Graph courtesy of Darian Mihalakis ’27
By now, it is no secret that the implementation of Securly—a web filtering platform—has drawn intense criticism across Episcopal’s student body. However, it is not only students who have raised complaints. Securly has blocked many educational sites teachers rely on for assignments and projects, and its laggy interface has dissuaded many teachers from utilizing its core features. Still, despite these concerns, a majority of teachers still support Securly, a Scholium survey found.
Of the teachers surveyed on their overall opinions of Securly, 62.5% “approved” or “strongly approved,” 16.7% “disapproved” or “strongly disapproved,” and 20.8% had “no opinion.” The survey found broad support for a number of core Securly features, including preventing students from viewing potentially inappropriate content, of which 79.2% of teachers “strongly approved,” or “approved”; the monitoring of students’ web activities for mental health concerns, of which 79.2% of teachers also “approved,” or “strongly approved”; and allowing teachers to monitor students’ screens during class, of which 75.0% of teachers “approved,” or “strongly approved.” However, the survey, and interviews with teachers, did find that although overall opinions were favorable, opposition existed to some specific aspects of Securly.
Many faculty members, for instance, have expressed dissatisfaction with the particular categories that the software restricts. Upper School history teacher Dr. Topher Row shares, “Securly was evidently confusing Greek sculpture in art history for pornographic material…I had students tell me they weren’t able to do their homework.” Dr. Row adds: “It was a little overzealous from the outset.” When helping students, Upper School computer science teacher Matthew Davis has also encountered frequent miscategorizations within Securly’s list of blocked websites. Davis says, “I was logged into a student account recently, and I was trying to access Google Maps, and Google Maps was blocked. There’s no reason for Google Maps to be blocked on Securly.” He adds, “I don’t think it is polished in terms of things that it is blocking.”
Upper School Spanish teacher Cristina Deirmengian has run into similar obstacles. She says, “It’s a little bit complicated because through AP we have to do research, and there’s a lot of blockages going on.” However, Deirmengian’s main concern is not the blocked sites, which “the school has been very good about fixing,” but rather connectivity issues. “I cannot see [students’] computers in a lot of [classes], and I don’t know how to solve that…I can’t even use it for what is intended because not [all] of the [screens] show up,” Deirmengian remarks.
Photo courtesy of Kamau Kegler ’27
In the survey, 45.8% of teachers reported running into a situation where Securly blocked material that they “intended students to view, whether for homework or some other reason.”
Securly’s software design and performance have also raised concerns surrounding its efficiency. Davis shares his frustrations, saying, “When I go to click on a student’s computer, I have to wait and wait and wait, and then eventually it’ll pop up, but I might as well just walk over there.” Perhaps because of these technical difficulties, the survey found that just 16.7% of teachers “often” use Securly to “monitor screens during class.”
Despite this setback, Davis recognizes the potential value of the software. “I personally find it convenient to be able to see a student’s screen without walking over to them…When you’re coding, it’s very easy for something little to go wrong and derail everything, and as a student, you might not know how to fix it yourself,” he says. In his view, the ability to switch between screens with a click rather than “weaving through desks” allows him to assist students more efficiently. “If one kid on one side of the room has a question and the kid on the other side of the room has a question, I [have to] do lots of walking; but if they could just raise their hand, and like pop, pop, pop, pop, I could switch from one screen to another, that would be convenient because it makes life easier for my students, which is what I want,” Davis explains.
Beyond technical difficulties, certain faculty also disagree with aspects of Securly on a more fundamental level. By blocklisting sites intended for entertainment or gaming, Securly potentially limits the opportunities available for students to learn critical time management skills. Davis says, “I want the students to take responsibility,” believing that “at some point, we have to let kids make mistakes and make poor life decisions. If you want to sit in the back and play Flappy Bird, that’s not my problem. That’s your problem.” Upper school math teacher Dr. Thomas Goebeler adds, “My attitude is that the best thing I can do is set an example of someone who makes use of time wisely by working. Once I get everyone quiet and settled and any makeup tests going, I ask for quiet so that those who are interested in working can work, and then I demonstrate the same thing by also working. If a student chooses to use that time poorly, I feel like that’s their business…I’m giving students some freedom to make choices.”
Looking ahead to the future, many teachers still remain optimistic about software’s potential applications. Davis says, “I am pro something that could help me help students. I want Securly, or this type of software, so that I can quickly give kids feedback, and I don’t have to waste time weaving through desks to get to some kid.”
Still, Securly’s current effectiveness continues to be a topic of debate among faculty and students, as miscategorizations of websites and excessive loading times drastically restrict its functionality. As technology continues to become an increasingly important part of education, discussions between administrators, teachers, and students concerning the balance between protection and freedom will become all the more consequential for the future of EA’s academic environment.