Who is Stockpiling and Sharing Private Information About New York Students?

Jason Lewis:

Most New York City public school parents don't know that their child's personal information will be available to third-party companies through a new data-sharing initiative.

Parents and advocates opposed to the new initiative believe it will put sensitive student information at risk and allow companies to capitalize on data that parents never consented to release.

The New York State Education Department says that districts have been sharing this kind of information for nearly a decade, and that the new initiative simply enables that data to be shared in a safer, more efficient fashion.

If it really is that simple, parents and advocates wonder, why hasn't the state been more forthcoming with details about the project?

"The real outrage of it is that the whole spin of this is that it's being done to help kids. And, yet they refuse to tell their parents about it." Leonie Haimson, of Class Size Matters, tells the Voice. "The idea that they wouldn't tell parents about it and allow them the right to consent, shows me that either it's not being done for kids at all, or that they don't trust parents to make the right choices for their child."

Much more on the "Shared Learning Collaborative", here.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at April 22, 2013 1:14 AM
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