Parent Rights and Responsibilities

In addition to the state and local resources available to parents and children, there are many agencies and organizations that offer support, information, training, and help in advocating for persons with disabilities in Tennessee. A few of these organizations are listed below:

• The ARC of Williamson County
  129 W. Fowlkes Street, Suite 151
  Franklin, TN 37064
  615-790-5815
  Fax: (615) 790-5891

 

• Support and Training for Exceptional Parents (STEP)
  712 Professional Plaza
  Greeneville, TN   37745
  615-463-2310

 

• Tennessee Protection and Advocacy (TP&A)
  416 21st Avenue South
  Nashville, TN 37212
  615-298-1080
  1-80-287-9636
  TTY: 615-298-2471
  Fax:  615-298-2046

 

• Tennessee Voices for Children
  1315 8th Avenue South
  Nashville, TN 37203
  Fax: 615-269-8914
  1-800-670-9882

These are but a few of the organizations available to help with information, training, and advocacy. The Department of Education and Franklin Special School District do not intend this as an endorsement or recommendation for any individual organization or service represented in this list.

The Franklin Special School District Child Find program identifies preschool through eighth-grade children with special education needs including intellectual disabilities, developmental delays, autism, specific learning disabilities, serious emotional disturbance, multiple disabilities, intellectually gifted, traumatic brain injury, blindness, and the following impairments: speech/language, hearing, orthopedic, visual, and physical. Screenings and/or evaluations may be provided free of charge by the school district.  If deemed necessary, the child may then be referred for special education services. If you suspect your child needs additional support to achieve his or her educational potential, please contact the FSSD Special Populations Department at 615-794-6624.

In Tennessee, parents have the option to educate their children at home, an option known as homeschooling or home education. For more information please visit the Tennessee Department of Education. For local questions, please call 615-794-6624 or email Carol Riordan at riordancar@fssd.org.

Franklin Special School District, in its employment of personnel and in its educational activities with students, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, disability, or age. In addition, the FSSD provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. Employees of the Franklin Special School District are appointed as coordinators of the various activities ensuring compliance with federal laws and regulations including the U.S. Department of Education regulations implementing:

• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Supervisor of Federal Programs – 615-794-6624
• Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Supervisor of Federal Programs – 615-794-6624 – wiemerspax@fssd.org)
• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Supervisor of Special Populations – 615-794-6624);
• Vocational Education Programs Guidelines for Eliminating Discrimination and Denial of Services on the Basis of Race, Color, and National Origin, Sex and Handicap (Supervisor of Federal Programs – 615-794-6624); and
• Age Discrimination Act (Supervisor of Federal Programs – 615-794-6624)
• U.S. Department of Justice regulations implementing: Title II of the American Disabilities Act of 1990 (Supervisor of Special Populations – 615-794-6624).

Supervisors of these programs are locate at 507 New Highway 96 West, Franklin, TN, 37064. 

Parent and Family Engagement Policy 2023-2024

In support of strengthening student academic achievement, Franklin Special School District receives Title I, Part A funds and therefore must jointly develop with, agree on with, and distribute to parents and family members of participating children a written parent and family engagement policy that contains information required by Section 1116(a)(2) of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The policy establishes the district’s expectations and objectives for meaningful parent and family engagement and describes how the district will implement a number of specific parent and family engagement activities. (Printable PDF of Parent and Family Engagement Policy [English] [Spanish] as written below).

The Franklin Special School District agrees to implement the following requirements as outlined by Section 1116:   

• The school district will put into operation programs, activities, and procedures for the engagement of parents and family members in all of its schools with Title I, Part A programs. These programs, activities, and procedures will be planned and operated with meaningful consultation with parents and family members of participating children.
• Consistent with Section 1116, the school district will work with its schools to ensure that the required school-level parent and family engagement policies meet the requirements of Section 1116(b) of the ESSA, and each includes as a component a school-parent compact consistent with Section 1116(d) of the ESEA.
• In carrying out the Title I, Part A parent and family engagement requirements to the extent practicable, the school district and its schools will provide full opportunities for the participation of families with limited English proficiency, limited literacy, disabilities, of migratory children, who are economically disadvantaged or are of any racial or ethnic minority background, including providing information and school reports required under Section 1111 of the ESSA in an understandable and uniform format including alternative formats upon request and, to the extent practicable, in a language families understand.
• If the district plan for Title I, Part A, developed under Section 1112 of the ESEA, is not satisfactory to the families of participating children, the school district will submit any parent comments with the plan when the school district submits the plan to the state department of education.
• The school district will be governed by the following definition of family engagement and expects that its Title I schools will carry out programs, activities, and procedures in accordance with this definition in Section 8101 of the ESSA: 

Family engagement means the participation of families in regular, two-way, and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other school activities, including ensuring that:

1. families play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning;
2. families are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education at school;
3. families are full partners in their child’s education and are included, as appropriate, in decision-making and on advisory committees to assist in the education of their child; and
4. other activities are carried out, such as those described in Section 1116 of the ESEA.

 

JOINTLY DEVELOPED

The Franklin Special School District will take the following actions to involve parents and family members in jointly developing its LEA plan under Section 1112, and the development of support and improvement plans under paragraphs (1) and (2) of Section 1111(d) of the ESEA: 

•  Parents are active participants in developing and monitoring our parent involvement plan. Parent representatives will serve on the district’s Family and Community Engagement Committee and the Advisory Councils/Shared Leadership Teams at each individual school, and the FSSD Parent and Family Engagement Committee will consist of all parents who are able and willing to provide input during a designated input session each year.
• Franklin Special School District’s family engagement committees and Parent Leadership Council work together to build the schools’ and parents’ capacity for stronger parental involvement. Although this Policy is shared with all schools, it will be consistently implemented at the District’s Title I schools. 
• The Parent and Family Engagement Committee meets annually to assess, through consultation with parents, the effectiveness of the district's Parent and Family Engagement Policy and determine what action needs to be taken, if any, to increase parental and community participation. In order to accomplish this, each advisory council shall be composed of representatives from parents of students in elementary and 5-8 schools and representatives from the school district.  This committee will be open to all parents who wish to join and provide input during a
  designated input session annually.

 

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

 The Franklin Special School District will provide the following coordination, technical assistance, and other support necessary to assist and build the capacity of all Title I, Part A schools in planning and implementing effective parent and family engagement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance, which may include meaningful consultation with employers, business leaders, and philanthropic organizations, or individuals with expertise in effectively engaging parents and family members in education: 

•  Franklin Special School District will provide support and technical assistance to all its Title I schools in planning and implementing effective parent and family engagement practices inclusive of school-parent and family engagement policies/plans, school-parent compacts, and all Title I parent and family engagement requirements.
• Franklin Special School District will provide communication about and parent support in accessing parent portals and homework assistance by providing devices to use at each school and instruction provided if needed.
• Franklin Special School District will provide parent support in accessing specific curricular online resources through links found on the FSSD website and through hard copies outlining instructions for access.
• Franklin Special School District will provide parent support in accessing curricular online resources when students are working from home (for remote learning and homework).
• Franklin Special School District will work closely with community and local businesses to help meet the needs of FSSD families. The District will make a concerted effort to grow these partnerships, by providing a template for their participation.
• Franklin Special School District will provide written materials and oral presentations in English, Spanish, and other languages as needed in the district.

 

ANNUAL EVALUATION

The Franklin Special School District will take the following actions to conduct, with the meaningful involvement of parents and family members, an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of this parent and family engagement policy in improving the academic quality of its Title I, Part A schools. The evaluation will include identifying barriers to greater participation by families in activities (with particular attention to families who are economically disadvantaged, disabled, have limited English proficiency, have limited literacy, or are of any racial or ethnic minority background). The evaluation will also include identifying the needs of parents and family members to assist with the learning of their children, including engaging with school personnel and teachers and strategies to support successful school and family interactions. The school district will use the findings of the evaluation about its parent and family engagement policy to design evidence-based strategies for more effective family engagement, and to revise, if necessary, its parent and family engagement policies.

• The District is responsible for designing and conducting an effective annual evaluation process whereby parents can share their ideas about the content and effectiveness of this policy in improving the academic quality of schools receiving Title I funds, and the plan designed to implement it.
   

• The District will provide an opportunity for parents and families to give feedback and suggestions on the annual District Improvement Plan, and individual schools will solicit feedback from parents and families in developing their School Improvement Plans.

• The findings produced by the annual evaluation are analyzed by the FSSD Parent and Family Engagement Committee and district/school leadership in designing strategies for parental involvement and are used in the revision of this policy, if necessary.    

 

RESERVATION OF FUNDS

The Franklin Special School District will involve the parents and family members of children served in Title I, Part A schools in decisions about how the 1 percent of Title I, Part A funds reserved for parent and family engagement is spent and will ensure that not less than 90 percent of the 1 percent reserved goes directly to Title I schools.

• Although Franklin Special School District is not typically required to set aside 1% of Title I, Part A funds reserved for Parent and Family Engagement, the district chooses to set aside a set amount each year for this purpose. 
• The individual Title I schools will provide an annual meeting by September 15 to describe the school’s participation in the Title I, Part A program. During this meeting, funds available for family engagement will be reviewed and ideas will be shared and solicited for use of the funds.

 

COORDINATION OF SERVICES

The Franklin Special School District will coordinate and integrate parent and family engagement strategies to the extent feasible and appropriate, with other relevant federal, state, and local laws and programs:  [Insert programs, such as: Head Start or other public preschool programs, parent resource centers, and other programs] that encourage and support families in more fully participating in the education of their children by: 

• Franklin Special School District will coordinate with other organizations, businesses, and community partners to provide additional supports and resources to families such as public preschool programs, state-funded preschool programs, Morning and After Care programs, and service programs such as Friends Learning in Pairs (FLIP), United Way’s Raise Your Hand of Williamson County, The Gentry’s Foundation, GraceWorks, Mercy Community Healthcare, Boys & Girls Club of Franklin, The Nook, and more.
• Parent involvement activities will coordinate with ELL (English Language Learner) and Special Education programs in Franklin Special School District.
• School social workers provide local community resources in English and Spanish (and other languages as needed) to schools to share with parents and families to support the well-being of children in our schools and community.

 

BUILDING CAPACITY OF PARENTS AND FAMILY MEMBERS

The Franklin Special School District will, with the assistance of its Title I schools, build families’ capacity for strong family engagement by providing materials and training on such topics as literacy training and using technology (including education about the harms of copyright piracy) to help families work with their children to improve their children’s academic achievement. Assistance will also be provided to parents and families in understanding the following topics:

• The challenging state academic standards;
• The state and local academic assessments including alternate assessments;
• The requirements of Title I, Part A;
• How to monitor their child’s progress; and
• How to work with educators.

 

•  Information regarding content standards, assessments, and student achievement will be sent home by the individual schools. Links to all information will be given to parents and will be posted on the district website.
• Assistance with understanding curriculum standards and academic requirements will be provided to parents at all individual schools during parent orientation, open houses, and family nights. The family nights will focus on literacy, math, coding, STEM, and science. 
• Franklin Special School District will provide school-parent compact templates for each school that provide understanding on topics such as the State’s academic content standards, TCAP and local academic assessments, requirements of ESSA, how to monitor a child’s progress and work with educators to improve student achievement.
• The schools will encourage all parents to attend parent-teacher conferences to discuss a child’s achievement progress.
• The FSSD schools will educate school staff in working with parents.  Some examples of this training will include the following:  (1) how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with parents as equal partners; (2) implement and coordinate parent programs; (3) build ties and foster collaboration between parents and the school; and (4) and provide an opportunity annually for staff to take a conversational Spanish class.
• School-related information on programs, meetings, events, workshops, and other activities will be sent to parents in a format and extent practicable and in a language the parents can understand. Blackboard Connect and social media will be used to provide verbal communication to all families. Blackboard Connect communications will be sent in English and Spanish.
• Parents will be encouraged to be involved in the activities at their child’s school. Monthly newsletters (and calendars for elementary schools) will be sent home with each student to provide updates and details of upcoming activities (e.g., Family Nights, concerts, theater productions, sporting events, PTO gatherings and meetings, fundraising activities, and other parent events) throughout the school system.
• Franklin Special School District will provide full opportunities for the participation of parents with limited English proficiency, parents with disabilities, and parents of migratory and homeless students. The schools provide information and school reports in a format and language that parents understand. The district also has access to an interpretation service for communicating with parents and families in languages that are less commonly spoken in our community.
• The school system will promote parent involvement and community participation in programs for students receiving ELL services, students experiencing homelessness, migrant students, and students receiving special education and related services.

 

BUILDING CAPACITY OF SCHOOL STAFF

The Franklin Special School District will, with the assistance of its schools and families, educate its teachers, specialized instructional support personnel, principals, other school leaders, and other staff on the value and utility of contributions of families, and how to reach out to, communicate with, and work with families as equal partners, implement and coordinate parent programs, and build ties between families and schools by: 

• Involving families in the development of training for teachers, principals, and other educators to improve the effectiveness of that training.
• Providing necessary literacy training for families from Title I, Part A funds, if the school district has exhausted all other reasonably available sources of funding for that training.
• Paying reasonable and necessary expenses associated with family engagement activities, including transportation and childcare costs, to enable families to participate in school-related meetings and training sessions.
• Training families to enhance the involvement of other families.
• Maximize family engagement and participation in their children’s education, arranging school meetings at a variety of times or conducting in-home conferences between teachers or other educators who work directly with participating children, with families who are unable to attend those conferences at school.
• Adopting and implementing model approaches to improving family engagement.
• Establishing a districtwide parent engagement committee to provide advice on all matters related to parent and family engagement in Title I, Part A programs.
• Developing appropriate roles for community-based organizations and businesses, including faith-based organizations, in family engagement activities.

The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA), 20 U.S.C. § 1232h, requires the FSSD to notify parents and obtain consent or allow parents to opt children out of participating in certain school activities.  These activities include a student survey, analysis, or evaluation that concerns one or more of the following eight areas (“protected information surveys”): 

1. Political affiliations or beliefs of the student or student’s parent;
2. Mental or psychological problems of the student or student’s family;
3. Sex behavior or attitudes;
4. Illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior;
5. Critical appraisals of others with whom respondents have close family relationships;
6. Legally recognized privileged relationships, such as with lawyers, doctors, or ministers;
7. Religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs of the student or student’s parent; or
8. Income, other than as required by law to determine program eligibility.

This parental notification requirement and opt-out opportunity also apply to the collection, disclosure or use of personal information collected from students for marketing purposes (“marketing surveys”).  Please note that parents are not required by PPRA to be notified about the collection, disclosure, or use of personal information collected from students for the exclusive purpose of developing, evaluating, or providing educational products or services for, or to, students or educational institutions.  Additionally, the notice requirement applies to the conduct of certain physical exams and screenings.  This includes any non-emergency, invasive physical exam or screening required as a condition of attendance, administered by the school or its agent, and not necessary to protect the immediate health and safety of a student.  This does not include hearing, vision, or scoliosis screenings, or any physical exam or screening permitted or required by State law.

Franklin Special School District has developed and adopted policies, in consultation with parents, regarding these rights, as well as arrangements to protect student privacy in the administration of protected information surveys and the collection, disclosure, or use of personal information for marketing, sales, or other distribution purposes.  FSSD will directly notify parents of students who are scheduled to participate in any activities or surveys meeting the PPRA criteria and will provide an opportunity for the parent to opt his or her child out of participation of the specific activity or survey.  FSSD will make this notification to parents at the beginning of the school year if the District has identified the specific or approximate dates of the activities or surveys at that time.  For surveys and activities scheduled after the school year starts, parents will be provided reasonable notification of the planned activities and surveys listed below and be provided an opportunity to opt their child out of such activities and surveys.  Parents will also be provided an opportunity to review any pertinent surveys. 

Parents who believe their rights have been violated may file a complaint with:    

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C.  20202

To fulfill Tennessee Code Annotated § 49-6-7004, school districts are encouraged to develop and implement voluntary parental involvement compacts with the parents and guardians of students. FSSD chose to implement a School-Parent Compact with the belief that the involvement of parents in schools is an essential component of nurturing students and helping them reach their full potential. The administration, faculty and staff, the parents, and the students of FSSD schools share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement. This compact outlines how schools and parents will each play an important role in building and developing a partnership that will help children achieve Tennessee’s high academic standards.

State law requires that the following components be included as parent responsibilities in the compact:

• Review homework assignments and offer assistance when needed;
• Sign report cards;
• Ensure that the student gets to school each day, on time and ready to learn;
• Demonstrate interest in the student’s well-being by attending school functions and supporting the student’s school activities; and
• Make every effort to attend parent-teacher conferences

School leaders and parent representatives may add additional points to develop School-Parent Compacts which meet the unique school needs. Please see the compact posted on each school’s website to review any changes made at the local school level.

A strong partnership relies on open communication between the home and school. Schools are committed to contacting parents regularly through email, phone calls, notes, and parent conferences. Parents are encouraged to be in contact with teachers if they have concerns about their child. If any parent conveys an existing obstacle to fulfilling the contract, the school will work with the family to help provide resources to overcome the challenge.

Each year, participating districts submit copies of the school-parent compacts to the Tennessee Department of Education in their annual monitoring of Federal Programs and as part of their annual District Improvement Plan.

Section 504 and Americans With Disabilities Act

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibit discrimination against persons with a disability in any program receiving federal assistance, among others. Both federal acts define a person with a disability as anyone who:

• has a mental or physical impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities (major life activities include caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working);
• has a record of such impairment;
• is regarded as having such an impairment, or has had a record of such an impairment.

In order to fulfill its obligations under Section 504 and the ADA, the Franklin Special School District recognizes a responsibility to avoid discrimination in policies and practices regarding its personnel and students. No discrimination against any person on the basis of a disability will knowingly be permitted in any of the district’s programs or practices. The school district has specific responsibilities under both acts, which include the responsibility to evaluate and determine if the child is eligible under Section 504/ADA, and to then afford access to appropriate educational accommodations. If the parent or guardian disagrees with the determination made by the professional staff of the school district, he/she has the right to a hearing with an impartial hearing officer. Inquiries or complaints regarding nondiscrimination policies should be directed to FSSD’s Section 504 compliance coordinator, the Supervisor of Special Populations.  For more information, please call (615) 794-6624. 

Inquiries and complaints may also be directed to the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue S.W., Washington D.C. 20202, or by calling (800) 421-3481 or (877) 521-2172

Rights of Children with Disabilities and Parent Responsibilities

Parents may access information about child advocacy groups and information on how to contact the state department of education for information on student rights and services from the  Tennessee Department of Education Legal Services Division, 710 James Robertson Parkway, Andrew Johnson Tower, 5th floor, Nashville, TN 37243-0380, 615-741-2851, Fax: 615-253-5567 or 615-532-9412.

Student Records

The Franklin Special School District (FSSD) collects and maintains student records to provide a basis for evaluation and delivery of services to students. The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) sets out requirements designed to protect the privacy of parents and students. Specifically, the statute governs the disclosure of records maintained by educational institutions. In brief, the statute provides that such institutions must provide parents of students access to official records directly related to the student, and an opportunity for a hearing to challenge such records on the grounds that they are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise inappropriate; that institutions must obtain the consent of parents before releasing personally identifiable data about students from records to other than a specified list of exceptions; and that parents and students must be notified of these rights.

Types of Information
The school system maintains various types of records as described below:

1. Attendance Records
2. Scholastic Records
3. Medical Records
4. Discipline Records including individual assessment
5. Directory Information
6. System-wide group test results
7. Special Education data

Locations and Authorized Custodians
The primary source of access is the school in which a student is enrolled. The principal is the authorized custodian of these records. The Supervisor of Special Populations regulates records of students involved in Special Education Programs, including the dates of individual assessments. If a student leaves the FSSD, the student record will be sent to the new school upon written request from that school.

Transfer of School Disciplinary Records (a) NONAPPLICATION OF PROVISIONS- This section shall not apply to any disciplinary records with respect to a suspension or expulsion that are transferred from a private, parochial or other nonpublic school, person, institution, or other entity, that provides education below the college level. (b) DISCIPLINARY RECORDS- In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (20 U.S.C. 1232g), not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this part, each State receiving Federal funds under this Act shall provide an assurance to the Secretary that the State has a procedure in place to facilitate the transfer of disciplinary records, with respect to a suspension or expulsion, by local educational agencies to any private or public elementary school or secondary school for any student who is enrolled or seeks, intends, or is instructed to enroll, on a full- or part-time basis, in the school.

FERPA 

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords parents and students who are 18 years of age or older (“eligible students”) certain rights with respect to the student’s education records. These rights are:

1. The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days after the day the FSSD receives a request for access. Parents or eligible students should submit to the Director of Schools a written request that identifies the records they wish to inspect. The Director will make arrangements for access and notification of the parent or eligible student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.

2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the parent or eligible student believes are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA. Parents or eligible students who wish to ask the FSSD to amend a record should write the Director of Schools and clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it should be changed. If the district decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent or eligible student, the district will notify the parent or eligible student of the decision and of their right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the parent or eligible student when notified of the right to a hearing.

3. The right to provide written consent before the school discloses personally identifiable information (PII) from the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent (see below).

4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the FSSD to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA are:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202

 

DISCLOSURE WITHOUT CONSENT

One exception, which permits disclosure without consent, is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the school as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel) or a person serving on the school board. A school official also may include a volunteer or contractor outside of the school who performs an institutional service of function for which the school would otherwise use its own employees and who is under the direct control of the school with respect to the use and maintenance of PII from education records, such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, or therapist; a parent or student volunteering to serve on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee; or a parent, student, or other volunteer assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.

Upon request, the school discloses education records without consent to officials of another school district in which a student seeks or intends to enroll, or is already enrolled if the disclosure is for purposes of the student’s enrollment or transfer.

FERPA permits the disclosure of PII from students’ education records, without consent of the parent or eligible student, if the disclosure meets certain conditions found in §99.31 of the FERPA regulations. Except for disclosures to school officials, disclosures related to some judicial orders or lawfully issued subpoenas, disclosures of directory information, and disclosures to the parent or eligible student, §99.32 of the FERPA regulations requires the school to record the disclosure. Parents and eligible students have a right to inspect and review the record of disclosures. A school may disclose PII from the education records of a student without obtaining prior written consent of the parents or the eligible student –

• To other school officials, including teachers, within the educational agency or institution whom the school has determined to have legitimate educational interests. This includes contractors, consultants, volunteers, or other parties to whom the school has outsourced institutional services or functions, provided that the conditions listed in §99.31(a)(1)(i)(B)(1) – (a)(1)(i)(B)(2) are met. (§99.31(a)(1))
• To officials of another school, school system, or institution of postsecondary education where the student seeks or intends to enroll, or where the student is already enrolled if the disclosure is for purposes related to the student’s enrollment or transfer, subject to the requirements of §99.34. (§99.31(a)(2))
• To authorized representatives of the U. S. Comptroller General, the U. S. Attorney General, the U.S. Secretary of Education, or State and local educational authorities, such as the State educational agency in the parent or eligible student’s State (SEA). Disclosures under this provision may be made, subject to the requirements of §99.35, in connection with an audit or evaluation of Federal- or State-supported education programs, or for the enforcement of or compliance with Federal legal requirements that relate to those programs. These entities may make further disclosures of PII to outside entities that are designated by them as their authorized representatives to conduct any audit, evaluation, or enforcement or compliance activity on their behalf. (§§99.31(a)(3) and 99.35)
• In connection with financial aid for which the student has applied or which the student has received, if the information is necessary to determine eligibility for the aid, determine the amount of the aid, determine the conditions of the aid, or enforce the terms and conditions of the aid. (§99.31(a)(4))
• To State and local officials or authorities to whom information is specifically allowed to be reported or disclosed by a State statute that concerns the juvenile justice system and the system’s ability to effectively serve, prior to adjudication, the student whose records were released, subject to §99.38. (§99.31(a)(5))
• To organizations conducting studies for, or on behalf of, the school, in order to: (a) develop, validate, or administer predictive tests; (b) administer student aid programs; or (c) improve instruction. (§99.31(a)(6))
• To accrediting organizations to carry out their accrediting functions. (§99.31(a)(7))
• To parents of an eligible student if the student is a dependent for IRS tax purposes. (§99.31(a)(8))
• To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena. (§99.31(a)(9))
• To appropriate officials in connection with a health or safety emergency, subject to §99.36. (§99.31(a)(10)
• Information the school has designated as “directory information” under §99.37. (§99.31(a)(11))

 

DIRECTORY INFORMATION

In compliance with the requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA, 20 U.S.C.§1232(g)), Franklin Special School District:

• may disclose appropriately designated “directory information” without written consent, unless parents have advised the District to the contrary in accordance with District procedures.  The primary purpose of directory information is to allow the FSSD to release information that is generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy from your child’s education records in certain school publications.  Examples include:

  • A playbill, showing your student’s role in a drama production;
  • The annual yearbook;
  • Honor roll or other recognition lists;
  • Graduation programs; and
  • Sports activity sheets, such as for wrestling, showing weight and height of team members.

  Directory information can also be disclosed to outside organizations without a parent’s prior written consent.  Outside organizations include, but are not limited to, companies that publish yearbooks or sports conferences.

  FSSD has designated the following PII contained in a student’s educational record as “directory information”: 

  • student name
  • physical and electronic mail address
  • date and place of birth
  • participation in officially recognized activities and sports
  • weight and height of members of athletic teams
  • honors and awards
  • dates of attendance and grade level
  • photograph

Public release can also include, but is not limited to, the district’s website and social media accounts.  The FSSD produces news releases, web pages, publications, videos, and other media that highlights and describes student achievements in public education. These communications may include student images to be used on the school or district website, district social media accounts, as well as for promotional purposes in local, regional and national media (newspaper, radio or television stations). Upon enrollment, parents are asked to return a Publication Consent Form for Student Images or Work.  If a parent or guardian does not want a student’s directory information released or published in any manner (i.e. school publications, such as the directory, the yearbook, honor roll or recognition lists, promotions programs and sports activity sheets), a Non-Release of Directory Information Form is available in the school office and should be completed and returned to the school. Forms remain active throughout a student’s time in the FSSD. It may only be voided by parent or guardian signature.

Parents of Franklin Special School District students have the right to know professional qualifications of the classroom teachers who instruct their children. Federal law, under ESSA § 1112(e)(1)(A), allows them to ask for certain information about classroom teachers, which the school district will provide in a timely manner.
Specifically, parents have the right to ask for the following information about each child’s classroom teacher:

• Whether the Tennessee Department of Education has licensed or qualified the teacher for the grades and subjects he or she teaches.
• Whether the Tennessee State Department of Education has decided that the teacher can teach in a classroom without being licensed or qualified under state regulations because of special circumstances.
• Whether the teacher is teaching in the field of discipline of their certification.
• Whether any teachers’ aides or similar paraprofessionals provide services to your child and, if they do, their qualifications.

If you would like to receive any of this information, call the FSSD Human Resources department at 615-794-6624.
 

Unsafe School Choice Option

Under the Tennessee State Board of Education’s Unsafe School Choice Policy, any public school student who is the victim of a violent crime as defined under Tennessee Code Annotated 40-38-111(g), or the attempt to commit one of these offenses as defined under Tennessee Code Annotated 39-12-101, shall be provided an opportunity to transfer to another grade-level appropriate school within the district.

Additional information regarding this option may be obtained by contacting Supervisor of Safety and Attendance Celby Glass at 615-472-3117 or by email at glasscel@fssd.org.