CPS students who have used a laptop during the 2023-24 school year may have noticed an increase in restrictions, including research and gaming websites, along with access to personal Google accounts.
These restrictions are due to the addition of a new web filter. Filtering restricts access to certain websites that are inappropriate or are in violation of district policies, specifically technology usage policies.
Many students are upset with these new restrictions, as they inflict on their ability to use their laptops for school-related purposes. Sophomore Elizabeth Reissing said that the new limitations imposed on her ability to study for a class.
“I personally believe that schools should only be restricting sexually obscene material or anything that can be harmful to minors,” Reissing said. “[However,] some websites I used to study for World Studies were restricted.”
Furthermore, it wasn’t just restrictions that were placed — an entirely new web filter (ContentKeeper) was added. CPS Director of Technology Services Tonya Ellis, said that the new web filter is more advanced than the previous one.
“In July, the district web filter was switched from iBoss to ContentKeeper. ContentKeeper has a more advanced Virtual Private Network and allows for more filtering options,” Ellis said, “The goal was to better protect our network, digital assets and users, regardless of their device, location or connection.”
Although this switch may be frustrating for some students, RBHS Media Specialist Donny Silver said the objective of implementing the new filter was not to limit access to websites.
“There was a change in a filter that needed to be updated for websites and things that had been previously available,” Silver said. “They were not intentionally blocked, [but] the new filter had to pick up on other sites.”
While some of the restrictions weren’t purposefully enforced by CPS, accessing a personal Google account was. According to CPS Technology Support Analyst Jeremy Young, the ability to access a personal Google account on a school laptop was removed to block loopholes that students were finding.
“There were inadequacies with the old filter — [it was] more compliant with the new digital laws,” Young said. “Removing the ability to access a personal account was intentional, [as] it blocks students’ ability to bypass [these new] filters.”
Because some restrictions weren’t intentional, it is possible for a website to be reviewed, so students can access it again, Chief Communications Officer Michelle Baumstark said.
“Technology Services has a process in place that allows teachers, building administrators and other employees to request sites be reviewed by Technology Services,” Baumstark said, “To determine if they fall within what is allowed under board policies and filtering requirements.”
Silver said actions have already been made to make certain websites accessible to students, for schoolwork. Silver and other media specialists in the media center can listen to requests for a website to be unblocked for educational purposes.
“We didn’t know what websites were blocked until students started using them,” Silver said. “We had to submit a work order so that some educational websites could be allowed again.”
What do you think about the new web filter? Let us know in the comments.
