Okay, so, Student FERPA Rights: A Parents Guide. College Students a FERPA: Know Your Rights . Basically, FERPA, right? Its this law, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. (Try saying that five times fast!). And its all about protecting students educational records, which is kinda a big deal.
See, when your kiddo is younger, like in elementary or even middle school, you basically have all the access. You can walk right into the school, ask about grades, see their records, all that jazz. managed service new york But then, BAM! Your kid goes to college (or sometimes even before then, depending!), and things changes. FERPA kicks in, and suddenly, youre not automatically entitled to know everything.
Its because FERPA gives the student – the student, not you – control over their educational records once they reach 18, or if theyre attending a post-secondary institution like a college, even if theyre younger than 18. This includes things like their grades, their transcripts, their class schedule, even disciplinary records! managed services new york city (Unless, you know, there a really, really good reason)
Now, this doesnt mean youre completely in the dark. Your student can choose to give the school permission to share their information with you. They can sign a waiver, or fill out a form, saying, "Hey, its okay to talk to my parents about my grades." But its their choice, not yours. Its a little bit of like, you know, them growing up and being responsible for their own stuff.
Some parents get annoyed by this. Theyre like, "But Im paying for their education!" And yeah, thats totally understandable. But FERPA is about protecting student privacy and giving them some independence. Its also kinda designed to help them learn to advocate for themselves, which is important for life!
So, what can you do? Talk to your student! Have an open conversation about why you want to know about their academic progress. And, most importantly, respect their decision, even if you dont totally agree with it. Maybe they are willing to share, maybe they arent. (Maybe you can even bribe them with pizza!).