Let's keep the kids in mind

Dear EISD parents, patrons, employees and paper,

Every day on each campus our kids experience great triumphs, or maintain ongoing success, or struggle with learning, and a few experience conflict and pain. We work hard to move every student from wherever they are to the realm of great triumphs. We definitely strive to help those students who are in conflict or pain to resolve the issues so they are more likely to learn. I am really pleased that our parents and community brag on their kids’ successes.  And we are blessed to have a local paper that goes out of their way to cover all our kids and all our events.  However, sometimes careless speech contributes to the pain and conflict our kids experience.

There are two laws that mostly govern student information. One is FERPA, the Family Educational and Privacy Act, and the other is HIPPA, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Both laws make it clear that if it is not criminal, it is a violation of federal law to release private information to a third party. We will release anything to the parent or guardian. We cannot release to anyone else a student’s grades, disciplinary history, test results, counseling sessions, special education designation or not, GT designation or not, the student’s medical history or reports, etc. We may not release personally identifiable information for any student enrolled in our schools. So?

Two weeks ago the paper ran an article that included a student’s discipline history, and accused the student of a school disciplinary infraction. Sadly, both accusations were inaccurate. More sadly, a student’s private, confidential information became public knowledge. That is not right. We have an obligation to keep our kids, all our kids safe, and that includes keeping their confidential information safe. 

The parents of the young man in question are appropriately upset. I am upset. We have grown too loose with the sharing of rumors and quasi information. Whoever shared the information with the paper has caused a great deal of harm to a particular family, a family that did not need any more harm. It is amazing that much of that information was incorrect.

I know we have become a culture where gossip in the rumor mill, the grapevine, and at the water cooler quickly becomes digitally public. You know your school system is an open system. If I were any more transparent I would disappear. I will not, however, share information regarding students or staff that has been declared by law and the courts to be confidential.  

So I take this moment to say that all of us have an expectation of privacy. Kids especially. We need reminding from time to time, especially in small communities. If any of us share private information about a child that is not our own child we are breaking the rules. If any educator shares information regarding a child we are breaking the rules. If any educator judges or disparages another educator publicly, or releases private information about another employee we are breaking the rules. So much so that educator can loose his or her job and or his or her license to practice. Please be mindful that the law also covers anything you post to social media.  

If you have a question, call.  If I can legally answer it, I will.  Otherwise, one of the ways we can protect our kids is not to talk about them behind their backs.

Bob Wells

Edna ISD superintendent

Edna, Texas

Editor’s note: Our story was written from information we received  from a police report and interviews with eyewitnesses.  No information was received from school personnel.