Okay, so FERPA. Guard Your Childs Education Privacy: 7 Tips . Sounds like some kinda complicated government thing, right? (It kinda is). check But, honestly, for parents like us, its mostly about keeping our kids school stuff private.
FERPA, which stands for Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (try saying that five times fast!), basically gives you, the parent, certain rights regarding your childs education records. Until they turn 18, or go to college, anyway! Then they get the rights.
What kinda rights? Well, you have the right to see those records. You also have the right to, like, ask the school to correct anything thats wrong or misleading.
Now, the school cant just go around willy-nilly sharing your kids info with anyone.
One thing that often trips people up: directory information. Schools often have a list of "directory information" which they can share without your permission. This usually includes things like your childs name, address, phone number, date and place of birth, major field of study, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, and the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended.
Its not always easy to navigate, I know! But FERPA is there to protect your kids privacy and gives you some control over their educational records. If you ever have any questions, dont be afraid to ask the school. They should be able to explain things to you, and if they dont, you can always look up info on the Department of Educations website. Good luck!