Is this even legal? (Student info posted on 'net by principal.

[Maddy McCall]

I was just looking around a some Yahoo groups, and look what I came across.

It's a group for teachers at a middle school here in Mississippi. Here's the post by the ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL that seemed WAY wrong:

**************

As of 1-3-05 the following students will be in the 45 day alternative program at
XXXXX Junior High School. Please make sure that if you teach one of these
student that your lesson plans are given to Coach XXXXX and Ms. XXXXX so that
they can do the same lessons with their students as your students in your room.
It is also important that when a student comes to your room from the 45 day
room, you nneed to fill out their compliance sheet and initial it appropratel.
This is necessary for Coach XXXXX and Ms. XXXXX to determine if the student is
responding properly in your room. That is essential for the success of the
program.
1. Laquanta XXXXX
2. Dantrel XXXXXr
3. Ted XXXXX
4. Exzave XXXXX
5. Edward XXXXX
6. Arland XXXXX
7. Courtney XXXXX
8. Darius XXXXX

there may be aditional names given to you at
a later time today or Monday.
i UNDERSTAND THAT SOME OF THE TEACHERS HAVE NOT SENT 9 WEEKS TEST TO COACH XXX
. NO CHILD WILL RECEIVE AN F OR AN E BECAUSE THE TEACHER DID NOT SEND A TEST OR
AWRITTEN STATEMENT TO COACH XXX STATING THAT A 9 WEEKS TEST WILL NOT BE USED
IN DETERMING A GRADE FOR ANY 45 DAY STUDENT.

*******

Should the school superintendent be notified that his assistant principal is posting CONFIDENTIAL INFO about students on the internet???

[teach1st]

1. Not legal where I am...

...not ethical anywhere.

Notify somebody.

[Heidi]

2. Outrageous.

I'd send an e-mail, with the link to the Yahoo Group discussion and the body of those messages without the names redacted, to the superintendent of the school district, and cc it to the next closest daily newspaper. Also, I bet the PTA for that middle school wouldn't be too pleased to see students' names and private information posted in a public discussion.

[Blue-Jay]

3. I'm more concerned that a principal

can't spell "additional".

"Is our children learning?"

[eyesroll]

4. I suppose that the asst. principal is using the Yahoo group as a means

of communication -- possibly because it's free and the school lacks resoureces to set up their own lists -- BUT, the group should be private. It's easy to set a Yahoo group to be viewable only by approved members.

Perhaps the principal does not even realize casual visitors can see the information? In that case, he's ignorant but not malicious. (It's a also possible he knows exactly what he's doing -- maybe he's trying to shame the kids? If so, not good.)

Regardless of motive, somebody should be notified, because this information should be private.