This weekend I received this message from the Sioux Falls School District.

The Sioux Falls School District will conduct the Middle School Safety Survey on Friday, November 7^th, 2014.  The information we receive from students, parents, and staff members at each building will help us keep schools safe for students and staff members.

The survey takes about twenty minutes to complete.  Individual student answers will not be personally identified and are kept strictly confidential.

This survey includes questions about personal safety and drug and alcohol use.  You may opt your child out of participating in this survey if you choose. (Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA), 20 U.S.C. 123h)

If you have further questions about the survey or you do not want your child to participate in this activity, contact your school principal no later than Thursday, November 6, 2014.

This survey has the wonderful title of “Middle School Safety Survey”. Of course we all want children and teachers to be safe at school.

I have several concerns here. If this survey is online, the information your child shares will be personally identifiable. And doesn’t the statement that the information will be kept strictly confidential, mean that at some level, the information will be personally identifiable?

Whether you live in Sioux Falls or anywhere, I want to encourage you to opt your child out of this survey and any future surveys. No more data collected on our children.

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