The program focuses on the dangers of social networking sites and the chance of kids meeting sex offenders through the sites.
By: Eileen Oldfield
Superintendent Donald Burkhardt may consider having district teachers and administrators attend Internet safety awareness seminars that the state is offering this fall.
The program, which the state Department of Education and the state attorney general’s office began planning earlier this month, focuses on the dangers of social networking sites, including MySpace, Livejournal, Facebook, and Xanga, and the chance of kids meeting sex offenders through the sites.
Teachers and school administrators would take the courses; ideally, the information would reach parents as well.
"The state police have been regularly doing trips (to the schools) in the past two or three years," said David Wald, spokesman for the attorney general’s office. "This is a chance to get teachers en masse, in the same place at the same time."
The Somerset County prosecutor’s office held an Internet safety seminar in the Alexander Batcho Intermediate School Library in May, which was open to parents, teachers, and administrators.
However, Superintendent Donald Burkhardt said he would consider having teachers or administrators attend the state programs.
"I haven’t see the paperwork (on the state program)," said Dr. Burkhardt. "But if we feel it’s necessarily we will."
The programs are set to start for the 2007 to 2008 school year; the attorney general’s office scheduled the first training session for Aug. 21 in Salem County. No dates have been scheduled for Somerset County; however, sessions are planned for the NJEA Convention in October.
"Our role is going to be to ensure that safety experts come into school districts and work with students and teachers," said Department of Education spokesman Rich Vespucci. "It’s really keeping kids safe from sexual predators."
Mr. Vespucci said that local policies would dictate whether teachers are reimbursed for the workshops. Currently, the district reimburses teachers for travel costs and workshop costs.
"If they are sent to workshops, they are reimbursed for mileage and workshop fees," said Richard Reilly, business administrator and board secretary.
According to Mr. Vespucci, the program focuses on training and information, and should be inexpensive to free for school districts.
"Basically, we’re getting information to share," said Mr. Vespucci. "I don’t think there is a price tag attached."

