Parents Concerned That School Records Could Be Used To Make Money
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Some city parents have expressed concern that their children's school records could be used to make money.
As WCBS 880's Alex Silverman reports, the way Leonie Haimson, who heads the parents' group Class Size Matters, told it, the state has agreed to turn over city students' records to a private corporation.
WCBS 880's Alex Silverman reports
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The corporation, called the Shared Learning Collaborative, has been working on a database to help personalize education for each child.
"We want the state to explain to us exactly what information is going to be shared," Haimson said.
Civil rights attorney Norman Siegel said the Shared Learning Collaborative has failed to do that, and secrecy breeds mistrust.
"From my perspective, I can't dismiss the possibility that in some kind of benevolent manner, all these folks figure, 'OK, public school parents, they probably aren't that interested, and this is all going to benefit their children, so let's just do it," Siegel said. "We say hell no to that."
The Department of Education released a statement on Sunday afternoon claiming that the data was being shared as part of an agreement that was "consistent with FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) and stringent data security and privacy protections."
A department spokesperson also told WCBS 880 reporter Alex Silverman that the strategy had been discussed publicly in the past.
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