Warning Parents the PAYS Survey is coming to a school near you!!!

A few weeks ago I was notified by a parent in Downingtown School that their kids were being asked to participate in an invasive survey called( PAYS) Pennsylvania Youth Survey.  I read the survey and was shocked by questions that are to be asked of 6th, 8th, 10th, 12th graders across the Commonwealth. 

Pennsylvania Department of Education, Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, and Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency support it.  The data is shared with these agencies.  The purpose of the PAYS Survey is to ask questions about students’ attitudes, knowledge and behaviors concerning alcohol, tobacco, other drugs (ATOD), violence and other problem behaviors. The survey also collects information about risk factors, which are the conditions that increase the likelihood that a child will develop problem behaviors later in life. This data is shared across government agencies.

On the surface this may sound like a good idea. However, the questions are extremely invasive. The survey asks what race, religion, how often do the students attend religious services.  Other examples of invasive questioning are do your parents fight.? Do you enjoy spending time with your mother? Your father? Do your brothers and sisters drink, smoke, drugs, exc. does anyone in your family have a drug or alcohol problem?

When I first read this survey, I thought it was a joke and isolated to Downingtown.  Because parents in Downingtown informed me, I was on the look out for the PAYS form.  This is an opt-out only form. It can easily be missed because of the large volume of papers students bring home. Last week, Central Bucks sent home the PAYS survey form to one of my children. So Central Bucks is participation in this over the top survey.

The survey is supposedly anonymous.  With all of the scandals recently of data collection on US citizens, I am leery. Many of the laws that were written to protected student data, like FERPA, have been gutted recently.  My lingering question, how can a survey remain anonymous if some of the questions pertain to suicide? Such as, have you seriously considered suicide? Do you have a thought out plan for suicide?  Can the survey remain anonymous if a student is in danger? Recently, I had the opportunity to have a friendly debate with acting Secretary of Education Carolyn Dumaresq at the Lancaster Rotary Club. Below is a link.     

1. www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10200731622401845&set=vb.1500486290&type=2&theater        Parents please look out for the PAYS survey and if you have concerns, please attend your next School board meeting.