Minnesota Legendary Reporter Jim Ragsdale and the Future of Digitized Education in America

In 2013 reporter Jim Ragsdale brought to light our Minnesota legislative auditor’s report on data collection and very questionable security for our state’s schools via the Minnesota Department of Education.   Recently Mr. Ragsdale passed away, but not without remembrance of his courage to report hard news.

“In Minnesota, a legislative auditor discovered that the state department of education’s computer systems ‘lacked adequate internal controls and comprehensive security plans’ and that department employees ‘had failed to document where private (student) data was held or the internal controls needed to secure it.’ The federal government having access, via these interconnected longitudinal data systems, to so much data about our kids is frightening. And it’s not just academic information that’s at stake.”

Anne Taylor asks why more journalists are not covering this and related stories.  Read on to learn what educational topics would be of definite interests to parents and citizens if covered by local journalists.

A Minnesota Legend and the Future of Digitized Education in America (2)