Error USD 491
STORY BY OLIVIA PACHECO »
My initial question on my social media was “Is anyone having problems with laptop restrictions?” My first response came from Junior Daniel Grosdidier.
“Yes, it’s stupid,” Grodidier said. “You try to do research? Sorry buddy good luck. Want to check the weather? Sorry can’t do that. Want to answer the KIP? Sorry can’t do that either.”
Many students at Eudora High School seem extremely distressed over our schools’ new restriction policy on the provided laptops. Students say they have difficulty doing tasks that used to be easy before, including searching the internet for information or photos. Junior Holden Andrews gave a perfect example: “I am unable to do much-needed research on projects,” Andrews said, “because some of my best sites are blocked along with the fact that most images and videos I may also need to use are blocked.” Not only has it made simple curiosity searches difficult, but it has also grown to affect students doing actual school work.
Students such as Chloe Thakker Jr., had also mentioned the fact that teachers restrict students from using their phones, but say it’s okay to listen to music while working on more independent work in the classroom. That is no longer an easy thing to do because of internet access restrictions.
With all the talk about students’ frustration with the policy, there are a remaining few students at EHS who seem to remain unbothered. A couple of students have foreseen the glitch of the system and have a restriction-free laptop at the moment. Some never experienced these complications like other students are seeing. While teachers have seemed as frustrated as their students, Mrs. Shnebley enjoys the idea of a more restrictive policy.
“I am fine with it all,” Schnebly said, “because then I don’t have kids in the ISS room watching YouTube all day.”
Senior Ally Rumbolt took the time to explain her feelings on the subject. “It’s frustrating,” Rumbolt said, “It’s pointless… People know it’s just a school computer, we aren’t stupid, we know what to look up and what not to look up especially when we are all almost adults.” She personally was fed up with the level of difficulty and increased effort it took to complete her school work.
After a day of communicating with Eudora Schools technology director, Ron Long, also the one responsible for the filtered website blocking, it was discovered that the new policy restrictions may not just be a policy at all. Long explained that our frustrating laptop issue comes down
to a matter of saving money on the school’s high-speed internet.
“Eudora USD 491 (the district) is a public education entity.” Long explained. “In order for the District to receive federal funding through the E-rate program, the district is required by Federal law to follow the Children’s Internet Protection Act.”
E-rate provides federal funding to help pay for the expense of maintaining high-speed internet and internal network connections such as Wi-Fi for the district. Long also explained why some students didn’t seem to have any internet filter on their chromebooks at all. According to Long, it was simply a glitch in the system that will be resolved soon, if it has not already been.
Long wants to make it certain that these restrictions weren’t an anti-bug spray for teens in high school, but a way to save money, keep the students and staff safe and keep our classmates focused throughout the day.
“Let the IT department know via the help desk,” Long said, “I look at these tickets every day and am responsible for the Internet Filter. Long said that the district’s intent was never to prevent students from doing legitimate research.
“I will always do my best to unblock a site if it is deemed appropriate to do so,” Long said.
