“What we have found, they are there, they’re in the building and not in their chairs. They are in the cafeteria, with counselors, in stairwells or a variety of places, some legitimately and some not. If they are on campus, we can legally count them present.”

Source: http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/09/rfid-chip-student-monitoring/

The above Wired article mentions further details:

"Gonzalez said John Jay High has 200 surveillance cameras and Anson Jones Middle School, about 90.

'The kids,' he said, 'are used to being monitored.'”

Other articles mentioned the school's attempt to broker a deal with the girl and her family, including this one at OpposingViews.com:

"Civil liberties lawyers at the Rutherford Institute told Infowars.com that they are going to file a temporary restraining order petition to prevent the school from kicking Hernandez out.

In response to public outcry and pressure from rights groups, John Jay High School has offered to remove the battery and chip, but wouldn’t budge on the ID.

The offer would also require the Hernandez family to end their public criticism and agree to support the policy, something Andrea’s father Steve Hernandez finds unacceptable."

Source: Article by OpposingViews.com at http://www.opposingviews.com/i/technology/gadgets/student-andrea-hernandez-expelled-refusing-wear-location-tracking-rfid-badge*

The OpposingViews.com article also mentions that Hernandez opposes the program on grounds of both privacy and religion.

Here are some other links to coverage of the subject, both in the U.S. and the U.K.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20461752

http://now.msn.com/andrea-hernandez-suspended-for-refusing-to-wear-an-rfid-locator-tag-can-stay-at-school-until-court-hearing

http://www.zdnet.com/student-expelled-for-refusing-to-wear-rfid-tracking-chip-badge-7000007723/

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/11/texas-school-districts-rfid-tracking-of-students-goes-to-court/

http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/13463095-student-tracker-project-in-texas-schools-leads-to-court-row

http://rt.com/usa/news/school-hernandez-rfid-student-449/

http://www.goddiscussion.com/104442/high-school-student-faces-expulsion-for-refusal-to-wear-device-she-believes-is-satanic/

Details mentioned in some of them include the plans in Texas to spread the mandatory RDIF program statewide.

I've done my best to provide ones from sites with various political leanings and editorial foci because:

• 1) I feel that it's helpful to read several articles on a subject to get a sense for what is actually going on.
• 2) I do not believe that this is an issue limited to either conservatives or liberals in the United States.

It is my personal opinion (though it is only my opinion and not a fact, and should be debated if disagreed with) that this program:

• 1) Should never have been implemented.
• 2) Does not serve the students or parents.
• 3) Will rarely benefit teachers.
• 4) May benefit school administrations financially.
• 5) Is disturbing in its approach to tracking U.S. citizens that have neither committed a crime nor found themselves the subject of a criminal investigation.
• 6) Violates the rights of the parents to grant or deny their consent to a controversial school measure.
• 7) Violates the spirit of the Constitution, whether or not it violates the exact wording of it (and may potentially violate both).

That's at least one part of my opinion. I hope you'll share this issue with others you know. If you disagree with me, I would still like to hear your thoughts. I hope that I can learn from seeing the issue through someone else's eyes.