Highly Disturbing Monitoring by School of Kid's Account

[Anonymous]

DD tells me that her teacher at school uses an App call Go Guardian (or something like that) to monitor all kids' internet activities when they logged into MCPS school accounts. This app allows the teacher to see the kids' live screen. My assumption was that this application would only allow the teacher to see the screens if the kids were in school and using their mcps classroom chrome books. However, this appears not to be the case. DD along with her friends said that they have seen the teacher's Go Guardian screen at school, and the teacher is able to see the live screen as long as the kids are logged into their mcps account regardless of where they physically are or if they are using their personal computer. I was a bit surprised and asked the DD and her friends multiple times for verification. Apparently, one of their classmates was sick at home last week but had decided to log into the school account from his home. The kids saw the teacher's screen and saw "glitches" of live images of their sick classmate's screen despite the fact the child was at home using his personal chrome book.

This really is a lawsuit waiting to happen. MCPS should not be able to do this! Was there a contract parents had signed to allow such monitoring of their personal computer? If my child is at home and decides to use my computer to log into her school account but forgot to log out, and then I go and surf to check my bank account or whatever private emails with health or otter personal information, it is highly disturbing if the teacher is able to see my "screen" from at home.

FWIW, I have always regarded DD and her friends to be quite reliable. It wasn't just one child mentioning this but three 10-year-old kids.

[Anonymous]

If it is their website, they are allowed to monitor it. Make sure your child logs out and only uses it for school.

[Anonymous]

Our teachers actually were quite clear about the potential ramifications of not logging out at home. Also, in general, teachers are not monitoring outside of school hours, and many families aren't home during school hours to inadvertently use a computer that was not logged out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If it is their website, they are allowed to monitor it. Make sure your child logs out and only uses it for school.

DP - that’s ridiculous to put this onus on elementary school kids. I’ve been concerned about monitoring as well, although I was not aware of this app. My kids have told me that the school can see whatever websites they or we use in chrome if they are still logged into their school account - even at home. How can this be legal?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our teachers actually were quite clear about the potential ramifications of not logging out at home. Also, in general, teachers are not monitoring outside of school hours, and many families aren't home during school hours to inadvertently use a computer that was not logged out.

Just because your teachers were clear, does it still make it legal or ethical?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our teachers actually were quite clear about the potential ramifications of not logging out at home. Also, in general, teachers are not monitoring outside of school hours, and many families aren't home during school hours to inadvertently use a computer that was not logged out.

I could understand if teachers are able to see the kids' screen when they use their chromebooks at school. I can even stretch it further and say I'm okay if MCPS is able to see what URL is access when the kids' mcps account is accessed from home. However, what I don't think should ever happen is a teacher/mcps should be able to see my actual live screen. How many parents are really aware how this type of monitoring by mcps? My children's teacher certainly have never discussed any ramifications with us. All they say is they encourage parents to log in and check their kids' account every so often, but nothing else.

[Anonymous]

This is ridiculous. MCPS really needs to fix this issue because it is ripe for inappropriate snooping by employees of a government agency into the private lives of citizens.

Can parents say that they do not agree with the lack of privacy issues so MCPS has to come up with alternative tools?

[Anonymous]

The school is potentially liable for anything inappropriate students do with their MCPS accounts. Of course they have a way to monitor activity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The school is potentially liable for anything inappropriate students do with their MCPS accounts. Of course they have a way to monitor activity.

At school, definitely, but certainly not at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The school is potentially liable for anything inappropriate students do with their MCPS accounts. Of course they have a way to monitor activity.

At school, definitely, but certainly not at home.

Yes, at home. If you are using their network remotely, they are still potentially liable.

[Anonymous]

Outrageous.

[Anonymous]

If they do not have the means to monitor what a student does with their school account at home, they are potentially opening themselves to liability for all sorts of destructive behavior online - hacking, harassment and on and on.

[Anonymous]

I agree that schools should NOT be doing this.

[Anonymous]

Tell me that MCPS is maintaining recordings of the web surfing going on at home on logged-in MCPS student account when there is no reason to do so, and then I'll get riled up. If a live feed to a teacher is required - Meh.

[Anonymous]

The solution here is to make sure your child knows not to use their school account for anything other than school purposes, and then log out when they’re done.