One idea I have seen proposed to solve this would be to instead of funding public schools, create savings accounts for every student and allocate money to that account. Parents then decide the allocation. Public school, charter school, private school, structured accredited online home schooling, Offset the cost of a montessori school or whatever best fits the learning structure and style of the student. If the student has special needs then the funds could also be used to cover those costs. This could also go to school supplies from approved online vendors. This would put more pressure on public schools to choose 3rd party software vendors more carefully and more carefully consider what they are subjecting our children to, in my opinion.<p>Optionally parents could contribute to that savings account as a tax deduction up to a limit, similar to a health flexible spending account.<p>Philanthropists could also get a tax break by contributing to a batch of savings accounts in one or more localities with stipulations that the schools receiving funds not participate in categorical Orwellian or Totalitarian behavior and the organization would be hit with serious monetary penalties for violating the contracts.
This is very unlikely to stop from my pov, the schools do own the laptops so they install whatever software they seem fit, spyware or otherwise. Until lawmakers say its illegal, nothing will change. It might be cynical but does anybody see any other way this ends in a different way?
These devices are funded by government/school systems. When you receive them, you have to sign a TOS or User agreement, where highly likely contains a verbage similar to "This device is subject to monitoring". This is the magic statement; it notifies you that they could be watching, and you are aware and agree to the search.<p>The consent banner is typically mandatory on all government IT systems.
Here is the one for the DOD: <a href="https://dso.dla.mil/" rel="nofollow">https://dso.dla.mil/</a>
Given that these laptops are paid for by tax dollars, and the monitoring continues at home, outside school hours, doesn't that make it unconstitutional search? That it's part of mandatory education only makes it worse. Do only families that can afford a second laptop (for each child) deserve privacy? Is the 4th amendment only for those who can afford to pay (in dollars, in addition to the price in blood and lead that getting rights in the first place requires)?<p>If not, why? If the police required their own monitoring software on each school-issued laptop, that would be an obvious search. But schools have <i>less</i> authority than the police, not more! If a mere school can do this, that makes the infringement even more egregious!