Initially piloted last spring, the Cherry Hill Public School District has implemented Lightspeed Systems — an extension that allows teachers to monitor, lock and record web activity on student devices — for the 2025-2026 school year.

Automatically downloaded on every student computer, whether personal or school-issued, the software aims to minimize distractions by allowing teachers to view the screens of every student’s Google Chrome window in real time and control them from their own devices.

Eastside believes that there was an incredible lack of transparency in regard to both the initial imposition of Lightspeed and the extent of its capabilities. Students should not be monitored without their knowledge and should have been made explicitly aware of Lightspeed’s functions. In the future, Eastside believes that students and parents should be immediately informed via email or in-class statements when new policies are implemented or new systems are imposed upon them.

We asked librarian Mrs. Cynthia O’Reilly our questions about Lightspeed.

Q: When exactly was Lightspeed fully implemented?

A: It was piloted at some schools in the district last year, but Cherry Hill East was specifically not a part of [it], even though we technically had access to it then, unknowingly. In April, some found that we had access to teacher logins, but we weren’t explicitly told that it was something for us to use. We did not know officially until late August.

Q: How much are teachers able to see?

A: We have a Chrome operating system. Essentially, on school Chromebooks… we only have access to and can see the tabs a student currently has open on Chrome. As far as students with personal devices, teachers cannot see if they’re using Safari to browse. They can only see screens specifically when a student is on a Google Chrome browser and is signed into their CHCLC account.

Q: What are teachers able to do?

A: A teacher has the ability to close tabs and see the history of tabs that a student was on. The teacher can also turn off WiFi access. They can write on student screens as well.

Q: Does the Lightspeed extension only work when connected to school WiFi? Can teachers log in and see our screens at home?

A: I do not believe that anybody can see anything when you’re on a computer at home. I have [also] not heard either way whether it is just CHPS WiFi specific data… My understanding is that it is connected to a CHCLC Google sign-in.

Q: When exactly can teachers start viewing screens?

A: We don’t just have carte blanche access to see your screen. It’s set up when the students are in front of you; that’s how it’s initiated. It’s connected to Google Classroom, and you have to hit a button to start it when class does.

Technically, a teacher can hit start when the class isn’t currently in session. But for the most part, teachers are only hitting that start piece when their class is in front of them, and they’re only monitoring the students who are in that Google Classroom. They only have access to their own students. The possibility exists that any teacher could be looking at their students at any time. But, integrity wise, most teachers are mature enough to not do that.

Q: Were teachers given any regulations or limits along with the technical instructions?

A: As far as I know, we were not. We were told that we have access to the system and that we can and should be using it.