School Districts Should Not Be in the Business of Intelligence Collection

Presented at A New HOPE (2022), July 24, 2022, 2 p.m. (50 minutes).

Why in the world would a school board need to collect intelligence on parents, students, and the public to evaluate if they are a threat, including to a school district's "brand?" Such data collection is reminiscent of intelligence-community abuses exposed in the 1970s during hearings of the Senate's Church Committee.

In the name of "safety," Fairfax County Public Schools, located in the spy capital of the world, is seeking to acquire a covert intelligence capability without oversight. Last November 11th, Fairfax County Public Schools published "Informal RFP3100000481" for "software to expand the FCPS social media research program, to allegedly detect or deter any negative actions or consequences from social media which may be directed to racial groups or any other student or teacher within FCPS." Fairfax, Virginia is not unique. Other school districts across the country are seeking to develop this capability. This talk will explain why parents, students, and the community should be aware.


Presenters:

  • Harry Jackson
    **Harry Jackson****(@HarryJ4Justice)** is a parent advocate who has over 15 years of federal government experience, is an assistant professor at National Intelligence University, and is an adjunct professor at numerous universities. Harry has been a volunteer in his children's schools for the past decade. He served as a member of the Thomas Jefferson High School PTSA Diversity Committee and established key partnerships and initiatives to improve diversity.

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