SNO serves as a cornerstone for our school newspapers, enabling us to efficiently manage, create, and publish news content and media. As student-journalists invested in the landscape of journalism within Chicago Public Schools (CPS), we aim to emphasize the significant loss that we, along with many other students across the city, are experiencing due to the restriction of our publishing platform, SNO. This vital tool has nurtured budding student journalists and creators, offering a platform for practical learning and real-world application within our classroom.
The Student Online Personal Protection Act (SOPPA) was designed to protect student data. Still, its broad restrictions have inadvertently stifled educational innovation and access to critical educational resources, such as SNO.
Ms. Katie Fernandez, Senior Project Coordinator, Teach for Chicago Journalism Medill School—Northwestern University, and an advisor for high school journalism teachers, makes the case that “SNO has gone above and beyond to meet CPS’s requirements including securing additional insurance, which no other school district in Illinois has asked them for.” This publishing platform does more than just help student journalists. SNO fosters responsibility, creativity, and skill-building necessary for students pursuing careers not just in media and journalism, but all career paths.
Given the importance of preparing students for future careers in an increasingly digital world, CPS must reassess SNO as a tool students can use under SOPPA restrictions to allow CPS schools access to the publishing platform. This can be achieved while ensuring student data privacy is upheld.
