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