Bill Would Allow Student Fingerprint Scanning

[IA_Seth]

Bill would allow student fingerprint scanning

http://www.gazetteonline.com/2006/01/10/Home/fingerprinting.htm


DES MOINES, IA - A bill that would allow schools to use fingerprint scanners has been introduced in the Legislature.

Sen. Tom Courtney, D-Burlington, introduced the bill on Monday to lift a ban on such technology from being used.

Iowa schools using fingerprint scanners to track students has been stymied by a state law that went into effect July 1. The law bans fingerprinting of children with some exceptions, such as criminal investigations.

(snip)

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What do y'all think of this?

It sounds convenient, however I don't know how we can required fingerprints of all students in our public school system. I hate to sound like the Repub quoted in the article, but it does seem to be a slippery slope.

[Cairycat]

1. It's WAY more convenient for students and parents

Here in Cedar Falls, the district had fingerprint scanning - it was wonderful because you didn't have to fork over $5 if your kid lost his or her lunch card.

Wouldn't it be possible for districts to do a combination - fingerprint scanners but also bar code readers (or whatever) for those who don't want their child fingerprinted?

Interesting that it's proposed by a Dem and opposed by the Rethugs.

[Debi]

2. What schools in CF use this? My son is in the High School and we

still have the AccuScan cards.

[Cairycat]

10. Cedar Falls used biometrics, not fingerprints

and not at the high school - however, it was used at Holmes.

Whatever the outcome of the proposal in the legislature, the Cedar Falls school district won't be using any similar program, at least not right away, since they invested in a whole new lunch tracking system in 2004.

I also learned that the system used at Holmes did not use fingerprints but rather biometrics (finger measurements). I don't know if that makes much of a difference to those who see non-card based systems as an invasion of privacy.

My children's footprints are all on record, records held by the state I assume, since they were all born at a hospital and were "footprinted" shortly after birth. Couldn't those records be used to track them?

This is something to contemplate, especially for those whose children will not have directory information available outside the school (in denying military recruiters access, my understanding is that non-school personnel won't have access to their directory information).

[Debi]

12. KWWL had something featuring Holmes Jr. High last night

I guess whatever works, but Dave Welter's explanation that Admins. are writing 30-40 passes a week for kids who lost their AccuScan cards and parents are having to replace them is bunk if you ask me. These kids are between the ages of 12-15. They'd better learn how to keep track of their student ID's (my son still has all of his AccuScan cards, from 7-10th grades and never lost it - not once). If the school district is using fingerprints or biometrics in lieu of making kids act responsibly about keeping track of their personal property that's just silly. If they're using it to save money or slim-down the system for them, fine.

My son has a medical history 6 volumes long in Iowa City, I've signed waivers for just about everyone and their second cousin to retrieve or share information on him. I'm not to upset about the desire to fingerprint him. But I'm willing to support others feelings toward their privacy rights.

[IA_Seth]

3. Convenience

I guess I am of mixed emotions here.

Yeah, it sounds very convenient. A fingerprint reader in every classroom would make attendance quick. It would speed up the lunch lines. It would provide an "inventory" of the children at any one time, helpful in disaster-type situations. There are probably 10 more things I am not thinking of.

But do we want a public school to compile fingerprints of all kids? This just seems to lead down the road to RFIDs embedded in everyone to make everything else in life more "convenient".

I think it comes close, if not dead on, to infringing on privacy.

[pstans]

4. Keep the lunch cards and use the money to fund education

not some fancy schmancy technology.

Buy some computers, new textbooks (the 4th grade classroom I student taught in last semester had science textbooks from 1990, the year I was in 4th grade.), better teacher pay, funding preschool programs, providing college courses to high achieving high school students, lower tuition at the state universities and Community Colleges, or fund after-school activities so children don't have to go home to an empty house for hours after school.

[MaggieSwanson]

5. Um, no f*cking way

would I allow a school to fingerprint my child.

They can take their proposed fingerprint scanners, bundle them up with the Pentagon's database of students 14 years and older, and shove it.

I'm disgruntled, to say the least, that a Dem would even dream of proposing such nonsense.

Pstans said it much more kindly in the post above; our money would be far better spent, and our children far better served, by using any discretionary budget money on educational basics such as more current textbooks and teacher pay.

[CornField]

6. I would return to homeschooling before I would allow this

First, what a waste of money!

Second, the possible assaults to privacy are unimaginable.

[pstans]

7. Welcome to Iowa...the true meaning of a Police State

[terryg11]

8. invasion of privacy?

even if th fingerprint files never leave the school?

REad the posts but just doesn't get me either way.

[IA_Seth]

9. One thing you may be missing...

Your assumption that the fingerprints would never leave the school is probably assuming too much regard is given to your privacy.

Right now the govt compiles lists of students to use for potential drafts, recruiting efforts, etc.

What would stop them, once this was allowed, to add fingerprints to said database. It sure would make 'draft-dodging' a lot harder. Once we have the kids used to being identified by their fingerprints, how far of a stretch is it to get us ALL fingerprinted? It would make traffic stops pretty quick, right?

Convenience doesn't always lead to good things.

[terryg11]

13. I'm not necessarily for it...

but all the points you just raised about compiling lists for drafts and such, it's being done w/o fingerprints. How would draft dodging be any harder just because they have your fingerprints which by the way, if you are born in a hospital are already on file no? They don't change as you get older. Once your in said database, your in it.

[IA_Seth]

14. Fingerprints

Well I can't speak for all people escaping a draft, but I personally would probably change my identity should I have to do so. My fingerprints being in a database probably wouldn't make that quite as easy.

That was actually just a side point. I guess I personally have my fingerprints on file with the govt anyway, so it wouldn't affect me, but it seems to be an invasion of privacy to requre fingerprinting of students.

In regards to hospitals, at least to my knowledge, the only thing done is a footprint. Fingerprints are done only in case of criminal activity, registering for a PI/Security license, etc.

On edit: I keep forgetting...welcome to the Iowa forum! I appreciate your stepping in and posting, its always good to see new perspectives around here!

[Debi]

15. I hope it's cuz your folks put your prints into one of those

Childfind programs or McGruff ID kits.

I guess I personally have my fingerprints on file with the govt anyway, so it wouldn't affect me

Why else would your prints be on file....:think: Hehehehehe

[IA_Seth]

16. Lol..

Now now...you know what you get when you assume.

I haven't had the luxury of being "processed" by our finest boys in blue, I actually have my prints on file because of a past job. I had to be licensed as a Private Investigator.

Of all the not-so-legal things I have done in my past, I am lucky enough to never have had any of it bite me in the butt!!

[Debi]

17. Me.....???? ASSume??????

O8)

[pstans]

11. Why not just put in chip in all children?

so we can monitor the actions of all students all the time by simply logging onto a computer. Hey, it could even give doses of ritalin and other drugs when a child needs them. We could even program these chips to transfer important information like how to read and how to do math to children and rid ourselves of schools altogether.