I understand the safty issue and saw it work first hand as a teenager...my Mom worked in a convenece store and would use my yearbooks to keep her up to date with ages of children in large families! That's right she would keep 'John' from using 'Jeff's' id for beer or smokes! Now they do the same thing in the grocery store she works at...no I was NOT a popular kid in school!! [img]smile.gif[/img] :cool:
Sometimes you have to wonder how much is too much though? Kids these days are finger printed, keep a swatch of hair for DNA, and our school requires photo ids that they MUCH have at all times....welcome to the 21st Century I guess.
Let me clarify something about FERPA from my earlier posting as someone emailed me this question. The Family Education Right to Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal laws that protects the privacy of student records and allows parents access to such records. In doing so, it defines what is considered private and what MAY be considered directory, or publicly available, information.
After FERPA, you have whatever state privacy laws might apply (if any), and finally whatever school district POLICY is enacted. I didn't mean to imply FERPA guaranteed directory information should be public.
What a school is allowed to release will vary from site to site. A lot of districts make directory information available - often requiring a written request and also being allowed to charge a small fee for processing. Some have more restrictive policies.
In the event of an emergency school closing due to the weather, our parents can get school closing info from a recorded message at the school, or by checking a special link on our school website. In addition, our local cable station publicizes all school closings within its viewing area and the local radio and television stations do as well. In the event of a building emergency, or if there is need for an evacuation, our children are bused to another school site that has been made known to the parents via the information in the student handbook. Each parent must sign the handbook at the beginning of the school year to ensure all have read the procedures.
However, in the case of a local terrorist act, the children are bused to an undisclosed location. Parents will be contacted by the staff and the location will be announced to parents only after the emergency procedures take place and the children are felt to be safe and under the care of local law enforcement. They do not disclose the specifics of the procedure to the community as terrorist acts usually strike the most vulnerable, and God forbid, this could be our children. Disclosing the children's location prior to evaucation procedures only puts their safety at risk. Note this is only in the case of a local terrorist act or bombing close to or within our community. Our staff have been trained by law enforcement officials, participate in evacuation drills and preplanned procedures are in place. Of course, we can only hope in the event of something horrific, we are prepared as best we can.
Yes, our district does all of this without giving out everybody's personal information to the school community! We do not have phone trees. Our district works very hard to ensure the safety of our children and for this we are supportive and glad.
As for something simple like classroom parties, teachers do give phone numbers to head room parents. BUT, only when the parents submit their phone numbers for parties, do the teachers disclose them to the head room parent. All parents sign up at open house stating they would like to be contacted for parties and such. Teachers are also required to keep track of whose numbers they disclose and give the party lists to the office.
It might seem strict to some, but our parents are happy the kids are safe.
not giving class lists & numbers to room parents? gosh that must make their job pretty hard.
our room parents are depended upon for emergency calling trees... which starts with the principal's call to me .. and me to the room parent chairs for the three grade levels. the calling tree continues from there. the room parents are even given the unlisted numbers.... how else to notify parents of school closures and such? heck, last year, we closed school mid day. there is no way the school admin folks can reach the parents of almost 800 kids on short notice.
in the even of a true emergency, natural disaster, god forbid more terrorist stuff... i think the school (and the district) is being pretty short-sighted as to the potential liability they're taking on by NOT allowing the release of the class lists, etc... for a rapid fire calling tree.
I am glad to read about the family Education privacy act. Where can i find a web site witht he wording of this act listed in detail?
We do have a directory, but it is district wide. The schools will not give class lists with phone numbers, even to room moms. They claim it is a privacy issue. Well according to this act, that is all public information. So why won't the school release it to its parent group? We have a terrible time contacting parents-so many families have different last names. You just can't look them up in the phone book any more.
My older son goes to a private school where my husband teaches. Their directory has a disclaimer in it. No one pays any attention to it. We get junk mail and charity solicitations from it all the time. And they address it all to my 11 year old son!
It is a fine line between privacy and needing contact info. I respect privacy rights. But it sure is tough to run a parent group when you can't have phone lists!
Safety is so important for our children, and I like some of the policies some of you have discussed. However, I do want to emphasize everyone understands that it is the PARENT's responsibility to restrict the student's information if they don't want it available. Like "mom", you'll need to file a request with your school.
Basic student information isn't easy to get simply because the schools are careless; it's because it's public information (unless a parent requests in writing to have it restricted.)
The Family Education Right to Privacy Act (FERPA), which guides both K-12 and post-secondary education, considers all student information beyond directory and enrollment information to be private.
HOWEVER - look at what is defined as DIRECTORY INFORMATION - and therefore available under Federal Law:
(5) (A) For the purposes of this section the term "directory information" relating to a student includes the following: the student's name, address, telephone listing, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, and the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student.
Note, as always, I'm not a lawyer - just a parent. And I'm not suggesting a PTO is required to list this information. I'm just pointing out that the schools are trying to balance both Federal law and community concerns.
