CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL TEACHERS AND CONFIDENTIAL STUDENT INFORMATION

WHEREAS, public school teachers are held accountable for providing a safe environment for learning; and

WHEREAS, teachers are certified by local boards of education and state departments of education as professionals, able to analyze and use confidential information for the benefit of children; and

WHEREAS, teachers currently not only have access to, but must access highly sensitive, confidential student information in order to properly carry out their duties, including confidential medical information of physical as well as psychological categories, scores on intelligence and achievement tests and other personal information; and

WHEREAS, teachers have an obligation of guarding the safety of all students assigned to them:

RESOLVED, that the AFT firmly urge that state and local courts refer data on student felony arrests, especially those dealing with assault, intimidation and the use of weapons, to local school authorities; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT firmly urge local school authorities to make classroom teachers fully aware of this confidential information, as administrators and/or counselors are.