The LA Times reports on the refusal of Tennessee schools to honor excellence by students.
A Tennessee law rediscovered in December has cast doubt on routine school activities, banning principals from recognizing student achievement until they receive express parental consent. The law surfaced after a parent complained about a list of straight-A students sent home in a newsletter, saying it hurt the feelings of students not included....So, spelling bee winners are not announced, individual athletic scoring is not published, honor rolls are not issued and no student may be singled out for praise. Another nail into the coffin of common sense, and another setback to those that hope for a recovery of the public schools.
The challenge began when Eakin Elementary School Principal Roxanne Ross sent home a newsletter listing honor roll students who were to be recognized at an academic pep rally in late December. Soon after, an Eakin mother called the metro attorney's office, complaining that while her daughter was on the honor roll, the girl's friends were not, and the list had upset them. The parent complained that she had not authorized the publication of her child's name.
Attorney Rachel Fardon examined the Tennessee Code and discovered a strongly worded provision about schools' rights to release data: The law says a child's academic performance is as private as test scores, psychological treatment or parental income, and any publication requires permission from parents.