Some technology companies are pushing for the manufacture of plastic social security cards with a security chip on them. The reason for the chip would be for employers to scan and see whether or not a prospective employee is a legal citizen. And, it would render stolen social security cards useless.
However, this puts all the information in one database and thus, opens it up to cyberattack. And, although one's legal status may be the stated reason at the start, we've seen where data collection technologies take us. At this point, we can probably assume it will not end with legal status....after all, these smart chips can hold a lot of information. http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/2479993387001/social-security-card-20/?intcmp=obnetwork
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Friday, June 14, 2013
Edward Snowden - An American Citizen
In My Opinion...
The level of vitriol aimed at Edward Snowden has been very high. It's curious as to why, when in reality, he was serving the public by revealing to us the depth of intrusion into our private lives. And, as frightening as it is to find out that our own government is collecting every bit of information on every one of its citizens, somehow that doesn't seem to horrify people as much as the 'treasonous' act they believe Snowden committed by revealing this. The name-calling from both political sides has been over the top - from traitor, to high school dropout, to narcissist, to clown, and the list goes on. He simply calls himself an American citizen.This American citizen has sacrificed a comfortable life, living with his girlfriend in Hawaii, making a lucrative salary and enjoying all the benefits that go with that. He acknowledges that he'll probably never go home again, may never see his family again, and, may in fact, be tortured or killed when found. This is not the sign of a clown, but a serious person, who sincerely believes his country is slipping away. "The greatest fear that I have, regarding the outcome for America, of these disclosures, is that nothing will change. People will see in the media all of these disclosures, they'll know the lengths the government is going to grant themselves powers unilaterally to create greater control over American society and global society..."
“I can’t in good conscience allow the
U.S. government to destroy privacy, Internet freedom and basic liberties
for people around the world with this massive surveillance machine
they’re secretly building,” he said.
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/06/09/nsa-leaker-comes-forward-i-know-i-have-done-nothing-wrong/In a scathing editorial in thedailybeast.com, Kirsten Powers writes, "Apparently we are supposed to “respect institutions” so much that we never feel entitled to information about how they operate, even when it involves our private communications. Only because of Snowden do we know that our government is storing records of our phone data that can be mined for God only knows how long."
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/06/14/the-sickening-snowden-backlash.html
So, why is Edward Snowden getting trashed? Maybe it's to protect this President (although the easy litmus test for this would be to ask, what if George Bush were President?). Or, maybe because they truly believe he has compromised national security. Whatever the reason, one has to wonder why he became the object of discussion rather than the stunning information of his disclosure.
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Are You Still Outraged?
When the 2013 Barack Obama called the data mining on every American (phone records and internet records, just to name a couple) a "modest encroachment" on privacy, it reminded us that the 2007 Barack Obama was strongly against this type of tracking activity.
In 2007 Obama insisted he would capture terrorists "without undermining our Constitution and our freedom....no more illegal wiretapping of American citizens, no more national security letters to spy on citizens who are not suspected of a crime, no more tracking citizens who do nothing more than protest a misguided war, no more ignoring the law when it is inconvenient....this administration acts like violating civil liberties is the way to enhance our security, it is not." http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WAQlsS9diBs
The PRISM program, which allows for data collection from internet servers, and includes audio, video, photos, emails, documents and connection logs, began in 2007 (with one company). Senator Obama then frequently criticized President Bush for his surveillance programs (although Bush targeted suspected terrorists, not American citizens). Since Obama took office, PRISM has grown exponentially and has expanded to nine companies. http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/06/06/bombshell-report-govt-also-tapping-servers-of-top-internet-companies-to-collect-americans-emails-photos-messa
So, if you supported the 2007 Obama and his stance on surveillance, and were outraged over Bush's surveillance programs, where do you stand now? Are you still outraged?
In 2007 Obama insisted he would capture terrorists "without undermining our Constitution and our freedom....no more illegal wiretapping of American citizens, no more national security letters to spy on citizens who are not suspected of a crime, no more tracking citizens who do nothing more than protest a misguided war, no more ignoring the law when it is inconvenient....this administration acts like violating civil liberties is the way to enhance our security, it is not." http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WAQlsS9diBs
The PRISM program, which allows for data collection from internet servers, and includes audio, video, photos, emails, documents and connection logs, began in 2007 (with one company). Senator Obama then frequently criticized President Bush for his surveillance programs (although Bush targeted suspected terrorists, not American citizens). Since Obama took office, PRISM has grown exponentially and has expanded to nine companies. http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/06/06/bombshell-report-govt-also-tapping-servers-of-top-internet-companies-to-collect-americans-emails-photos-messa
So, if you supported the 2007 Obama and his stance on surveillance, and were outraged over Bush's surveillance programs, where do you stand now? Are you still outraged?
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Are We Gaining Security?
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." Ben Franklin
In light of all the intrusions into our privacy over the years, Franklin was nothing less than prophetic. The level of surveillance in this country has become increasingly disturbing with each passing day of new revelations.
We learned from The Guardian that the NSA has been collecting the phone records of millions of Americans regardless of any wrongdoing. James Bamford, author of several books on the NSA, commented “Here we are, under the Obama administration, doing it sort of like the Bush administration on steroids,” he said in an interview with the Associated Press. “This order here is about as broad as it can possibly get, when it comes to focusing on personal communications. There’s no warrant, there’s no suspicion, there’s no probable cause … it sounds like something from East Germany.” William Binney, who's worked at the NSA for 40 years, estimates that the agency collects 3 billion calls per day. http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/06/06/nsa-whistleblowers-startling-claims-records-on-3-billion-calls-collected-per-day-and-its-not-just-verizon/
In defense of the government collecting phone records from Americans, the Obama administration says, such information is “a critical tool in protecting the nation from terrorist threats.” However, this contradicts Obama's announcement that the war on terror is over. http://townhall.com/columnists/benshapiro/2013/05/29/obama-declares-war-on-terror-over-n1607729
And we learned from The Washington Post that the NSA and the FBI are tapping into 9 leading internet companies, including Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, YouTube, Apple, Skype, AOL, and PalTalk. This program, named PRISM, extracts audio and video chats, photographs, emails, documents and connection logs, which allow analysts to track networks of associates. http://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/us-intelligence-mining-data-from-nine-us-internet-companies-in-broad-secret-program/2013/06/06/3a0c0da8-cebf-11e2-8845-d970ccb04497_story.html
All this in the name of security, and yet, with all the warnings and evidence the government had to halt it, the terrorists in Boston were still able to accomplish their mission.
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both."
In light of all the intrusions into our privacy over the years, Franklin was nothing less than prophetic. The level of surveillance in this country has become increasingly disturbing with each passing day of new revelations.
We learned from The Guardian that the NSA has been collecting the phone records of millions of Americans regardless of any wrongdoing. James Bamford, author of several books on the NSA, commented “Here we are, under the Obama administration, doing it sort of like the Bush administration on steroids,” he said in an interview with the Associated Press. “This order here is about as broad as it can possibly get, when it comes to focusing on personal communications. There’s no warrant, there’s no suspicion, there’s no probable cause … it sounds like something from East Germany.” William Binney, who's worked at the NSA for 40 years, estimates that the agency collects 3 billion calls per day. http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/06/06/nsa-whistleblowers-startling-claims-records-on-3-billion-calls-collected-per-day-and-its-not-just-verizon/
In defense of the government collecting phone records from Americans, the Obama administration says, such information is “a critical tool in protecting the nation from terrorist threats.” However, this contradicts Obama's announcement that the war on terror is over. http://townhall.com/columnists/benshapiro/2013/05/29/obama-declares-war-on-terror-over-n1607729
And we learned from The Washington Post that the NSA and the FBI are tapping into 9 leading internet companies, including Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, YouTube, Apple, Skype, AOL, and PalTalk. This program, named PRISM, extracts audio and video chats, photographs, emails, documents and connection logs, which allow analysts to track networks of associates. http://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/us-intelligence-mining-data-from-nine-us-internet-companies-in-broad-secret-program/2013/06/06/3a0c0da8-cebf-11e2-8845-d970ccb04497_story.html
All this in the name of security, and yet, with all the warnings and evidence the government had to halt it, the terrorists in Boston were still able to accomplish their mission.
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both."
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
SCOTUS Says Yes To Less Liberty
In a slap to the Fourth Amendment's ban on unreasonable search and seizure, the Supreme Court voted 5-4, allowing law enforcement to forcibly collect warrantless DNA samples from individuals who are arrested, but not convicted of a serious crime. Justice Kennedy wrote the majority opinion, and in a surprising twist, was joined by Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Thomas, Breyer and Alito. Kennedy wrote that there's no difference between a DNA swab and fingerprinting, and it would result in the prosecution of more violent offenders.
Dissenting were Justices Scalia, Kagan, Sotomayor and Ginsburg. Scalia wrote the dissenting opinion. “As an entirely predictable consequence of today’s decision, your DNA can be taken and entered into a national DNA database if you are ever arrested, rightly or wrongly, and for whatever reason.”
http://www.abajournal.com/news/article scotus_upholds_dna_swabs_for_some_arrestees_scalia_says_majority_reasoning_/
Senator Ted Cruz, in his criticism of the decision, said “So now the government can capture, without a search warrant, the most personal information about an individual, and use it to search vast databases for unrelated offenses.” http://dailycaller.com/2013/06/03/ted-cruz-denounces-supreme-court-ruling-on-warrantless-dna-collection/#ixzz2VHSoW6wW
Dissenting were Justices Scalia, Kagan, Sotomayor and Ginsburg. Scalia wrote the dissenting opinion. “As an entirely predictable consequence of today’s decision, your DNA can be taken and entered into a national DNA database if you are ever arrested, rightly or wrongly, and for whatever reason.”
http://www.abajournal.com/news/article scotus_upholds_dna_swabs_for_some_arrestees_scalia_says_majority_reasoning_/
Senator Ted Cruz, in his criticism of the decision, said “So now the government can capture, without a search warrant, the most personal information about an individual, and use it to search vast databases for unrelated offenses.” http://dailycaller.com/2013/06/03/ted-cruz-denounces-supreme-court-ruling-on-warrantless-dna-collection/#ixzz2VHSoW6wW
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Common Core - Why You Should Be Concerned
Common Core
As part of the stimulus bill of 2009, passed by democrats in Congress, the administration offered financial incentives through its Race to the Top initiative to establish national educational standards. To compete for this money, states had to adopt standards common to multiple states; it was Common Core which met this proposal. While it was touted as being voluntary, many states contend it resembled coercion through its carrots and sticks approach. Many states were in poor financial shape at the time and agreed to adopt Common Core. While the constitutional authority over education rests with the states and localities, this move to centralize the control of the public education system is clearly unconstitutional. To date, 46 states have adopted these standards in exchange for much needed federal money. For the first time, however, the federal government is now dictating curriculum content. http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2012/04/states-must-reject-national-education-standards-while-there-is-still-time
http://www.cato.org/blog/pushed-common-core-thanks-volunteering
English and Language Arts
Common Core shifts away from classic literature and emphasizes instead, informational text. It requires students to spend only half of their class time studying literature, and by their junior and senior year of high school, only 30% of their class time. http://frontpagemag.com/2012/mary-grabar/common-core-phasing-western-culture-out-of-education/
http://michellemalkin.com/2013/01/25/rotten-to-the-core-part-2-readin-writin-and-deconstructionism/
Some claim the substitution of great literary works for informational text reflects political propaganda. Consider the example of using an essay from 2009 New Yorker on health care to show that Obamacare is wise policy. http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2012/12/obamacore-the-substitution-of-propaganda-for-great-literatiure-in-our-schools.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+powerlineblog%2Flivefeed+%28Power+Line%29
Although the stated effort is to make students 'college-ready', Common Core "may lead to a decreased capacity for analytical thinking," claims University of Arkansas professor Sandra Stotsky.
Says Michelle Malkin, investigative journalist, "Stotsky, an unrelenting whistleblower who witnessed the Common Core sausage-making process firsthand, concluded: “An English curriculum overloaded with advocacy journalism or with ‘informational’ articles chosen for their topical and/or political nature should raise serious concerns among parents, school leaders, and policymakers. Common Core’s standards not only present a serious threat to state and local education authority, but also put academic quality at risk. Pushing fatally flawed education standards into America’s schools is not the way to improve education for America’s students.” http://michellemalkin.com/2013/01/25/rotten-to-the-core-part-2-readin-writin-and-deconstructionism/
Math
NYU Professor John Goodman found that the math standards under Common Core offer much lower expectations when it comes to algebra and geometry than standards set in other countries.
http://michellemalkin.com/2013/01/23/rotten-to-the-core-obamas-war-on-academic-standards-part-1/
According to Malkin's research "Under Common Core, as the American Principles Project and Pioneer Institute point out, algebra I instruction is pushed to 9th grade, instead of 8th grade, as commonly taught. Division is postponed from 5th to 6th grade. Prime factorization, common denominators, conversions of fractions and decimals, and algebraic manipulation are de-emphasized or eschewed. Traditional Euclidean geometry is replaced with an experimental approach that had not been previously pilot-tested in the U.S."
Ze'ev Wurman, longtime math advisory expert, says, “I believe the Common Core marks the cessation of educational standards improvement in the United States. No state has any reason left to aspire for first-rate standards, as all states will be judged by the same mediocre national benchmark enforced by the federal government." http://michellemalkin.com/2013/01/23/rotten-to-the-core-obamas-war-on-academic-standards-part-1/
History
CSCOPE curriculum in Texas (which falls under the umbrella of Common Core) and not subject to regulation since they claim it is 'instructional material' and not 'curriculum' injects political correctness into its teaching of history. In March, historian David Barton, along with other guests, discussed on the Glenn Beck show what was being revised in the teaching of history. "Using a chart, Barton documented and mapped out core CSCOPE material, which eliminates national values, Americanism or rather, American exceptionalism, the study of federalism and majority rule (the core of our constitution) along with patriotic symbols like the Liberty Bell. Christopher Columbus, Rosh Hashanah and Christmas are all relegated to the dustbin along with American military history. Equality and a belief in justice is replaced by “fairness” and instruction on American propaganda and imperialism." http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/03/07/cscope-exposing-the-nations-most-controversial-public-school-curriculum-system/
Update: CSCOPE will no longer be providing lesson plans for Texas, thanks to strong opposition from parents and teachers to abandon the program.
Data Mining
Very disturbing will be the data mining on our kids - using various devices to measure behavior in the classroom - MRI scans, wireless sensors, posture seats, cameras, etc., all in the name of trying to create more effective teaching. The purpose is to provide constant streams of data to examine behavioral and psychological characteristics such as: frustration, motivation, flow, confidence, boredom and fatigue. http://www.theblaze.com/
According to the Dept. of Education's own handbook, "data mining techniques can track students’ trajectories or persistence and learning over time, thereby providing actionable feedback to students and teachers. In addition, functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI, and psychological indicators offer insight into the biology and neuroscience underlying observed students’ behaviors."
For further information about this handbook and its implications, see interview by Glenn Beck with Medical Technology Analyst Nic Anderson. http://www.glennbeck.com/2013/04/10/medical-technology-analyst-discusses-the-spooky-implications-of-data-mining-in-common-core/
Other information to be collected from students will include health history, blood type, parents' income, parents' voting status, religious affiliation and more.
See post on "Tracking Students" for actual examples of technological intrusions implemented so far in some schools.
Government Directed Education
Hundreds of studies have shown that movement towards free market education produces greater outcomes than greater centralization of education.
"Out of 150 statistical comparisons, market-like delivery of education outperformed government monopoly delivery by a ratio of 15-1." http://www.cato.org/publications/testimony/common-core-threat-state-districts-students
At this point in time, some states are looking to reconsider and/or pull away from instituting Common Core (e.g. Indiana, Michigan, Alabama). http://www.heritage.org/search?query=common+core
Conclusions About Common Core
As part of the stimulus bill of 2009, passed by democrats in Congress, the administration offered financial incentives through its Race to the Top initiative to establish national educational standards. To compete for this money, states had to adopt standards common to multiple states; it was Common Core which met this proposal. While it was touted as being voluntary, many states contend it resembled coercion through its carrots and sticks approach. Many states were in poor financial shape at the time and agreed to adopt Common Core. While the constitutional authority over education rests with the states and localities, this move to centralize the control of the public education system is clearly unconstitutional. To date, 46 states have adopted these standards in exchange for much needed federal money. For the first time, however, the federal government is now dictating curriculum content. http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2012/04/states-must-reject-national-education-standards-while-there-is-still-time
http://www.cato.org/blog/pushed-common-core-thanks-volunteering
English and Language Arts
Common Core shifts away from classic literature and emphasizes instead, informational text. It requires students to spend only half of their class time studying literature, and by their junior and senior year of high school, only 30% of their class time. http://frontpagemag.com/2012/mary-grabar/common-core-phasing-western-culture-out-of-education/
http://michellemalkin.com/2013/01/25/rotten-to-the-core-part-2-readin-writin-and-deconstructionism/
Some claim the substitution of great literary works for informational text reflects political propaganda. Consider the example of using an essay from 2009 New Yorker on health care to show that Obamacare is wise policy. http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2012/12/obamacore-the-substitution-of-propaganda-for-great-literatiure-in-our-schools.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+powerlineblog%2Flivefeed+%28Power+Line%29
Although the stated effort is to make students 'college-ready', Common Core "may lead to a decreased capacity for analytical thinking," claims University of Arkansas professor Sandra Stotsky.
Says Michelle Malkin, investigative journalist, "Stotsky, an unrelenting whistleblower who witnessed the Common Core sausage-making process firsthand, concluded: “An English curriculum overloaded with advocacy journalism or with ‘informational’ articles chosen for their topical and/or political nature should raise serious concerns among parents, school leaders, and policymakers. Common Core’s standards not only present a serious threat to state and local education authority, but also put academic quality at risk. Pushing fatally flawed education standards into America’s schools is not the way to improve education for America’s students.” http://michellemalkin.com/2013/01/25/rotten-to-the-core-part-2-readin-writin-and-deconstructionism/
Math
NYU Professor John Goodman found that the math standards under Common Core offer much lower expectations when it comes to algebra and geometry than standards set in other countries.
http://michellemalkin.com/2013/01/23/rotten-to-the-core-obamas-war-on-academic-standards-part-1/
According to Malkin's research "Under Common Core, as the American Principles Project and Pioneer Institute point out, algebra I instruction is pushed to 9th grade, instead of 8th grade, as commonly taught. Division is postponed from 5th to 6th grade. Prime factorization, common denominators, conversions of fractions and decimals, and algebraic manipulation are de-emphasized or eschewed. Traditional Euclidean geometry is replaced with an experimental approach that had not been previously pilot-tested in the U.S."
Ze'ev Wurman, longtime math advisory expert, says, “I believe the Common Core marks the cessation of educational standards improvement in the United States. No state has any reason left to aspire for first-rate standards, as all states will be judged by the same mediocre national benchmark enforced by the federal government." http://michellemalkin.com/2013/01/23/rotten-to-the-core-obamas-war-on-academic-standards-part-1/
History
CSCOPE curriculum in Texas (which falls under the umbrella of Common Core) and not subject to regulation since they claim it is 'instructional material' and not 'curriculum' injects political correctness into its teaching of history. In March, historian David Barton, along with other guests, discussed on the Glenn Beck show what was being revised in the teaching of history. "Using a chart, Barton documented and mapped out core CSCOPE material, which eliminates national values, Americanism or rather, American exceptionalism, the study of federalism and majority rule (the core of our constitution) along with patriotic symbols like the Liberty Bell. Christopher Columbus, Rosh Hashanah and Christmas are all relegated to the dustbin along with American military history. Equality and a belief in justice is replaced by “fairness” and instruction on American propaganda and imperialism." http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/03/07/cscope-exposing-the-nations-most-controversial-public-school-curriculum-system/
Update: CSCOPE will no longer be providing lesson plans for Texas, thanks to strong opposition from parents and teachers to abandon the program.
Data Mining
Very disturbing will be the data mining on our kids - using various devices to measure behavior in the classroom - MRI scans, wireless sensors, posture seats, cameras, etc., all in the name of trying to create more effective teaching. The purpose is to provide constant streams of data to examine behavioral and psychological characteristics such as: frustration, motivation, flow, confidence, boredom and fatigue. http://www.theblaze.com/
According to the Dept. of Education's own handbook, "data mining techniques can track students’ trajectories or persistence and learning over time, thereby providing actionable feedback to students and teachers. In addition, functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI, and psychological indicators offer insight into the biology and neuroscience underlying observed students’ behaviors."
For further information about this handbook and its implications, see interview by Glenn Beck with Medical Technology Analyst Nic Anderson. http://www.glennbeck.com/2013/04/10/medical-technology-analyst-discusses-the-spooky-implications-of-data-mining-in-common-core/
Other information to be collected from students will include health history, blood type, parents' income, parents' voting status, religious affiliation and more.
See post on "Tracking Students" for actual examples of technological intrusions implemented so far in some schools.
Government Directed Education
Hundreds of studies have shown that movement towards free market education produces greater outcomes than greater centralization of education.
"Out of 150 statistical comparisons, market-like delivery of education outperformed government monopoly delivery by a ratio of 15-1." http://www.cato.org/publications/testimony/common-core-threat-state-districts-students
At this point in time, some states are looking to reconsider and/or pull away from instituting Common Core (e.g. Indiana, Michigan, Alabama). http://www.heritage.org/search?query=common+core
Conclusions About Common Core
- It removes parents from decisions over what their children are taught.
- Control over content taught in local schools is given over to bureaucrats in Washington, rather than being in the hands of local school leaders and parents.
- Education by government monopoly delivers poorer outcomes in achievement.
- Data mining through technology will create intrusions into all of our lives - real purpose of which has not been revealed yet.
- Lessons in math, language arts and history will serve to lower academic standards rather than raise them.
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Tracking Students
Some schools in Florida are scanning the irises of students for identification. This program is called "Eyeswipe-Nano" under the guise of bus 'security' and
has done so without parental permission.
“'It simply takes a picture of the iris, which is unique to every individual,” Rob Davis, the school board’s senior director of support services, wrote home to parents in a letter dated May 23. “With this program, we will be able to identify when and where a student gets on the bus, when they arrive at their school location, when and what bus the student boards and disembarks in the afternoon. This is an effort to further enhance the safety of our students.The EyeSwipe-Nano is an ideal replacement for the card based system since your child will not have to be responsible for carrying an identification card,” he added." The letter to parents offering an opt-out of the program went out on May 24, but the program began on May 20, and by the 24th, the scanning had been done.
http://www.infowars.com/schools-scanned-students-irises-without-permission/
Recently, two schools in Texas have begun tracking students with the use of computer chips embedded in their ID cards. This allows administrators to know where the students are; the classroom, the bathroom, the stairwells, or not in school at all. Students were told they needed to comply or face expulsion. When one student refused, she was told she would face consequences and that she shouldn't speak out against it.
Parents created a group called "Chip Free Schools," to organize opposition to this invasion of privacy.
http://www.wnd.com/2012/10/wear-radio-chip-or-leave-school-tells-students/
Another school in Maryland has students flash their palms instead of using cash to pay for lunch. A preschool in California experimented with putting a computer chip in kids' clothing.
A senior analyst at the American Civil Liberties Union expressed concerns that consequentially, children will grow up to be de-sensitized to being watched by government agencies, and, that as people become more aware they are being tracked, they become less free.
http://redtape.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/26/14705346-texas-schools-begin-tracking-students-with-computer-chips-in-id-cards?lite
“'It simply takes a picture of the iris, which is unique to every individual,” Rob Davis, the school board’s senior director of support services, wrote home to parents in a letter dated May 23. “With this program, we will be able to identify when and where a student gets on the bus, when they arrive at their school location, when and what bus the student boards and disembarks in the afternoon. This is an effort to further enhance the safety of our students.The EyeSwipe-Nano is an ideal replacement for the card based system since your child will not have to be responsible for carrying an identification card,” he added." The letter to parents offering an opt-out of the program went out on May 24, but the program began on May 20, and by the 24th, the scanning had been done.
http://www.infowars.com/schools-scanned-students-irises-without-permission/
Recently, two schools in Texas have begun tracking students with the use of computer chips embedded in their ID cards. This allows administrators to know where the students are; the classroom, the bathroom, the stairwells, or not in school at all. Students were told they needed to comply or face expulsion. When one student refused, she was told she would face consequences and that she shouldn't speak out against it.
Parents created a group called "Chip Free Schools," to organize opposition to this invasion of privacy.
http://www.wnd.com/2012/10/wear-radio-chip-or-leave-school-tells-students/
Another school in Maryland has students flash their palms instead of using cash to pay for lunch. A preschool in California experimented with putting a computer chip in kids' clothing.
A senior analyst at the American Civil Liberties Union expressed concerns that consequentially, children will grow up to be de-sensitized to being watched by government agencies, and, that as people become more aware they are being tracked, they become less free.
http://redtape.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/26/14705346-texas-schools-begin-tracking-students-with-computer-chips-in-id-cards?lite
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