school started, some teachers for higher level classes had removed their cell phone numbers from the syllabus. Coaches also had to remove the students they work with from their Facebooks and restrictions were made on their communication with their teams.
MSTA files lawsuit Pertaining to the social media aspect of the law, Senate Bill 54 read, “Teachers also cannot have a non workrelated web site that allows exclusive access with a current or former student. Former student is defined as a person who was at any time a student at the school at which the teacher is employed and who is 18 years of age or less and who has not graduated.” On Friday, Aug. 20, the
Missouri State Teachers Association filed a lawsuit against the bill. They filed suit with the idea that the Amy Hestir Student Protection Act violates teachers’ First Amendment rights, opposing the provision that blocks teacher and student communication via text message and social networking sites. They also believe it limit’s a teacher’s ability to assist students in a classroom setting. MSTA asked the court to keep the section of the law that dealt with text message and social media communication out of the bill until its constitutionality could be determined. Judge Jon Beetem ruled in favor of the Senate Bill 54 Facebook law on Friday, Aug. 26. This means that Beetum found the law unconstitutional. According to Spanish teacher Sandra Woolen, the Missouri National Education Association, the minority teachers union, is pleased that the court ruled in favor for MSTA. As of press time, the law has been put on hold until Monday, Feb. 20. Governor Nixon called the General Assembly to repeal certain provisions about teacher-student communication and set up Continued page 2
Vandals steal, run down trees By Lauren Grace Feature Editor Tables tossed just like the rest of the trash scattered on the terrace in the south parking lot left police to find who vandalized the school property over the summer. Three males burglarized the school about 1:20 a.m.
Saturday, July 30. Activities director Keith Ross and custodian Ken Knightly found the press box on the soccer field in ruins. A microphone was taken, the sound system had knobs torn off and the door was ruined, Ross said. “If we lived in a perfect society these things would never come up, but we don’t. These are things we deal with
from time to time. It has gotten much better with the help of the district,” Ross said. Any information is helpful to the case, please call this TIPS Hotline or the police at (816) 413-3426. Punishment will be up to the law and the school will deal with it differently based on the administration, Ross said.
INSIDE ENTERTAINMENT , PAGE 10
By Jake Boeding Opinion Editor and Assistant Sports Editor
By Jessica Nichols Managing Editor
NORMAN’S OSCARS
Student body welcomes new teachers, administration
Issue 1, Volume 47
Senate bill affects teachers’ rights
SPORTS, PAGE 3
Warming up after the summer sun
FOOTBALL
Friday, September 9, 2011