Category Archives: Uncategorized

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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Your Kid’s Educational Data: A Rich Target?

Posted on July 2, 2019 by Harmonica

Just before the end of the 2018-2019 school year a Tampa middle school cafeteria was bursting with parents attending a new student orientation. Rising sixth grade parents were told to use an online tool called Edsby for communicating with teachers.  … 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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Who Has Your Kid’s Data?

Posted on February 15, 2019 by Harmonica

Below is a story written by a mom in central Florida about an under-reported and growing problem in public schools.  She is sharing this story to bring attention to the lack of control parents have over protecting their children’s privacy … 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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Hillsborough Schools Operational Problems Running Rampant

Posted on September 1, 2018 by Harmonica

A new Tampa Bay Times article has shocking revelations about the state of our public school facilities.  The article summarizes the conditions and repercussions that failing AC units have had on students, classrooms, food, technology, instruments, and even band uniforms. Could anyone … Continue reading →

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HCPS Operations Keeps Missing the Bus

Posted on August 27, 2018 by Harmonica

Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) issues are stacking up: lead in the drinking water, non-functioning air conditioners, mold in schools, radon testing, late buses, and a first grader dropped 20 miles from home.  Is this because the state is underfunding … Continue reading →

Posted in HCPS Bell Schedules, Hillsborough School Board, Hillsborough Schools, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Inappropriate Content and Transparency in Public Schools

Posted on May 15, 2018 by Harmonica

How many parents have time to take note of the inroads perversion is making in public schools?  Here are a few examples from the State of Florida over the last two years. April 2018: First Coast News reported on a … Continue reading →

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