Sunday, October 29, 2006

Keeping Kids Safe From Online TUTORS

Joanne (see blogroll at left) has the story about New York City's severing a contract with a Texas company that provides online tutors to students--because the tutors are in India. The tutors have been fingerprinted and the fingerprints sent to the FBI for a background check, but because the Indian tutors don't have social security numbers, the FBI can't run the checks!

That's the excuse NYC is using to get out of this contract. Doesn't matter that the online communications between the tutors and the students--on the other side of the world from each other--are monitored to ensure nothing untoward occurs.

I agree with Joanne: "Perhaps it's not about protecting students from harm."

Apparently, though, the EdWonks (see blogroll at left) disagree--they're siding with the NYC folks. I left a comment on their site, suggesting why I think they might feel that way. Ed has responded.

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