The new GoGuardian addition, coming to grades three through 12 this September, has sparked controversy among students and teachers at Montclair High School.

In September, the Montclair school district will implement GoGuardian in these classes. GoGuardian is a software company founded in 2015 and based in Los Angeles.  The software incorporates website filtering, classroom management, and student safety monitoring features. Schools across the United States use GoGuardian to help manage classrooms and students.

In 2021, there was talk of GoGuardian being incorporated in the Montclair Public School System. It was immediately shut down by staff, students, and parents who protested and petitioned against GoGuardian. Parents were nervous that private information, like passwords, documents, and things a family wanted to keep private, could get swept up by GoGuardian on a family computer. Other parents favored the idea and believed that GoGuardian would be beneficial to learning and the school. 

Starting in September of the 2025-26 school year, Montclair is implementing the GoGuardian software on all computers, including personal computers. On Jan. 22, the district had a committee meeting where Christopher Graber, the director of technology for Montclair Public Schools, looked over the data of a survey completed by 155 faculty members, and most of the faculty members decided it would be best for GoGuardian to be part of the school system.

“Overall, the teachers believe that GoGuardian would be a useful tool to manage students during classroom digital tasks for instruction and independent work time,” the committee report, presented at the Jan. 22 school board, stated.

Many people believe that advancements could benefit learning and focus in class, Graber said in the report. It would make sure students are always doing their work, and it could even boost grades if the students’ attention span and focus are going up.

MHS science teacher Rania Hassan said she believes GoGuardian might help students stay on-task and keep them away from unreliable sources. 

“They’ll definitely help reduce distractions and keep everyone focused on what they’re supposed to be doing,” Hassan said.. “They also give teachers a better way to make sure students are safe and use technology the right way.”

Teachers believe GoGuardian can help their schools and improve student learning.  Although students can be responsible with technology, it also helps to have a teacher monitoring and making sure there are no distractions in front of students.

Natalie Chu, a ninth-grader at Montclair High School, stated, “GoGuardian could affect the relationship between students and teachers due to students losing trust in their teachers. Especially if the teachers are given that kind of power,” Natalie Chu, a ninth-grader, said

Although GoGuardian could reduce distractions, it could also affect how much students trust their teachers. If students are constantly on edge, wondering if their teacher is watching them, it could give students heightened anxiety in schools. It may also affect the bonding between students and teachers, which is important for students so they can have fun when they are learning. Students also want to maintain their privacy, especially if they have a personal computer or laptop and they feel uncomfortable having an intrusive software like GoGuardian on their personal computers.

“GoGuardian only looks at what’s happening on school devices and only while students are at school. The school also has to follow privacy laws that make sure everyone’s information is safe. School devices should only be used for academic purposes. A student has full privacy when using their own device but should not be using the school device for non-academic purposes,” Hassan said.

Teachers believe students should feel soothed by the rules and privacy laws set. Although there are so many rules and laws protecting students, they still might not feel comfortable.

“I don’t know if our privacy can stay protected, Chu said. “As someone who brings a personal laptop to school, I can’t be 100% sure if GoGuardian can keep all my information private and safe.” 

In 2021, many students and teachers petitioned against the idea of GoGuardian, students are wondering if parents will try to petition again this year once the news starts to spread. Parents have received an email from the school talking about the pros and cons of GoGuardian. Although the parents have been notified, the news of GoGuardian hasn’t really come out and been talked about just yet.

When more parents start to talk about the new installment, some parents may start to believe it is invasive, especially the parents of students with personal computers. Once the news of GoGuardian starts circulating more, there could be push-back from students and parents who are concerned about their privacy. 

“These policies will definitely get push-back because parents and students will be worried about how much personal information they can keep private, they may also be worried about intrusive softwares like GoGuardian stealing data from their children”  Chu maintained.

Although there is a chance parents will push-back, the teachers think they will be able to handle it by explaining the software to parents. Teachers believe that once the software has been used parents and students will get used to it and forget that it was even there.

“There might be questions at first, but I think if everyone understands how it works and how it helps students stay focused and safe. People will see it as a positive change,” Hassan said.