HERE WE GO-Tracking Ohio Students' Immunization and Private Data

[Guest guest]

MY NOTE: {I will say it again......The Department of Health and related

Health agencies have carte blanche...Full Power...they can declare an

Emergency based on agenda and poison entire cities...the people need to WAKE

UP and require elimination and restructuring of detrimental policies under

the guise of moral code for the survival of the species...we are sitting

ducks and many citizens especially the children are being poisoned, injured

and going to die...these agendas promote grave amounts of unnecessary

suffering.....the lights need to be on these cockaroaches nonstop..press your

senators

Donna M. REILLY}

Pass this on to parents in Ohio and watch carefully in all states to fight

these subversive attacks on student privacy. What a devious way for the

state to establish an immunization tracking system! Remember, promises for

accountability for misuses of data in state databases are worthless. It will

happen, and nobody will be held accountable. For example, after we got the

law passed in Texas requiring our state health department to secure opt-in

written informed consent before entering a child into their immunization

tracking database, I found my daughter's personal information in it with mine

and my husband's social security numbers! You can imagine that I never gave

consent. Even though we got into our state law a violation of consent being a

class A misdemeanor with jail time, NOTHING happened to those responsible for

entering the information on over 700,000 children by illegally dumping data

from the confidential portions of a child's birth record. Parents need to

demand that lawmakers help them protect the privacy of their children's

records. Dawn]

http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/news/local/3096047.htm

Posted on Fri, Apr. 19, 2002

Students' personal data to go to state

Akron school officials raise privacy, security fears over details sought

By Reginald Fields

Beacon Journal staff writer

The state wants to get to know its public school children in

extraordinary detail, asking school districts under a little-known law to

provide personal information on students such as their mother's maiden name

for a new database.

The Ohio Department of Education said the database will bring the state

in line with federal guidelines requiring increased accountability from

schools.

But local school officials are worried that Ohio is infringing on

student and family privacy and does not need such personal information to

ensure classroom accountability.

The Statewide Student Identifier System is to set up an identification

number for all 1.8 million students in public schools. Those in private

schools would not be part of the system.

The education department has hired the Pricewaterhouses

accounting firm to collect the student data and assign the identification

numbers.

To guard against duplication in assigning the numbers, the state wants

to know each student's Social Security number, eye color, mother's maiden

name, dates of immunizations and other personal details on a 43-item

checklist.

Local districts will use the identification numbers to pass on the

students' academic records to the education department, including their

classes, their grades, and any disciplinary actions against them.

By law, the education department cannot have specific academic details

linked to students' names -- thus the need for the identification numbers.

Pricewaterhouses, however, will permanently maintain a database of

student names and their personal information.

``Ultimately, this will allow us to see what students need help and

what programs are effective, while at the same time keeping student names

private,'' said J.C. Benton, an education department spokesman.

The system also will help the state track student mobility and offer

districts more accurate data for their use in planning, Benton said.

Akron's questions

Akron school officials are suspicious of the state's motives, to say

the least. For example, they ask whether law enforcement officials could use

the database in criminal investigations (that's not likely, the state says)

and whether parents can object to the release of information on their

children (that's not an option so far).

The Akron officials say they will submit the student information --

under slight protest -- because they are required to do so by law. But they

call the database system troubling, especially at a time when once-obscure

crimes such as identity theft are on the rise. ``We are concerned about

confidentiality,'' said Diane Kennedy, the Akron schools' director of

information management.

Akron Superintendent Sylvester Small said: ``I think the general public

would be outraged if they knew the type of information the state was

requiring on their kids.''

Akron school board member Kersker said collecting so much

personal information on so many people in one database increases the

likelihood of its misuse.

The school board was surprised to learn about the information request

this week when Small brought it to their attention as a requirement the

district has to meet by April 30. Small said even he only recently learned of

the law.

Other districts worried

Kennedy, who has attended meetings in Columbus about collecting student

data, said officials of other urban districts in Ohio are just as concerned

about the system.

This year, the state requires that only some of the information

requested in the 43-item list be provided. But Small said the number of

required items will increase each year.

Akron has agreed to submit only this year's mandatory information.

That's nine items, including name, address, date of birth, gender, race and

school.

By next year, the state will require such additional items as the

student's middle name and birthplace.

Some districts may choose to submit information that for now is

optional.

One expert in identity theft said that while the education department

might have a legitimate need for the information, it should assure the public

about how it plans to keep the data secure.

``My concern is all the people that are setting this up,'' said Jay

Foley of the Identity Theft Resource Center in California. ``Are they

seriously, seriously taking in all the dangers involved. That information can

be misused, maybe by a disgruntled worker.

``It's not so much that it is a bad idea -- it's `Are you aware of the

downfalls?' ''

Benton, the education department spokesman, said security has been

given a high priority in setting up the identification system. ``We have been

assured it's safer than submitting credit card information over the Internet,

and it is safer than using a cell phone,'' Benton said.

Akron school officials said the state has told them and officials in

other districts that if the personal data is improperly disseminated,

Pricewaterhouses cannot be held accountable.

But Benton said that if the accounting firm mishandles the information,

it can be prosecuted.

Reginald Fields can be reached at 330-996-3743 or

rfields@...

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Dawn

PROVE(Parents Requesting Open Vaccine Education)

prove@... (email)

http://vaccineinfo.net/ (web site)

-------------------------------------------------------------------

PROVE provides information on vaccines, and immunization policies and

practices that affect the children and adults of Texas. Our mission is to

prevent vaccine injury and death and to promote and protect the right of

every person to make informed independent vaccination decisions for

themselves and their family.

[Guest guest]

I remember when all this happened in Texas. In Feb. of

200o the new HIPPA laws went into effect once again

guaranteeing some privacy for patients. That was the

grounds I filed my suit on. For the sharing of

information can be predjudical, false, incorrect and

so forth. I know somone who got a test done and it

showed human papillus virus, the young in training

doctior thought HPV was HIV. So she began to spread

rumors around Texas. What a mess, and not a truth in

it. That is why the new reform on patient privacy was

once again invoked. So glad it falls under Federal law

too. Hint.

Carroll-Bower, NTMC

www.geocities.com/marbme12/NTMC.html

--- cavegrl777@... wrote:

> MY NOTE: {I will say it again......The Department of

> Health and related

> Health agencies have carte blanche...Full

> Power...they can declare an

> Emergency based on agenda and poison entire

> cities...the people need to WAKE

> UP and require elimination and restructuring of

> detrimental policies under

> the guise of moral code for the survival of the

> species...we are sitting

> ducks and many citizens especially the children are

> being poisoned, injured

> and going to die...these agendas promote grave

> amounts of unnecessary

> suffering.....the lights need to be on these

> cockaroaches nonstop..press your

> senators

> Donna M. REILLY}

>

> Pass this on to parents in Ohio and watch carefully

> in all states to fight

> these subversive attacks on student privacy. What a

> devious way for the

> state to establish an immunization tracking system!

> Remember, promises for

> accountability for misuses of data in state

> databases are worthless. It will

> happen, and nobody will be held accountable. For

> example, after we got the

> law passed in Texas requiring our state health

> department to secure opt-in

> written informed consent before entering a child

> into their immunization

> tracking database, I found my daughter's personal

> information in it with mine

> and my husband's social security numbers! You can

> imagine that I never gave

> consent. Even though we got into our state law a

> violation of consent being a

> class A misdemeanor with jail time, NOTHING happened

> to those responsible for

> entering the information on over 700,000 children by

> illegally dumping data

> from the confidential portions of a child's birth

> record. Parents need to

> demand that lawmakers help them protect the privacy

> of their children's

> records. Dawn]

>

>

>

http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/news/local/3096047.htm

>

> Posted on Fri, Apr. 19, 2002

>

> Students' personal data to go to state

> Akron school officials raise privacy, security

> fears over details sought

> By Reginald Fields

> Beacon Journal staff writer

>

> The state wants to get to know its public

> school children in

> extraordinary detail, asking school districts under

> a little-known law to

> provide personal information on students such as

> their mother's maiden name

> for a new database.

>

> The Ohio Department of Education said the

> database will bring the state

> in line with federal guidelines requiring increased

> accountability from

> schools.

>

> But local school officials are worried that

> Ohio is infringing on

> student and family privacy and does not need such

> personal information to

> ensure classroom accountability.

>

> The Statewide Student Identifier System is to

> set up an identification

> number for all 1.8 million students in public

> schools. Those in private

> schools would not be part of the system.

>

> The education department has hired the

> Pricewaterhouses

> accounting firm to collect the student data and

> assign the identification

> numbers.

>

> To guard against duplication in assigning the

> numbers, the state wants

> to know each student's Social Security number, eye

> color, mother's maiden

> name, dates of immunizations and other personal

> details on a 43-item

> checklist.

>

> Local districts will use the identification

> numbers to pass on the

> students' academic records to the education

> department, including their

> classes, their grades, and any disciplinary actions

> against them.

>

> By law, the education department cannot have

> specific academic details

> linked to students' names -- thus the need for the

> identification numbers.

> Pricewaterhouses, however, will permanently

> maintain a database of

> student names and their personal information.

>

> ``Ultimately, this will allow us to see what

> students need help and

> what programs are effective, while at the same time

> keeping student names

> private,'' said J.C. Benton, an education department

> spokesman.

>

> The system also will help the state track

> student mobility and offer

> districts more accurate data for their use in

> planning, Benton said.

>

> Akron's questions

>

> Akron school officials are suspicious of the

> state's motives, to say

> the least. For example, they ask whether law

> enforcement officials could use

> the database in criminal investigations (that's not

> likely, the state says)

> and whether parents can object to the release of

> information on their

> children (that's not an option so far).

>

> The Akron officials say they will submit the

> student information --

> under slight protest -- because they are required to

> do so by law. But they

> call the database system troubling, especially at a

> time when once-obscure

> crimes such as identity theft are on the rise. ``We

> are concerned about

> confidentiality,'' said Diane Kennedy, the Akron

> schools' director of

> information management.

>

> Akron Superintendent Sylvester Small said: ``I

> think the general public

> would be outraged if they knew the type of

> information the state was

> requiring on their kids.''

>

> Akron school board member Kersker said

> collecting so much

> personal information on so many people in one

> database increases the

> likelihood of its misuse.

>

> The school board was surprised to learn about

> the information request

> this week when Small brought it to their attention

> as a requirement the

> district has to meet by April 30. Small said even he

> only recently learned of

> the law.

>

> Other districts worried

>

> Kennedy, who has attended meetings in Columbus

> about collecting student

> data, said officials of other urban districts in

> Ohio are just as concerned

> about the system.

>

> This year, the state requires that only some

> of the information

> requested in the 43-item list be provided. But Small

> said the number of

> required items will increase each year.

>

> Akron has agreed to submit only this year's

> mandatory information.

> That's nine items, including name, address, date of

> birth, gender, race and

> school.

>

> By next year, the state will require such

> additional items as the

> student's middle name and birthplace.

>

> Some districts may choose to submit

> information that for now is

> optional.

>

> One expert in identity theft said that while

> the education department

>

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