Chromebook FAQ
This page contains answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding the Chromebook Program for Monroe County Schools.
General Chromebook Questions
Question: Is my child supposed to get a Chromebook?
Answer: All students in grades 3 through 12 are assigned a Chromebook, and must therefore complete the annual Chromebook paperwork.
Question: Does my child take their Chromebook home with them?
Answer: Students enrolled in elementary and intermediate schools keep their assigned Chromebooks at the schools, and students enrolled in middle and high schools take their Chromebooks home with them on a regular basis.
Question: What if I don't want my child to take their assigned Chromebook home with them?
Answer: Parents may request that their child become a "Day User", and that child can leave their Chromebooks at the school at the end of each day. We only recommend this in extenuating circumstances - the teachers rely on students to have their Chromebooks for instruction, and must plan their lessons around when they can expect the students to have access to their Chromebook. Day users may not always fit into a teacher's planned instruction schedule, and therefore a day user might receive a different learning experience compared to their peers. Day users must also complete all annual Chromebook paperwork as usual. If you are concerned about after school usage, we recommend using the free Qustodio app to control what your child can and cannot do after hours. For more details, see our Chromebook Monitoring & Parent Tools page: https://www.monroe.k12.tn.us/apps/pages/chromebookmonitoring
Question: When is my child supposed to receive their Chromebook?
Answer: In the summer during the annual Chromebook rollout, which is normally late July/early August. The exact dates and times are announced by the schools closer to their individual rollouts.
Question: How do I know what I need to do so my child can receive their Chromebook?
Answer: We have a helpful sheet you can use to know what exactly you need to do in order to receive your Chromebook! See our Chromebook Checklist here: https://www.monroe.k12.tn.us/apps/pages/chromebookchecklist
Question: Can my student use the Chromebook for personal use?
Answer: Student Chromebooks are for educational purposes only. We strongly recommend keeping all personal computer use on personal devices. Monroe County Schools monitors and owns all data on these devices. We recommend reading the Chromebook Agreement for a more specific breakdown on how these Chromebooks are to be used.
Question: Can I, as a parent or guardian, use my child's Chromebook?
Answer: Student Chromebooks are intended for student use only, and should only be used for educational purposes. As stated in the above answer, we recommend reading the Chromebook Agreement in its entirety to fully understand how these devices are intended to be used.
Question: Can my child put stickers on their Chromebook?
Answer: Students are not allowed to put stickers on their Chromebook.
Question: Can my child remove the Chromebook from the case?
Answer: Students are not allowed to remove their Chromebook from their case. We also do not recommend putting anything in between the case and the Chromebook itself.
Question: What if my student's Chromebook is stolen?
Answer: If your child's Chromebook is stolen, then we will waive any associated fees and provide all necessary replacements as long as you submit a police report of the incident to the school's tech lead within 30 days of the Chromebook being stolen.
Chromebook Agreement Questions
Question: What is the Chromebook Agreement?
Answer: The Chromebook Agreement is a general agreement that says your student agrees to take care of their Chromebook, and not to misuse it, among other things. All terms and conditions are available for viewing online, and we strongly encourage you to read through it for a full understanding of what you are agreeing to when signing.
Question: How do I sign the Chromebook Agreement?
Answer: The Chromebook Agreement can be signed either online or in person. We have a section dedicated to the Chromebook Agreement and how/where to sign, which can be found here: https://www.monroe.k12.tn.us/apps/pages/chromebookagreement
Question: How do I find out what my student's ID number is?
Answer: Your student’s ID number is the entire number before the “@” symbol in your student’s email address. So, for example, if a student’s email is [email protected] then you would type in 123456789 to find that student’s agreement. Your student should know their student email. If they do not, then you may contact the school for assistance.
Question: I signed the Chromebook Agreement last year, do I have to sign it this year?
Answer: Yes. The Chromebook Agreement is an annual document. The Chromebook Agreement usually has at least some minor changes and revisions each year, and requiring it to be signed annually means that we are ensuring that we make parents aware of any changes before they happen. It's important to us to do whatever we can to regularly inform and get consent from parents on a regular basis.
Chromebook Fee Questions
Question: How do I pay the technology fee?
Answer: The technology fee can be paid online during summer, or in person during rollout or during the regular school year. See our Chromebook Fees & Payments section here for more details: https://www.monroe.k12.tn.us/apps/pages/chromebookfeesandpayments
Question: What is the technology fee used for?
Answer: The technology fee is used to fund and support our Chromebook Program. The money goes towards programs and platforms that are crucial to keep your student safe, and it goes towards the tools and parts we need to keep your child's Chromebook up and running during their time at Monroe County Schools! We do our best to make sure we are only charging what we need, and that parents and students are receiving the maximum benefit from these funds. For examples of some of the tools that are funded by the technology fee, see our section on Chromebook Monitoring & Parent Tools here: https://www.monroe.k12.tn.us/apps/pages/chromebookmonitoring
Question: Do I have to pay the technology fee?
Answer: The fee is required if your child is in grades 3 through 12 and your child is not enrolled in the virtual school. They cannot receive their device until their fee is paid.
Question: What if I can't pay the fee?
Answer: If you cannot pay the fee due to circumstances outside of your control, you may contact the school and speak to a school's tech lead to ask about potential options.
Question: What types of fees are there?
Answer: The three main types of fees are the technology fee, repair fees, and replacement fees. The technology fee is an annual fee, and repair and replacement fees are applied as needed. Repair and replacement fees persist across school years, and may become outstanding fees if they are not paid before the end of the school year. For more explanation on these fees, see our Chromebook Fees & Payments section here for more details: https://www.monroe.k12.tn.us/apps/pages/chromebookfeesandpayments
Question: Can my child recieve their Chromebook if they have outstanding repair or replacement fees?
Answer: No. All outstanding fees must be paid before a student can receive their Chromebook for the year.
Question: How do I know if my student has any outstanding fees?
Answer: The school will let a student know when a fee has been applied, and will often send home invoices and statements with the exact breakdown of these fees at the time of application. Tech leads at the schools are diligent about informing parents of these fees, in order to ensure a smooth rollout during the summer. If you believe you were not given notice of a fee, you may contact the school directly to check.
Chromebook Charger Questions
Question: What happens if my child loses their charger?
Answer: If your child loses their charger, they should immediately report it to the school's tech lead.
Question: Can I buy a different charger from somewhere else to replace a lost charger?
Answer: No. All chargers must be replaced by Monroe County Schools. Even chargers that look the exact same might have different voltages and specifications that could potentially damage the Chromebook or even the user. We do NOT accept replacement chargers purchased from anywhere else - replacement chargers must come from the school's tech lead.
Question: Can I use a different charger to charge my child's Chromebook?
Answer: While some other chargers may charge your child's Chromebook, we strongly recommend using official Monroe County Schools chargers. If your child has lost their charger, please have them contact the school tech lead as soon as possible. Your student should have several opportunities to charge their Chromebooks during class in the short-term while you find or pay for their charger.
Chromebook Damage Questions
Question: What happens if my child damages their Chromebook?
Answer: If your child damages their Chromebook, then they should report this damage to a tech lead as soon as possible. If they are found to be not at fault for the damage, then there will not be a fee applied. Repair or replacement fees may be applied in the event of intentional damage, or damaged resulting from misuse. For more details, see our Chromebook Fees & Payments section here: https://www.monroe.k12.tn.us/apps/pages/chromebookfeesandpayments
Question: How do you determine between intentional vs. unintentional damage?
Answer: The tech leads are trained to identify types of damage based on a number of criteria, and are ultimately responsible for applying the correct type of fee. For more details, see our Chromebook Fees & Payments section here: https://www.monroe.k12.tn.us/apps/pages/chromebookfeesandpayments
Chromebook Monitoring Questions
Question: How does the school system make sure that my student is not accessing illicit materials?
Answer: We use extensive content filtering to make sure that your student is being as safe as possible on their digital journey. We are constantly monitoring and making both automated and manual adjustments on our end to make sure we stay ahead of harmful content. For more details, see our Chromebook Monitoring & Parent Tools page: https://www.monroe.k12.tn.us/apps/pages/chromebookmonitoring
Question: How can I see what my student is accessing?
Answer: You can use the free Qustodio app to monitor your student's online activity. For more details, see our Chromebook Monitoring & Parent Tools page: https://www.monroe.k12.tn.us/apps/pages/chromebookmonitoring
Question: What control do I have over my student's Chromebook?
Answer: The free Qustodio app can also be used to control your student's Chromebook outside of school hours, allowing you to limit what they can see, or allowing you to set active hours on when they can and cannot use their Chromebook after school. During school hours we resume primary control of the Chromebooks, but you may continue to monitor at all times of the day.
Question: What can Monroe County Schools see?
Answer: We can see all digital activity and network traffic on Monroe County Schools Chromebooks. We can NOT see anything on your home network, and connecting your student's device to your home network does not allow us any control or visibility to your network whatsoever.