To: Paula E. Blumenau, Edwin Estrada, Bill Galvin, William Geiger, Linda Knapp, John Perrino, Rose Tobiassen, Andrew Warren, and John Williams
Overturn Middletown School District's decision of retention or transitional grade placement for g...
Revoke the use of local Math and English standardized assessments to be used as the sole factor in determining retention or placement into transitional grades. Decisions about retention and promotion at the elementary level will be made by consultation with the classroom teacher, the student/guardians, and other appropriate professionals.
Why is this important?
*Parents were never notified that kindergarteners were going to be assessed using Benchmark and MAP assessments.
*Parents were never told in the beginning of the year or any other time during the year that local standardized assessments were going to be used as the sole factor in deciding grade placement; the district discarded teacher's assessments, report cards and teacher/parent conferences.
*Parents received grade placement letters on the day before the last day of school. Parents felt mislead and lied to about the forced nature of the short notice regarding their children's academic performance. Teacher/parent conferences, report card and also home/school work never mentioned retention or placement into transitional grade.
*Parents find out on the last day of school about the implementation of 2 new programs (Promotional Marker Program at grade K and a Transitional Program at grade 1). District never sent advanced communications to parents about placement of kids into new programs.
*Parents find out on the day before the last day of school that for their kids to be able to be considered for grade promotion (instead of retention), their kids must attend Summer School. Parents have already planned their vacation; parents paid for summer camps, travel tickets, car rentals, hotel and cruises because no advance noticed was given from the Middletown School District that kids are mandated to attend summer school.
Parents don't want their children to be assessed for grade placement by a computer test. Parents want local teacher-created assessments, home/class work, parent/guardian and teacher conferences to be used in determining children's grade placements. Parents want to have full and advanced communication with the school district about their children's future. Parents don't want their children to be enrolled on brand new programs without their consent; We are the parents! We have parental rights and the U.S. Supreme Court has "repeatedly held that parents have the fundamental right to direct the upbringing and education of their children free from unreasonable state interferences”.
Please revoke the Middletown School District’s last minute decision about retaining or placing into transitional grades kids from grade K-2 and consequently elimination of mandated summer school for 2013-2014 school year.
*Parents were never told in the beginning of the year or any other time during the year that local standardized assessments were going to be used as the sole factor in deciding grade placement; the district discarded teacher's assessments, report cards and teacher/parent conferences.
*Parents received grade placement letters on the day before the last day of school. Parents felt mislead and lied to about the forced nature of the short notice regarding their children's academic performance. Teacher/parent conferences, report card and also home/school work never mentioned retention or placement into transitional grade.
*Parents find out on the last day of school about the implementation of 2 new programs (Promotional Marker Program at grade K and a Transitional Program at grade 1). District never sent advanced communications to parents about placement of kids into new programs.
*Parents find out on the day before the last day of school that for their kids to be able to be considered for grade promotion (instead of retention), their kids must attend Summer School. Parents have already planned their vacation; parents paid for summer camps, travel tickets, car rentals, hotel and cruises because no advance noticed was given from the Middletown School District that kids are mandated to attend summer school.
Parents don't want their children to be assessed for grade placement by a computer test. Parents want local teacher-created assessments, home/class work, parent/guardian and teacher conferences to be used in determining children's grade placements. Parents want to have full and advanced communication with the school district about their children's future. Parents don't want their children to be enrolled on brand new programs without their consent; We are the parents! We have parental rights and the U.S. Supreme Court has "repeatedly held that parents have the fundamental right to direct the upbringing and education of their children free from unreasonable state interferences”.
Please revoke the Middletown School District’s last minute decision about retaining or placing into transitional grades kids from grade K-2 and consequently elimination of mandated summer school for 2013-2014 school year.