Since school is starting, you'll want to pay close attention here. You know that packet of lovely forms the school has you sign for your child at the beginning of each school year? Don't sign anything until you read this. You can opt-out your child out of data mining surveys, family & human sexuality, screenings, risk behavior surveillance, etc.
A formal complaint has been filed against the WCBOE with the Maryland Department of Education as it was discovered that WCPS was conducting surveys intended to politically profile and to gather the beliefs and views of students and their families. Since getting caught, Wicomico County Public Schools is now providing parents with an opportunity to opt-out their child from participating in political school surveys under the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA). Proof of their political profiling of students and their families is here.
Although the school system has gathered this data and provided to 3rd party agencies, it is unknown if the data was actually sold as some school systems have been known to do.
Every parent should receive the opt-out form below in the return to school packet mailed to your home. We want you to clearly understand the importance an implication of this:
Unless you want your family politically profiled and your personal and private information archived and shared with other agencies, MAKE SURE YOU INITIAL AND RETURN THIS FORM BACK TO THE SCHOOL.
Make a copy for yourself, and confirm receipt of it with your child's school. Failure to return this initialed document gives the school system consent to survey your child and data mine personal and private information about your child and your family members, including their political, religious, and social views.
Some parents are writing in the following to modify the opt-out verbiage to read like this:
If you did not receive an opt-out form in your school registration packet mailed by the school, you can download the form here: Opt-Out of Survey Form BOE-GEN-PR-002.
We recommend this blanket opt-out form that covers of an array of items that you may find objectionable:
If administration says that they don't accept the form, they are trying to deceive you. In fact, they are trained to say that. Don't listen to them and insist. They have to accept it, for as long as a parent notifies a school system of their request in writing.
Fellows & Editors
August 23, 2021. DelmarvaPTC.org.
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