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The Anaheim Union School District in California is assigning GPS trackers to identified gang members and potential gang members.
When I was little I remember watching a bizarre Science Fiction movie called Logan’s Run. Everyone in this futuristic dystopia had a jewel embedded in their hand. They had to turn themselves in when it turned from red to black. If they didn’t they would run for Sanctuary and be hunted by Sandmen. As strange as this movie premise sounds, that is exactly what I thought of when I read about school districts using GPS to track chronically absent students. Perhaps I am being unfair. Is this a good idea? You tell me, but obviously accountability and appropriate-use are paramount as this idea proceeds.
Chronically absent seventh and eighth graders are assigned a GPS tracking device during a six week pilot program that authorities and administrator hope will break the truancy habit. When a student is recorded as to having four unexcused absences in a year, the parents can volunteer to have a GPS tracker assigned to their child. The child will need to enter a code five times a day and successfully pass three calls from a coach in order to graduate out of the program.
The principle behind the idea is as simple as having the child in school more hours will decrease the probability of interest and activity in gang behavior and involvement. About 75 students are currently involved and the program is set to expand.
Wired Educator will keep an eye on this and hopefully be able to report some measurable results.
Wired Educator Grade: Incomplete
Wired Educator Comments: A little creepy, but something needs to be done and technology may be a start. The only gang I was interested in as a kid was the Boy Scouts, so I am not qualified to comment, however, technology can only be one ingredient of a bigger program and cannot be used alone. Give them iPads while at school and they might come every day willingly.
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