Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT) said Thursday (March 9) that he would not offer an amendment in committee, as he intended to do, that would require parental consent for the collection and use of information in schools. But he said children’s privacy, especially as it pertains to information gathered in schools, remains a priority for him and he asked his fellow Senators to work with him on the issue. In a brief statement during a Senate panel’s consideration of legislation to overhaul the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), Dodd cited the complexity of the issue and specifically singled out programs related to colleges and children’s book clubs as activities that he did not want to hurt. At this writing, it is unclear when Dodd may try to revisit the issue. He could still offer some version of the measure as an amendment when the full Senate considers the education bill in the coming weeks. Kids in the Know and its members – as well as other groups – strongly opposed the Dodd bill, and actively educated members of the Senate education committee about the problems with the measure and the harm it would do. A week earlier, Dodd filed presented a modified version of his bill. The original bill would have banned schools from gathering or giving information about students to organizations for commercial use. The revised version said "commercial interests" does not include data gathered "for the purpose of developing or providing educational products or services for or to students or educational institutions . . . ." It called college recruiting, book clubs, and curriculum develop examples of exempt activities. HOUSE PANEL TO ACT SOON Rep. George Miller (D-CA) still intends to offer legislation that is identical to the original Dodd bill when a House panel considers the ESEA legislation later this month. Kids in the Know representatives have met with the staff of more than a dozen House members who serve on the House Education and the Workforce Committee. In a letter to all committee members, Kids in the Know wrote that, the bill’s "potential harm to students, unnecessary paperwork for schools, and additional burden on schools, teachers, and administrators, far outweigh any conceivable benefit." The National School Boards Association (NSBA) has joined Kids in the Know in opposing the Miller and Dodd bills. In a letter to lawmakers, NSBA leaders wrote that the bill, "engages the federal government in a level of micro-management that is not practical or necessary. . . . This is a decision best determined by the local board to ensure that the special needs of the district and the local values of the community are reflected." For more information about the issues outlined in this update – or for information about other Kids in the Know’s activities – contact Michael Fleischer at 202/667-0901 or send an e-mail to info@kidsintheknow.org.
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