Proposed Rule Changes Would Share Personal Info with Federal, State Agencies
Washington, DC—Today, American Principles in Action (APIA) slammed a recent move by the Department of Education to weaken a long-standing privacy law that protects students’ personal information. The proposed changes would potentially give federal and state agencies access to information such as family income range, hair color, blood type, and health-care history.
The law, known as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), imposes strict limits on how the government uses personal information. The time for public comment on the proposed changes expires on Monday. APIA filed its comment today with the Department of Education and will post it at www.americanprinciplesinaction.org.
“Under the Obama administration, the federal government has sought to skirt privacy laws and undermine parental authority,” said Emmett McGroarty, Executive Director of Preserve Innocence, an initiative of American Principles in Action. “These changes would allow the government to share information on students starting in pre-school and follow them through school. The possibilities of breach of privacy and unwarranted use of data are almost limitless.
“This move coincides with other efforts that bypass parents and even state legislatures, including the push for the Common Core Standards, which empower the Department of Education to develop a national curriculum.”
With the rise of the Tea Party movement, many Americans are pushing back on efforts by the federal government to dictate education policy and violate students’ privacy rights.
Preserve Innocence is a project of American Principles in Action that fights for public policies that respect the rights of parents to be the principal and primary stewards of the education of their children with a special focus on preserving the innocence of children. American Principles in Action is a 501 c (4) political advocacy group affiliated with American Principles Project, a 501 c(3) group dedicated to returning America back to its founding principles.