Pinellas Parents of Duplicates

School Board Meeting Tues, Apr 27 2004

                           Text from Presentation to School Board by Robin Elam, President PPODS

Good evening Madam Chair, Dr. Hinsley, & School Board Members.  I appreciate the opportunity to address the School Board.  My name is Robin Elam and I am a resident of Pinellas County.  I am also the mother of 3 year old twin boys and the President of the Pinellas Parents of Duplicates Twins Club, one of two non-profit organizations that has been supporting & representing parents of multiples in Pinellas County  for over 50 years.  Several members of both organizations are here with me this evening seeking amendment to the School Board's policy regarding the placement of family members who are in the same grade into the School Choice program.  My presentation this evening reflects the views of the Pinellas Parents of Duplicates and the St. Petersburg Parents of Twins and Super Twins.  These two organizations currently embody over 110 active member families and our membership has grown over 300 percent in the last 6 months.

I was contacted by Ruth Stoop, a parent of twins who recently spoke before the Board on the issue I’m here to address today.  In just the past 4 months other parents of multiples have individually addressed the Board regarding the same issue.  These parents were told they would be contacted by you regarding a workshop and as of today they have not been contacted. I understand the School Choice policy is new to Pinellas County and as with any new policy; it needs to be smoothed out.  It is my hope is that you will find the information today compelling enough to have the policy amended for the 2004 – 2005 school year so that all of Pinellas County students have equal access to the School Choice opportunities.

It is critical for the needs of twins and higher or multiples to be addressed in Pinellas County.  Over 4,000 students have at least one sibling their same age and they are affected by the current School Choice program.  The first step is for educators and administrators to acknowledge how the placement of twins or sets of higher orders multiples requires special consideration since it impacts the children emotionally and according to the research, academically.   The second step is to change the policy immediately.  One in 32 births is multiples and this does not count the number of higher order multiples.   Other institutions are addressing multiples and changing their policies accordingly.  I will share an example of how other institutions are addressing the needs of multiples at the end of my presentation. The National Organization of Mother of Twins Clubs, which represents over 24,000 families, has developed a powerpoint presentation for local clubs to present to their school boards to assist in the education of multiples.  The presentation is comprehensive and provides several statistics and suggestions on how parents and educators need to work together to ensure a quality education for our children.   This presentation would require at least 30 minutes on your agenda to adequately present the recommended Guidelines for the Education of Multiple Birth Children. Since I am limited to 10 minutes this evening, I will highlight our main concern.

Traditionally, the primary issue facing parents of school age multiples has been whether or not to place their twins/triplets in the same or separate classrooms. Today, the biggest issue currently facing me and approximately 3% of the families in Pinellas County is not just whether my children should be in the same classroom, but whether or not my children will be able to attend the same school.

There are several research studies on the effect on twins when separated into different classrooms, some of which are cited in this publication by the National Twins Organization titled, Placement of Multiple Birth Children in School – A Guide for Educators.  Our clubs have purchased some extra copies and I have them here for you.  I think you would find the booklets very valuable reading. One could easily theorize that separation into two different schools would have an even more profound effect. Identical twins especially seem to have strong multiple bonds, with the early primary grades (PreK-2) being a time when many seem to benefit both academically and socially from being placed together.  However, there is no universal answer. Each set of twins or higher order multiples is unique.  This research by the National Twin's Organization (NOMOTC) and the study of experts' regarding classroom placement has proven that mandatory separation of multiple birth children is ineffective and can be detrimental to the education and emotional growth of these children.  Schools should maintain a flexible placement policy and consult with parents to provide clearer insights into how the children's needs can best be served.

Specifically, this brings us to the policy in the Pinellas County school district regarding siblings of the same age. According to the Pinellas County School Choice policy, student placement in the Pinellas County public, fundamental and magnet schools is based on 4 criteria in the following priority order: grandfathering preference, family preference, proximity and diversity.  In particular, we are seeking an amendment regarding the "family preference" criteria which afford and guarantee siblings the opportunity to attend the same school only if one of their siblings already attends the requested school.   It is our understanding that "family members requesting the same school will be assigned the same random number, so that if one" (sibling) "gets assigned to a school, the other will be assigned."   That approach seems logical, except the family preference cannot be considered for entry into a magnet or fundamental school according to school board policy.   As of today, one of my twin children can be randomly selected by lottery to a particular fundamental, magnet school, or public school, while the other twin would be assigned to a different school, as in the most recent cases of Ruth Stoop, Philip Holcomb and Katherine Houston. 

The Board’s policy on placement into the school choice programs does not take into consideration the need for twins or triplets to be placed simultaneously into same program; whether it be fundamental, magnet or even a public school.  You may recall Mr. Philip Holcomb, Ms. Ruth Stoop, and Ms. Katherine Houston, previous parents of multiples who spoke before the school board on this issue.  The minutes from the January meeting state that Dr. Hinesley will have Mr. Jim Madden work with Mr. Holcomb regarding his options, and that this issue will be placed on a future agenda for a Board workshop and these parents will be notified once the agenda is set.   Once again, Ms. Stoop contacted me as President of the Multiple's Club.  She informed me that she has not yet been contacted about a workshop on this issue.

We request a policy that specifically addresses multiple birth or siblings who are entering the same grade. It is our understanding that some parents and members of the school board believe that admitting twins to a fundamental or magnet school is unfair because it takes a slot away from another child.   

We propose instead to work with the school board to recommend a policy that is acceptable to everyone.  A similar policy exists in San Mateo, CA and in the Guilford schools in North Carolina and it states that  (and I quote) "Siblings will be given priority if the application is received during the application period, there is a sibling currently enrolled in the magnet program of your choice, AND there is space available to accept magnet students for that particular grade level. The applications of multiple birth siblings (i.e., twins, triplets, etc.) will be considered as one application.  For example, if one twin is accepted, both will be accepted." 

We support the approach adopted in North Carolina in which same grade siblings are considered as one application.  Alternatively, we propose that each child continue to have an opportunity to apply to a magnet or fundamental school.  If one sibling is selected, but the other is not, allow the family the option for the siblings to attend a non-fundamental or magnet school the first year, then the option to enter the fundamental or magnet school together the following year by reserving their place.  We propose that these recommendations be considered and further defined in a collaborative workshop with all interested parties.  

In conclusion, successful placement involves a collaborative decision which allows for ease of separation from the parent and the other multiple as well as for successful social and academic growth. We believe that the Pinellas County School Board has the best interests of ALL the children and families they serve in mind.  We also believe that this issue of sibling preference in fundamental and magnet schools can easily be solved so that there is fairness in the admission process for everyone.

We want to partner with you when making decisions regarding classroom placement.