FERPA regulations

When I read these regulations again (as we are required to read these each year), it reminded me that we as teachers are the advocates for our students since their parents and guardians are not with them all day.  We must protect the privacy of all students, from persons outside the educational setting, from those inside the educational system who do not have permission to access student records, and even from ourselves.  It is very easy to become involved and discuss student records with other teachers or professionals forgetting that those are private records and should only be discussed behind closed doors with appropriate personnel.  Although it is something that is read every year, it is important to remind each person involved in the educational setting of their responsibility in keeping student records private and releasing them to appropriate parties only.