New Software Lets Parents Track Kids LYNNWOOD, Wash. (AP) -- Is there no hope for a sequel to ``Ferris Bueller's Day Off''?

Schools across the country are adopting computer programs that allow parents to check the Internet daily to see whether their kids skipped class, handed in their homework and even what they had for lunch.

A lot of parents love it because it will help them keep better track of their kids. But a lot of kids -- even those who go to class and earn decent grades -- think it's creepy.

``Our parents don't need to know everything we do all the time,'' says Brittany Tucker, a 15-year-old sophomore at Meadowdale High School in Lynnwood. ``High school's supposed to be a time when you're starting to get out on your own.''

Besides, it's going to keep students from getting away with some of the stuff even their parents pulled in school. Forget about the 1980s antics of Ferris Bueller, perhaps the most famous truant in movie history.

A cooperative representing 277 of Washington state's 296 school districts signed a contract this month to start bringing the technology into schools by fall 2002.

Districts in many states already have the programs, said Geannie Wells, director of the Center for Accountability Solutions at the Arlington, Va.-based American Association of School Administrators.

Teachers enter information like grades, homework assignments and attendance into a Web site, where parents with a password can see it. Parents can find out what foods have been charged to their child's lunch money account and whether their children have been given detention.

Administrators say it's easier than reaching a teacher by phone, and they welcome anything that encourages parents to be more involved in their child's education.

``I would have loved to have had access to that information when my daughters were in school,'' says Cynthia Nelson, the technology director of the Edmonds School District. ``Once they hit middle school, you don't empty their backpacks every night. All of a sudden it's like, 'Don't touch my stuff!'''

The Washington Schools Information Processing Cooperative, an alliance designed to help schools afford technology, is investing about $20 million in a system made by Skyward Inc., of Stevens Point, Wis. All of the cooperative's schools should have access to the program within five years.

The system will also update schools' administrative and accounting software, simplify scheduling and make it easier for teachers to analyze data about classes and grades.

Skyward uses the same security measures that online retailers like Amazon.com use for credit card purchases over the Internet. The system also resists tampering because teachers continually revise the site.

Despite the suspicions of students who might feel their privacy is being violated, the law clearly states that parents have a right to look into their children's' school records, said Andrew Shen of the Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington, D.C. As long as the information posted is accurate and the system is secure, there shouldn't be a problem with privacy, he said.

Skyward has been wildly popular with parents in the Big Rapids School District in Michigan, said Joe Bouman, the district's technology director.

``They're ecstatic. We have parents signing up for the service every day,'' Bouman said.

In one instance, he said, parents suspected that their middle-school child wasn't eating a healthy lunch. Using the program, they found out that the child was buying fruit juice and ice cream every day.

They asked administrators to block their kid from buying juice and ice cream. Now, whenever the child shows up at the register, the computer tells the lunch lady: no juice, no ice cream.

One side-effect is that lunch lines have speeded up. Nevertheless, most of the system's benefits are for teachers and parents, who, according to some, already have all the control they need.

``It would just be another thing to stress us out,'' said Nicholas Anderson, a 15-year-old sophomore. ``We don't need to be afraid of every step we take while we're at school.''

Brittany's father, John, says he knows kids might feel that way, but thinks it's good for them.

``Brittany's a pretty good kid, but there are certainly times I wish I could keep better track of her,'' he said. ``I think the more we can control our kids, the better off in the long run they'll be.''

Fortunately for them, Brittany and her classmates will probably graduate before Meadowdale gets the program.

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wow, sad and scarey stuff......"the more we can control our kids, the better off they'll be...."

Tue, 22 May 2001 00:10:03 PDT Story from AP / GENE JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer Copyright 2001 by The Associated Press (via ClariNet)

-- Anonymous, May 22, 2001

Answers

My take is that the parents who already know pretty much about their kids activities will use the program. The parents who could care less are too busy watching 60 zillion TV satellite channels.

And in the true spirit of Ferris Bueller, students will find a way to subvert, falsify and trash "Big Brother" software. Let the games begin. :)

(:raig

-- Anonymous, May 22, 2001

My first thought was do teachers really have time to sit down and enter the data?

And I agree with Craig. Our High School had a no smoking policy for kids. There was a "Smoke Patrol" that used to monitor the parking lot for smokers. I, of course, joined the patrol (founding member...maybe even came up with the idea...I don't remember, it's been so long.) The school didn't know that I smoked. I got to have a whole period to miss classes. The kids in the parking lot didn't get their names turned in as long as they didn't try to narc on *me*.

There will probably be some student data manager....

-- Anonymous, May 22, 2001

Oh dear, Craig, couldnt disagree more. Methinks the parents who will use this without thinking twice are the ones who know/trust their kids not at all. Just another way of setting up the power dynamic of us (parents) vs. them (kids), rather than parent and kid being on the same team. Don't trust your kids, they will become untrustworthy; how could they not?

-- Anonymous, May 22, 2001

I agree absolutely with Earthmama......been there....my father didn't trust me and called me some very inappropriate and not nice names once. I showed him, you want to see !@#$% or %$#@% here it is. I expected my children to be accountable and responsible and was only on rare occasions disappointed. Our young people need so much to feel that they are on the same team with their parents. If we would all let go of our big control thing we would get along a lot better in the world.

-- Anonymous, May 22, 2001

Wouldn't you think such a program would be an IMMEDIATE hacker target? Imagine the glee at being able to screw up such a thing . . .

-- Anonymous, May 22, 2001

I agree with Joy,

The program will probably popular until its gets hacked, raped, screwed, blued and tattooed by hackers.The biggier issue to me is the lackadaisical attitude of confidential information being posted for INTERNATIONAL access. And protected by what, one password? Big deal.

I see another down side by control-freak parents who jump in the face of a teacher when their perfect darling gets a B instead of an A in a history class. That is, 5 minutes after it's posted on the web.

And are these same teachers then going to have to respond to email barrages when they post class results?

(:raig

-- Anonymous, May 22, 2001

I think this is a TERRIBLE thing to do to kids. It sounds a lot like the surveillance being used to monitor criminals who are on "home detention". Good grief; if we keep these kids so totally under our thumbs, what are they supposed to do when they "grow up"? Will Big Brother take over where we parents have left off, making sure that little Johny (no, now he's BIG Johny) walks the walk, and talks the talk that "We" more mature, wiser, and more powerful members of society want him to?

I also agree with Earth Mama; the control freaks--the type of parents who grill their kids mercilessly, always SURE that the kid is trying to pull something over on them--will love it. They will have one more weapon to use against these poor kids, who after all do deserve their own personal freedom.

This also reminds me of "Digital angel" Scary stuff.

What's way cool is that so many of these "kids" know so much more about computers than we "adults" do. I hope the kids make these spy programs SMOKE!

JOJ

-- Anonymous, May 22, 2001

Well I certainly wouldn't have the time to check on the kids movements! I prefer a relationship based on trust and reason. We try to be open with them about things they might encounter and pressures they might be exposed to. Better to reason with a trusted friend than impose your will on an antagonist!

Another urban solution. NO THANKS!

-- Anonymous, May 22, 2001

I know nothing. This is from the mom who would go out and push the "trip miles" button on the truck before her 16 year old son would take it. He still to this day does not know how I know he went 75 miles instead of 5!

No, I don't think this is such a good idea in the long run, seems it would just stir up a bunch of parents. I think the schools should take the time to notify parents IF there is a problem. Problem is, they never have the time and will tell you that. With this, now they will have NO time at all.

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001

I would hate to be a kid being monitored by "Big Daddy" or "Big Mama". What parent really needs compu surveillance. I found out I inheriented my fathers "evil eye" and "The Look". Works on D.J. as well as it did on me . Dad could give me "The Look" and get me to confess to whatever I did. I think he even got me to confess to some mischief my brother did just by having the "intensity" of the eye turned up too high :>)

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2001