#ferpa

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Education Department says California must allow schools to forcibly out trans students - LGBTQ Nation

Education Secretary Linda McMahon accused California of "targeting" minors and concealing information from families.

Daniel Villarreal at LGBTQ Nation:

The U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) Student Privacy Policy Office (SPPO) accused the California Department of Education (CDE) of violating the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) — a federal law granting parents the right to access their child’s education records — by prohibiting schools districts from notifying parents if their child requests to use pronouns and facilities different from the sex they were assigned at birth. In a statement released by Education Secretary Linda McMahon on Wednesday, she accused CDE of “egregiously” abusing its authority by “pressuring school officials to withhold information about students’ so-called ‘gender transitions’ from their parents.” “Children do not belong to the State—they belong to families,” she added. “We will use every available mechanism to hold California accountable for these practices and restore parental rights.”  The statement specifically mentions the SAFETY Act — the Support Academic Futures & Educators for Today’s Youth law — a 2024 law that prohibits forced outing “parental notification” policies in school districts. The law protects teachers and administrators from retaliation if they choose not to follow district directives to out queer kids to their parents. It also funds resources for parents and families of queer students to facilitate supportive conversations about their identities on terms that make the children feel safe and respected.

The US Department of Education demands the state of California to allow forced outing of trans students, as such a move endangers student safety.

[hale-my-nathan]

Trump Weird News - No Wharton Or Other Trump Transcripts

[writergeekrhw]

Oh, okay, I really enjoy Irrational so far but, as a university professor, man did ep 4 completely destroy my suspension of disbelief when Rizwan breaks federal law (FERPA, passed in 1974!!!!) with his zero sum game example in the second lecture. 😂 Still, it was a great episode, especially the dialogue in the climax. I enjoyed how the culprit was well telegraphed and grounded in both realistic characters and genuine and believable motivations.

Thanks! I confess complete ignorance of FERPA and our advisor didn't flag it, so my bad.

If it makes you feel better, imagine Rizwan got a stern talking to from an Academic Review Board, and then Alec paid the $500 fine and is taking it out of Rizwan's salary $5 a week for the next two years. Bad Rizwan! Don't do it again.

[wutbju]

Why would Bob Jones University tell a recipient of an alumnus' official transcript -- an alumnus with no outstanding balance -- that they should not "release" the transcript to "the student"?

Look over the law.

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) [20 USC 1232g and 34 CFR 99] gives students the right to inspect and review their own education records. In particular, 34 CFR 99.10 (d)(1) requires the college to provide the student with a copy of the education records if circumstances prevent the student from inspecting and reviewing the records in person. Since the definition of education records includes an academic transcript, FERPA effectively requires colleges to provide a student with a copy of his or her academic transcripts if the student does not live in the local area or is otherwise incapable of inspecting the records in person. (34 CFR 99.10(d)(2) permits the college to “make other arrangements for the parent or eligible student to inspect and review the requested records”, so a college could potentially fulfill the requirement by means other than providing a copy.)

Why make such a statement then?

[autisticeducator]

If your school/your child’s school is saying they’re going to livestream the class every day school is in session, demand to go remote if possible.

Think of it this way, if you’re having a bad day physically/mentally/emotionally, would you want that online for other parents, let alone the world to potentially see?

Sorry schools, I know too much about security on the internet to know nothing stays private on the internet.

I would not want the privacy of my students or myself violated in this manner.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Republicans are trying to force an entire state to out its trans students to their parents - LGBTQ Nation

The contested law protects trans and LGBTQ+ youth from facing homelessness due to disapproving parents.

Ari Waller at LGBTQ Nation:

The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) has opened an investigation into California’s Department of Education (CDE) over a 2024 law prohibiting the forced outing of trans students to their parents. The law also faces legal challenges from middle school teachers in San Diego County. Last July, the California state legislature passed Assembly Bill 1955 (aka. the SAFETY Act). It prohibits school districts from enforcing policies that require employees or contractors to disclose a student’s sexual orientation or gender identity without their expressed consent. The DOE claims the law violates the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA); that claim has become the probable cause for their investigation. The DOE’s investigation of CDE remains ongoing.

“The agency launched today’s investigation to vigorously protect parents’ rights and ensure that students do not fall victim to a radical transgender ideology that often leads to family alienation and irreversible medical interventions,” Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in her statement. A.B. 1955 is also facing contention within its district courts. On April 27, 2023, two middle school teachers, Elizabeth Mirabelli and Lori Ann West, filed a lawsuit against the Escondido Union School District and the California State Board of Education in the U.S. District Court for Southern California. The lawsuit originally targeted California’s Assembly Bill 1266 (aka. the School Success and Opportunity Act), a law that enshrines inclusive educational policies for transgender students. Unlike A.B. 1955, it didn’t prohibit schools from outing students without their consent. A.B. 1266 became the basis for the plaintiffs’ argument in Mirabelli v. Olson. Plaintiffs claimed that the frequently asked questions (FAQ) section of the CDE’s website falsely implied that A.B. 1266 forbade the outing of trans students. The CDE has attempted to have the case thrown out, arguing that the CDE’s webpage was later updated that to accurately reflect the anti-outing provisions of A.B. 1955.

[...] Repealing A.B. 1955 not only affects educators, with a recent news story of a teacher in Florida fired for using a student’s preferred pronouns being an example, but also poses a greater threat to students. 

Child safety-endangering extremist Republicans are trying to end California’s anti-forced outing policy (AB1955). AB1955 prevents the forced outing of trans and LGBTQ+ students to parents without their consent.

[enemymine2000]

As a German I don't know enough about the US eduction system and student loans, so please check independently:

[gregorette1982]

Hey everyone, just a reminder that Elmo will be setting DOGE loose in the Department of Education soon.

So if you have every filed FAFSA for student financial aid, DOGE will have access to:

Your Social Security Number

Your financial aid--grants, loans and work study. I believe this also includes your loan repayment status.

Your college admissions and enrolment.

These last two are particularly important because they are information protected by FERPA--the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act--which defines who has legal access to your academic information.

The DOGE crew are not employees of the Department of Education. They are not your student loan servicer. They are not your Higher Ed Institution. For those who are minors, they are not your parent or guardian. They are not YOU.

DOGE accessing any of this information is ILLEGAL. If you have ever applied for and/or received Federal Financial Aid, you should call your Congress members to let them know you are concerned about this.