Students unplugged

“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishment toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.” -Andrew Carnegie

As the test glides from the teacher’s hand onto the desk in front of him he freezes, barely able to glance at the writing in red at the top of the page. These red numbers mark the newest in a series of impacts on his grade. The tunnel vision starts as he reaches for his phone to pull up the StudentVUE app. However, the only thing he sees are pop ups telling him that he isn’t connected to the server; the tunnel gets smaller. Palms sweaty, he types in his password again, only to get the exact same result. “What is going on?”, he thinks to himself.

Recently, students in Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS) observed that they were blocked from accessing their grades while at school. When the city-wide WiFi restrictions changed right before winter break, restrictions were placed on all social media sites/apps, even StudentVUE.

The problem commenced when technicians from the Department of Technology (DOT) came in to start introducing a new wireless network system throughout VBCPS.

According to Mr. Pugh, the Instructional Technology Specialist, these changes created new security filters that mimic an elementary school’s. This is why StudentVUE is currently blocked on mobile devices.

The information students find on this app is vital to students who keep up with their grades and the app is convenient, not only to students, but to parents as well. When admittance to this information is denied at the very place it’s created, one could see how this could lead to problems.

There seems to be a disconnect somewhere as according to vbschools.com, one of VBCPS’s main objectives is to provide services that strengthen the bond between home, school, and the community. However, this bond is broken when students and parents alike cannot access the services promised by VBCPS to monitor and help keep said bond strong.

Apparently, the reason this issue is not yet solved is due to the lack of communication between the residential tech department and the DOT who are in control of all VBCPS schools and the technology inside of them.

To remedy this, the only thing secondary schools’ technology departments can do is sit and wait for more information from the DOT. Only when that happens can they publicly announce this new network name. According to Pugh, it is believed that they will get this information by the end of this month.

Students and teachers, for once, can agree when it comes to this issue. The sooner the school can plug back in the better. The longer it takes to get the internet back to normal, the more students will stop checking their grades at school and eventually stop checking them all together.