HippoPress -- The Hippo -- Guide to Manchester and Nashua NH

Some New Hampshire schools require that students who are twins be separated, and that doesn’t sit well with some parents. Members of the Queen City Mothers of Twins Club are behind a new legislative initiative, The New Hampshire Twin Bill, which would allow parents to decide whether or not to place their twins in separate classrooms.

“Many educators feel that twins should be separated ... with no input at all from parents, pediatricians or medical professionals. And it is medically documented that separating twins before they are ready to be separated can be detrimental,” said Trisha Korkosz, vice president of QCMoT. Korkosz’s group took up the cause after an incident in Derry where one mother was overruled and her children were separated.

“I knew that my twins would do better together in second grade and this opinion was backed up by their first-grade teacher and doctor. I was surprised the principal had the power to prevent that,” said Nikki Withrow of Derry. According to Mary Ellen Hannon, superintendent of Derry Cooperative Schools, there is no legal policy that mandates separating twins.

“In each school, the principal makes the determination as to what is the best for the children. The first assumption ... is to separate the children. But, if parents say that is not in the children’s best interest, they have the opportunity to change,” Hannon said, noting that “the automatic practice was to separate them so that they could develop their own sense of self and friends.” At the Withrow’s school, principal Dan Lefleur made the initial decision to separate. Now, Hannon says, that decision has been reversed.

The Manchester School District has no policy regarding the placement of twins.

“The placement of twins would be a collaborative decision by the parents and principal. The decision would be based upon the best interests of the twins. Should the parents and principal disagree, the principal would make the placement decision, which parents could appeal to the assistant superintendent, superintendent, and then school board,” said Henry Aliberti, Jr., Ed.D., assistant superintendent of elementary education. In Concord, again, there are no rules requiring separation. “From my experience it really is an individual decision and the parents are the best ones to help us with that procedure,” said Dr. Roger Brooks, principal of Beaver Meadow School. Brooks says he’s seen cases where twins thrive when separated and also where they thrive by staying together. Karen Barry of Concord, who has twin boys age 6, wanted her boys separated. “I If left together, they would continue to rely on each other and my husband and I felt that when they got older, it would do more harm than good.” Barry’s children go to Shaker Road School, a private school in Concord. She plans to send them to public school next year for the first grade. “We’ve even encouraged teachers to separate them at play time, just so they make their own friends,” Barry said.

Enacting legislation that prohibits schools and principals from forcing the separation of multiple birth children is not new. In 2005, Minnesota passed a law allowing parents to determine the classroom placement of their multiple children. Oklahoma has a resolution and legislation is pending in New York. In New Hampshire, State Senator Sheila Roberge (R-Bedford) is sponsoring the NH Twin Bill. “It gives the parents more choice. It is my understanding the schools, as a matter of practice, separate twins. If in fact the school wants to separate twins, it [the NH Twin Bill] makes it a little harder and gives parents more scrutiny,” said Roberge. The 12-term Republican says she has a lot of support for the bill. “I’ve had a lot of interest in this. This [Queen City Mothers of Twins] is a very active group and they are well connected and they are prepared to come in for the public hearings,” Roberge said.