Update 12/22/21: Following a report in November of a misconfiguration of Securly on our KG-1st grade iPads when used at home, the District has concluded its investigation that revealed only one device out of 1,200 iPads accessed inappropriate content. We appreciate the parent who brought this to our attention and our technology team’s fast response to resolve the problem before it became a bigger concern.

12/16/21: Elmbrook Elementary Families,

At Tuesday’s (12/14) School Board meeting a parent shared concerns about a technology filter issue that was identified and addressed on November 22, 2021. The purpose of this message is to provide some context to the concern and to remind parents of protocols in place to respond to concerns about technology access or your child’s use of technology. 

During the District’s deployment of ipad devices in late September, the Securly internet filter was not properly deployed to our Kindergarten and 1st Grade ipads for home use. Because only a small number of ipad devices were sent home during the 1st quarter, this problem was not identified until November. Additionally, this issue was isolated to only the District’s ipads and not the 6,000 chromebooks that are deployed to students in grades 2-12.

Once the issue was brought to the District’s attention, the Securly filter was deployed to all iPad devices within 4 hours. A review of all ipad devices and their browser history revealed that no Kindergarten or 1st grade student accessed inappropriate content during this period. 

This is a good opportunity to remind families of how technology is used to support student learning:

1. At KG and 1st grade especially, technology complements our curriculum. Students have access to applications that support and extend learning, but technology is seldom the primary tool used for instruction.
2. Our internet filter, Securly, should be in place at both home and school providing a consistent experience for the student.
3. Families who do not wish for a device to be sent home, can communicate their preference with their child's teacher. Some applications such as Dreambox are available on personal devices with the proper login information.
4. As we do in the classroom, we encourage families to be active monitors of their child's technology use. Even with our internet filter in place, no filter is perfect and regular reminders of appropriate technology use teach great habits to our students.

If you ever have any questions about the applications your child is using or how technology is used in our classrooms, please reach out to your classroom teacher or school Principal. 

Thank you,

Chris Thompson
Chief Strategy Officer