Christopher Placek and Susan Sarkauskas report:
A Batavia High School teacher who advised his students that they had a constitutional right not to fill out a school survey on risky behavior is retiring from his position, officials said.
Social studies teacher John Dryden submitted his letter of resignation to Batavia School District 101 officials Friday, said Superintendent Lisa Hichens.
Read more on Daily Herald. (via @funnymonkey)
I had blogged about this case in May 2013, and feel even more strongly today that we need more teachers like John Dryden who educate students about their constitutional rights and privacy rights. And parents need more teachers like John Dryden in a day and age where tremendous amounts of personal and sensitive information are being collected and possibly shared – and where parents do not know enough to opt their children out where they can. The district may have had good intentions, but the survey in question is extremely problematic and should have had broader discussion with parents and children’s rights advocates before it was distributed.