In case you haven't heard, Philadelphia parents are in an uproar because Harriton High School officials have been accused of using school-issued laptops to monitor kids in the privacy of their homes. Momlogic sat down with a parent of a Harriton student to get his take on the developing story.

Paul Halpern: My 15-year-old son, Tom, is a sophomore at Harriton and I have a senior at Lower Merion -- the other high school in the district. I found out after someone e-mailed me a news story yesterday afternoon. My mind was boggled by the lack of sense shown by the administration. The complaint was filed, and since it's a public document, I have heard that someone posted it on Wikipedia and it made its way to other news sites. [As of] late yesterday evening, I had no idea what the school would say about this -- until they posted their response on their website. I knew the school gave the students laptops, as I have two of them in my home. I learned [via Wikipedia that] the complaint alleges that a student was confronted with a photo of his misbehavior -- which was taken of him at home [via] his laptop.

ml: How did you feel knowing these computers could potentially show what's going on in the privacy of your own home?

PH: I think it's pretty inappropriate, and I consider it an invasion of privacy. I believe schools teach a lot in how they organize themselves and in what they do as institutions. To have disregarded people's rights like that seemed to be teaching a really bad message about what our civil institutions are doing, could be doing and should be doing. I am not personally or emotionally connected with my privacy. I don't have a personal feeling of invasion, but I do have a real disappointment [in] the school district. Our school district is among the best in the country, and I have personally done work to support [Harriton High] and take it from being one of the best to being the best. This kind of administrative decision doesn't go with that. It doesn't go with the reputation we have, the quality we strive for or the results we deliver.

ml: How did your son's statement make its way across the media?

PH: There were reporters hanging around at the end of the school [day] and my son is outspoken with strong opinions. He said it really well, and I was really impressed with what he said. It is a long trip from teaching "1984" to implementing it. He used the word "bogus." I hate to use that word, but I can't argue with it.

ml: As a parent, what is your message to other moms and dads who are following this news story?

PH: It's tough to run a school and bring up kids. It's a tough trade-off when you're dealing with teenagers. In this case, the school district, administration or whoever created this policy just made some really poor decisions. There were so many things they could have done better. If they wanted theft-tracking software, there are cheaper alternatives. If they wanted to use this camera function, they could have disclosed it. I am sympathetic as a parent; we make decisions all the time and we need to think about the consequences. As we rush into the 21st century, surveillance and privacy issues have raised all kinds of questions. When people in power make mistakes like this, it moves the debate forward.

How would YOU feel if your kid's school was accused of spying?