We include our directory as part of your dues, hooks them in sometimes ours is system wide but used to be just each school,it includes student name teacher address phone and parents names, we send out an opt out sheet to be returned and put a disclaimer in the front of the book allowing only the PTO to use it for mass calling purposes. Our parents can't live without them! Good Luck!
our district will not allow us to use opt-outs for the directory. I did the research on FERPA, sent it to the principal who apparently asked his boss about them. They told him not to use opt-outs for the directory. So we are stuck with data entry of the permission slips.
Personally, I prefer the opt out method -especially if you can get all the original data from the school or much of it from previous year's. To me, collecting all the info is a hassel, just like mum24kids indicated. And many people want to be in the directory - just somehow the info never makes it back. Then a volunteer has to key in all the info.
We run a student art contest in conjunction with the directory publication the winner from each grade is displayed as that grade's section divider. There's an overall winner for the cover, and we usually manage to fit others in. We also sell ads. The directory costs us about $1 to have printed. It's provided free to PTO members or for $5 to non-members. They are very popular. We collect name, parent names, address, phone.
Hey there PTO Mom & Dad--looks like you're in Loudoun Cty. Fairfax Cty has a whole policy on directories and opting out of them; you can find it here: www.fcps.edu/mediapub/publicat/optoutmdp.pdf
The schools with which I'm familiar pretty much include just basic info--student name, class, address, and phone number. A list of parent group and school contacts is usually included. Some charge everyone for it ($1.00 or so), others only charge if you're not a member of the PTA/PTO. Generally, they try to get it out by now, although a couple of years back, my daughter's school didn't publish it until the last week of school! ;-(
We used to try to do the directory by requiring people to return a slip saying that they wanted to be in the directory, and showing what information they wanted published. But there are so many people who lose/forget about/otherwise don't return the form that we switched to the opt-out method. Virtually no one opts out.
There have been many postings on directories before and it seems quite common - especially at the elementary school level, and particularly when you have town of any size where public phone books aren't all that useful for trying to find a classmate.
There are "opt in" programs where you only include those parents who fill out a form allowing permission and "opt out" programs where you include everyone (that hasn't filed a do- not-disclose requests with the school) but allow them ample opportunity to not be in the book or to restrict the information published.
You might want to do some key word searches in the Forum on "directory" and "FERPA".
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)is a federal law says that schools cannot release student information without parents/students' permission except DIRECTORY INFORMATION. Directory information (stuff they can disclose unless a parent objects in writing) includes:
Student's name
Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
Address
Telephone listing
Weight and height of members of athletic teams
Electronic mail address
Photograph
Degrees, honors, and awards received
Date and place of birth
Major field of study
Dates of attendance
Grade level
The most recent educational agency or institution attended
All the above is public information, so that's why schools can have an "opt out" policy on directories.
Your school should have a policy that talks about this type of info (probably in the handbook). It's possible the school or district has a stricter policy than federal or state law requires. If so, you would need to follow those rules.
We have done directories at our elementary for years and find them invaluable.
We send home slips a few weeks into the new school year asking for name, children's names, children's teacher, address and phone. It states on the slip that if they do not want that information shared not to return the slip. If they want their children's names listed but the phone number and address blacked out, we will do that also. We do not charge for this. Every child gets one.
