Seattle Public Schools recently sent out an urgent email to families and staff, warning them about an unauthorized grade-viewing app called “The Source: SPS” for iOS. The district emphasized that the app was not authorized by them and advised users to delete it immediately. They mentioned that the developers of the app were using the SPS name and logo without permission and do not have access to SPS data such as logins, passwords, and grades, which are held locally on each user’s personal device. The district is taking steps to stop the misleading marketing of this application to the SPS community.
The district noted that there was a $7.99 fee to download the app, raising concerns among users who had been using the app for free. It was revealed that the app was actually developed by Evan Mazor, a 2023 Roosevelt High School graduate and current computer science student at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. Mazor had been offering the app for free for three years, with over 30,000 total downloads and a rating of 4.5 stars on the App Store. The app provided an intuitive mobile interface for an outdated gradebook system in the Seattle Public Schools district, including features such as GPA calculator, attendance data, and ‘what-if’ score sliders not provided by the school district.
It was discovered that the app was acquired last month by a company called GradePro, which started migrating users to its own app offering subscriptions, including the $7.99 yearly plan. Mazor announced the acquisition on LinkedIn, describing it as a huge accomplishment after years of work on the app. He expressed his love for creating and working on the app, noting the positive impact it had on students in his hometown. After receiving the SPS email, GradePro responded that their intention was always to move users to GradePro and discontinue “The Source: SPS” app. The app was already removed from the App Store after the migration of users was completed.
GradePro’s Wes Cossick mentioned that “The Source: SPS” was a popular app used by students and parents in Seattle Public Schools, and they are excited to bring these users more features and reliability through GradePro. Despite the positive response from GradePro, SPS is seeking further information about the situation. The incident highlights the importance of data privacy and authorization when using third-party apps related to educational institutions. Users should be cautious and verify the authenticity of apps before providing any personal information or payment details, especially in an educational context where sensitive data such as grades and attendance records are involved.
Overall, the situation revolving around “The Source: SPS” app serves as a lesson for both developers and users about the importance of transparency and authorization in app development and usage. Mazor’s journey from creating the app as a high school student to its acquisition by GradePro demonstrates the potential impact of technology on education and student life. Moving forward, it is essential for developers to adhere to proper protocols and agreements when developing apps related to educational institutions, while users should exercise caution and due diligence when downloading and using such apps to protect their data and privacy.
