U.S. Department of Education Directs Schools to Comply with Parental Rights Laws

The Department’s Student Privacy Policy Office Notifies Educational Institutions Receiving Federal Funding of Their Compliance Obligations under FERPA and PPRA

MARCH 28, 2025

Today, the U.S. Department of Education’s Student Privacy Policy Office (SPPO) sent a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) to Chief State School Officers and Superintendents at educational institutions receiving federal funding notifying them of their compliance obligations under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA). Compliance with these laws means that schools must allow parents to review all education records of their student, including any document related to a student’s “gender identity.”

“Parents are the most natural protectors of their children. Yet many states and school districts have enacted policies that imply students need protection from their parents,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “These states and school districts have turned the concept of privacy on its head—prioritizing the privileges of government officials over the rights of parents and wellbeing of families. Going forward, the correct application of FERPA will be to empower all parents to protect their children from the radical ideologies that have taken over many schools.”

https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-directs-schools-comply-parental-rights-laws