Dear Parents/Guardians:

Each year about this time we begin receiving calls from a few parents/guardians requesting that their children be placed in certain classrooms for the following year. It seems timely, therefore, that our school’s policy on the matter be reviewed and emphasized.
There are several criteria that our staff applies in order to create an effective, well-balanced class. Among them are:

1. Equal class size in relation to other classes.
2. A well balanced classroom population in terms of gender.
3. A heterogeneous grouping in terms of achievement.
4. A workable blend of student personalities.
5. A fair distribution among classes of high achievers and low achievers with special needs.
6. A fair distribution of “behavior challenges.”
7. An effective clustering of limited or non-English speaking children.

If we were to honor a parent/guardian request then other parents/guardians would be encouraged to do the same. The merits of these requests are so indistinguishable that there is no basis for being selective with any degree of objectivity. Therefore, to honor one is to honor them all, creating such a volume of requests that the staff is prohibited from applying the criteria above, and our flexibility to design the most effective classroom grouping for your children is greatly impaired.
The school’s policy is to plan thoughtfully the placement of children in classes to maximize the educational advantage for each child. This ensures a workable classroom environment by design and not by chance.

Your continued support and cooperation is always appreciated.

Sincerely,

Miss Ginnetti