Confidentiality of Student Records and Staff or Student Personal Information

The Marblehead Charter School is committed to the protection of student, parent, and staff personal information. It recognizes its responsibility to safeguard the privacy of its students, staff, and their family. It is essential that Marblehead Charter employees who are entrusted with confidential student, family, and staff information keep this information confidential.

It is the responsibility of the Marblehead Charter employees to protect student, family, and staff confidential information collected or maintained by the school from release or misuse. The confidential information includes, but is not limited to:

Communication of Confidential Information with Other MCCPS Staff

Confidential information is to be accessed and discussed only in relation to an employee's job responsibilities and only with other authorized personnel. Authorized personnel includes MCCPS's hired legal counsel. Confidential student or staff information should not be given to unauthorized MCCPS personnel or to people not employed by MCCPS without the written consent of a supervisor.

Under no circumstances should any discussions about confidential information take place in public areas. 

Communication of Confidential Information to External Publics

Email of confidential information is prohibited. Parents and guardians do have access to any item that is part of the student's record, which includes all emails and other electronic communications that reference the student. For this reason, all email communications about a student, unless directed to that student's parent or guardian, should be done using the student's initials and their grade number (e.g. Jane Doe in 7th grade would be JD7).

Teacher Notes About Student Performance

Notes that a teacher takes about their students is unofficial and therefore not a part of the student's formal record. Regardless, any such notes should be kept confidential in order to avoid potential embarrassment.

Communication Involving Other Students

When communicating with a parent or guardian, communication must be limited to the student under the care of that parent, and the names or information related to other students may not be used. These circumstances include:

• Communicating about behavior incidents.

• Communication during conferences.

This guideline holds true, even when the parent refers to a child by name. For example, if a child reports to their parent an incident that took place during the school day, and the parent reports the incident to you, even if the parent refers to that other student by name (Johnny did ... to my child.), you should still use language like "the other student".

Disclosure of Confidential Information for Personal Gain

MCCPS employees may not use or disclose any such information for personal gain, nor reveal it to anyone outside of the school at any time during or after their employment, except as permitted or required by law or as authorized by the individual or in the case of a minor, with the consent of a parent or guardian.

Confidential Staff Information

Some personal staff data may be collected for purposes such as payroll, insurance, and eligibility for employment, looking up or assigning a state MEPID number, as well as demographic information for DESE's EPIMS reporting. All demographic information collected for EPIMS reporting is only accessible to administrators, and all physical records are destroyed following entry into the school's SIS system. DESE is the only third-party with access to this data, and any reporting using this data is done as an aggregate.

Reporting Infractions

MCCPS employees should promptly report any violation of this policy they are aware of to the Head of School or Assistant Head of School. The strictest standards of confidentiality will be maintained at all times.