Parent panel says state violates students’ privacy
Confidential student records could wind up in the wrong hands, violating youngsters’ privacy, because of a move by New York State to open school files to certain organizations, a parent panel is warning.
Members of the Community Education Council of School District 20 (Bay Ridge-Dyker Heights) voted unanimously at a recent meeting to oppose a decision by the New York State Department of Education to release student records without parental consent to certain corporations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
There is no “opt out” mechanism in place for parents who do not wish to have their children’s information released, CEC 20 President Laurie Windsor said.
The records include such highly sensitive data as a student’s “name, address, grades, test scores, disciplinary records, attendance, race, ethnicity, economic status, disabilities, health conditions and other highly sensitive information,” the resolution reads in part.