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.
By the time kids are ready for college, they can expect a variety of campus-required surveillance. Spooky? You bet! But here’s the interesting thing: The opposite is also happening.
Tracking pushback is growing
With the rise of tracking, more schools are pushing policies to reinforce student privacy and ban certain tracking. That can include parent-based trackers in backpacks and certain kinds of watches. (Germany is taking it to the next level with a nationwide ban.)
It’s not only about preserving student privacy. Schools don’t want classes to fall apart because of panic buttons, alerts, or, god forbid, two-way voice calls from parents. Administrators don’t want to field dozens of calls from parents because their sweet baby took a right instead of a left last Tuesday.
That equals a growing number of policies that treat GPS devices like smartphones: They’re not allowed in the classroom, teachers may gather them up before lessons, and if problems arise, they could be banned entirely.
So, what about your school’s specific policies? Look, I’m good, but I’m not that good. You need to give them a call. See if their website has any details on GPS trackers, and ask about their policies for using them. Most schools have made a decision about them by now.
✅ And if you’re going to track your little angels, know the dangers and make comparisons before you buy.
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Tags: Apple, Apple AirTags, battery/batteries, devices, laws, microchips, policies, privacy, schools, smartphones, Surveillance, tiles, trackers, watches
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