Is your child’s phone a distraction at school? Learn why schools are taking extreme measures like phone confiscation and how a simple rule change might be the solution you didn’t see coming.
You won’t believe how schools AND parents are tracking kids
You’ve got a GPS tracker — and you’ve got a tracker — and you! From Apple AirTags to Tiles to Jiobit sensors, GPS trackers are everywhere. I put them in my cars, wallet, laptop bag and car keys — police are even putting them on people’s cars.
It’s really no surprise parents are using GPS watches and tags to monitor kids when they’re away. If your little tyke is off to a new school, you too may be wondering if it’s time for a tracker.
Checking an app and finding your kid’s location when you’re worried sounds amazing. Some brands like AngelSense (great name, I know) even target parents. But is it legal? Do schools get a say in tracking your kids, too? Let’s ring the recess bell because I’ve got some schooling to do.
First, the legalese: Yep, parents can track their kids
Parents are generally allowed to use a GPS tracker on their young ones. As long as kids are under 18 and no other legal restrictions get in the way, you can send them off with a tracker … just make sure that the battery is fully charged!
Also, and this is critical: Avoid breaking any privacy or HIPAA laws. Don’t use devices to listen to conversations or record what people say. As my first-grade teacher would have said, “We don’t do that. That’s a no-no.”
Some schools even enable tracking, but every school is different. It’s no surprise tracking is more common for preschool-age kids who may be more prone to a bit of the wanders — certain Montessori-style schools are fully adopting it.
Others are embracing tracking programs via microchips on student IDs that can, for instance, tell when they’ve hopped on a particular bus. But that raises another huge question: Do schools also have the right to track your kids?
Not your grandma’s hall pass
Your rights as a parent extend to tracking your kids at school, but schools can also set their own tracking policies. Sometimes, yep, that means schools track your kids, too.
The bus tracking I mentioned above is only one example, and it’s being implemented in schools from Kentucky to New York — although the New York program got off to a very rocky start.
Other school districts, like this one in Orange County, are starting to try mandatory tracking for teen students after four or more unexcused absences. Texas is big on tracking, too: Austin and San Antonio are just a couple of districts with tracking programs for tardy students. Meanwhile, digital hall passes that track visits to the bathroom have become incredibly common from coast to coast.
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Ransomware targeting schools becoming a serious problem
You’re target No. 1 for hackers. Get this: 80% of schools suffered ransomware attacks last year. That number is only growing.
Security company Sophos polled IT professionals, including 400 who work in education. U.S. institutions are a “prime target” — much more than schools in other countries.
Major lawsuit incoming: A student at a private school in Pennsylvania made AI-generated naked pics of 50 female classmates. It took nearly a year to arrest the creep. Jeez, almost a year … The head of the school and the board’s president resigned. They should’ve been fired.
Remember the 20th anniversary of 9/11 with these sites and interactive tours
There is no doubt that the attacks on September 11th, 2001, had a huge impact, not only on the U.S. but across the world. The unthinkable happened when terrorists flew airplanes into the Twin Towers in New York City and The Pentagon, killing thousands. The day will forever be known as the 9/11 attacks.
Safety or privacy? Schools are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on programs like GoGuardian to monitor what kids are doing online. The tools flag risky activity, like searches for self-harm or threats. One student searched for “how to die,” and the algorithm flagged it, leading to a call to the school counselor. It’s invasive, sure, but if it’s on a school-issued laptop, I say it’s their duty to step in.
You have no expectation of privacy in public: Students, parents and activists are pushing the U.S. Department of Education to ban facial recognition in public schools. The system lets anyone with access watch the kids, analyze their facial expressions and even monitor bathroom trips. I just hope the data is locked down.
Smartphones in school? Not so fast
Giving your kid a smartphone is meant to keep them safe and connected. But now, schools are pushing back, saying they cause more harm than good.
It’s not a regular bag: It’s a cool bag with a lock that could save you from your phone addiction. Schools and concert venues are shelling out thousands for these Yondr pouches to keep people off their phones. You could also just get a lockbox for $17. I know, I know … I’m a genius.
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No phones in schools: That’s the goal, but parents want 24/7 access to their kiddos. Colorado’s Brush School District (paywall link) thinks it has the solution: Keep phones out of sight, and only use them with a teacher’s approval. And if the kids get caught, they have their phones taken away for the remainder of the school day. Share this one with a teacher.