How exactly do “permanent records” work? Do they actually exist, especially beyond school?
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When I graduated highschool, I was given my “permanent record”, as that was the norm in my school district. It consisted of handwriting samples from elementary school, copies of grades and report cards, and some random crap from art class. Super important stuff right there. I had been disciplined a few times, detention once or twice for being tardy or sassy to a teacher. Nothing like that was shown.
When I applied to universities, nobody requested my permanent record. Why? Because it’s a fake thing schools use as leverage to frighten students into obedience, at least the ones that are future looking, anyway.
When I graduated highschool, I was given my “permanent record”, as that was the norm in my school district. It consisted of handwriting samples from elementary school, copies of grades and report cards, and some random crap from art class. Super important stuff right there. I had been disciplined a few times, detention once or twice for being tardy or sassy to a teacher. Nothing like that was shown.
When I applied to universities, nobody requested my permanent record. Why? Because it’s a fake thing schools use as leverage to frighten students into obedience, at least the ones that are future looking, anyway.
“Permanent” here usually means “this lasts from kindergarten to 12th grade”. These include bio data (like age and any allergies/chronic illnesses), grades over the years, discipline over the years, classes taken, and so on. This way, if a 5th grader in Maine moves to start 6th grade in California, the new Californian school can get student’s records that make sense. It helps in knowing what classes to place that student in.
When I was an Assistant Principal at a high school, not one college ever asked for permanent records. They want grade and testing info for sure, but no one requested your disciplinary record. (Not even sure if that would be legal, come to think of it.)
They used to be fake. These days, with social media and cameras everywhere, they are becoming real.
Before the Privacy Act of 1974 (coupled with FOIA), you could not see your own permanent record that schools and employers and creditors kept on you–including recommendations and comments from teachers, supervisors and colleagues. Tricky Dick Nixon was President. It was common for people acting on his behalf to smear people via “permanent records”. 60 Minutes investigated and one of their stories was about a guy that had an altercation with a lunch lady in high school. She put in his record that he was retarded. It followed him for life and he couldn’t get a job, join the military or get into a college. Like the Patriot Act, people forget…
Before the Privacy Act of 1974 (coupled with FOIA), you could not see your own permanent record that schools and employers and creditors kept on you–including recommendations and comments from teachers, supervisors and colleagues. Tricky Dick Nixon was President. It was common for people acting on his behalf to smear people via “permanent records”. 60 Minutes investigated and one of their stories was about a guy that had an altercation with a lunch lady in high school. She put in his record that he was retarded. It followed him for life and he couldn’t get a job, join the military or get into a college. Like the Patriot Act, people forget…
They can be used in the school system to justify different decisions and processes. In a teacher, and have had a few occasions where admin’s answer about highly disruptive students was to make sure we’re logging this stuff. It’s literally a record the school can use to argue for their decisions and defend themselves legally.
A parent threatening a lawsuit is a lot less scary when you have a year’s worth of records about all the stuff their child pulled and every step taken by the school to improve the situation.
They can be used in the school system to justify different decisions and processes. In a teacher, and have had a few occasions where admin’s answer about highly disruptive students was to make sure we’re logging this stuff. It’s literally a record the school can use to argue for their decisions and defend themselves legally.
A parent threatening a lawsuit is a lot less scary when you have a year’s worth of records about all the stuff their child pulled and every step taken by the school to improve the situation.
“Permanent” here usually means “this lasts from kindergarten to 12th grade”. These include bio data (like age and any allergies/chronic illnesses), grades over the years, discipline over the years, classes taken, and so on. This way, if a 5th grader in Maine moves to start 6th grade in California, the new Californian school can get student’s records that make sense. It helps in knowing what classes to place that student in.
When I was an Assistant Principal at a high school, not one college ever asked for permanent records. They want grade and testing info for sure, but no one requested your disciplinary record. (Not even sure if that would be legal, come to think of it.)
They used to be fake. These days, with social media and cameras everywhere, they are becoming real.
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