Student Suspended for Refusing to Wear RFID Tracker Loses Lawsuit

[reACTIONary]

158. A few thoughts...

My guess is that when he does and does not wear a badge is contextual and based on the what the activity and security requirements are.

At home? No. And I don't either.

At work? If I had to guess, I would say yes, but of course, I don't know. I know where I work, everyone wears their badge, even the top execs. And the security guards would stop them if they didn't.

I looked at the web site for the school for more information about this. Apparently, the purpose of the system is to make sure their attendance records are complete so they can get more funding from the state. Before this system was in place, if a student was anywhere other than home room when they take attendance at the beginning of the day the school couldn't claim the attendance for state funding because they could not verify the attendance. With the new system, if the kid walked in the front door and was id'ed, or registers anywhere in the building, he gets counted and the school gets a credit with the state. So some "tracking" capability is necessary, since it is an attendance system, not an access control system.

Some news sites say the school (or the district, I don't know which) thinks they can get two million more state dollars per year. This is a pilot program at two schools to see if it will actually perform.

Personally, I think its important for the district to get this money.