Can parents fight a school's decision to hold back/retain a child? Tips for parents from an education lawyer. Parents can initiate a request to have their child repeat a grade, and their input is an important factor. However, the final authority in a dispute over retention rests with the school district, and a parent cannot unilaterally make the decision against school policy. Can your parents keep you from getting held back? Legislation signed into law June 30 allows parents and students over 18 to decide for themselves whether they or their kids should repeat their 2020-21 grade. In other years, the decision to hold students back is made by school officials and teachers. Can a parent refuse or otherwise deny the school request to hold a child back? Child is 1sf grade and parent asked for IEP eval due to academic concerns in reading which turned into math also when they’d started in word questions. Since the 4th week of school the teacher has had a strong opinion to hold child back. So, if your school recommends that your child be held back a grade INSTEAD of evaluating your child, that is a problem. You can better understand your child’s diagnoses, strengths, and needs through a comprehensive evaluation. For instance, if your child has ADHD, they will benefit from specific interventions. While school officials can push back against parents' and guardians' decisions regarding retaking courses or repeating grades, they do not have the power to overturn them, according to a press For the latter, you will need a parent education attorney to review your student's educational record if you wish to have a chance to suceed in your wishes. Holding a child back can work both ways. As a 3rd grade teacher, I have found that children who are held back feel bad about it initially, but develop tremendous self esteem when they find that they understand and are able to do the work in September. Children are resilient and make new friends quickly. Deciding whether to hold your child back a grade is no easy task, especially for parents and caregivers of neurodivergent kids. By weighing the pros and cons, collaborating with educators, exploring alternatives, understanding legal rights and school policies, and considering the emotional and social impact, you can make an informed decision Yes, a school can retain or promote a student without parent or guardian approval. However, the district PPR policy approved by the district’s school board must provide an appeal process for parents who disagree with a principal’s promotion or retention decision for their student. Can they hold me back in [] While you can hold your child back in school at any age, kindergarten and first grade are the best times to repeat a year, according to FamilyEducation. In fact, these are the ages when the majority of parents and schools decide to retain. Can a school legally hold a child back a grade without parental consent? School wants to hold my child in kindergarten. i dont want them too. do i have a right to refuse? The law says that parents whose students are in K-5 can submit the request in writing to their school's principal for the 2021-2022 school year. Parents will need to have the request submitted by When can students be held back (aka retained) in California public schools? What grades could this occur and what are the legal mandates? California Schools Hate To Retain Kids Schools won’t often retain a student. I don’t know why, it just seems schools would rather pass kids through, despite some being years behind. Students may be held back from advancing if certain deficiencies are Has anyone at school talked to you about retaining your child or making your child repeat the same grade? An estimated 1.9 percent of U.S. students are held back each year. If you wondering if your child should be promoted to the next grade level or held back to repeat the year, here’s what to consider and what the research shows. Reasons for grade retention Grade retention is a very Your Rights as a Parent If you are uncomfortable with your school’s decision to hold back your child, do you have the right to appeal that decision? Possibly—guidelines vary widely from state to state and even district to district. Many districts have an appeal process in place. Do your best to educate yourself on local policies: grounds for retention, intervention and notification Grade retention is controversial: holding kids back puts them at later risk for dropping out of school. Experts say to do it early, if at all. Younger children can develop relationships much more easily. So, that's the educator's answer. The legal answer is that if you really, REALLY object to having your son held back, after all I've just said and after the recommendations of your son's teachers, you -- the parent -- have the right to force him to move ahead. Yes, a school can retain or promote a student without parent or guardian approval. However, the district PPR policy approved by the district's school board must provide an appeal process for parents who disagree with a principal's promotion or retention decision for their student. My district doesn’t allow schools to hold back students. The student can absolutely fail second grade: refuse to turn in any work, have no comprehension of how to do any of the standards, never attend school etc. but the school cannot require them to repeat a grade. Usually the parents don’t choose to hold their child back.
Articles and news, personal stories, interviews with experts.
Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | |
![]() | |
![]() | |
![]() | ![]() |