Senator Markey introducing legislation on student privacy!

Hey, more good signs from the Massachusetts junior senator:

 Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today announced plans to introduce legislation in the coming weeks to ensure that safeguards are in place for students data shared with third parties. Recent changes to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) have allowed for the increased sharing and use of student data in the private sector...

“Putting students’ sensitive information in private hands raises a number of concerns about the privacy rights of parents and their kids, some who may be as young as five years old,” said Senator Markey, a member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. “The time to act is now, before parents lose control of their children’s personal information. Parents, not private companies, have the right to control personal information about their children. We should help student scholars make the grade, not help companies make a sale. I look forward to working with my colleagues to introduce and pass this important and timely legislation.”

You can see Markey's remarks here.
Glad I complimented him on his actions on this at the city inauguration! 

Speaking of student privacy, Senator Markey gets it

Nice one from our new(est) Massachusetts senator, Edward Markey, who recently sent a letter to Secretary Duncan, expressing concerns regarding the sharing of student information. He's sent them twelve questions, and asks for a response back by November 12.
As noted by EdWeek:

A former, longtime member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Markey's been a player in attempting to craft policies to protect student data for year. He was a co-author of the  Children's Online Privacy and Protection Act, which became law in 1998.

I'll be keeping an eye on this one.