Liberty’s hallways look the same, but the way students move through them has changed. This year’s introduction of Securly, a digital hall pass system, has brought both approval and unease from teachers and students alike.
As students wait for a green light to allow them to use the restroom, some can’t help but ask: when did a basic human need become something to monitor?
Reactions among students have been mixed; however, teachers say there is more to the story. Many teachers see Securly as a step towards accountability.
“ I felt hygiene for the old passes was a big problem,” DECA teacher Chris Gapinski said. “Also, when students would go to the bathroom, they’d be gone for extended periods of time–10,15, 20 minutes. Passes would then get lost.”
Gapinski believes that the new Securly system has smoothed out many of the old system’s wrinkles, replacing chaos with a sense of order.
“As I walk down the hallway, I don’t see crowds or groups of students anymore,” Gapinski said. “It’s been a positive thing, and it keeps the students overall accountable.”
Band teacher Jared Tanner shares a similar perspective, though not without some reservations.
“I feel bad for liking Securly so much because teenage me would’ve hated it,” Tanner said. “However, kids are just staying in class way more than what I used to see.”
Though Tanner supports Securly, he can’t ignore the irony of implementing Securly the same year that Liberty began locking up phones in cell phone hotels.
“The hypocrisy of us trying to be more analog in a lot of ways and then using a non-analog hall pass system is not lost on me,” Tanner said. “But I’m all for it. I love technology.”
Meanwhile, history teacher Steve Darnell reflected on his own change of heart.
“Well, I gotta tell you, I was a critic,” Darnell said. “When they were introducing this thing, I thought my system was trying to treat them like mature adults. But I think it’s okay. I think it’s been working pretty good.”
At the start of the year, several teachers complained that individually approving each students’ pass request was inconvenient. Now, many teachers have found use in the auto pass feature of Securly, in which teachers no longer need to consistently monitor Securly for a pass to be approved.
“The nice thing about Securly with auto pass is that the students are empowered, and it gives them clear feedback. Green for go, and red likely means that they’ve exceeded their number of weekly passes,” Darnell said.
The hard truth is that Liberty staff want to keep students in class, not in restroom stalls. Whether students and teachers like it or not, the Securly pass system is here to stay. Liberty classrooms will continue to adjust to this system as it navigates the space between privacy, accountability and autonomy.
Principal Brownson’s top 3 reasons why he believes Securly is good for Liberty:
- Safety: “Securly allows us to set who is allowed to be out in the hall together. This prevents students who may be in conflict with one another from accidentally or intentionally meeting up during class time.”
- Hygiene: “The old physical lanyards often got lost and were unsanitary.”
- Classroom Engagement: “ When students are out of class, we know that learning isn’t happening. Time out of class adds up over time and leads to an overall lack of engagement. Securly helps to limit the amount of hallway wandering, which keeps students more engaged in class.”