Will I be informed of the consequences for a child other than my own?

Educators in the United States must obey the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). This act strongly affects schools and disciplinary procedures against minor students. One effect of this act is to make school records (including discipline) a private matter. That means a school is prohibited from sharing any information in a student’s record – including disciplinary information — to third parties without parental consent. The result of this is that you cannot expect a school official to tell you how he or she has disciplined a student, even if that student directly victimized your child. School officials must obey state and federal laws, which mandate that they keep student records confidential and private.