School Boards and Superintendents across the State Reject Student Social Security Number Collection Program
September 2, 2010
As students head back to school, school boards and superintendents across the state are raising concerns about parents providing schools with students’ social security numbers. To date, ten school committees – Auburn, Bethel, Biddeford, Brewer, Lewiston, MSAD 58, Waterville, Winslow, Winthrop, and Vassalboro – have passed resolutions criticizing the law authorizing the Department of Education (DOE) to collect students’ social security numbers. Some resolutions encourage the legislature to repeal the law while others discourage parents from providing social security numbers to schools. Several school committees, including Portland, are scheduled to consider resolutions in the coming weeks.
“The Department of Education goes too far in seeking student social security numbers,” said Lewiston School Committee Chair Jim Handy. “Our school board unanimously decided we needed to protect our students from identity theft and other potential threats. That is why we adopted a policy and mechanism to strongly discourage parents from sharing their child’s social security numbers. In addition the Lewiston School Committee passed resolution that will go to state policymakers urging the repeal of the legislation.”
In August, the ACLU of MAINE advised Maine’s public school superintendents to supplement their annual privacy notifications to parents with an additional explanation of the risks associated with social security numbers. Anticipating school board support for a resolution, some superintendents sent home notices to parents warning them of the risks associated with sharing social security numbers. Letters sent home also note that government agencies are not immune from security breaches and that disclosure of social security numbers would leave students vulnerable to identity theft. Bath Superintendent of Schools William Shuttleworth issued a letter to all district parents and guardians prior to the start of the school year.
“I am concerned about collecting confidential information in a world where identity theft is prolific,” said Bath Superintendent of Schools William Shuttleworth.
School committee members and staff have also expressed concern that the Department of Education could use alternative methods to conduct longitudinal tracking or to more effectively study student performance. Infinite Campus, the technology vendor, has confirmed that the system does not require the use of a social security number in order to operate or to transfer student data between Maine districts.
“The Department of Education could readily track students' progress through school using the ID numbers they have in the Infinite Campus data system,” said Waterville School Board Member Joan Phillips-Sandy. “Using social security numbers to track longitudinal data into the work force by linking up with the Department of Labor won't really provide useful data in terms of educational policy.Hopefully parents/guardians will hear about the widespread opposition to collection of social security numbers before sharing student information.”
While use of the social security number for the student tracking program has been the chief concern of school boards and superintendents, some have also questioned the wisdom of tracking individual students at all.
“Kids make mistakes; this program creates a “permanent record” that could have detrimental effects later in life,” said Brianna Twofoot, Field Director for the Maine Civil Liberties Union. “Kids should be able to learn and move on from their mistakes, not have their mistakes follow them for the rest of their lives.”
Several school committees throughout the state are expected to take similar action in the coming weeks.
“Portland parents need to know the risks associated with sharing social security numbers,” said Portland School Committee Member Jenna Vendil. “We heard concerns about this law from across the state, and the Portland School Committee will consider this issue at the September 15th meeting.”
The ACLU of MAINE will continue to work with interested school committees to pass resolutions and superintendents to send home notices. Having heard from their constituency, there is hope that when the 125th Legislature begins in January the issue will be taken up again and the law either revised or repealed to protect student privacy.
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September 2, 2010
As students head back to school, school boards and superintendents across the state are raising concerns about parents providing schools with students’ social security numbers. To date, ten school committees – Auburn, Bethel, Biddeford, Brewer, Lewiston, MSAD 58, Waterville, Winslow, Winthrop, and Vassalboro – have passed resolutions criticizing the law authorizing the Department of Education (DOE) to collect students’ social security numbers. Some resolutions encourage the legislature to repeal the law while others discourage parents from providing social security numbers to schools. Several school committees, including Portland, are scheduled to consider resolutions in the coming weeks.“The Department of Education goes too far in seeking student social security numbers,” said Lewiston School Committee Chair Jim Handy. “Our school board unanimously decided we needed to protect our students from identity theft and other potential threats. That is why we adopted a policy and mechanism to strongly discourage parents from sharing their child’s social security numbers. In addition the Lewiston School Committee passed resolution that will go to state policymakers urging the repeal of the legislation.”
In August, the ACLU of MAINE advised Maine’s public school superintendents to supplement their annual privacy notifications to parents with an additional explanation of the risks associated with social security numbers. Anticipating school board support for a resolution, some superintendents sent home notices to parents warning them of the risks associated with sharing social security numbers. Letters sent home also note that government agencies are not immune from security breaches and that disclosure of social security numbers would leave students vulnerable to identity theft. Bath Superintendent of Schools William Shuttleworth issued a letter to all district parents and guardians prior to the start of the school year.
“I am concerned about collecting confidential information in a world where identity theft is prolific,” said Bath Superintendent of Schools William Shuttleworth.
School committee members and staff have also expressed concern that the Department of Education could use alternative methods to conduct longitudinal tracking or to more effectively study student performance. Infinite Campus, the technology vendor, has confirmed that the system does not require the use of a social security number in order to operate or to transfer student data between Maine districts.
“The Department of Education could readily track students' progress through school using the ID numbers they have in the Infinite Campus data system,” said Waterville School Board Member Joan Phillips-Sandy. “Using social security numbers to track longitudinal data into the work force by linking up with the Department of Labor won't really provide useful data in terms of educational policy.Hopefully parents/guardians will hear about the widespread opposition to collection of social security numbers before sharing student information.”
While use of the social security number for the student tracking program has been the chief concern of school boards and superintendents, some have also questioned the wisdom of tracking individual students at all.
“Kids make mistakes; this program creates a “permanent record” that could have detrimental effects later in life,” said Brianna Twofoot, Field Director for the Maine Civil Liberties Union. “Kids should be able to learn and move on from their mistakes, not have their mistakes follow them for the rest of their lives.”
Several school committees throughout the state are expected to take similar action in the coming weeks.
“Portland parents need to know the risks associated with sharing social security numbers,” said Portland School Committee Member Jenna Vendil. “We heard concerns about this law from across the state, and the Portland School Committee will consider this issue at the September 15th meeting.”
The ACLU of MAINE will continue to work with interested school committees to pass resolutions and superintendents to send home notices. Having heard from their constituency, there is hope that when the 125th Legislature begins in January the issue will be taken up again and the law either revised or repealed to protect student privacy.
###
read more articles from the MCLU News Archive
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