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Schools forced to divert staff amid historic flood of records requests

ralfy

ralfy

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School districts across the nation are facing a mounting pile of increasingly complex records requests from parents, community members or attorneys representing education advocacy groups — all of whom say they want greater transparency about how local children are educated. The requests are expansive, with filers seeking hundreds of thousands of pages of school emails, lesson plans and other internal documents, all of which must be carefully reviewed for student and employee personal information in compliance with federal privacy laws. School leaders warn that resources are being diverted away from students’ academic needs at the exact instant America is facing dropping test scores, a teen mental health crisis and a teacher shortage.
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Did you just want to share some news or...?
 
In our school system lesson plans and curriculum materials are already posted on line. Parents and advocacy groups are free to download them.

On the other hand if they want personal copies from the school we charge them (which is allowed under FOIA) based on the hourly rate of the person that has to compile the data, and duplicating fees for the copying/printing of the materials.

As to other "internal documents", emails, memos, etc. - Those are available again via FOIA at a fee.

WW
 
Our local school district stated that they’ve spent over $20K on having attorneys review and staff respond to OPRA requests since the beginning of this school year. That was in January.

And that’s one small preK-6 district.

The same people who file endless OPRA requests will then complain about the school budgets.
 
BirdinHand said:
Our local school district stated that they’ve spent over $20K on having attorneys review and staff respond to OPRA requests since the beginning of this school year. That was in January.

And that’s one small preK-6 district.

The same people who file endless OPRA requests will then complain about the school budgets.
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Doesn't your school charge for that?

Once we get a request we estimate the cost and let the person know in advance and they have to agree. If it's a minor amount (say under $50) once they agree we will provide it and expect payment. If it's a major amount, we will require pre-payment of the estimate (and will refund or bill for a differential).

WW
 
WorldWatcher said:

Doesn't your school charge for that?

Once we get a request we estimate the cost and let the person know in advance and they have to agree. If it's a minor amount (say under $50) once they agree we will provide it and expect payment. If it's a major amount, we will require pre-payment of the estimate (and will refund or bill for a differential).

WW
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From what I understand, it is the additional cost of staff to make the copies and also attorney hourly rates to review the material to make sure that they aren't releasing any sensitive information...not the cost of making copies, etc.

There is a relentless group in this area that is OPRA requesting anything and everything they can from the local districts. They are the travelling band of idiots that go from one district to another every month to complain about their fauxrage of the week.
 
BirdinHand said:
From what I understand, it is the additional cost of staff to make the copies and also attorney hourly rates to review the material to make sure that they aren't releasing any sensitive information...not the cost of making copies, etc.
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I checked the NJ OPRA. There are two types of fees:
  • Copy printing fees, and
  • Service fees for collection and review of the data. Collection fees would include the workers (secretarial, specialist, IT staff, etc.) associated with gathering the material and supervisory personnel (Supervisor and as you state attorney's) to review for non-FOIA (or as in NJ OPRA).
In my case I provide support for the Chief Public Relations Officer (our FIOA Officer). I provide HR related data as needed for requests. I log the time I worked on filling a request and provide her with my hourly rate. In addition she will also frequently ask me for the hourly rate of others so she can calculate compliance costs for billing.

WW
 
The solution to this issue is obvious. Stop teaching communist propaganda in schools.
 
WorldWatcher said:
I checked the NJ OPRA. There are two types of fees:
  • Copy printing fees, and
  • Service fees for collection and review of the data. Collection fees would include the workers (secretarial, specialist, IT staff, etc.) associated with gathering the material and supervisory personnel (Supervisor and as you state attorney's) to review for non-FOIA (or as in NJ OPRA).
In my case I provide support for the Chief Public Relations Officer (our FIOA Officer). I provide HR related data as needed for requests. I log the time I worked on filling a request and provide her with my hourly rate. In addition she will also frequently ask me for the hourly rate of others so she can calculate compliance costs for billing.

WW
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Yeah, I just saw on a video of the board meeting what they said they've spent. I am not on the board - so perhaps I'm wrong about what the costs are for, etc. I do know that they've been inundated from a friend of mine that works as an admin at the school and tells me in conversation. It is almost daily that they receive numerous OPRA requests - all from the same group of individuals. At this point, I think the purpose of these people is to be a nuisance, not actually find out actual information.
 
BirdinHand said:
Yeah, I just saw on a video of the board meeting what they said they've spent. I am not on the board - so perhaps I'm wrong about what the costs are for, etc. I do know that they've been inundated from a friend of mine that works as an admin at the school and tells me in conversation. It is almost daily that they receive numerous OPRA requests - all from the same group of individuals. At this point, I think the purpose of these people is to be a nuisance, not actually find out actual information.
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The ultimate purpose is to control the curriculum.
 
Grandpappy said:
The solution to this issue is obvious. Stop teaching communist propaganda in schools.
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I believe half that will come true. They will stop teaching. It's already a declining field due to "not worth getting shot by a crazy person" calculation and making shit wages.

US teacher prep programs have reported shrinking enrollment numbers over at least the past decade. Experts are sounding the alarm: The educator profession – a critical cornerstone of American life – is in crisis.

“As more and more teachers retire, we need to have others fill that role and right now, the numbers are not looking good for us,” said Heather Sparks, director of Teacher Education at Oklahoma City University. “It’s heartbreaking to watch.”https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/05/us/teacher-prep-student-shortages-covid-crisis/index.html
 
The cost of education to earn a teacher's wage is burdened by the cost of educating and arming yourself with the appropriate weapon.

Perhaps the GOP should consider free guns as gifts on graduation day to all those becoming a K-12 teacher. I know they won't consider free education--but the government purchasing guns for new teachers? I think they might go for that.
 
When little Johnny comes home and he tells his parents that he should be ashamed of being Caucasian, parents tent to get mad.
 
Any teacher who shames a student based on skin color shouldn't be teaching.
 
Just the next tactic in the right wing efforts to actively sabotage this nation's education system
 
Fishking said:
Good. Our schools have been an abysmal failure for the resources we dump into them, and in some cases are harmful.
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See? They even just admit to the goal.
 
Deuce said:
See? They even just admit to the goal.
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Lol...what goal is that? I'll let you dance on my strings, for my amusement, before I straighten out your hysteria.
 
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