require schools to provide parent access to student-teacher communication activity logs.

 

The purpose of this bill is to require Minnesota public and charter schools to provide parents and legal guardians

access to a parent portal based log that displays the frequency and timing of digital messages exchanged between

students and teachers on school-managed platforms.

 

Inappropriate student-teacher relationships often begin on school managed messaging platforms. Parents currently have

little to no insight into how often, and under what circumstances a teacher is contacting their child through

school-managed platforms.

Courts and investigators frequently note that the first contact in a sequence of predatory behaviors is often through

school-sponsored messaging systems because students trust them, parents do not have access, and emails appear

professional on the surface. Patterns such as a high frequency of messages, late night communication, and normal contact

outside of school hours can be warning signs of potentially inappropriate relationships. An easily accessible log of the

contact frequency and times gives parents the ability to see these potentially dangerous patterns early, without

sacrificing their child's privacy.

 

“Communication activity log” shall be defined as a digital record showing the date, time, and name of sender and

recipient(s) of each message sent between a student and a teacher through any school-managed communication platform,

without displaying the content of the message.

“School-managed communication platform” shall be defined as any digital messaging service or email system, provided by a

Minnesota public or charter school that allows contact between a student and a teacher.

“Parent portal” shall be defined as a secure and confidential online system recognized and operated by a Minnesota

school district that provides student and school related information to parents or legal guardians.

“Existing district platform” shall be defined as, including but not limited to Google Workspace, Schoology, or district

websites, in a secure parent-access format.

“Teacher” shall be defined as any person employed by a Minnesota public or charter school in an instructional or

supervisory capacity.

“Student” shall be defined as any individual enrolled in a Minnesota public or charter school.

“Parent or legal guardian” shall be defined as any adult who has legal responsibility for a student and who has access

to student records and under district policy and state law.

“Minnesota public or charter school” shall be defined as a school in Minnesota that receives state funding.

 

No funding is needed for this bill.

 

If a Minnesota public school does not have an existing parent portal they shall integrate the activity log into any

existing district platform. If a Minnesota public or charter school fails to integrate a communication activity log into

their existing district platform or send out monthly communication activity logs , or intentionally withhold or disable

the required log, the school will If a Minnesota public or charter school fails to integrate a communication activity

log into their existing parent portal that updates daily, or intentionally withholds or disables the required log, the

school will:

a) On their first offense receive a $10,000 fine.

b) On their second offense receive a $100,000 fine.

c) On their third offense have annual funding withheld.

If a Minnesota public school does not have an existing parent portal they shall integrate the activity log into any

existing district platform. If a Minnesota public or charter school fails to integrate a communication activity log into

their existing district platform or send out monthly communication activity logs , or intentionally withhold or disable

the required log, the school will:

d) On their first offense receive a $10,000 fine.

e) On their second offense receive a $100,000 fine.

f) On their third offense have annual funding withheld.

 

August 1st, 2027