New York City parents can now protect their personal information from charter schools seeking to poach children from the public schools they attend.

The city Department of Education announced on Aug. 28 that parents can opt in to keep their children's contact information off of mailing lists the DOE provides to charter schools to recruit students.

"Children's information should never have been shared without their parents' consent," said UFT President Michael Mulgrew. "This decision is an important first step in allowing families to regain control of that private data."

During the Bloomberg administration, the city made names and addresses available to charter school operators, enabling charters to market themselves directly to families. That policy helped the charter industry expand, diverting funds and resources from public schools in the process.

In May, the UFT joined in a letter-writing campaign calling for the city to stop sharing students' private contact information with the charter school industry. More than 600 UFT members emailed Mayor Bill de Blasio to ask him to stop the practice.

Many public school parents were upset about being inundated with charter mailers. In 2017 a parent filed suit against the city to stop the practice, arguing that it was a violation of privacy laws.

"UFT members worked with advocates and communities on this issue," said Mulgrew, "and we will continue to help ensure that families understand and exercise their right to opt out."