By Brian Hews
In a stunning court ruling, a California judge has ruled in favor of a lawsuit filed by two California nonprofit companies to release data, including Social Security numbers, mental health records, home addresses, report cards, and disciplinary records of all public school students in California.
The ruling applies to every student who attended public school in California since 2008, and must be made available to a “court-appointed” data analyst so it can be analyzed for the two non-profits.
The number of students’ data release could top 10 million, with some students now 25 years old and possibly living out of state.
The California Concerned Parents Association and the Morgan Hill Concerned Parents Association filed a lawsuit five years ago alleging that the California Department of Education was not providing adequate education to children with disabilities.
The CDE is denying all charges alleged in the filing and has fought disclosure of any student information.
The groups tried to get out in front of the ruling saying on their Facebook page, “The information will be made available to perform a statistical analysis of how California treats disabled students.”
The outcry from parents and lawmakers compelled the two organizations to shut down their Facebook pages and are now referring parents to their website.
One parent commented, “You have no rights to my child’s personal info. I am an advocate (of children with disabilities) and this is still wrong of a certain group of parents to force all parents to now scrambled to whether or not they want their own child’s personal private information given out.”
California State PTA President Justine Fischer said in a statement, “It’s hard to fathom that a judge would allow such an overexposure of children’s information.”
The nonprofits backtracked after the outcry saying, “We are very concerned about the privacy of all students in the state. We would like parents to understand that we had offered to mediate a settlement with the CDE many times and have offered to receive the information with fake names, but they did not want to cooperate.”
In her ruling, Judge Kimberly Mueller in the eastern district court in Sacramento
sanctioned several protective measures “allowing only 10 people to see the data and that the data will be destroyed after analysis.”
Lawmakers are stepping up to ensure students’ data is protected.
Assemblywomen Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego), Melissa Melendez (R-Lake Elsinore) and Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Glendale) are introducing legislation designed to ensure that personal information is protected at the school district level.
Gatto told HMG-CN Sunday, “This court decision is extremely ill-advised, putting all of our children’s personal information at risk. Our bill will prevent this going forward, and we are also exploring legal options to overturn this very questionable legal opinion.”
Assemblywoman Gonzales commented, “The huge data dump we’ve been made aware of begs a bigger question: why schools collect so much personal student data in the first place. As a parent, I think it’s time we ensure schools aren’t collecting unnecessary data, like Social Security numbers, that puts our students’ privacy at risk.”
Assemblywoman Melendez told HMG-CN, “No group should be allowed unfettered access to student’s personal information without explicit consent from parents. Parents should absolutely be alarmed and outraged this is about to happen.”
The federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act protects student information, according to a letter that State Superintendent Tom Torlakson wrote to districts on Feb. 2.
But he also said courts can force agencies to provide the data.
Torlakson told school districts around the state to provide links for parents to file an “Objection to Disclosure” form with the federal court.
It is unclear whether submitting the form will guarantee removal from the data transfer.
Parents can object to having their child’s records released but not electronically or by phone. Rather, they must print out a form and send it by mail to Mueller’s office by April 1.
Many students do not have a social security ID number, plus I really question the security bank for these social security numbers, – so many banks can be breached, and the data can be sold off to anyone in the world, who can gain access to the Social Security numbers.
Strongly against this, and urge all parents to sign a waiver to stop their students from having their exploitation of their social security numbers.
Privacy is the #1 importance we owe our students from ciber thefts.
I surely hope this judgement will be appealed. I don’t think it will stand.
Thank you for running such an important story!
This is outrageous. As an ABC parent I have NOT been notified by the school or the district.
Failure to notify students, parents, and former students is shameful on Dr. Sieu’s part as well as the entire Board and every administrator.
The schools have our email addresses and phone numbers. We already receive too many annoying phone calls from the schools and district so, why has such an important notice been neglected?
Failure to push electronic notice on this. SHAMEFUL!
ABC – do not come crying for bond money, if you will not use the resources you currently have to protect our children and their privacy.
Dr, Mary Sieu is processing the new proposed Mello Roos Tax on to all ABC USD property owners, then she cares about local children. BTW she is probably prepping herself for another photo shoot or worrying about her own homestead in Fullerton Hills, where all her asian cronies live from China. No wonder why Irvine- Los Alamitos-Palos Verdes school district, finished in the top 100 school in the state, as they have parents and staff, which understand USA and work for the students and hell with the unions and racism.
Dr Mary Sieu/ Ret. Dr. Smutts, ABC is no where on the charts and you have the dam gall to ask for 3rd Mello Roos Tax Bond…..You know where you both can rot and burn in h…….Most of these schools have not even one Mello Roos Bond Tax, and we already are paying for 2 bad Mello Roos Bond Taxes……………..
Here is the Niche 2016 Best Elementary Schools in California:
Herbert Hoover Elementary School, Palo Alto
Fairmeadow Elementary School, Palo Alto
Lucille M. Nixon Elementary School, Palo Alto
El Carmelo Elementary School, Palo Alto
Ohlone Elementary School, Palo Alto
Juana Briones Elementary School, Palo Alto
Duveneck Elementary School, Palo Alto
Addison Elementary School, Palo Alto
Palo Verde Elementary School, Palo Alto
Walter Hays Elementary School, Palo Alto
Escondido Elementary School, Palo Alto
Point Vicente Elementary School, Rancho Palos Verdes
Carver Elementary School, San Marino
Beach Elementary School, Piedmont
Valentine Elementary School, San Marino
Cornerstone at Pedregal Elementary School, Rancho Palos Verdes
Wildwood Elementary School, Piedmont
Havens Elementary School, Piedmont
Tularcitos Elementary School, Carmel Valley Village
Carmel River Elementary School, Carmel-by-the-Sea
Silver Spur Elementary School, Rancho Palos Verdes
Soleado Elementary School, Rancho Palos Verdes
Rancho Vista Elementary School, Rolling Hills Estates
Barron Park Elementary School, Palo Alto
Montemalaga Elementary School, Palos Verdes Estates
Dapplegray Elementary School, Rolling HillsEstates
Vista Grande Elementary School, Rancho Palos Verdes
Lunada Bay Elementary School, Palos Verdes Estates
Marengo Elementary School, South Pasadena
Longley Way Elementary School, Arcadia
Henry P. Mohr Elementary School, Pleasanton
Highland Oaks Elementary School, Arcadia
Hugo Reid Elementary School, Arcadia
Captain Cooper Elementary School, Big Sur
Baldwin Stocker Elementary School, Arcadia
Stone Creek Elementary School, Irvine
Mira Catalina Elementary School, Rancho Palos Verdes
Jack L. Weaver Elementary School, Rossmoor
Quail Summit Elementary School, Diamond Bar
Hawthorne Elementary School, Beverly Hills
Opal Robinson Elementary School, Manhattan Beach
Vintage Hills Elementary School, Pleasanton
Castle Rock Elementary School, Diamond Bar
Phoebe Apperson Hearst Elementary School, Pleasanton
Fairlands Elementary School, Pleasanton
Leonard G. Westhoff Elementary School, Walnut
Eastshore Elementary School, Irvine
Park Village Elementary School, San Diego
Creekside Elementary School, San Diego
Horace Mann Elementary School, Beverly Hills
Turtle Rock Elementary School, Irvine
Canyon View Elementary School, Irvine
Meadow Park Elementary School, Irvine
Bonita Canyon Elementary School, Irvine
Stonegate Elementary School, Irvine
Pacific Elementary School, Manhattan Beach
Evergreen Elementary School, Diamond Bar
Alderwood Elementary School, Irvine
Rossmoor Elementary School, Rossmoor
Camino Grove Elementary School, Arcadia
Monterey Hills Elementary School, South Pasadena
La Canada Elementary School, La Canada Flintridge
Santiago Hills Elementary School, Irvine
Del Sur Elementary School, San Diego
Deer Canyon Elementary School, San Diego
Golden View, Elementary School, San Ramon
Donlon Elementary School, Pleasanton
Deerfield Elementary School, Pleasanton
Alta Vista Elementary School, Redondo Beach
Oak Creek Elementary School, Irvine
Walnut Grove Elementary School, Pleasanton
Vejar Elementary School, Walnut
Birney Elementary School, Redondo Beach
Beryl Heights Elementary School, Redondo Beach
Stone Ranch Elementary School, San Diego
Maple Hill Elementary School, Diamond Bar
Westpark Elementary School, Irvine
Palm Crest Elementary School, La Canada Flintridge
Beverly Vista Elementary School, Beverly Hills
Northwood Elementary School, Irvine
Vista Verde, Irvine
Canyon View Elementary School, San Diego
Lydiksen Elementary School, Pleasanton
Coyote Creek Elementary School, San Ramon
Monterey Ridge Elementary School, San Diego
Arroyo Vista Elementary School, South Pasadena
Collegewood Elementary School, Walnut
Live Oak Elementary School, San Ramon
Paradise Canyon Elementary School, La Canada Flintridge
Meadows Avenue Elementary School, Manhattan Beach
Willow Grove Elementary School, San Diego
Bollinger Canyon Elementary School, San Ramon
Grand View Elementary School, Manhattan Beach
Los Penasquitos Elementary School, San Diego
Alisal Elementary School, Pleasanton
Valley View Elementary School, Pleasanton
Painted Rock Elementary School, Poway
Richard Henry Lee Elementary School, Rossmoor
Sunset Hills Elementary School, San Diego
El Morro Elementary School, South Coast Township
Our students are forced to give up their privacy via school records and apple protects the privacy of terrorist?
Where is the common sense?
Why didnt Jim Edwards, tell us about this during city council hearing and why didnt the Dr Mary Sieu have this run in: PRESS TELEGRAM-LOS CERRITOS COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS….Shame on the upper mgmt. Jim and Mark Pulido are always brown noising the ABC for superior-hood, this is nauseating, all property owners will take a hit for this junket MELLO ROOS TAX for life.
Dear ABC Community,
The ABC Unified School District Board of Education will hold a Special Study Session on Thursday, February 11, 2016 at 5:00pm. The meeting will be held at the District Office located at 16700 Norwalk Blvd., Cerritos, Ca.
The topics on the agenda are:
1) Update on Facility Needs
2) Resources to support our facility needs
3) Transition of Career Technical Education and ROP
4) Board Advisory Committees
School Board Meetings are also on the district website and stream live. Past meetings can be found under archived videos.
Where is the poncho, Mr. Gavin Riley, he is always polishing the school unions and bragging about how dumb / poor the district is.
Where is that so called asian realtor, madam Grace Hu, she could take some time off from camping at court house foreclosure sales and get the word out, as she is trying to pimp herself with the GOP in 90703-90701 CCC election. Rest assure, her and Remax will clutter our mail boxes with over 100,000 garbage fliers when she runs for council.
Today Social Security, tomorrow DNA and fingerprints. This rate, all report cards will be downloaded on line, for the world to see. Too much info on the technical highways. Kids data must be private and not avail to schools and officials, to insure from hacking attacks.
Dear ABC Community,
A recent court order could result in a release, by the California Department of Education, of student records. This includes current students and former students going back to 2008.
Please read the following information from our District website. If you do wish to request an exemption, there is a link that will direct you to the CDE website.
http://www.abcusd.k12.ca.us/pages/ABC_Unified_School_District/News/1346865911471417124
ABC Calendar
Next meeting of protest, March, 1, 2016
http://www.abcusd.k12.ca.us/pages/ABC_Unified_School_District