26 Oct WCCUSD Makes Media Policies More Restrictive

(Screenshot captured by Samantha Kennedy / The CC Pulse)

By Samantha Kennedy

In response to a national article profiling West Contra Costa schools, the district is tightening up how its employees interact with the media.

Superintendent Kenneth Hurst announced at the Wednesday WCCUSD board meeting that an internal investigation had been conducted to determine if district policies were followed when a reporter documented challenges WCCUSD schools faced post-COVID.

Hurst would not publicly name the publication or reporter because the district considers the article an “irresponsible portrayal” of students and did not want to increase traffic to the article. However, the summary alongside the agenda item mentions a USA Today article.

Several articles published by USA Today in June feature the students and teachers of two elementary schools — Downer Elementary in San Pablo and Nystrom Elementary in Richmond — navigating challenges with behavior, staffing shortages and teacher burnout. A reporter spent half a year observing the school site, according to one of the articles, and had some keep journals to document their experiences.

>>>Read: Teaching During COVID Has Me More ‘Stressed, Exhausted and Drained’ Than Ever

Hurst’s report at the meeting called the inclusion of certain content in the article “concerning.” His report said challenges faced by the WCCUSD community are a priority.

“We want to be very clear that anytime we hear about concerning experiences that our students are having in WCCUSD,” the report reads, “we share those concerns alongside our community and our families.”

The findings of the investigation prompted the district to recommend various actions that it believes will protect the privacy of students. Several current board policies were found to need better implementation.

After finding out that the reporter was not supervised by an administrator consistently when in classrooms, the district will require an administrator to consistently be present when a reporter is around students and staff. Every new administrator has and, as new ones are hired, will be trained in the district’s media policies.

Board Policies 112, 4119.21 and 4119.23, which set guidelines for professional standards, media relations and releasing confidential information, were found in the investigation to need better implementation and led the district to develop a “guiding matrix for permissible and appropriate speech by WCCUSD educators on panels and with the media.”

Recommendations are also made to WCCUSD to decline interviews that “do not appear to be in the interest” of the district or community. Acceptance of interviews for staff that are not the superintendent, board president or director of communications will be determined depending on the case.

Trustee Mister Phillips did not know why the district was limiting who he could talk to.

“What right do you have to tell elected officials who they can talk to?” Phillips said.

Board President Demetrio Gonzalez-Hoy said he didn’t believe the recommendation was meant to come across that way.

The next WCCUSD school board meeting is Nov. 1.