At the end of April, many parents and guardians began to receive word from Garrard Co. Schools that a decision was made to depart from the traditional promotion ceremony. Instead of the customary in person ceremonies, that have always taken place at the completion of the kindergarten, fifth grade, and eighth grade levels, the district will now be streaming the ceremonies online. This is said to be due to “current school safety regulations and guidelines”. Without immediate action, parents and guardians will only be able to watch their children complete these significant educational milestones through a screen, from this school year forward. The school district’s decision to move these events to a virtual audience could have adverse effects on student achievement and parent involvement. One of the letters sent home to parents/guardians, by one of the school principals declared, “Our ultimate goal for our students is to see their high school graduation ceremony as the culminating ceremony that celebrates all of their years of study.” While we can all agree that this is the long-term goal for our children, it should not overshadow the critical achievements of short-term goals in the process. They help students maintain focus, generate momentum, boost self-confidence, and gain feedback. They are the building blocks for getting students to the completion of that long term goal. With the crucial role that parents/guardians play in these successes, they should be a part of the celebrations. When parents/guardians heard they would no longer be able to take part in the ceremonies, many reached out to members of the Garrard Co. Board of Education. Responses from board members stated that they were not involved in the decision. According to them, the decision was made between the superintendent and school principals. This meant parents/guardians, board members, and other community stakeholders were not part of the discussion. In addition, many emails and phone calls have since gone unanswered. Parents and guardians are feeling like they do not have a voice or are not being heard. They are being left out of decisions that directly affect them. This could be damaging to parent involvement in the future. We encourage you to sign this petition to ensure the Garrard Co. School district develops a plan for allowing in person parent attendance at this year’s promotion ceremonies and any future ceremonies. We also want to ensure stakeholders have the option to be part of the discussion.