Legislation on Placement of Twins in Classrooms

It's an issue that all parents of twins will most likely one day face; at what age will it become necessary for my twins to be placed in different classrooms and will I be able to have input in this decision?

Most parents and experts who have studied the topic feel that there is no correct answer for the age twins should be separated as it's something that could possibly be different for every set of twins. As for being involved in the process, the sad reality is that in most school districts, the ultimate decision about whether twins will be put in the same or different classrooms will be made by school administrators who may listen to your input but then do what they feel is in the children's best interest.

But a unique piece of legislature that was debated in 2005 in both the Minnesota State Senate and Minnesota House of Representatives might be able to change that decision process, at least for Minnesota-based parents of multiples. Minnesota Senate Bill SF0180 and its companion bill in the Minnesota House, HF0130, both proposed coding for a new law in Minnesota Statutes that allowed parents to request their twins or multiple birth children be placed in the same classroom and require schools to adhere to that request.

The only stipulations attached to the bill were that the parents needed to make the request no later than 14 days after the first day of the school year (or 14 days after their first attendance in the school if the multiples enroll in the school in mid-year) and that the multiples must be in the same grade at the same school.

The lead co-author of the Senate bill, Minnesota State Senator, Dennis Frederickson, is the father of grown male/female twins and knows first-hand the benefits of letting parents be involved in the decision process regarding the placement of their twins in the same or separate classrooms.

"My wife and I did not want our twins separated," Senator Frederickson told Twinstuff in a phone interview. "We were fortunate enough to be in a district that honored our desires and wishes. My twins were in the same class their entire education. In retrospect, I believe that was the best decision. They were both good students and eventually college educated.

"Although they now live about 150 miles from each other, they remain close and in frequent contact," the Senator continued. "They still have that special bond that exists between many twins."

Two of the other co-authors of the State Senate bill, Steve Dille (a father of twin sons who also has two brothers who are twins), and Ellen Anderson (twin sister), have connections to twins. The co-author of the State House bill, Marty Seifert (married to a twin), also has a connection to twins.

But the idea for the bill came from Senator Frederickson's legislative assistant, Wendy Haavisto, a mother of 1st grade boy/girl twins whose experiences with her twins have been different than Senator Frederickson's.

"When my twins were starting at their new school, the principal did not want them in the same class," Wendy relayed to Twinstuff. "In fact, the principal was quite upset when we asked that they be placed in the same classroom."

Although eventually the Haavistos were able to have their twins in the same Kindergarten class, they weren't successful in keeping them together this year. Wendy realizes that the twins are doing fine in separate 1st grade classrooms, but she still feels she should have been able to have more input in the schooling decision. "The principal said he didn't understand why we were making it such a big deal."

Senator Frederickson's office did some research to see if other states had drafted legislation regarding twins in the same classroom and found nothing has been enacted into law. In fact the only similar type of legislation they could find was a resolution passed by the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 1994 which essentially was a suggestion to Oklahoma school boards (to allow parents to request that their twins be kept in the same classroom), but nothing that was then written into state law.

The Senate bill was passed by the Minnesota Senate Education Committee on Feb. 22, 2005 and then unanimously passed by the Minnesota State Senate 64-0 on March 17, 2005. You can view video coverage of the bill's passing by the Senate Education Committee at this link.

The Senator realizes that not every set of twins in Minnesota should be in the same classroom while advancing through the educational system. "Some twins may do better separated," he feels. "But parents should be the ultimate decision maker. Parents will know their twins better than some school systems." More on the bill is online at Senator Frederickson's web site.

The Minnesota proposed legislation goes in hand with recent national research efforts. A 2001 report issued by the National Organization of Mothers of Twins Clubs concluded that "parents are generally an educator's best resource in making placement decisions," while issuing the guideline that "Schools should maintain a flexible placement policy throughout the early elementary school years. Consultation with parents and the involved children will provide clearer insights into how the children's needs can best be served."

Despite these recommendations, it's estimated that 43% of surveyed educators believe all multiples should be separated in school with many of those educators pinpointing Kindergarten as the room in which to begin separation. (2001 NOMOTC survey).

Other States Movements

The Texas Twin Bill (80R H.B. 314) was unanimously passed and signed into law on May 3, 2007, joining Minnesota as the second state to pass this type of legislation into law. The Texas Law states: For Texas parents: All requests for classroom placement must be made in writing. If the multiples are found to be a disruption, the principal can find the appropriate classroom placement. The parent can appeal this decision with the school board and the multiples will remain in the same classroom during this process.

Full text of the House Education Amendment to the Subchapter B, Chapter 25 Education Code

Oklahoma and Illinois have passed resolutions recommending school districts follow the gist of the Minnesota and Texas laws but have not made them binding legislation (Oklahoma's resolution dates to 1994 as references in the above article)

The state of New York introduced Senate Bill S2074 and State Assembly Bill A03523 on March 21, 2007 and is currently waiting actions on those bills.

The state of Pennsylvania unanimously passed Senate Bill 579 on March 20, 2007 and referred it to the Education Committee for further action. House Bill 65 was introduced by the Pennsylvania State House on April 23, 2007 and it too is awaiting further action.

The state of New Hampshire law was signed into law on July 13, 2007.

The State of Florida law was signed into law in June 2008. Florida Twin Law

Bills have been sponsored and introduced in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia and Indiana.

Other Resources

twinslaw.com