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An Open Letter to All Elected Officials, Legislators, Policy Makers and Voters
Tragedy Strikes. Parents are Powerless to Protect
As elected officials prepared for the special legislative session, my elementary school principal notified our faculty that the father of two of our students, one in 2nd. grade and one in 3rd grade, was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting in Orlando. Many of the staff visited the family. We attended the funeral on Saturday. We will do all that we can to help these children, their older sibling and their mother. We grieve for them all. We also ask ourselves what the odds are that these children will make much more academic progress this year. What are the odds our third grader will pass the FCAT this year? Would most students pass under these circumstances? Would anyone? Is a portfolio assessment or alternative assessment going to make any difference now? Not likely. Under the law, the grieving mother has no voice about her children’s grade progression either unless she is given a say through a good cause exemption. According to the income level of this family, they are considered among our society’s poorest. However, despite the obstacles to over come, the children were making learning gains up to now. However, this is a horrible and tragic event that has occurred in their lives. One of many childhood traumas school counselors know only too well.
If because of the injustice of her father’s murder, our third grader does not make academic progress or pass the FCAT, another injustice befalls her if she is required to repeat third grade under current law. Unless, legislators agree to pass a good cause exemptions for trauma and parental involvement in the grade progression decisions children who have experienced trauma and are not able to master all the skills required to pass third grade will be held back.
Don’t we have a responsibility as a public school system to consider real trauma and tragedy in children’s lives as we enforce the law on grade progression? Don’t we have a responsibility to give public school parents back their right to decide what is best for their child? The State Associations for School Psychologists and Social Workers, and the Florida Counselors Association, Florida Coalition for Assessment Reform, Fl. Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development as well as parent organizations, church groups and concerned citizens think so. A petition circulating around the State asking for change in current mandated multiple year grade retention practices has continued to grow with over 1,150 signatures in a very short time. Voters are beginning to see the potential harm done to society and the absurdity of keeping third graders in the third grade three times.
Parents can decide not to accept special education services for their child who qualifies. Parents can exempt their child from sex education classes. Parents can exempt their child from immunizations before entering school for religious reasons. Parents have a right to know the risks of medications and medical procedures recommended and decide what is best for their child. Our society expects parents to protect their children from harm. Yet, when a parent knows that retaining their child in the same grade has life altering and negative psychological effects on him or her, the parents can do nothing about this decision unless they have the financial resources to send their child to private school. This is a basic injustice and flies in the face of society’s rightful expectation that all parents, rich or poor, have the responsibility to protect their children from harm.
Citizens, use your influence in a democratic society. Contact your legislators. Contact legislators who serve on the education committees. Express your views. Share your stories. Members of the legislature and elected officials, help save our children from further harm and help the future of Florida’ society. At a minimum, let us restore common sense recommendations for grade progression under unique and unusual circumstances. Give parents a say in whether or not they want retention used as an educational intervention for their child and add a good cause exemption for children who have experienced severe trauma.
Sincerely,
Barbara Barry, D. Min.
Florida School Counselors Association, Orange County Counselors Association
Florida Elementary Counselor of the Year and the American School Counselor Association’s Elementary Counselor of the Year, 2002
Barrydmin@yahoo.com Winter Park
— Barbara Barry
open letter
2005-11-
INDEX OF OUTRAGES
Pages: 366
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