Public Education & E-Mail: Private or Public Property?

[Guy McDonald <guym -at- DAKA -dot- COM>]

Excuse me folks.... I am going to break form and ask a question that you
are invited to respond *OFF LIST* to me personally.  It doesn't pertain to
our profession... however, many of you are parents and could provide me
with some legal insight.  Thank you in advance, and apologies to those who
grudgingly indulge the bandwidth of this forum.
Guy McDonald
guym -at- daka -dot- com

>>>My question follows after a short expose<<<<<

Last week I made inquiry to a Washington State public school superintendent
requesting e-mail account information on his staff that hold accounts at
the school.  My reasons are obvious, many of you know I have two young
children both of school age.

Here is the edited exchange between myself and the administrator..... to
whit I request your kind ((((OFF-LIST))))) response:


Dear ##### :

After speaking with ######, I was pleased to discover that most of your
staff possess e-mail accounts at work. <snip of sound arguement why
parent/teacher e-mail communication is positive> In lieu of a existing
school webpage which we do not possess, please open the lines of
communication between the community & school through this wonderful avenue.
Regards to you the school staff, Guy McDonald

The Superintendent response:

"Guy, we are currently working on an e-mail policy and I will be able to
answer that question more definitively later in the month."

>>>>>>>>>My open question<<<<<<<<<<<<

If this public school chooses NOT to open this line of communication with
the community, does case law support such a decision?

Thank you.
Guy McDonald
guym -at- daka -dot- com