Hi, I'm from the gov't, and I'm here to help.

Anyone else getting these letters? My grandson brought this home from school today.

Dear Parents,
As we continue our drug education efforts at ****** County Schools, we need to comply with the new education legislation "No Child Left Behind" which requires that we conduct an anonymous student survey about alcohol use, drug use, and violence. The survey information will assist us in assessing our success or failure to convince students of the health and safety value of not using alcohol and drugs.

To gather this information we have chosen the Pride Survey, which has been used by schools in more than 8,000 school systems across the nation over the past two decades. This is an anonymous survey and students are not required to participate, it is voluntary on the part of each student.

If you prefer that your child not participate please inform our office, in writing, before 2/12/08 as the survey will be administered the second week in February 2008. Sign below and return to your child's teacher. A copy of the survey is available in the principal's office if you would like to review its content. A summary of the information gathered will be shared with parents when results are obtained.

Thank you for supporting our efforts to help students understand that alcohol and drug use can be harmful to their health and safety.

Sincerely,

Is this just now catching up to me or did 1984 just take a giant leap forward?

my child brought home some info about this sort of thing in his school also. He also had a questionaire for the parents to answer a number questions related to parents drinking alcohol and how much, tobacco use, illegal drug use and so on. I dont do anything except have a drink once in a while, but I left the form blank and told him to give it back to the school and if they had a problem with it they could contact me personally.

I havent heard from them yet.

Hi, I'm from the government and here to help.
Not seeing the parallel on this at all.

Please scan and post the questionaires for the sake of documentation.
This kind of agressove seeking out information is appalling and scary at the same time.

I hope they don't think you have something to hide when you send it back blank :S

Sniff sniff. Smells like an Urban Legend or something along those lines making the rounds. It just has that smell. I bet that if I wasn't so lazy, I could go over to Snopes.com and there would be something about it there. It's a shame to be so lazy. It really is.

Anonymous ? I hardly think so.
" children, Pas your surveys forward and place yours on the top as they move forward " Seating charts + organised piles = no anonimity.
And lets just see that list of names of those who opted out of the survey.
Always be careful of those offering help you didn't ask for to begin with.
How man times have we heard or read public service anouncments about sharing perosnal information with strangers ?
If you believ any part of our lives is anonymous, i have a rent to own plan on a bridge i'd like to talk to you about.

Edited to add. there's nothing wrong with a healthy dose of sceptisism
But you might want to look into why the Jews didn't believe in the gas chambers too.
" only when all six sides of a cube are examined simultaneously, and all six perspectives are allowed as valid, can the true nature of the cube be known"

[edit on 5-2-2008 by 1ShotDeal]

"Hi, I'm from the gov't, and I'm here to help."

Will you be helping us see it your way? I dont understand.

reply to post by jpm1602


I guess now that you mention it I don't either like I did at first. Maybe "Do It For The Children" would have been better. I was thinking along the lines of the approach that "It's for you and your kids so you have to help us to help you". Sometimes I think too much.

Giving kids surveys is a good way to get information on the parents, or maybe i am just paranoid. Did you hear something outside the window?

reply to post by dgtempe


Other than ordinary, every day, run of the mill paranoia, I have no point to make, but I didn't like the way it made me feel when I read it. It hit me as being extremely, unconstitutionally invasive. I have nothing to really hide from anybody, but home is home and family is family. Is nothing sacred or private anymore? That letter was the most blatantly invasive thing I've seen them do yet. I want to hear what others think of the pros and cons of yay or nay on the thing. On the one hand I can have them opt out and get them (my daughter and grandson) on a list that maybe they'd rather not be on. On the other hand he could go through the survey and everything could be rosy. We all know that the gov't would never twist anything around now would they? Maybe it doesn't matter either way but I can't stand that feeling of being herded.

Originally posted by jpm1602
Hi, I'm from the government and here to help. Not seeing the parallel on this at all.

The title of this thread is great. I got it immediately.

It is something that Ronald Reagan once said:

"The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help"

I found this quote here, along with some other memorable Reagan quips.

Originally posted by Nohup
Sniff sniff. Smells like an Urban Legend or something along those lines making the rounds. It just has that smell. I bet that if I wasn't so lazy, I could go over to Snopes.com and there would be something about it there. It's a shame to be so lazy. It really is.

When I was in highschool I had taken surveys similar to this one.

Are you sexual active? Der.

Do you drink? Der.

Do you do drugs? Not this week.

Do you feel peer pressure may make you act out in an inappropriate manor? I am the Peer pressure.

Do you think the American education system is a sick joke that no one caught onto yet? Yup.



Maybe I added those last two. But the questions where of similar caliber.

And of course.. its an Orwellian nightmare.. the education administers are asking their students how often they get some, and what drugs they use! Of which, they probably could have guessed and came up with the same answers..

[edit on 2/5/2008 by Rockpuck]

I don't have kids or grandkids so I don't know how much of what I say is going to count. but here is my 2 cents.

1 Can opt out which could throw up red flags that you have something to hide, (maybe a friendly search by the DEA)

2 Can have the kids take the survey and be honest and possibly be profiled.

3. Can have the kids take the survey and lie, but having them lie might open up a can of worms thats its ok to lie only at certain times and to certain people.

I picked a good time to be single..

reply to post by Nohup


Nohup where do you get off coming on here calling me a fraud. I suggest you check up on all of my posts here or anywhere and I'll challenge you to find anyone more diligent about calling a source what it is. I hold the letter from the school in my hand. It's on the school letterhead and it's professionally printed complete with blanks to fill in for dates and such. This is a small school in a small town. It's signed by the principal. I know her and I know her signature as I'm very much involved in my grandsons life. I read it from the letter and typed it into the forum. I changed nothing. I proof read. I double checked and triple checked for accuracy before I hit POST. This is not the fault of the local school either. This originated from legislation according to the letter. Check Snopes all you like. They're good to have around. They prove people right as well as wrong. If you're going to be too lazy to check it out, how about taking it a little further and be to lazy to attack someone you know nothing about over something you know even less about.

Originally posted by SemperParatus
Is this just now catching up to me or did 1984 just take a giant leap forward?

Seeing as this has been around for the past 20 or so years, I would say it's just now catching up to you

Giving students an anonymous voluntary survey is somehow equal to complete government control?

I think I missed something.
You could take more "evasive" surveys on places like myspace

Semper,
Is it paranoia if you are right? I too am very leery of any survey or questions about our personal life, particularly from any government agency. Our children are too valuable a commodity to just hand over any info. The last thing I would want is CPS knocking on my door.
"Can we ask you some questions?"
"No"
"Then we will take your children since you are not cooperating"
People don't think this an extreme example. The can and will do just that. There are too many horror stories of just this happening.

respectfully

reluctantpawn

reply to post by flice


It says in the letter that a copy to view is in the principal's office. They're not letting it get out for anyone to be able to make a copy. No matter what the questions are, reading them to decide still says nothing for the atmosphere of the interviews or the mindset of the interviewers. I personally disapprove no matter what the questions. It's not about the questions. It's about the principle.

My question remains. If my boo brought a wierd letter home from school why preface thread as 'I'm from the gov, and here to help you'. It's a bit annoying.

You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say can and WILL be held against you in a court of law.

That form sounds like a violation of Constitutional rights.

While I don't do drugs nor anything else on that form; I would still fight it. BUT! Here's how I would fight it ...

1. I would find out, one way or the other, who 'needed' the information, why they needed it, and what they had to gain from the information.

If it seems reasonable then ...

2. I'd take it to the PTA (PTO) meeting. I'd floor a quick speech. Then, have a vote by the parents to see if they approved or disapproved of completing the form. If it is approved, (*as many will say "I have nothing to hide," and will ignore fighting for their Constitutional Rights) then I would SUGGEST an anonymous method be used for submission of the form, overseen by the PTA (PTO). If the data is so necessary, then, anonymity would ensure more participation.

3. I'd provide a handcrafted voting ballot box for the forms to be put into.

*Unfortunately, the reality of it is, most people are just too scared to say "NO".

Furthermore, parents are traditionally oblivious as to their children's lives. They will presume their dear sweet little Johnny would never and could never do such and such ... when in fact, little Johnny is the school pusher!

[edit on 6-2-2008 by Trexter Ziam]

This is not new people. I remember in HS in the 80's the anonymous forms.
Much the same as this. The gov wants to know. Where do you think the 'this is your brain on drugs thing' came from?