Dear Senators and Representatives,
Today on Wednesday, February 29, 2012, I was able to bring five students, parents, and administrators to the Capitol. To those of you who welcomed us in to your offices to visit, thank you very much. It was a learning experience for the students and your graciousness was appreciated. The students courageously told of their personal challenges and how they have become victims of ACE's unintended consequences. Though they are working diligently and have been supported by the school district with remediation, they represent 46 students in Union Public Schools who have met course requirements but have not fulfilled the ACE testing requirements to graduate in May. This is 4.5 percenty of our senior class. Each story was unique and compelling -- one student was new to Oklahoma, one was new to the USA, one experienced a tragedy, one was homeschooled until recently, one is ready to deploy in the Army but will not have test results back in time to meet her military deadline.
I hope that their stories serve to let you know that flexibility is needed in the current ACE law. I implore you to postpone the implementation of ACE testing requirements that would deprive these students of their high school diplomas. They deserve the right to become productive members of society and contribute to our state.
Please watch this brief video about the Union dilemma since it represents the situation of students all over the State of Oklahoma.
Thank you,
Cathy Burden, Ph.D.
Superintendent
Union Public Schools
