JOHN KIESLOW INVADES OUR PRIVACY

I read something very disturbing in my state's home schooling newsletter. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is releasing birth certificate information without authority to do so.

JOHN KIESLOW, that's JOHN KIESLOW, the Wisconsin State Registrar, has told the Wisconsin Parent's Association's executive director, although he is aware of the Family Educational and Privacy Rights Act, (FERPA), which prohibits any educational agency or institution that receives federal funds from releasing personal contact information for students not enrolled in a public school, he disagrees with the interpretation of the statue and will continue to release birth certificate information unless he is challenged, (sued), at which time he would then consult an attorney. 

Wisconsin statute 69.20 says information from birth certificates may be shared "for the purpose of compiling demographic statistics related to planning."

JOHN KIESLOW, I said, JOHN KIESLOW, you have got to be a moron if you can't interpret the meaning of "statistics".

JOHN KIESLOW, allow me to share the Merriam-Webster dictionary's interpretation for you. Statistic- a quantity that is computed from a sample. Statistics- a branch of mathematics dealing with the collection, analysis and interpretation of masses of NUMERICAL data.

I understand why public school districts need to collect data as to how many certain aged children live within their boundaries, but there is no reason why the school district needs to know my children's names and birth dates! Do they need to prepare for the possibility the next Kindergarten class contains too many Jacobs and Emilys?

In this day and age of identify theft, knowing my children's birth certificate is being shared by people I will never meet, let alone be able to hold accountable for, is very disturbing to me.

If I had the money, JOHN KIESLOW'S birth certificate would be posted on the side of a truck and driven around the state. If I had the money I would "challenge his interpretation" and sue the pants off the state of Wisconsin for placing my children's future economic health in jeopardy.

All I can do is call and write my representatives and share my anger at how easy it is to take advantage of an honest tax payer, who also doesn't ask for any money from the state to educate my children.

WHY CAN'T YOU JUST LEAVE US ALONE!  We don't need to be marketed to. We don't need to be included in studies. My home based, private educational program has nothing to do with the public school. Spreading our children's personal information around for anyone to abuse is, in my interpretation, criminal and constitutes identify theft terrorism, MR. JOHN KIESLOW!!