Todd Geraci walled with his class of 2009 last night at Peoples Academy in Morrisville. And good for him. Good for the Class and good for the community.
here is the story from the Free Press.
Tracy Wrend the Superintendent and the Uppity-Ups in the district tried to block Todd from marching in the graduation ceremony because he is returning to PA next year to continue school programing. Todd has an IEP for special education, an independent educational plan, which is designed to give students with learning disabilities REASONABLE MODIFICATIONS for their studies. That means that a student that is blind can have braille texts, or text books on tape. A dyslexic student might get more time to take a test. A student with Aspergers might have an aid with in class. I don’t know the specifics of Todd’s plan, but I do know that he completed all of the general education requirements set for all students at PA to graduate. The issue was this:
IF you are marching,then you are getting a diploma, and if you get a diploma, then you can’t return to PA. (as a post grad student) and receive special education services. Need I point out that one year of special education costs the district money. So if Todd wanted to return and get more special education services, and a diploma after his IEP goals were finished, then he was not going to be able to march.
The issue was marching. Not whether Todd was getting his diploma. The school said NO and it went to court. The day before graduation. Mikayla Geraci, Todd’s little sister (front row blond in a blue shirt) rallied and started a “let Todd walk” group on Facebook. She let everyone know when the hearing was and a whole bunch of us went to the hearing.
The students also signed a petition to allow Todd to March. Todd has known many of these students since the 3d grade and to march with his classmates was a once and a lifetime opportunity.
Everybody seemed to understand that except for the school officials.
This is Wrend’s position:
“In Morristown, graduation is our most public and proudest acknowledgement of our mission. There are places where graduation may be primarily a ‘feel good exercise.’ That has not been the case at Peoples Academy. Every single one of the thousands of students who have walked across the stage at Peoples Academy’s graduation since Peoples Academy was founded in 1847 have met graduation requirements. We owe it to every single one of them — and to every student who will cross the stage in the future — to hold to that standard.”
She is right that is it the most public and proudest moment for Morristown and that it means something. Well last night it did.
Last night Todd walked and it publicly showed a community who understood and accepted Todd as a classmate. They wanted him to march and the crowd stood and cheered. The standard for all of is raised when we can understand that letting Todd march is more then a feel good moment. Letting Todd march made a statement that Todd is more then his disability, Todd is a member of the class of 2009!
If you earn a diploma, you are given a diploma regardless of if you are marching in a graduation ceremony. Marching is done as a group, not as an individual practice. Todd will go on as an individual to work one year more than his classmates because of his Aspergers. Allowing Todd to march with his classmates was a Reasonable Modification. Kudos to Anthony and Julie, Todd’s parents for fighting for him and kudos to the judge that understood the underlying issue.
I am so very saddened and stunned that the superintendent didn’t get it.
March on little buddy, march on!
