Help! I need to know my legal rights !!!

[petitegal]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? California.

My daughter attends Public School in Santa Monica,Ca.-which is a part of a Unified School District. She is in the 2nd grade and with no aforeknowledge,was placed in a splt classroom-half 1st graders and the other second graders.There is only 1 teacher and 1 assistant. She is a very intelligent girl firmly a second grader. The school did this due to lack of funding/lack of second grader enrollment/over enrollment of first graders. We complained first day and were denied access to the Principal. I finally met with such principal Sept 14th and he didn't seem to want to do anything. We /our family are in the beginnings of separation and the school has known for 2 years that my husband suffers mental illness(Dissociative Identity Disorder).I am doing my best with the children-but this had mostly affected my 2nd grader. What are my legal,tax paying rights?...I pay so much in taxes to live here...yet they make me feel I have no choice in the matter are putting the onus on me saying that to move her now into a normal second grade class would be even worse. How can a school not legally have to disclose this information??...Then tell parents to wait it out...when I still complained they then say there is little to do....then to shift blame...Feelings aside,what are the facts?? Do I have any power in this situation?...What do I do?

[CdwJava]

Yours is very similar to situations throughout the state right now. My local elementary school has had to cut teachers and classrooms, and class sizes are now averaging 34 ... my wife's room (a 3rd grade) has 37 students and she has one aide.

And, to my knowledge, they really do not have to give you any mention ahead of time that they will be placing a student into a particular classroom when school starts. Many public schools have operated mixed grade classes for many years. I was in a split 4th/5th class when I was in 5th grade (about 1971-1972) so it has been going on for many years even in large schools. Smaller schools have been doing it forever.

It is a sad state of affairs, but the school may have no leeway unless you want to ask for your child to be moved to a full 2nd grade class ... and that may not be permitted until or unless an opening in one of those classes comes up.

Sorry, but this is a tough time for education and for parents.

- Carl