Mike Miles to Mandate SmartPass Usage Inside And Outside School

HISD Superintendent Mike Miles recently stated in a new video on the HISD YouTube channel that he plans to mandate that students' movements are regulated by SmartPass outside schools, not just inside them.

SmartPass is a relatively new technology that tracks every time students leave their classroom, whether it be for water, the bathroom, or vaping. Students simply use the website to select where they are going, what classroom they're currently in, and how long it will take. A teacher must then approve the break. Students are limited to a maximum of two virtual "passes" per day.

The technology has garnered accolades from school staff and administrators who have been looking for a solution to students skipping class. Critics have argued that it "feels like surveillance," and many students have complained about their lack of ability to use restrooms if they have already used two passes in one day. Despite this, the majority of teachers and administrators have made it clear that the benefits outweigh the consequences.

Citing a "great success for the regime," Miles outlined the need for mandating SmartPass usage for students at home as well as at school. "Think about it," he postulated. "Our students' learning doesn't end when they leave school at the end of the day. We've seen that SmartPass has been a great success at increasing learning in schools, so to stop there would be akin to giving up on our students."

Once this new mandate goes into effect on November 2nd, students will be required to sign into SmartPass, select a destination location, the amount of time they need, and wait for an approval from a teacher if they want to leave the house. They will have a maximum of one "pass" on weekdays and two on Saturday and Sunday.

Despite criticism from students and teachers, Superintendent Miles has doubled down on his position in a new statement on HISD's Tumblr account: "Many students don't want to learn. How you face that fact is one of the most important parts of being an educator. No matter what their priorities are now, these students will regret it if they don't learn now, so I consider it my duty to make them learn. In other words, it's my number one priority to make education their number one priority, always."

At press time, Superintendent Miles had reposted his aformentioned post with the tags "#long live hisd," "#long live the regime," "#tumblr," and "#tumblrgirl."