See for yourself --
Documentation
This article documents our points by quoting the existing Minnesota
Statutes and Laws, so you can see for yourself, straight from the horse's mouth.
The following quotes from the Minnesota Statutes shows its
over-reaching goals. It aims to include "all learners" in a
"lifelong" manner, which includes you and your children whether you like it or
not. A new "comprehensive" system "is established" that crosses
educational-employment boundaries and gives the state new types of centralized control
over education & the economy. It establishes a "unified" labor market
information system with "centralized" controls and "assurances".
It includes a "statewide marketing system" to propagandize and sell this system
to the public, at taxpayer expense. It includes a "comprehensive", all-inclusive
development system, not just for the poor, but even for "professionals" in both
the public and private sectors. It includes a "comprehensive" system to
"support" — and substantially control — the boundaries between education and employment.
"Goals. To better prepare all learners to make
transitions between education and employment, a comprehensive
education and employment transitions system is established that is driven by multisector
partnerships and takes a lifelong approach to
workforce development. The goals of the statewide education and employment
transitions system are:
....
to provide support systems including a unified labor market
information system; a centralized quality assurance
system with information on learner achievement, employer satisfaction, and measurable
system outcomes; a statewide marketing system to promote the
importance of lifework development; a comprehensive
professional development system for public and private sector
partners; and a comprehensive system for providing technical
support to local partnerships for education and employment transitions." Minnesota Statutes 1999,
124D.46 Subd. 1, & part #9.
Minnesota Statutes now state that the planning council
"must award grants" in order to implement the partnerships between education and
employers. These so-called "grants" amount to a new system of rewards (and
punishments) to induce employers and schools into participating in these state-run
"partnerships" and its radical new inroads into a state-run economy.
"The council must award grants to implement local education and employment
transition partnerships ..." Minnesota Statutes 1999,
124D.46 Subd. 4.
State law allows school districts to require all students
to compile "lifework" information. The type of information is "not
limited", but specifically includes the student's "goals and
interests", as well as information on the student's manner of community service, all
out-of-school learning experiences, and outside jobs. School personnel are to regularly
review the information to ensure it is updated. These are deeply personal matters and such
data ought not be the state's business. See Minnesota Statutes 1999,
120B.04
What is the definition of "Educational Data" collected by the
state? Here is how the statutes recently defined it:
"Educational data" means data on individuals
maintained by a public educational agency or institution or by a person acting for the
agency or institution which relates to a student. ...." Minnesota Statutes 1999, 13.32
Subd. 1a
The data collection is not limited to educational data, instead it is open-ended
to include personal data of virtually any kind. In fact, the statute explicitly expands
the definition of "educational data" far beyond its usual meaning, to include unlimited
personal health data on students, even specifically including "mental problems"
and any records of school nurses:
"health data concerning students, including but not limited
to, data concerning immunizations, notations of special physical or mental problems and
records of school nurses". Minnesota Statutes 1999, 13.32
Subd. 2
The uses of the data are also virtually unlimited. The collected data
on your child can be used or shared with others, as necessary "to protect persons and
property", or to address any need of any student or students. With this
wide-open language, one is hard pressed to imagine what the data cannot be used for.
"Uses of data. School officials who receive data on juveniles, as
authorized under sections 260B.171 and 260C.171, may use and share
that data within the school district or educational entity as
necessary to protect persons and property or to address the educational and other needs of
students." Minnesota
Statutes 1999, 13.32 Subd. 7
Nonetheless, the personal data on students can be unilaterally withheld
from parents under some conditions, and those conditions are easily pressed into
service:
"In the case of a minor or an individual adjudged mentally incompetent, ... the
responsible authority shall withhold data from parents or guardians,
or individuals acting as parents or guardians in the absence of parents or guardians, upon request by the minor if the responsible authority determines that
withholding the data would be in the best interest of the minor." Minnesota Statutes 1999, 13.02
Subd. 8
What is the "State Information System"? It is an open-ended
data collection system run by the DCFL. See Minnesota Statutes 1999,
125B.05
What does the DCFL do with the results of Statewide Tests? See Minnesota Statutes 1999,
120B.30 (Go to subd. 3)
How does this apply to the Basic Skills Writing Test for 10th
graders? See Written Composition Rule
3501.0200-3501.0290 (go to 350l.0250 subp. 9)
MrEdCoPAC
This page last updated: January 12, 2007 |
