DCPS Bans Zoom

[Anonymous]

Banning Zoom. I can't imagine a better way to send DCPS families racing even faster into the arms of charter schools.

It's a story too stupid to write itself.

[Anonymous]

They have backtracked on this due to pushback from teachers and principals. Now OCTO is issuing guidance on securing Zoom, though not officially endorsing it. DCPS just has a huge contract with Microsoft is all. Teams is great for a lot of things, the videoconferencing, especially for these purposes, sucks.

While DCPS continues to recommend the use of Teams for video conferencing, we want to be responsive to schools’ needs. DCPS staff who wish to use Zoom may do so but must secure video conferences according to updated guidance from the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (also attached). Please note that DCPS does not have an enterprise license for Zoom, so we must rely on individual users to apply these settings.

Zoom has also made updates to their security settings and shared recommended security practices to secure conferences. These practices largely align with OCTO’s guidance. For additional questions, please reach out to [e-mail].

Next week, we will share a resource comparing the functionality of Zoom and Teams for your ongoing conversations with schools. In addition, schools can contact their Cluster Education Technology Specialist (ETS) for additional support with Microsoft Teams.

[Anonymous]

Last three paragraphs of above directly from DCPS

[Anonymous]

Right now, Zoom is the only vaccine we've got. Use it. DCPS be damned. I hope you've got some radical teachers who will ignore the ban should it actually come into effect.

This is madness. I pray they won't follow through on the frontlines. Do Teams, then transition over to Zoom for sanity's sake!

[Anonymous]

Pp who posted the paragraphs from DCPS what is your source? I didn’t get an email to my Dcps account. I hope you’re right. I’m a first grade teacher and zoom is 100 times better for morning meetings and closing circle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teams also does not allow for break-out groups while Zoom does. My organization has been using Zoom with no issues (use password). There is a way to make Zoom secure and I hope DCPS will reconsider its guidance.

You can do break-out groups in Teams, its just not as easy, but not impossible.

[Anonymous]

MCPS uses Zoom. What they did last-minute was reconfigure it so you need to log in with your MCPS account to join the meeting. Then they know who you are, so there's consequences if you're up to no good.

As for end-to-end encryption, it's in place _unless_ a person calls in over the phone, because phone calls on the telephone network (to anyone, not just Zoom) are not encrypted. That said, it's pretty difficult for non-governments to hack the telephone network since it's a closed network, and despite how good your teacher is, most hackers don't really want to listen in on the story of doing the multiplication tables or Eureka Math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teams also does not allow for break-out groups while Zoom does. My organization has been using Zoom with no issues (use password). There is a way to make Zoom secure and I hope DCPS will reconsider its guidance.

You can do break-out groups in Teams, its just not as easy, but not impossible.

Oh interesting! I did a cursory search to figure out how to do it but maybe I need to do more digging. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teams also does not allow for break-out groups while Zoom does. My organization has been using Zoom with no issues (use password). There is a way to make Zoom secure and I hope DCPS will reconsider its guidance.

You can do break-out groups in Teams, its just not as easy, but not impossible.

Oh interesting! I did a cursory search to figure out how to do it but maybe I need to do more digging. Thanks!

It requires the use of "channels." I made channels within my teams and then I set up discussion posts in the channel with student names on it. Within the posts the students can also start a video and talk to each other. (Although we only use the discussion board part a teacher on Twitter at Stuart uses the video within the breakout group.)

[Anonymous]

our teacher just sent a note: "DCPS still mandates that we can only provide asynchronous learning opportunities (posts and videos that you can access at any time). "

no live teaching. no live morning meetings. so still can't do live anything that you record and make available. wish we were at your schools where the staff is doing what makes sense.

[Anonymous]

FWIW, the following is a summary of an investigative report released by Citizen’s Lab on Friday, Citizen's Lab being a well-respected cybersecurity institution (part of the University of Toronto). They are well known in the field as objective researchers looking into exploitable weaknesses that pose a risk to a sector, or holistically (https://citizenlab.ca/2020/04/move-fast-roll-your-own-crypto-a-quick-look-at-the-confidentiality-of-zoom-meetings/):

1. Zoom misrepresents the encryption it uses, calling it “end-to-end” encryption. In April 2020 Zoom released a blog post clarifying that their encryption is between an individual’s device and the Zoom server, NOT the entire communication. IOW, not "end-to-end" encryption as industry uses the term

2. Zoom uses custom encryption which does a poor job of masking everything (in the report, you can still make out the outlines of an encrypted picture encrypted using Zoom's algorithm), and is predictable. And Zoom's keys are weak; AES-128 vice traditional AES-256

3. In making Zoom idiot-proof (called "low friction") Zoom created a number of vulnerabilities, some of which have been discussed in the press the past few days

4. Even with all parties to a call in the US, encryption keys come from China, creating the risk that Chinese govt can force Zoom to share keys and gain access

5. Nation states are now well aware of Zoom’s vulnerabilities and likely targeting users

6. Zoom provides 0 transparency about what it shares when served with legal process

7. Zoom's Waiting Room has a vulnerability (not publicly disclosed b/c they want Zoom to fix before ppl take advantage)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pp who posted the paragraphs from DCPS what is your source? I didn’t get an email to my Dcps account. I hope you’re right. I’m a first grade teacher and zoom is 100 times better for morning meetings and closing circle.

I believe the email was only sent to school leaders.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:our teacher just sent a note: "DCPS still mandates that we can only provide asynchronous learning opportunities (posts and videos that you can access at any time). "

no live teaching. no live morning meetings. so still can't do live anything that you record and make available. wish we were at your schools where the staff is doing what makes sense.

They sent an email to teachers in a distance learning update SUGGESTING that. It was not a mandate. The issues cited were multiple students using one device in the same household, departmentalized grades not coordinating and requiring kids to be two places at once, etc. They recommended scheduling coordination, recording any live meetings to be viewed later, etc. and the “strong recommendation” to focus on asynchronous. But it wasn’t a mandate. Honestly this seems to vary a ton from Principal to Principal and everyone is making the rules up as we go along — it’s exhausting. But there seem to be multiple interpretations of the central office guidance for sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pp who posted the paragraphs from DCPS what is your source? I didn’t get an email to my Dcps account. I hope you’re right. I’m a first grade teacher and zoom is 100 times better for morning meetings and closing circle.

I believe the email was only sent to school leaders.

DCPS first grade teacher here again - I hope what you're saying is legit! Still no word from our principal on this so far this AM. The sooner we can know the better. My team feels like we are getting different directions every 2 days and it's very frustrating.

[Anonymous]

This is so dumb. All they need to do is create waiting rooms and passwords. I guess you get what you pay for with DCPS