Spying PA School District Responds, Admits Lack of Notice, Remote Access

America's Right ^

[CJBernard]

Furthermore, in the statement released a few hours ago, Lower Merion School District not only admits to the existence of the remote access capability (“[t]he laptops do contain a security feature intended to track lost, stolen and missing laptops”) which had indeed been active (“[t]his feature has been deactivated effective today”), but also admits to exactly who has the discretion to activate the feature (“the feature was activated by the District’s security and technology departments”) and comes clean on the lack of student or parental notification alleged by Robbins in the complaint:

[ConservativeWarrior]

I’m not sure what socialization your kids are missing.

All I know is that the home-schooled kids in our neighborhood are waiting at the bottom of our driveway when our kids get off the bus.

[christianhomeschoolmommaof3]

What does that mean? Can’t interpret the tone. Do you mean that the homeschooled children in your nh are obviously getting socialization because they play with your kids? Or that they aren’t being socialized because they are starving for attention from your kids? Thanks for clarification.

[ConservativeWarrior]

An inability to definitively interpret my response was my intended purpose.

Just as you can't ascertain whether or not I have a favorable opinion of the home-schooled kids receiving socialization benefits from mine, I can't determine if your statement is a claim that socialization isn't indeed a benefit of public schools.

I've heard people opposed to homeschooling use the socialization argument as a pro for public schools, only to have homeschoolers toss it back at them when a child is bullied, molested, etc, etc, in a public school.

Just trying to determine if you're painting with an equally broad brush. For the record, I'm not. My kids attend public school because our schools are excellent. If we were forced to live in a less desirable district, however, we would likely seek an alternative education method.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Being Macs they are well nigh virus proof. But pricey little boxes too.

[christianhomeschoolmommaof3]

It wasn’t my original statement. It was wintertime’s. But I will answer you anyway.
I think that kids are socialized in public school, some of it is positive, some neutral but a lot of negative.
Even if it isn’t negative socializaton, it isn’t the type of socialization that I desire for my children. It is culture and peer driven. I want the socialization of my children to be biblically and adult driven. I don’t want them influenced by popular culture, music, dating, clothing trends etc. I don’t want them artifically seperated by age and sex. I don’t want them divided from their siblings. I don’t want them to value the friendship and advice of their peers over that of their parents and sibling. I don’t want them making unhealthy friendships or romantic relationships of ANY kind.
My children are the best of friends and the older help care for the younger. They don’t go to their own rooms and get on computers or phones to talk to their friends. They play with their sibling and parents. When we socialize with friends we do it as a family. The older include and look out for the younger. They play games and enjoy converstion with the adults.
We are youth pastors and see the danger of youth culture everyday. The above scenario is not common and it doesn’t happen by accident.
I hope that explains it.

[wintertime]

My kids attend public school because our schools are excellent.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Is the following excellent?

**ALL government schools are atheistic and godless in their worldview. All government schools teach children to think godlessly and to evaluate everything in their school day in a godless manner.

** All government schools are a freedom of conscience and First Amendment abomination. All government schools trash the child's ( and indirectly the parent's ) freedom of speech, press, free expression of religion, and assembly. Since it is IMPOSSIBLE for any school to be religiously neutral government schools at the moment are establishing the religious worldview of godless atheism.

** All government schools treat children like prisoners. Children are isolated from the community in buildings that could easily be confused with a minimum security prison. It is the government who determines with whom the will or will not assemble ( a First Amendment violation). The government tells them when they will eat, rest, exercise ( and even dictates acceptable and non-acceptable exercise) and use of the bathroom. Their school buses look like prison work gang buses.

** In many ways the social dysfunction of school gangs and cliques resemble prison protection gangs. Thankfully, humans are adaptable and most adults finally unlearn the socially corrosive survival habits learned in school and do move on to healthy and cooperative relationships in work, family, marriage, with their extended family, and neighbors. Sadly some do not and suffer emotionally and economically all their lives.

**In ALL government schools those Christian teachers who try to sneak in a little Christian philosophy into the godless curriculum are merely teaching the children that Christians are sneaky. Those Christian teachers who do not try to sneak in a little Christianity merely teach the children that Christians are hypocrites who will sell their soul and principles for a paycheck and pension.

**ALL government schools teach socialism. Merely by attending children learn that the government has the power to take money from their neighbor ( by police force if necessary) to pay for a service their parents want for tuition-free. And...Their government indoctrinators teach the children that it is their **right** to have government take money from their neighbor for their schooling. Well!...If the government can take money from a neighbor to pay for tuition-free schools why not a thousand other “free” wants and needs?

** NO government school is religiously, politically, or culturally neutral. This is axiomatic since it is IMPOSSIBLE to have a religiously, politically, or culturally neutral school. No matter what the government chooses to do **ALL** government schools will establish the religion, politics, and culture of some and actively trash that of others.

**Therefore...ALL government schools are a freedom of conscience and First Amendment abomination.

** All government schools forbid free exercise of religious belief, therefore, ALL government schools teach children to compartmentalize their faith into public and private spheres. ALL government schools teach children that religion is somehow shameful and must be hidden as if it were a bathroom activity.

**Since ALL government schools teach children ( who have committed no crime) like prisoners, ALL government schools are teaching children to be good little compliant workers for the fascist state.

Finally,...There are some ways in which prisons are better than government schools. Prison bathrooms are likely to be safer and cleaner than those in a government school, and prisons are far less segregated by race, age, and economic class.

So?....What were you saying about “excellent” government schools?

[668 - Neighbor of the Beast]

My kids attend public school because our schools are excellent.

Look closer. If you've looked at all yet; and it doesn't sound like you have.

[Jenny217]

I’m not surprised that the attitudes of public (government) school administrators/staff who consider their students inmates are now extending that into the home. They have just found another tool to use in their obsession with control. Public education is least of all about children or education and mostly about perpetuating a system that enriches the adults and affords them absolute power over their little fiefdoms. I am a certified public education cynic.

[ConservativeWarrior]

Regardless of your rant, yes our schools are excellent, and I’m confident we’ve made the right decision for our kids.

Try looking at schools outside the urban jungle, and you’ll likely find what we’ve found.

[wintertime]

yes our schools are excellent,
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

What could possibly be excellent about the following? Please explain this. Specificially (point by point) what is untrue about the following?

**ALL government schools are atheistic and godless in their worldview. All government schools teach children to think godlessly and to evaluate everything in their school day in a godless manner.

** All government schools are a freedom of conscience and First Amendment abomination. All government schools trash the child's ( and indirectly the parent's ) freedom of speech, press, free expression of religion, and assembly. Since it is IMPOSSIBLE for any school to be religiously neutral government schools at the moment are establishing the religious worldview of godless atheism.

** All government schools treat children like prisoners. Children are isolated from the community in buildings that could easily be confused with a minimum security prison. It is the government who determines with whom the will or will not assemble ( a First Amendment violation). The government tells them when they will eat, rest, exercise ( and even dictates acceptable and non-acceptable exercise) and use of the bathroom. Their school buses look like prison work gang buses.

** In many ways the social dysfunction of school gangs and cliques resemble prison protection gangs. Thankfully, humans are adaptable and most adults finally unlearn the socially corrosive survival habits learned in school and do move on to healthy and cooperative relationships in work, family, marriage, with their extended family, and neighbors. Sadly some do not and suffer emotionally and economically all their lives.

**In ALL government schools those Christian teachers who try to sneak in a little Christian philosophy into the godless curriculum are merely teaching the children that Christians are sneaky. Those Christian teachers who do not try to sneak in a little Christianity merely teach the children that Christians are hypocrites who will sell their soul and principles for a paycheck and pension.

**ALL government schools teach socialism. Merely by attending children learn that the government has the power to take money from their neighbor ( by police force if necessary) to pay for a service their parents want for tuition-free. And...Their government indoctrinators teach the children that it is their **right** to have government take money from their neighbor for their schooling. Well!...If the government can take money from a neighbor to pay for tuition-free schools why not a thousand other “free” wants and needs?

** NO government school is religiously, politically, or culturally neutral. This is axiomatic since it is IMPOSSIBLE to have a religiously, politically, or culturally neutral school. No matter what the government chooses to do **ALL** government schools will establish the religion, politics, and culture of some and actively trash that of others.

**Therefore...ALL government schools are a freedom of conscience and First Amendment abomination.

** All government schools forbid free exercise of religious belief, therefore, ALL government schools teach children to compartmentalize their faith into public and private spheres. ALL government schools teach children that religion is somehow shameful and must be hidden as if it were a bathroom activity.

**Since ALL government schools teach children ( who have committed no crime) like prisoners, ALL government schools are teaching children to be good little compliant workers for the fascist state.

Finally,...There are some ways in which prisons are better than government schools. Prison bathrooms are likely to be safer and cleaner than those in a government school, and prisons are far less segregated by race, age, and economic class.

[ConservativeWarrior]

Look closer. If you've looked at all yet; and it doesn't sound like you have.

You're mistaken. I have looked closely, and continue to keep a close watch. Yes, I have to straighten some things out once in a while, but I've always been able to take care of things. Try reading some of my other posts for information, because it doesn't sound like you have. I've dealt with the schools and the district administration on a number of issues.

What none of the home and private schoolers seem to realize, or perhaps won't admit, is that throwing up your hands and abandoning the public schools is not the solution. They educate more kids that private and home schools combined, and they are producing citizens that will outnumber your kids at the ballot box. At the end of the day, you might do a great job raising your kids in your own little world, but they're going to be politically powerless.

I'm fighting the fight where it must be fought. You're welcome.

[ConservativeWarrior]

We enjoy many of the benefits you list. Sending your children to public schools does not reduce parental responsibilities, not the ability to raise a strong, inter-dependent family.

Our kids received a strong moral foundation from their home life and religion. They are not caught up in the hollow promises of US pop culture, but have instead learned how to recognize and avoid its negative qualities.

Home schooled kids may get healthy doses of morality and conservative ideals, but so do public school kids if their parents are meeting their responsibilities. In addition, public school kids develop the ability to successfully defend their ideals when challenged.

As I’ve posted above, your kids will have to come to terms with the pop culture and their liberal peers, and conservatism must have a voice in the public schools.

[wintertime]

So?...What I have posted is true, but parents can over come this poison by detoxifying them in the home?

Does this make sense? Parents should allow their children to to be politically, culturally, and religiously poisoned by the government during school hours but it's OK if the parents can administer anti-venom at night?

[meadsjn]

Let’s see some charges for these 2300+ federal and state felony crimes, or pardon and expunge the records of every person in the country ever convicted under electronic surveillance laws.

[668 - Neighbor of the Beast]

...and conservatism must have a voice in the public schools.

I hope you're not implying that you expect your children to be the voice of conservatism in your "excellent" public schools.

They're supposed to be getting educated.

I won't dispute it further. Your head's deep in the sand and your flanks all too exposed. Life will issue the usual correction.

[wintertime]

, and conservatism must have a voice in the public schools.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I agree if you are saying **adult** conservatives must have a voice in the government schools.

Children should never be used as religious, political, or cultural missionaries. Reforming the world is work for grown ups. If Christ didn’t use kids as missionaries then we shouldn’t either.

[christianhomeschoolmommaof3]

“In addition, public school kids develop the ability to successfully defend their ideals when challenged. As I’ve posted above, your kids will have to come to terms with the pop culture and their liberal peers, and conservatism must have a voice in the public schools.”

My husband is a youth pastor so my children deal with the pop culture all the time. The difference is that they don’t see it as the norm because they aren’t raised in it. If I sent my daughter (10) to school, she would be surrounded by dating drama and she would get the idea that this is normal. It is common but not normal. You seem to have the idea that my kids never meet anyone who think differently than them. This is far from the truth. I have heard my children debate politics with adults.

[christianhomeschoolmommaof3]

I didn’t remember the original conversation until after I had posted my first response. Let’s get back to that. You said this:
“I can’t determine if your statement is a claim that socialization isn’t indeed a benefit of public schools.”

I told you that yes there can be socialization in public school but it wasn’t the kind that I wanted for my family and then I went on to explain.

You answer again by saying bascially that you enjoy many of those same benefits DESPITE the fact that your kids are in public school because you are a strong family.

So the positive side of public school for your children is 1. learning to deal with peer pressure 2. learning to defend their ideas when challenged 3. being a voice for conservatism. Is this correct?

My children learn to do these things as well but they aren’t exposed to the negative socialization that must be overcome in the public school.

[ConservativeWarrior]

I won't dispute it further.

Because you can't. Homeschoolers never want to discuss what failing to oppose liberalism in the public schools will mean down the road. All they care about is protecting their kid from the "evils" of public school, they never see the big picture.

Avoiding the fight in the public schools will ensure your children are eventually outnumbered at the ballot box. This is how we get things like homosexuals in the military, Miranda rights on the battlefield, and UN-driven foreign policy.

Parents who homeschool have no standing to address issues in the classroom, and even if they did, they have no knowledge of what's being taught. It's left to people like me to challenge teachers who preach their version of the 2nd amendment, attempt to show Obama's address to students, or assign black history month projects. I fight, and win, on a regular basis. Other parents see what I've done and stand up themselves. We haven't run home to our living rooms to raise our kids in a vacuum.

My kids aren't the voice of conservatism, yet, but they're learning from my example. They will be formidable conservative adults, because they're learning how to stand up for their values.

Again, thanks for abandoning the fight and leaving the rest of us to do the heavy lifting. You're welcome.