Bill requiring cameras in special education classrooms gets mixed emotions

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ROCKBRIDGE COUNTY (WSLS 10) - A bill discussed in the General Assembly is getting a lot of attention.

Senate Bill 763 would require school divisions to put cameras in special education classrooms if a parent or school board employee requested them.

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Amy Robertson, the parent of a special needs child, supports the bill.

"If you don't have a child who can come home and give their side of the story, they don't have a voice and that can be their voice," says Robertson.

"I think the cameras in the classroom would be a good thing if an incident were reported because then you have footage to look at, but I think there are pros and lots of cons with that," said Twila Brown, the Special Education Director for Rockbridge County Public Schools.

Brown's concern is confidentiality. According to the specifics of the bill, the recordings would be released to designated people following a documented incident.

However, some question why only special education classrooms are targeted by the bill.

"We put them in all of the classrooms or we don't put them in any," said Brown. "I think we work really hard in special education to be included with our general education peers both as teachers and students."

A similar bill passed in Texas last year. We also reached out Senator Rosalyn Dance several times but she has not returned our calls.