Fayette County’s school system is considering putting cameras in classrooms of three schools to improve campus security and teachers’ professional learning.
Under the proposed pilot program — which the school board is expected to consider for a vote next year — the cameras would allow teachers to record lessons and get feedback to boost professional learning. They would also allow staff to monitor for student misbehavior or activities that might require a quick response from staff, school officials say.
Cost for the camera monitoring system in three schools would be close to $4,000 per classroom. Putting cameras in all schools would cost close to $5 million, according to education officials. Fayette has close to 20,000 students and 24 schools serving the communities of Brooks, Fayetteville, Peachtree City, Tyrone and Woolsey.
As part of the proposed monitoring system, a microphone the teacher wears has a panic button on it. If there is a problem or emergency, the teacher can press the alert button and a camera is instantly turned on in the classroom with audio/video and the front office is notified immediately.
Teachers can also record their lessons using the microphone and camera system and share their lesson with colleagues to improve teaching.
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