Teachers had mixed feelings after a policy was issued by the Orange County Administrators to ban personal printers from the classroom in fear of potential viruses affecting the school system through these printers. While few teachers spoke out against this policy, the majority were impartial or indifferent by this new ruling. “Of our 200 or so teachers, three teachers responded that the policy would have a negative impact in their classroom,” said Dr. Gabriel Berrio, Principal, “I sent the three teachers’ concerns to the district and their requests are under review. This is a step toward solving the issue.” A total 261 teachers in Orange County responded to their principals about replacing printers with the districts’.
English II Advanced Placement teacher, Lindsey Jackson, stated that leaving the classroom to use the printer impedes their ability to teach. According to an Orlando Sentinel article issued on Jan. 8, School Board Chair, Bill Sublette, agreed with teachers like Jackson stating, “I’ve never heard of a system being corrupted because of a printer virus,” he said. “You can’t function in any job in this day and age without a printer attached to your desktop. It’s just not efficient.”
Algebra II teacher Kevin Woodward concurred that teachers today do not have the same convenient access to a printer as they use to, but he recognized that this policy could save the school some money, “If we can look at it as a cost saving standpoint, anywhere where we can save money, why not? Why not do it?” said Woodward, “There are other things we can fight about and be upset about.”
According to Orange County Superintendent, Barbara Jenkins, the school board is figuring out a way to pay for printers to be provided in classrooms. Jenkins affirmed in an Orlando Sentinel article, “We are committing to teachers that were bringing their own printers, that we will provide [it for] them.”