Pearson unveils high-end messaging system

Chris Eustace # 3

Comment online since November 22nd 2009

STOP : this is # 3, please go to the bottom first

At the Lester B.Pearson School Board (webcast) meeting of October 26, 2009, chair Marcus Tabachnick said that the renewal of the contract of the messaging system will be decided at either the November 23 or December 14 Executive Committee meeting (which are not webcast and there is no specific time when they start).

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This is from the October 2009 edition of the 'PEARSON NEWS" - 'from the Chairman of the Board':

COMMUNITY MESSAGING SYSTEM

It has been almost a year since the Board installed its Blackboard-Connect community messaging system. The project has been an unqualified success, with all schools and centres taking advantage of this leading-edge technology. In fact, several other school boards are preparing to follow us in introducing the same or similar systems.

As the schools are becoming more proficient in the use of the system and we are noticing an increase in the use of the not only the outreach feature, but also local surveys, targeted messages, and attendance tracking.So far this year almost 250 messages have been sent using the messaging system. One of the features that attracted us to this system is the ease with which messages can be tailored to be board-wide, community specific,school-specific, class-specific, team or group-specific, or even student specific. An additional positive feature for schools has been the savings realized in that they do not have to produce as many paper notices.This is, and will be, seen in real dollar savings at the school level.

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From the approved minutes of the Secondary Schools Parents' Committee - Feb.19, 2009:

7.4 Parental Concerns about ‘Connect-Ed’:

" Although all parents agreed that the Board definitely needed a better method of communication in the case of emergencies, they were just wondering why the necessary and required step of attaining prior permission from parents (to send their personal information to the US), was skipped.
R. Murphy mentioned that she would get more information on this and report back to us."

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So there you have it. Parents ask commissioners, why didn't you ask us permission? Commissioners respond: we'll find out. (4 commissioners were present) I do not know if parents ever got an answer. I know I did not.

Anyway, as a citizen,(who had asked questions about this at webcast Council meetings) I filed a complaint with the 'Commission d'accés à l'information du Québec. The following is the complaint. It is self explanatory but I wish to make something clear. This is not a matter of the merits of the messaging system but a matter of RESPECT and SCHOOL-BOARD DEMOCRACY - among other things. (I did ask CIA if I could make this public - no problem)

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March 30, 2009


M. Rémi Poliquin


1925 avenue Brookdale

Dorval, Québec

H9P 2Y7
Hand Delivered at LBPSB Council meeting - March 30, 2009




Copy: Remy Normand, Commission d’accès à l’information du Québec

Cai.communications@cai.gouv.qc.ca



I am writing to you as the person at the Lester B. Pearson School Board who is responsible for the protection of personal information.


The matter concerns the messaging system contract the Board has entered with United States based Blackboard Connect - Connect-Ed. In order to provide the messaging services, personal contact information was transferred to the United States. This transfer of data has fundamental implications on individual liberties and privacy.


The Board should have:

- informed the parents that the data was going to be transferred to the US and that this personal information may be made available to the US government or its agencies;

- asked for expressed consent to transfer personal information to the US;

- established a clear opt out mechanism for those not wishing to have their personal information transferred to the US.


According to the ‘Report from the Chairman of the Board’, in the February ‘Pearson News’ issue, on February 11, 2009, the Board sent an announcement via telephone to over 23,000 households concerning the system. In the Report is an explanation by the Chair Marcus Tabachnick concerning security and privacy matters. It also includes information and an opinion, submitted on Feb.18th, prepared by an independent legal counsel “on a mandate from Connect Ed as requested by the Lester B. Pearson School Board.”


Also listed are the security protocols to protect the information. Yet, this is the same company that posts the following, on their web site's “privacy policy” section:


Unfortunately, no data transmission over the Internet or any wireless network can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. As a result, while we strive to protect Client Data, you acknowledge that:


(a) there are security and privacy limitations of the Internet which are beyond our control;

(b) the security, integrity and privacy of any and all information and data exchanged between you and us through the Blackboard Website cannot be guaranteed; and

(c) any such information and data may be viewed or tampered with in transit by a third party.
On the technical front, this is troubling but on the societal front, this has much wider ranging implications. This concern revolves around the fact that data submitted by the Board to the US, now falls under the jurisdiction of the Patriot Act. This Act has deep ramifications on our sovereignty with its sweeping search and surveillance features that do not exist in Canada. The Act facilitates the ability of the US law enforcement authorities to search databases containing personal information while at the same time requiring the organizations holding the database, to keep the disclosure a secret; a level and type of privacy invasion unseen in Canada.


The protection of private information is of paramount importance for public institutions. The equivalent protection accorded to personal information residing in the US on Canadian citizens is doubtful. It is with this spirit I am writing you to find out the following:


Did the Board submit to the Commission d’accès à l’information du Québec (CAI), a request for an opinion that it was OK to send personal information to the USA without the consent of parents?


If so, when did the board request to the CAI for an opinion?


Finally, when was this opinion given by the CAI?


Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter.




(Signed)



Chris Eustace


13445 Purcell

Pierrefonds, QC

H8Z 3H9


514 620-0726


Email: ceustace@videotron.ca

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Chris Eustace # 2

Comment online since November 22nd 2009

OK. The test failed. It is a published letter to the Editor. Here is the link again which does work if you copy and paste.

http://www.westislandchronicle.com/article-256935-Letters-to-the-editor.html

This is the published letter: "Executive decisions"


Article online since October 3rd 2008, 14:31

Letter to the editor


Executive decisions

Full marks for the Lester B. Pearson School Board for being the first board in Quebec to not only broadcast live its council meetings, but also other various 'public hearings.'Chairperson Marcus Tabachnick reportedly said, “It really opens up to the public the work that we do.” This seeming willingness for openness would be good but there is a caveat. What about the executive meetings, where the key decisions are made?

Is the board planning to webcast those monthly executive committee meetings starting immediately?

There is pending government legislation, Bill 88, which calls for improved governance and democratization of boards and gives the boards the option of establishing an executive committee.

If the public cannot see the executive at work, why not just abolish it?

It has become evident to me over the years that there is a fundamental fault in the understanding, by the board, of what school board democracy means.

Meanwhile, Education Minister Michelle Courchesne’s Bill 88 calls for the modernization of school board democracy. This means more parental involvement because school boards’ past record provides little comfort that they are willing or able to present an open, democratic and accountable organization.

True democracy of school boards cannot be just a façade. To not webcast the executive committee meetings would lead to the further disintegration of elected school boards.

Chris Eustace

Pierrefonds

Chris Eustace

Comment online since November 22nd 2009

This is a test to see if the following link works. It pertains to the story above and a decision that may very well be made at an Executive Committee meeting tomorrow, Nov. 23, 2009.

The Executive Commitee meetings that "normally commence no earlier than 6:30 p.m." are not webcast.

This is not about the merits of the messaging system ; it is about RESPECT and DEMOCRACY.

http://www.westislandchronicle.com/article-256935-Letters-to-the-editor.html