Caught on Camera: Special Education Classrooms and Video Surveillance

In Texas, state policy anticipates that installing video cameras in special education classrooms will decrease student abuse inflicted by teachers. Lawmakers assume that collecting video footage will prevent teachers from engaging in malicious actions and prosecute those who choose to harm children. At the request of a parent, Section 29.022 of the Texas Education Code (2015) will protect students who are unable to speak for themselves from bullying and abuse by installing video surveillance cameras in special education classrooms. The purpose of this article is to describe the law in Texas, the impact of the bill on classrooms, to raise questions about the implementation of the law, and to provide recommendations for school administrators.