Gheedn

We faced a similar debate. Most staff naturally gravitate to ChatGPT because it’s familiar and flexible, so banning it often just drives use underground. Our approach was to allow popular tools (like ChatGPT) with clear guidance, while recommending approved options such as Copilot or Gemini for data-sensitive work. School-specific tools can add value if they genuinely save time, but forced adoption rarely sticks. We also see creative experimentation with tools like the Perchance AI video generator, which can support media and lesson ideas if boundaries are clear. Clear policy > forcing one tool.

If it helps, we went through the exact same comparison a few months ago. Keeper definitely has more granular controls, but the shared-folder ownership model confused our team too — especially when someone leaves and you have to reassign things. 1Password’s vault system felt cleaner day-to-day, even if it’s a bit less flexible. For multi-site setups like yours, we found System > School easier to maintain, since most credentials were reused across locations. It reduced duplication and made permissioning simpler.

If you want something kid-friendly without diving into full ecommerce complexity, a couple of lightweight options might work well. For junior-age kids, I’d avoid anything too “business-heavy” and go with a simple catalogue-style setup. Shopify Starter (catalogue mode with payments disabled) or Square Online can both be stripped down so they only display products and collect expressions of interest, not money. They have clean dashboards where kids can upload photos, write descriptions, and “manage” pretend orders. If you prefer self-hosted, OpenCart or PrestaShop can be configured as catalogue-only and offer user roles, so the kids can handle listings while you keep admin control. They’re more flexible and avoid the WordPress route entirely.

agree. It definitely feels like a recent backend change by Google—possibly tied to new enforcement around age-based service restrictions for Workspace for Education accounts. Since everything still works in the browser, I doubt it’s an admin setting issue. It’s more likely an app-level misclassification. Hopefully Google support clarifies soon; this seems widespread, not just an isolated case.

Unfortunately, Microsoft has limited moderation control through PowerShell and Graph in some recent updates, which might explain why your scripts hit a wall. If moderation per channel isn’t scalable, try checking Teams admin center → Teams policies → Messaging policies again, as Microsoft occasionally reassigns settings there. Also, ensure global policies aren’t overriding team-level moderation. A Teams service update may have temporarily disabled the functionality you’re referencing.

Giving staff more freedom without auditing is risky, especially for compliance like KSCIE. Without logs, accountability is lost. Until Smoothwall adds auditing, you might consider creating a change‑request workflow where staff submit requests to you for action, ensuring control. Alternatively, explore third‑party tools or firewall solutions that include detailed change logs and role-based access.

had same issue