• BREAKING: Coach Sood stepping down as head men's basketball coach
  • Hawks open season in their new Nest
  • OSCARS: Lily Gladstone's nomination celebrated at huge viewing party
  • Hawks WIN! Terrace 65, Garfield 54 for 4th place in 3A WIAA
The student news site of Mountlake Terrace High School in Mountlake Terrace, Washington.

The Hawkeye

The student news site of Mountlake Terrace High School in Mountlake Terrace, Washington.

The Hawkeye

The student news site of Mountlake Terrace High School in Mountlake Terrace, Washington.

The Hawkeye

Hawkeye/HSM Fundraisers
Get the App
BUY HAWK PHOTOS
Digital Print Edition
The Hawkeye February 2024 issue
1st Amendment Award School
FAPFA award school

Personal accounts may be removed from Chromebooks

What would it be like if you could only use your official school Google account on your district-issued Chromebook?

Students may soon find out, although the district’s IT department has delayed the move to bar personal accounts following strong reactions since the plan was announced.

An email was sent out to all students and in the Edmonds School District (ESD) on Monday, Dec. 2, informing them that personal Google accounts would no longer be available on Chromebooks starting Friday, Dec. 13. That decision has now been delayed.

The reason behind the blocking of non-school, personal Google accounts was stated in the email from Cynthia Nelson, the Technology Director for the ESD.

We have learned that if students switch to their personal Google account when using these new Google features, we do not have the ability to manage their use. This may result in problems while using the tool or inappropriate use of district-provided equipment.

— Cynthia Nelson

“We have learned that if students switch to their personal Google account when using new Google features, we do not have the ability to manage their use,” Nelson said. “This may result in problems while using the tool or inappropriate use of district-provided equipment.”

When the email was sent out, it caused some confusion among the student body and staff. The district’s technology center was sent multiple emails from staff and students questioning this move by the ESD IT and responded with feedback on the planned changes to Chromebook account usage. Two weeks later, on the day in which the changes were scheduled to go into effect, an updated email regarding the changes for Google accounts on Chromebooks was sent to students.

The new email detailed additional plans for the account removal and postponed the removal until at least after winter break.

“We have determined that we will delay the decision to disable access to personal accounts for the time being,” Nelson wrote in the email. “It is our hope that Google will finalize their improvements to our management tools by the end of January, and that we can make a decision at that time, regarding personal accounts, based on the information that is available to us.”

Although the removal of non-district issued accounts from Chromebooks has been postponed, the Technology Department made it clear that they are committed to making all tools on Chromebooks meet educational goals.

Story continues below advertisement

“Our primary focus will be to ensure these tools will best meet the instructional needs of the district,” Nelson said in the email.

Nelson explained that Google updated its system so that Chromebooks can use Android apps. The reason that the district was going to remove personal accounts on the district computers is that students found out how to download Android apps on their computers by logging onto their personal accounts and accessing Google Play.

Students have started to add their personal accounts to their Chromebooks at school, which has led to alleged misconduct by students. The district wants to make it so that these students cannot access Google Play, but can still use certain Android apps for educational purposes. The only way to do that at the present moment would be to prohibit the use of all other Google accounts by students besides the one issued by the district, according to Nelson.

The main concern of this possible removal is that some students use their personal accounts for easier access to academic-related material. For example, many students use other Google accounts to access pictures for presentations and may have separate emails that are made for specific academic purposes, such as participation in a club, sport or activity. Also, some students’ families may rely heavily upon Chromebook, since it could be the only computer to which a family has access making it the only access to technology that families have in their household. Restrictions on personal accounts could potentially negatively affect their lifestyle, jobs and future opportunities.

Possible changes that may get rid of personal accounts on Chromebooks are being held off until the end of January. The District would like to hear back from students on this issue.

Leave a Comment
About the Contributors
Maggie O'Hara, Hawkeye Co-Editor-in-Chief
Co-Editor-in-Chief Maggie O’Hara is a senior at MTHS and is in her fourth year on staff for The Hawkeye. This year, she hopes to help others follow through on any plans or creative ideas they have, edit as much as possible to prove herself as copy editor, and keep the organization running as smoothly as possible. In her free time, Maggie enjoys drawing rats, dyeing hair, drinking coffee and other forms of caffeine, and spending time with her cat Paul. After high school, Maggie is hoping to go to college and pursue a job in either psychology or cosmetology.
Rachel Davis, Design Editor
Design Editor Rachel Davis is a senior and it is her fourth year in Hawks Student Media. Her goal, as always, is to help others learn the journalistic writing style and be confident in their work. She is also working on improving her designing skills and training the next generation to take over once she graduates. In her free time, Rachel likes to go on long walks, write in a creative journal and steal everyone's hoodies.
More to Discover
error: Content is protected !!

Comments (0)

All The Hawkeye Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *