Sorry, Your Placement Request has been Denied! Now what?

Your request to place your twins, triplets or higher order multiples together in class (or in rarer instances separately) has been denied.  Now what? You are certain that the Principal’s decision is not the best choice for your children, but what can you do? How can you “fight” the system? After all, this is their policy!

Well you CAN ensure that you have a voice in the appropriate placement of your twins*.

First of all, some insight. Most school “policies” to separate all multiples are NOT policies. They are in fact practices of certain schools and principals across the country. To date,  I have NEVER found a school who has had a “written formal policy” to separate ALL multiples. Why? Because there is NO SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH to support such a policy! Some twins will do better together, while others will benefit from separation and schools cannot have a “written” policy which has been proven to be harmful to some children. This is not to say that they don’t apply a “one size fits all” rule to all multiples entering their school. As you have likely found out, many do, but you will not find a copy of the rule written into the school handbook. A written policy to separate all multiples would stand in direct contradiction to The Eric Digest (Educational Resources Information Center) guidelines for placement of multiple birth children and more importantly ignore The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 which could possibly open schools to liability. “No Child Left Behind puts a special emphasis on implementing educational programs and practices that have been clearly demonstrated to be effective through rigorous scientific research.”

So ask for a copy! If they present you with a written policy, send it to me HERE! I would love to see it!

If you find (like the rest of us) that there is NO written policy, then I recommend the following;

1. Put your request in writing. Direct your letter to the Principal stating the reasons behind your placement request. Be specific! Be compelling! Perhaps your children were placed together in preschool and have done remarkably well,  and now that they are facing a full day of school in a new environment you believe that separating them will be too stressful. Maybe you’ve discussed the issue with your children’s preschool teacher and they too also agree that your twins should remain together? Have the children shown difficulty with separation in the past? Been unable to focus on school activities, when their co-twin was absent due to illness? Or maybe, there are medical factors or family issues to consider.   Put all relevant information into your letter! Explain why you believe that your placement request is the ONLY appropriate decision which can be made for your children at this time.  For sample letters email me HERE!

2. Talk to your children’s pediatrician. Ask them to write a letter on your children’s behalf. Letters from physicians who agree with the placement requests of the parent,  are the SINGLE most effective means I have found to compel schools to reconsider their position. As before,  this letter also needs to be specific! For sample letters please email me HERE!

3. Send your letter, your children’s pediatrician’s letter and the following research to the principal(which you can download from the research page):

-The Tully Report

-Netherlands Study

-ERIC DIGEST guidelines

-NCLBA

-NASP (National Association of School Psychologists) article

-Letters to the Legislators from Dr. Segal, Dr. John Mascazine and Susan Alt (available on the front page)

-NOMOTC guidelines for placement of multiple birth children

4. READ all information you are submitting as well as the other documents I’ve made available to you on the research page.  Educate yourself on this issue! Being prepared when meeting school officials will help you articulate your position more effectively.

5. Give the school’s principal a reasonable amount of time to review your request, then ask for an appointment to discuss your children’s case. Often schools who are presented with compelling evidence will reconsider their position. Many are unaware of the research now available on the issue and may be grateful for the information. However others may continue to mandate separation, regardless of the research and documentation you present. If this applies to your family situation and

you remain convinced that the principal has no other reason for separating your children other than their multiplicity, then seek the assistance of the school Superintendent, school board or higher,  to review your case. Be firm in your resolve and ultimately you should be successful! At least we hope so.

6. Join or Begin a Twins Law Campaign in your State so you WILL have a voice in your twins*classroom placement! Often Principals who reconsider their position will only do so for one year whether or not your children flourish together. In spite of positive together placement,  you may face this challenge year after year. So get involved, start or join a campaign and make a difference! Ensure that parents have a voice in the placement decisions of their multiple birth children within the classroom!

I hope you find this information helpful! Should you have questions or need further assistance, please  email me HERE.

Good Luck!

Kathy

* twins: refers to twins, triplets and higher order multiples