2007 - 2008 RESEARCH PROJECT

Multiples Placement in Wisconsin's Classrooms

Attention:  Wisconsin Mothers of Twins and Higher Order Multiples

On behalf of the Wisconsin Organization Mothers of Twins Clubs, this survey is being conducted to address the issue of classroom placement whether together or separate for our twins in the State of Wisconsin.  As the law stands regarding classroom placement of multiples, if a mother of twins requests that her twins be placed in the same classrooms upon school admittance and the school, school district and/or the principal has a school policy or precedent set against the mother’s request, it will be denied.  The twins will then be separated against the mother’s wishes.  As for a state law protecting twins from forced separation in the Wisconsin school system, there is none. 

New Hampshire’s Legislature just passed a “twin bill” on May 16^th, 2007 giving mothers a say in the placement of their children in New Hampshire’s schools.  Seacoast Area Mothers of Multiples played an important role in aiding research and rationale for this bill.  New Hampshire joins Georgia, Texas and Minnesota (which was the first state to enact legislation in 2005) in allowing parental input into the classroom placement of their multiples.  Oklahoma and Illinois have also passed resolutions as well.  There are many more states that have petitions in the works regarding this issue, but again Wisconsin is not one of them. 

Should there be a law passed that would allow mother’s the right to place their children (their twins) in the same classroom?  If the following research survey “Multiples’ Placement in Wisconsin’s Classrooms—a Parental Choice?,” finds interest in favor of legislation, the WOMOTC plans to present its findings to the Wisconsin legislature.  If the findings are not in the best interests of such a law, we would have this information for future research into why parents chose/choose which classroom situations for their multiples. With your help and cooperation, we can provide the State of Wisconsin with data on multiples maybe no one else has.  If it isn’t the mothers of twins in Wisconsin bringing concern to the State, who else will fight so hard for our multiples?

Special thanks goes out to the National Organization Mothers of Twins Club which has been informed of our research project and has contributed greatly to our compiled research on this subject. 

Attached is a questionnaire/survey.  Please fill it out to the best of your abilities.  Feel free to add another sheet if you need additional space.

Thank you for your time in advance.

Jana Malkan

2^nd Vice President WOMOTC

P.S.  I am still looking for more personal accounts dealing with this issue to add to our research.  If you have any information that would help our survey or our research on this topic, please contact me at janapdc@hotmail.com or 262-408-2713 (all personal information will be kept confidential unless permission is given by you in writing).

This survey is open to all parents of multiples in the State of Wisconsin.

WOMOTC Questionnaire/Survey for 2006-2008 Research Project

“Multiples’ Placement in Wisconsin’s Classrooms:  A Parental Choice?”

This Survey is based on the interest that Wisconsin Organization of Mothers of Twins Clubs

has in regards to a law change

concerning Multiples’ Placement in Wisconsin’s Classroom.

Please answer only the questions that apply to you.

If your multiples are not in the classroom,

please only fill out questions 1 Through 5.

Survey Questions: 

1. The year your multiples were born (please circle one):

a) Prior 1960 b) 1960’s c) 1970’s d) 1980’s e) 1990’s  f) 2000’s

2. How do you feel about having twins being placed in the same classroom? 

Please Circle One:  Positive, Negative, No Opinion 

Please Explain Your Answer: 

3.  How important is it/was it for you to have the choice in which classroom your twins were/are placed on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being meaning highly important and 1 meaning not important at all? Circle only 1 through 5. 

(Not at all)         1        2        3        4         5    (Very Important)

4. Other states such as Minnesota and New Hampshire have a law that allows for parents to have the right to choose same or separate classrooms for their multiples. Should there be a law enacted throughout the State of Wisconsin to allow parents the choice to separate or keep together their twins in the classroom?

                    a) Yes     b) No      c) No Opinion—Explain:

5. Was or is your choice of schools for your twins influenced by the desire to place your children in the same classroom?

Circle:  Yes or No   Please Explain:

THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS ARE TO BE COMPLETED BY MOTHERS OF TWINS WITH CHILDREN IN SCHOOL OR WITH CHILDREN WHO HAVE ATTENDED SCHOOL.

6. Please choose what best describes your multiples in school (through 8^th grade)?

          a) Private b) Public c) Home-schooled

7. Are/were your multiples in the same classroom in (please put a yes, no in each box below)?

          Grade                     Same                      Different        If Needed, Explain:

8. If your multiples are/were in the same classroom?

          Please Circle:  Yes or No

If yes,

        A)  Was it your choice?

                    B)  Was it your school’s choice?

                    C)  Was it your principal’s choice?

                    D)  Other ___________________ please write in.

                    Would you have changed your mind later? Please Explain:

          If no,

                    A)  Was it your choice?

                    B)  Was it your school’s choice?

                    C)  Was it your principal’s choice?

                    D)  Other ___________________ please write in.

                    Would you have changed your mind later? Please Explain:

9. In regards to separating and keeping your multiples together in the classroom, have you tried both ways over the course of their education? 

Please Circle:  Yes or No            

If Yes, which did you prefer/worked out best?

                            Together

                            Separate

                                Please Explain:

10.  Please Share your experience/story/comments (positive or negative). Your experience may help others in the same situation. 

WOMOTC 2006 RESEARCH PROJECT

*  MOST POPULAR NAMES FOR TWINS  *

The 2006 WOMOTC Research Project … MOST POPULAR NAMES FOR TWINS is now ready to go.  I desperately need your help to make this project a success.  I am asking you to help me by filling out the survey, encouraging all of your club members to complete the survey, and also by making copies of the survey (it can be printed on one sheet, front and back, or 2 separate pages) and then sharing these with any other non-club member parents of twins or triplets that you know. The more people we have who complete this survey will help us get a more accurate accounting of our findings.

This shouldn't take too long to fill out, so, as a suggestion, maybe clubs could take a few minutes at their meetings to have members complete these forms, and then the State Rep or another club representative could mail them to me as a group. This project will be going on until the end of August, so please continue to hand these surveys out to moms of multiples (young and old) throughout the next several months. I really need your help in order to get the results I'm looking for.

If you have any questions, contact me at (414) 483-9422, or e-mail me at lybuschmann@msn.com. 

Thanks in advance for your help.

Lynn Buschmann, WOMOTC 2nd V.P.

* * * * * * * *

CALLING ALL MOTHERS (and more) OF TWINS AND TRIPLETS!!!

NOTE:  This survey is for all parents of twins, triplets or more, whether you are a member of our organization or not.  Please, return a survey and be part of the statistics we are collecting.

********

Wisconsin Organization Mothers of Twins Club - 2006 Research Project

* MOST POPULAR NAMES FOR TWINS *

This research survey will help us see if the names chosen for twins/triplets coincide with the “most popular” names chosen for all children. Results will be announced at the WOMOTC Convention in October, 2006.

These forms should be filled out by as many parents of twins and triplets as possible, not just club members.  This will give us a broader sampling and, thus, more reliable results.

**If a person has more than one set of multiples, please fill out a separate form for each set and then attach together.

Please send completed forms by August 31^st to:

Lynn Buschmann (2^nd Vice President),  3238 S. Springfield Ave., Milwaukee, WI  53207. 

(Please complete both pages, and “thank you” for printing legibly.)

What year were your twins/triplets born in?                 __________________

Were siblings born (Check one)   ___ before twins    ___after twins   ___both   ___ no “sibs”

Name of local club, if applicable.         _____________________________________________

*             *             *             *             *             *             *             *             *             *             *             *            

What is the first name of first born twin/triplet?       ___________________________________

How did you choose this name? (Check one)

_____   A. Named after a relative or friend

_____   B. Named after a celebrity (Movies, TV, Sports, Music, etc.)

_____   C. Picked from a “Baby Names” book

_____   D. Just a name you always liked

_____   E. Other (please explain)  __________________________________________________   

This name was chosen by…(Check one)             _____ mother    _____ father      _____ both

What is the middle name of first born twin/triplet?       ________________________________

How did you choose this name? (Check one)

_____   A. Named after a relative or friend

_____   B. Named after a celebrity (Movies, TV, Sports, Music, etc.)

_____   C. Picked from a “Baby Names” book

_____   D. Just a name you always liked

_____   E. Other (please explain)  __________________________________________________   

This name was chosen by…(Check one)             _____ mother    _____ father      _____ both

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What is the first name of second born twin/triplet?     _________________________________

How did you choose this name? (Check one)

_____   A. Named after a relative or friend

_____   B. Named after a celebrity (Movies, TV, Sports, Music, etc.)

_____   C. Picked from a “Baby Names” book

_____   D. Just a name you always liked

_____   E. Other (please explain) ___________________________________________________   

This name was chosen by…(Check one)             _____ mother    _____ father      _____ both

What is the middle name of second born twin/triplet?     ______________________________

How did you choose this name? (Check one)

_____   A. Named after a relative or friend

_____   B. Named after a celebrity (Movies, TV, Sports, Music, etc.)

_____   C. Picked from a “Baby Names” book

_____   D. Just a name you always liked

_____   E. Other (please explain) ___________________________________________________   

This name was chosen by…(Check one)             _____ mother    _____ father      _____ both

*             *             *             *             *             *             *             *             *             *             *             *            

 (if applicable)

What is the first name of third born triplet?        ______________________________________

How did you choose this name? (Check one)

_____   A. Named after a relative or friend

_____   B. Named after a celebrity (Movies, TV, Sports, Music, etc.)

_____   C. Picked from a “Baby Names” book

_____   D. Just a name you always liked

_____   E. Other (please explain) ___________________________________________________   

This name was chosen by…(Check one)             _____ mother    _____ father      _____ both

What is the middle name of third born triplet?    ___________________________________

How did you choose this name? (Check one)

_____   A. Named after a relative or friend

_____   B. Named after a celebrity (Movies, TV, Sports, Music, etc.)

_____   C. Picked from a “Baby Names” book

_____   D. Just a name you always liked

_____   E. Other (please explain) ___________________________________________________   

This name was chosen by…(Check one)             _____ mother    _____ father      _____ both

*             *             *             *             *             *             *             *             *             *             *             *            

Please send completed surveys to Lynn Buschmann (address on first page) by August 31, 2006.

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