By: Cara McErlean

Several proposed additions to Derry Township’s official School Board policies have caused an uproar within the school community. The policies in question fall under section 824, “Maintaining Professional Adult/Student Boundaries.”

Specific concern has arisen over the Social Interactions section of the policy, which proposes to ban teachers from several actions that had previously been commonplace.

The policy was presented to the DTSD school board earlier this year by the Pennsylvania School Board Association. The school board plans to discuss on the plan at their meeting on Monday, May 9, but will not be voting on it at this time.

Policy Guidelines

Section 824 covers guidelines concerning three categories of adult/student conduct: romantic or sexual relationships, social interactions, and electronic communications.

The romantic or sexual relationships category prohibits universally frowned-upon behavior such as using sexual slurs, touching students in a sexual manner, flirting with students, or making personal comments about a student’s body.

The social interactions section of the policy will prohibit teachers from actions such as disclosing personal information to students without a “legitimate educational reason,” giving personal gifts or cards without a legitimate educational reason, singling out a particular student for personal attention or friendship, giving a student a ride alone in a vehicle in a non-emergency situation, and addressing students or allowing students to address adults with pet names, amongst other regulations.

Terms laid out in the electronic communication portion regulate the use of emails, cell phones, instant messages, social media, and other electronic devices between students and teachers.

One of the most controversial terms of the policy is number 16 under the social interactions section, “For adults who are not guidance/counseling staff, psychologists, social workers or other adults with designated responsibilities to counsel students, encouraging students to confide their personal or family problems and/or relationships [is prohibited]. If a student initiates such discussions, the student should be referred to the appropriate school resource.”

Community Reaction

Many students have expressed their concern over the effects that this policy may have if it is accepted. An online petition against the policy was created on May 2, and just one day later it reached over 1,000 signatures.  Currently it has 1,588.

The authors of the petition, juniors Jason Guo and Michael Miller, fear that the policy will prevent the positive relationships that are formed between students and teachers here at Hershey.

“I want other students that go through Hershey to be fortunate enough to experience some of the things I have,” Gou said.

Many of the petition’s supporters express similar sentiments, including multiple HHS alumni. 2010 HHS graduate, Gabby Pantaloni, shared her experience at Hershey, remembering how the friendships she formed with her teachers helped her through the bullying she experienced.

“I had a history teacher I shared war books with. I has a biology teacher that would talk books and movies with me… I had an English teacher that fed me when I forgot to ask my dad for lunch money. They were there for me when my peers weren’t,” Pantaloni wrote.

1977 graduate, Gregory Catalone, who now resides in Lititz, PA, warned that a similar policy was recently enacted in Lititz. “It has been detrimental to the students here as well as the staff,” Catalone wrote.

The petition implores students to voice their concerns at school board meetings. The school board previously planned to vote on the policy at their meeting on May 9, however voting has been postponed.

Although the policy would affect the whole school community, its main focus is teachers. Teachers such as Damian Gessel have express their opinion on the policy, and encourage students to express their own. Gessel, a journalism and speech teacher at HHS, is concerned that the language of the policy may be interpreted differently than it was intended.

“I would hope that the powers that be take a closer look at how the policy is worded,” Gessel said.

Student Forum

In addition to the school board meeting, all students were invited to the LGI after school on Wednesday, May 4 to express their concerns and suggestions to Dr. Reimann and Mr. Reifsnyder. Reifsnyder is the Assistant to the Superintendent and Administrative Co-Chair to the Policy Committee for Derry Township School District.

At the student forum, Reifsnyder explained the intentions of the policy and attempted to clear up any confusion. Reifsnyder asked students for their input on ways to change the policy to fit the school’s needs.

“This is a district where students thoughts and concerns are taken into account,” Reifsnyder said.

Several students shared their concerns over the broad wording of the policy. The vague definitions of what constitutes an offense, they said, may lead to teachers unjustly getting in trouble.

“The language is overbroad.” petition maker Miller said. “It is important to be specific with consequences and what counts as bad, because this could cause fear or paranoia among well-meaning teachers.”

Reifsnyder  agreed that some of the wording in the policy makes it appear stricter than it actually is. For this reason, the language of the document is subject for adaption.

Students also expressed their fear that clause 16 would strip the school of the positive relationships between students and teachers. Many shared their experiences with teachers who helped them through personal issues and trying times. Making teachers refer students to guidance counselors whenever they want to speak about personal issues would further upset students in need, some students claimed.

“It ignores what I think is a vital part of having teachers: the human aspect,” senior Joseph Abraham said.