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I Could Spit Nails Right Now ***Updated AGAIN**
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<blockquote data-quote="Marguerite" data-source="post: 40024" data-attributes="member: 1991"><p>Stella, this is a really good letter. The only fault I can find with it is that it is too long. Where possible, you should keep your letter to a page or less, so it is easy to read (remember, education authorities collectively must be treated as if they are learning disabled and Special Needs - KISS principle).</p><p></p><p>You could add her history of being moved around as a point-form appendix to your letter.</p><p></p><p>However, in this case, I do think the extra information presented in this way is useful. Just prepare another version of this, with her history as an appendix, and the 'meat' of your letter in one page. Something like,</p><p></p><p>"Dear sir or madam,</p><p>I am writing to protest that my Special Needs daughter and her class are about to be moved YET AGAIN, on the alleged grounds of the school being "at capacity". </p><p>She has been moved every year of her schooling so far, for this reason and other reasons due to the failure of the education system to adequately meet her needs. She is finally settled and happy and now we're told she is to be moved again, so close to the end of her school year? There are four students involved who will be affected; probably the four in the school who can LEAST cope with such a move.</p><p></p><p>For your added information, I have attached a detailed history of the moves in her schooling to date, so you can see just how serious is this situation.</p><p></p><p>Please reconsider this move. Or if students MUST move, please ensure that it is students MORE capable of making the move, not those who have already been seriously disadvantaged, on top of the bad hand of cards that life has already dealt them.</p><p></p><p>I would like to meet with you and any other education personnel involved in this decision to explain my daughter's case further.</p><p></p><p>Yours sincerely,</p><p></p><p>Ms Johnson</p><p></p><p>cc: [put in here who you want to also send copies to. Include your local congressman and anyone at the top of your education system, way above SD level. Basically, kick ar*e.]</p><p></p><p>What you've already written is very good, but you need to send out more. And for people with less of an interest in your daughter's case, if it goes over the page they won't be bothered to read it. A good letter should begin by stating what you are annoyed about; WHY it is bothering you and what you want them to do. I always finish by asking for a face to face meeting on the topic because it makes them realise I'm not just another letter writer, I'm someone who's rolling up my sleeves and getting on with the job.</p><p>And the cc at the end - when they know who else is getting a copy of this letter they also know how much stirring you're prepared to do/have already done.</p><p>Your letter does meet those criteria I listed, apart from the length.</p><p></p><p>And I'm like you in that respect also - it's easy to plan a short letter for someone else, but I tend to write long letters too!</p><p></p><p>Good luck. I sure hope you get results - the kids in your SD will thank you.</p><p></p><p>Marg</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Marguerite, post: 40024, member: 1991"] Stella, this is a really good letter. The only fault I can find with it is that it is too long. Where possible, you should keep your letter to a page or less, so it is easy to read (remember, education authorities collectively must be treated as if they are learning disabled and Special Needs - KISS principle). You could add her history of being moved around as a point-form appendix to your letter. However, in this case, I do think the extra information presented in this way is useful. Just prepare another version of this, with her history as an appendix, and the 'meat' of your letter in one page. Something like, "Dear sir or madam, I am writing to protest that my Special Needs daughter and her class are about to be moved YET AGAIN, on the alleged grounds of the school being "at capacity". She has been moved every year of her schooling so far, for this reason and other reasons due to the failure of the education system to adequately meet her needs. She is finally settled and happy and now we're told she is to be moved again, so close to the end of her school year? There are four students involved who will be affected; probably the four in the school who can LEAST cope with such a move. For your added information, I have attached a detailed history of the moves in her schooling to date, so you can see just how serious is this situation. Please reconsider this move. Or if students MUST move, please ensure that it is students MORE capable of making the move, not those who have already been seriously disadvantaged, on top of the bad hand of cards that life has already dealt them. I would like to meet with you and any other education personnel involved in this decision to explain my daughter's case further. Yours sincerely, Ms Johnson cc: [put in here who you want to also send copies to. Include your local congressman and anyone at the top of your education system, way above SD level. Basically, kick ar*e.] What you've already written is very good, but you need to send out more. And for people with less of an interest in your daughter's case, if it goes over the page they won't be bothered to read it. A good letter should begin by stating what you are annoyed about; WHY it is bothering you and what you want them to do. I always finish by asking for a face to face meeting on the topic because it makes them realise I'm not just another letter writer, I'm someone who's rolling up my sleeves and getting on with the job. And the cc at the end - when they know who else is getting a copy of this letter they also know how much stirring you're prepared to do/have already done. Your letter does meet those criteria I listed, apart from the length. And I'm like you in that respect also - it's easy to plan a short letter for someone else, but I tend to write long letters too! Good luck. I sure hope you get results - the kids in your SD will thank you. Marg [/QUOTE]
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