E-Mail Us At ramotc@dejazzd.com
* NEWS *Twins' Legislation !Pennsylvania becomes the Seventh State to Enact Law!On July 4th, 2008 Pennsylvania became the seventh state to pass legislation empowering parents to decide whether twins or higher order multiples are assigned to the same classroom. In 2005 Minnesota became the first state in the country to pass a law that allows parents, not schools, to decide whether twins or higher order multiples should be placed in the same classroom or separated into different classrooms in school. The law breezed through the Minnesota legislature and went into effect for the 2005-2006 school year. The Minnesota Law breathed new life into the emotional and sometimes controversial issue of school placement of multiples. Parents of twins and higher order multiples are challenging the longstanding and outmoded educational practices that often require their children to be separated in the classrooms. Conventional wisdom has been to separate twins so they can "develop individually", a myth discounted by reseachers, including renowned twin expert Nancy L. Segal, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at California State University in Fullerton, CA. "The twin bond, especially among identical twins, is unusually close -- but this does not diminish each child's individuality in any way," Segal wrote in a letter to the Minnesota senate committee. "It does mean that they are more likely to feel comfortable and secure in a new situation, like school, when they are with their twin. They are also able to develop relationships apart from their sibling, despite being in the same classroom." Recent studies have suggested that twins may actually benefit from being left together in their early years. Psychologist Dr. Thomas Bouchard, director of the MinnesotaTwin Study, points out that as children enter school, they all face a prolonged absence from their parents. This stress can be compounded when twins are forced to be separated from their life companion. Some twins face anxiety about the other twin. Some parents of separated twins report side effects such as shyness in outgoing children, loss of confidence, irritability, aggression, and inattention. If twins share a classroom, they have the benefit of a teacher available to mentor a balance in their relationship. Of course, there are many parents happy to keep their twins, triplets or quadruplets separated because they do not want their children's strengths and weaknesses so explicitly measured against one another day in and day out. Not every set of twins should be in the same classroom. Some twins do better separated. Placement decisions should be made by parents and administration together on a case-by-case basis so that the individual needs of the children can best be met. Early experiences in education are critical and every positive element should be put into play to make informative class placement decisions. Parents know their children better than the school administrators. Therefore the parents should have a primary voice in this important decision making process. Around the CountryIn 1994 Oklahoma passed a resolution recommending that its school districts develop policies for
the placement of multiples on a case-by-case basis and take into consideration the preferences of parents.
The New York State Assembly has introduced S2074 & A03523 . and in Alabama HB161 is in hearings. Parents in several other states across the country have also begun working to introduce statutes. Information regarding their campaigns can be found at Twins Law.com. Find out more about National Legislation Related Online ArticlesAbout.com Twins in School: When Schools Mandate Classroom Placement of Twins New York Times Born Together, Raised Together, So Why Not in Classrooms too? |