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Salon
Salon
Politics
Brad Reed

Monitoring teachers with microphones?

Ron DeSantis CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images

Republican state legislators in Florida are mulling passing a bill that would force teachers to wear microphones in class so that parents could monitor the lessons they're teaching students.

CBS News reports that the legislation is being pitched by Florida State Rep. Bob Rommel, who says that he believes that teachers can be monitored constantly without any infringements on privacy.

"I think if we can do it in a safe way to protect the privacy of students and teachers, I think we should do it," Rommel said. "I haven't heard a response good or bad from any teachers, but … it's not their private space. It's our children's space, too."


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But Broward Teachers Union President Anna Fusco tells CBS that she's worried that people will be discouraged from entering the teaching profession if parents can monitor them at all times and criticize the lessons they're giving.

"You want to play Big Brother every moment?" she asked. "That's not how society should be. We need to get back to where we have trust, we have value, we have faith and we have conversations and we can work things out if something happens."

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