What Do You Know About FERPA?

     I'll answer my own question .... nothing.  If you were like me, you had no idea of the significance of the Family Education Rights in Privacy Act (FERPA).  But now, thanks to Anita B. Hoge, a lecturer, educational researcher, and parent, we will all be a little more educated on this important legislation.
     FERPA was signed into law in 1974, and is a privacy policy that was designed to give students (and their parents) access to their education records, an opportunity to seek to have the records amended, and some control over the disclosure of information from the records.  And according to Ms. Hoge, this is where we need to be concerned:  This privacy policy also governs how state agencies transmit testing data to federal agencies.
     In Ms. Hoge's report, she alleges that federal legislation is being prepared that changes how we teach our children. If the amended regulations to FERPA are put into place, you will see the following changes in your child's education:

• There will be no more grades like A,B,C,D or F;
• Curriculum will not be based on academics;
• Dispositions and values will be tested and remediated;
• Competition will be eliminated;
• Grade levels will be eliminated;
• The school year will no longer be based on 180 days;
• Your locally elected school board will become obsolete.

     What does this mean for your child?  Your child must meet government standards which include changing your child’s values toward socialistic values. Data is given to large foundations and corporations for free so they can develop testing, curriculum, and software to change your child’s values toward government approved attitudes and values. This is a gross violation of your and your child’s individual freedom.  To sum it up, Ms. Hoge states that your children’s personally identifiable information is being given out for FREE to large corporations to research how to "change your children into global citizens."
     Imagine how specific testing could be designed to discover your child's (and in reality, your family's) attitudes about government, social programs, personal freedom and religion/faith?  Then with all this data, is it really too crazy to think that curriculum could then be formulated to change those belief systems?  Is it really too preposterous to think that "behavioral change" is not a desired goal of this data collection?  And are you, as a parent, concerned that testing can be done without your permission, and then shared with both giant corporations and the federal government?
     Take the time to read Ms. Hoge's article, do your own research, and determine if this is just another effort on the part of Big Brother to control our education system and the minds of our kids.  Some of these policies makes Orwell's 1984 seem tame in comparison.

2 Timothy 2:15    "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."