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By Linda Dobson
Straight from the Portland Press Herald (ME) comes the news that the state’s schools are to collect students Social Security numbers and submit them to state officials, ostensibly to “track schools effectiveness.”
Excuse me? They need to make kids Social Security numbers conveniently vulnerable to hackers keen on identity theft to track school effectiveness? No, there are many other ways to keep track of students, including a simple “student number” as someone with a bit more sense thought of even way back when I was in school.
As you’re probably aware, we are issued Social Security numbers so that the government may keep track of us regarding taxes we need to pay and making sure our withholdings are properly credited to us. Today, everybody and their brother asks for – and obviously receives – Social Security numbers in connection to most financial transactions, especially when credit, however minimal, is being granted.
As is the case in Maine, the school district may ask you for your child’s Social Security number, but you don’t need to comply. Tracking school effectiveness is a poor cover for this request.
From the article:
Schools will start the number collection when classes begin to comply with a law that the Legislature passed in 2009. Officials plan to use the Social Security numbers as they develop a statewide system to track students’ progress throughout school and into the workplace.
The Obama administration is making more aggressive student data collection a priority as a way to assess schools’ long-term effectiveness and inform policy decisions. Maine received a $7.3 million federal grant in May to help it continue developing its data system.
The guidance to superintendents recommends that schools tell parents why they’re collecting Social Security numbers and that there is no consequence for withholding the information.
What does a child’s Social Security number have to do with learning? Absolutely nothing. What does it have to do with government “cradle to grave” control?
Everything.
Just say no.
Link to this page
Oh, make one up. Do you really think they are going to check it? And remember the first 3 numbers are geographical. http://www.socialsecurity.gov/history/ssn/geocard…
Or ask how much they intend to pay the kid…
Or tell them you don't care to be a victim of ID theft and ask them to sign a statement that they will pay all the costs involved if it is stolen. Or demand they pay for an ID theft insurance policy.
Assume every single school employee that can operate a keyboard would have access to those numbers.
or ask for the school district employees numbers. You pay their salaries.
sheesh. what a bunch of nosey busy bodies!
Thanks for sharing this info about SS numbers and the suggestions, Mary. I hope it helps parents maintain family freedom.