Beware of In-School Surveys
Trust the Teachers Instead
By Kami Riley
If your child is given a survey at school, there are things you need to be aware of. The survey may claim to measure health attitudes or school culture, but the commonality among these surveys is their use of an “equity lens” to interpret the results. The other commonality is that they will be given by a third party contractor, that does not have to abide by federal privacy laws.
A survey may seem harmless and your school may not even know the true implications of it. In fact, your district may be receiving grant money to comply.
These surveys are from companies or organizations, such as Panorama or Second Step, that charge the school districts big money for them to compile the data and report back to the school with their opinion of what would help the students.
You, the parent, have no idea what is done with this data about your child.
Who collects it?
Who is it shared with? Who it is sold to?
How will the data be used in your child’s future? Does the state or federal government have access to it?
How do you feel about that?
You need to ask yourself some questions about the NEED for the survey.
If you trust your teachers then shouldn’t you listen to THEM about how your child is doing.
What good does an outside third party do?
If we want to keep local control of our schools then why are we asking some national corporation about our own kids?
Does this survey help with the learning of reading, writing, mathematics, history or science?
(Look at the questions. Not just “sample questions”, but the entire survey. IF you are allowed to see them….If not then that should be another red flag)
If your child is struggling at school, do you trust your teachers to recognize it and work to help your child?
Ask yourself what good comes from telling some company your child’s feelings?
I want to stress that this warning is not intended to malign any teacher, counselor, or administrator. To those dedicated people I say this:
I thank you for doing what you think will help children.
What I’d like you to know is that I trust YOU the teacher, counselor, administrator.
I don’t trust a third party that doesn’t know my child (grandchild) to tell me what’s best for them.
I TRUST THE TEACHERS THAT KNOW THE CHILD.
Thank you to the wonderful teachers that teach because you love the children!
I TRUST THE TEACHERS AND COUNSELORS that I KNOW AND RESPECT!
Not some corporate entity who knows nothing about my child or my community.
Parents, I want you to know that you can fill out a simple form to OPT-OUT of all in-school surveys on behalf of your child.
Click here for the OPT-OUT FORM
Kami Riley is a Norfolk, Nebraska Grandmother of 10, who is taking a stand for the privacy rights of children, and appreciates our excellent Nebraska teachers.
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