GOOGLE WORKSPACE FOR EDUCATION NOTICE TO PARENTS AND GUARDIANS
The District provides students with Google Workspace for Education accounts to support instruction and learning. Google Workspace for Education is a suite of productivity tools, including Docs, Drive, Classroom, Gmail, and other services used in K–12 schools nationwide. Students use these accounts to complete assignments, communicate with teachers, and build digital skills.
Core Services
Students primarily use Google’s “Core Services” (such as Classroom, Docs, Drive, Gmail, Meet, and others listed at Google Core Services). These Core Services are provided to the District under the Google Workspace for Education Agreement and Data Processing Addendum. Under this agreement, Google acts as a “school official” for purposes of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), using student data only for educational purposes and only under the District’s direction. No personal information collected in the Core Services is used for advertising purposes.
Additional Services
The District may also allow student access to certain “Additional Services,” such as YouTube. These services are not part of the Workspace Core Services and are provided under Google’s general consumer terms and privacy policies. While ads may appear in Additional Services, they will not be personalized for K–12 users, meaning that student data is not used for targeted advertising. Because these services are not covered by the same education agreement, parents may request in writing that their child’s account be limited to Core Services only.
Information Google Collects and Uses
When a student account is created, the District provides Google with basic personal information such as name, email address, and password. Google may also collect information directly from students when they use the services, including device information, usage activity, and location data (as described in the Google Workspace for Education Privacy Notice and Google Privacy Policy). In the Core Services, Google uses this information only to provide and improve the services. In Additional Services, information is also used as described in Google’s general Privacy Policy.
Parent Choices and Rights
Parents have the right to review their child’s education records under FERPA. If you do not want your child to have access to Additional Services, you may opt out by contacting the school in writing, and the District will limit your child’s account to Core Services. Parents may also request access to or deletion of their child’s account information consistent with District policy and applicable law.
For more information, you may review:
• The
Google Workspace for Education Privacy Center
• The
Google Workspace for Education Privacy Notice
• The
Google Privacy Policy
• The
Google Cloud Privacy Notice
The Core Google Workspace for Education services are provided to us under
Google Workspace for Education Agreement and the
Cloud Data Processing Addendum.
If you have questions about how the District uses Google Workspace for Education, please contact the FERPA Compliance Coordinator:
YouTube Access Opt-Out Form
Dr. Andrea Kinney
Executive Director of Student Services
Newton County Schools
2109 Newton Drive, NE
Covington, Georgia 30014
770-787-1330