The New York State Education Department has informed us that NYS schools are required to make some changes to the way students use Google services. These changes are being made because of the constraints of NYS EdLaw 2-d as well as Google’s inability to provide the required Data Privacy Agreement (DPA) for its Additional Services.
What does this mean for students?
Google Core Services (Gmail, Classroom, Drive, Docs, Slides, Forms, Calendar, Sheets, etc.) are unaffected. Both students and teachers can continue using these services as they are currently.
Google Additional Services (YouTube, Translate, Earth, Photos, etc.) will be disabled for students on March 1st. This means that students will not be able to access these services with their Chatham CSD Google accounts.
Teachers will still be able to embed YouTube videos in Google Classroom and in other educational apps for viewing by students.
Also, please be assured that our staff is prepared with alternative ways of using Google Translate and translation services built into some Google Core apps.
While these changes may seem significant, we believe they will have minimal impact on student learning. We appreciate your understanding and flexibility as we implement these necessary changes to comply with Ed Law 2-d and prioritize student safety and privacy.
Mike Olson
Director of Technology
Chatham Central School District