Category Archives: Hillsborough Schools

Part II. The Quiet Culling of Children’s Classics: Are Public School Librarians the Real “Book Banners”?

Posted on October 3, 2022 by Harmonica

Asking questions, listening to my kids, and trusting my instincts: this was how I discovered what was going on in libraries. In 2017 my children were coming home with very poor quality literature. They could read one of these “books” … Continue reading →

Posted in Hillsborough Schools, Kids Books, Public Schools, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

The ALA’s Dedication to Transforming Public School Libraries

Posted on May 9, 2022 by Harmonica

Let’s take a peek into the American Library Association (ALA) and a few of its’ divisions that appear to be executing an end run around parents and restrictions intended to comply with laws protecting children from CRT, obscene, and age-inappropriate … Continue reading →

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Surveillance and EdTech Tyranny

Posted on November 18, 2021 by Harmonica

The public comments below were delivered at the Hillsborough County School Board Meeting on November 16, 2021: Privacy is a human right and essential to freedom.  Today you propose a $2.5M contract for a Camera and Access Control system.  These … Continue reading →

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Hillsborough Schools Blocks Girls’ Shot at Basketball

Posted on November 10, 2021 by Harmonica

The public comments below were delivered at the Hillsborough County School Board Meeting on November 2, 2021: Privacy is a human right and essential to freedom. BigTech snoops in your personal matters in ways you are unaware. But you are … Continue reading →

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Congratulations Hillsborough Schools: Your Skills in Stonewalling Parents are Superb!

Posted on July 26, 2020 by Harmonica

My jaw dropped when I came across School Board Member Cindy Stuart’s comments from the July 30, 2019 Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) board meeting.  Given what I know from years of research on student data security, her comment swirled … Continue reading →

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Who Holds Florida School Districts Accountable?

Posted on June 5, 2020 by Harmonica

On May 12 Boca News Now reported that a second grader hacked Palm Beach County School District’s student password system.  This isn’t the first time a Florida school system has had problems with security.  In 2018 Florida Virtual Schools “left the … Continue reading →

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Was Angelina Jolie Elected To Hillsborough County School Board?

Posted on April 27, 2019 by Harmonica

A Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) website posted a picture of Jolie as one of its school board members!  Maybe we can get an autograph if we attend a school board meeting! Is this a joke? Was the website hacked? … Continue reading →

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Teachers, Parents, Countrymen: How Much of Your Personal Data Does the School District Share?

Posted on February 23, 2019 by Harmonica

I wondered how much data Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) shares. What I found was the below excerpt in an agreement that HCPS has with a third party. The document was obtained through a public records request. “Recipient” is a … Continue reading →

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Hillsborough County Schools: Why Are Buses Still Late?

Posted on September 27, 2018 by Harmonica

This year reports of late buses began the first week of school: frustrated, upset, and expect late buses.  Now some parents are fed up with continued problems of late or no-show buses into the seventh week of school, according to … Continue reading →

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FBI Alert Encourages Increased Awareness of Student Data Collection and Cybersecurity Risks: Hillsborough Schools – Let’s Talk About It

Posted on September 25, 2018 by Harmonica

On September 13, 2018 the FBI released a public service announcement (PSA) and noted: US school systems’ rapid growth of education technologies (EdTech) and widespread collection of student data could have privacy and safety implications if compromised or exploited. The … Continue reading →

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