WHEREAS each school year the local PTA units of the
Montgomery County Council of PTAs (MCCPTA) typically compile and publish
student directories that include personal and potentially sensitive information
such as names, street addresses and telephone numbers of students whose parents
have agreed to have such information included, and
WHEREAS by common knowledge and accepted practice
these directories are intended exclusively for the private use of the PTA and
the local PTA communities to facilitate communication within their communities,
and are not intended to be used for any other purpose, and
WHEREAS the president of an organization calling
itself the Citizens for Responsible Curriculum (CRC) has privately conceded to
MCCPTA officers that CRC obtained copies of selected student directories and
used the information in these directories to develop a mailing list for a
purpose inconsistent with the intended or appropriate use of the directories,
and
WHEREAS this misuse of student directories by CRC
has caused substantial concern among parents within the affected PTA
communities, and
WHEREAS the PTAs in the affected communities are
justifiably concerned that fears about potential future misuse of student
directories could lead parents to withhold student directory information,
thereby impairing a critical PTA asset,
NOW BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the MCCPTA
Executive Board objects in the strongest terms to the misuse of student
directories by the CRC, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the MCCPTA Executive
Board strongly believes that the CRC should respond promptly and completely to
all questions and concerns raised by local PTA units about the sources and
intended uses of their student directory information, specifically identifying
any instances in which this information may have already been sold or otherwise
made available to another individual or entity, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the MCCPTA Board
strongly believes that the CRC should agree in writing to cease using
information obtained from PTA student directories, and to return to the
affected PTAs all copies of their directory information now in the possession
of CRC, in whatever form the information may exist, or certifying in writing
that this information has been destroyed, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Executive Board
strongly believes that the CRC should concede in writing that its use of
student directory information was inappropriate and agree that it will refrain
from any future similar use of PTA student directory information.