Idaho Eagle Forum

 

IMMEDIATE LEGISLATIVE ALERT

PLEASE CALL OR CONTACT YOUR SENATOR IMMEDIATELY and URGE YOUR SENATOR TO VOTE NO on H752 with the new language.

 

 
OPINION:

Language for ISIMS was struck in H752; however, new language was added to the bill authorizing SIMS (Student Information Management System) under the State Board of Education. It is virtually the same system as ISIMS, Idaho Student Information Management System. There are major problems with this approach. 

First, the State Board of Education is appointed rather than elected, thereby lacking accountability to the electorate for any rule making authority that it might acquire or any state funding or federal grant money that it might receive, which is lawfully and typically reserved for the state departments by approval of the legislature. The codes and information contained in SIMS are multidisciplinary, interagency, national and international in scope for purposes of continuity and uniformity to track students. 

Second, SIMS is on the State Department of Education website, http://www.sde.state.id.us/isims/, and under “Idaho’s State Data Dictionary” there are categories, subcategories, and elements as revealed in thousands of entries on countless pages of coded information collected on children and families. Under elements and status, NCES ID codes (National Center for Education Statistics), each element is identified as part of the U.S. Department of Education’s Student Data Handbook. Identification numbers are assigned to each student, child, and the information is recorded with the intent to warehouse this data under the State Board of Education. These data profiles are extensive and include private and personal information such as medical codes for evaluation and diagnosis, illness, dental conditions, immunizations, gestational periods, birth records, birthmarks, social security, household income, home visits, retirement, geographical designation, public school residence, etc., etc.

Third, this is not only a violation of privacy, it also jeopardizes personal security and identity. While allowing stakeholders to access the information, there isn’t any guarantee that such extensive private and personal information cannot be breached. Furthermore, the information is being transferred, collected, compiled, expanded, coded, recorded and stored, but not at the request of the individuals and families involved. There is a lack of awareness by individual(s), and a lack of informed parental consent necessitated for minors within the family, which is an unwelcome intrusion under PPRA. Agencies must not assume that private records can be formulated and accessed, especially without the request and permission of the parents or legal guardians of minor children. There is no doubt that such extensive collections of information could be misused to foster fear and coercion. If recorded or coded misinformation exists, it would be difficult to change under the present circumstances and there could be severe consequences for the families and children involved, especially when they, themselves, lack access and have not seen or reviewed the information in its entirety. Whether governmental, non-governmental, private, or individual agencies, such public and private entities should not have the right to compile and access private information and records on citizens. This data is apparently being formulated on the basis of attendance in the public school system, state funded and accredited institutions, or participation in state programs for children and adults. Interagency would include information from all agencies, which could span all the boundless aspects of health care, education, law, vital statistics, welfare, pensions, labor, and human resources. Multidisciplinary includes all facets of life. In a free American society, the institutions of government and their services have traditionally belonged to the people who pay the taxes, offer their support, and who, in turn, expect government to respect the bounds of home and family and to restrict its agencies from wrongful and undesirable intrusion. Independent and non –government, private agencies must certainly be accountable to the same standards. The unwarranted, unrestricted collection and access of private information on law-abiding citizens must stop. Such data profile collections are not conducive to a free society. 

SEARCH SIMS: 

To explore the information being collected and recorded, go to the Idaho State Department of Education website: http://www.sde.state.id.us/isims/ and click on “Idaho’s State Data Dictionary” and view categories and subcategories that are listed. You can select “elements” and there will appear an element name and description, below that is “status” and then NCES ID and a code number under the National Center for Education and Statistics in conjunction with the Student Data Handbook for the U.S. Department of Education. (H 752 was passed by the House. Stop the seamless multidisciplinary, interagency totalitarian web by stopping SIMS. Urge senators to VOTE NO on the new language authorizing SIMS in H752. The legislation could go before the senators as early as tomorrow, Friday, March 17, or it could go to the floor for vote beginning next week. 

Call Legislative Information: (208) 332-1000 or 1-800-626-0471

E-Mail: idleginfo@lso.idaho.gov

Fax: (208) 334-5397

Hearing Impaired: 1-800-626-0471

SENATORS:

District 1 Shawn Keough R Sandpoint  skeough@senate.idaho.gov

District 2 Joyce M. Broadsword R Cocolalla  jbroadsw@senate.idaho.gov

District 3 Michael Jorgenson R Hayden Lake  mnjorgen@senate.idaho.gov

District 4 John Goedde  R Coeur d’Alene jgoedde@senate.idaho.gov

District 5 Richard “Dick” Compton R Coeur d’Alene  dcompton@senate.idaho.gov

District 6 Gary Schroeder R Moscow  gschroed@senate.idaho.gov

District 7 Joe Stegner R Lewiston  jstegner@senate.idaho.gov

District 8 Skip Brandt R Kooskia  sbrandt@senate.idaho.gov

District 9 Monty Pearce R New Plymouth  mpearce@senate.idaho.gov

District 10 John McGee R Caldwell jmcgee@senate.idaho.gov

District 11 Brad Little R Emmett  blittle@senate.idaho.gov

District 12 Curt McKenzie R Nampa cmckenzi@senate.idaho.gov

District 13 Patti Anne Lodge R Huston palodge@senate.idaho.gov

District 14 Hal Bunderson R Meridian hbunders@senate.idaho.gov

District 15 John C. Andreason R Boise jandreas@senate.idaho.gov

District 16 David Langhorst D Boise dlanghor@senate.idaho.gov

District 17 Elliot Werk D Boise ewerk@senate.idaho.gov

District 18 Kate Kelly D Boise kkelly@senate.idaho.gov

District 19 Mike Burkett D Boise mburkett@senate.idaho.gov

District 20 Gerry Sweet R Meridian gsweet@senate.idaho.gov

District 21 Russell M. Fulcher R Meridian  rfulcher@senate.idaho.gov

District 22 Tim Corder R Mountain Home  tcorder@senate.idaho.gov

District 23 Tom Gannon R Buhl  tgannon@senate.idaho.gov

District 24 Charles Coiner R Twin Falls ccoiner@senate.idaho.gov

District 25 Clint Stennett D Ketchum stennett@senate.idaho.gov

District 26 Dean L. Cameron R Rupert  dcameron@senate.idaho.gov

District 27 Denton Darrington R Declo ddarring@senate.idaho.gov

District 28 J. Stanley Williams R Pingree swilliam@senate.idaho.gov

Bert Marley D McCammon D McCammon  bmarley@senate.idaho.gov

Edgar J. Malepeai D Pocatello emalepea@senate.idaho.gov

Robert Geddes R Soda Springs rlgeddes@senate.idaho.gov

Melvin “Mel” Richardson Idaho Falls  mrichard@senate.idaho.gov

Bert M. Davis R Idaho Falls bmdavis@senate.idaho.gov

Brent Hill Rexburg bhill@senate.idaho.gov

Don M. Burtenshaw R Terreton  dburtens@senate.idaho.gov

Jane Lesko, President Pat Burnam, Vice President 407-1951

 

March 17, 2006