Parents across California have grown concerned after learning that a Sacramento-based federal judge ordered the state Department of Education to release sensitive records for more than 10 million schoolchildren to lawyers and consultants representing special education advocates.
The records include names, some Social Security numbers, home addresses, disciplinary records, medical information and progress reports for students who have attended a California public school since Jan. 1, 2008.
The article includes a quote from Public Advocates’ John Affeldt:
John Affeldt of Public Advocates said there needs to be a balance between ensuring that “state agencies are performing their duties to serve all students, which people have a right to challenge and litigate” and, on the other hand, making sure that privacy rights of innocent parties are protected.”
Those parties are “people who didn’t thrust themselves into the fray,” he said.
Read the entire article here.