Parents We Need Your Help

Parents We Need Your Help!

At the November 12, 2009 meeting of the Prince George’s County Board of Education, the Board will propose an administrative procedure that will terminate sibling enrollment in the Specialty Programs (including Montessori), making it mandatory for families with more than one child to secure placement for each child by lottery or audition. Younger siblings will not be allowed to enroll or “Tag-along” with their older siblings beginning in next school term.

What you can do if you oppose this policy:

1) Attend the November 12 Board meeting at 7:05 PM, at 14201, School Lane, Upper Marlboro, Maryland 20772. We need to get as many parents as possible out to show our position to the Board! Our goal is 100 people. So this means we need you and your children! We would like everyone to wear green earth/spirit t-shirts to visually unify ourselves.

Please consider providing public comments expressing your concerns by contacting the Board (301-952-6115) before 4:00 PM on November 12, 2009 requesting to be added to the list of participants. Parents are given 3 minutes to speak to the Board of Education. Please put your comments in writing because at the end of your speech, you will be asked to leave a written copy for the records. This is an agenda item so you will not have to wait until the end of the night to speak. It is my understanding that we have reached the speakers' limit; however, the BOE is required to waive the limit. If the waiver is not granted, please still come to submit your lwritten comments. Here are some talking points:

A change from this policy would adversely affect parental involvement within CLE/magnet programs by dividing energies among multiple schools. Having siblings within in the same program helps to reinforce learning outside the school environment. Eliminating the sibling preference policy will discourage prospective parents with more than one child from even considering the program. This change would also promote attrition within the existing student population.

2) Write a letter to each of the Board members, to your county council representative and to your state representative. Please include in your letter whether you have one child or more than one child. If you know of parents that did not win the lottery but who support sibling enrollment policy, we especially need them to write and speak to the Board. Please see attached sample.

Thank you for your help in supporting the effort to inform our Board Members of the detriments of implementing this policy. Please let me know if you are attending and/or speaking at the meeting. My contact information is listed below.

Harriett Richmond cell# 301-518-4170 [email protected]