43. Student Identification Database Systems (5/04)

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Whereas federal and state governments are requiring that more and more personal information about any family that receives government education services be collected, stored, and used in government controlled databases; and

Whereas these databases include or will soon include a great deal of personal information that goes well beyond the names and addresses of families to include nicknames, disabilities, income level, occupation, test scores, etc.; and

Whereas the information collected serves the interests and values of those designing the database systems and not the interests of parents or students and more specifically not the interests of homeschoolers; and

Whereas information within such government database systems can by law be shared with other government agencies; and

Whereas knowing information about a person or family gives power over that person or family; and

Whereas school officials have sought this kind of information and power over homeschoolers for the past 20 years in Wisconsin; and

Whereas school officials knowingly or unknowingly have exceeded their authority regarding the privacy of parents and students and will undoubtedly do so with regard to these database systems; and

Whereas individual homeschoolers may not realize that their decision to seek or accept government education services or education tax benefits would easily lead to their inclusion in such government databases and would then affect all homeschoolers by setting precedents and/or establishing the idea that homeschoolers are willing to exchange their privacy and freedoms for government education services or tax benefits;

Be it resolved by members of Wisconsin Parents Association (WPA) that WPA will continue to work to inform its members, homeschoolers throughout the state, and the public about problems related to student identification database systems and how homeschoolers can work to ensure that they are not included. 5/04