Information email: largefamilies2001@yahoo.com
Index to Joey's Stories
All I Want to do is Graduate!--May 4, 2002
Veterans Offer --May 7, 2002
Give the Kid a Break --May 8, 2002
Family Adament --May 10, 2002
Easy Solution --May 10, 2002
By April Hunt
Sentinel Staff Writer
May 4, 2002
ST. CLOUD -- Since August, Joey Meyer has awakened with the vision of walking triumphantly across the stage this spring and grasping his high-school diploma.
His parents had struggled to motivate their 17-year-old son with Down syndrome to enjoy school. So they prodded him to do his schoolwork by reinforcing how proud he would feel balancing a mortarboard on his head and donning the maroon-and-golden gown along with the rest of the St. Cloud High School Class of 2002.
Joey kept up his end of the bargain, but school district officials say there has been an unfortunate mistake -- he doesn't have the credits to graduate. They say his parents misunderstood the requirements, and the school regrets it didn't catch the mix-up sooner.
The bottom line: Joey won't be marching to "Pomp and Circumstance" on May 20 at Disney's Wide World of Sports.
Now, disappointed and bewildered, Joey has been sitting in a lawn chair under a beach umbrella on his front lawn across from East Lake Tohopekaliga and protesting the turn of events. A homemade sign pleads "Let Joe Graduate" and urges passing motorists to "Honk for Joey." When they do, he waves and smiles, but the smile is a dimmer version of the one in the photo of him in graduation garb.
"All I want is to graduate. It has been hard," said Joey, who sips iced tea to ward off the heat and takes breaks to play with his skateboard.
Many cars that stream past his Lakeshore Boulevard home blare their horns. Others stop in front of the historic 1914 home to get the full story. When he is feeling hopeful, Joey yells to supporters, "Vote for me."
His parents Bob and Sharon Meyer have assured him he is not being punished for something he did wrong. Still, Joey doesn't understand what has happened.
His parents paid the $40-plus to rent the cap and gown. His photo in graduation attire will appear in the Bulldogs' school yearbook, and his name is included on the T-shirts listing the senior class. "In his eyes, we lied to him," said Bob Meyer, who made the sign when Joey originally wanted to picket at the school. "He is so hurt by this whole thing."
Osceola County School Superintendent Blaine Muse said he is sympathetic and admitted that school officials are partly to blame. Last fall, the district sent home a standard letter to Joey's parents, reminding them that special-education students who attended school for four years, earned the required credits and were at least 18 could participate in graduation in the spring.
Bob Meyer sent the form back, saying Joey, who turns 18 on May 14, would graduate this year. School officials, however, didn't realize until two weeks ago that Joey didn't qualify because he is four credits shy of the 22 required credits and has only been at the school for three years.
Muse said because of that, the school and Joey's parents share the blame. But, he added, it isn't enough to persuade him to alter school policy for just one student.
"The other students are walking because they met the requirements. He did not," Muse said.
The Meyers argue that an official could change their son's individual education program so he could participate in the ceremony. After all, they said, Joey doesn't need the diploma. He isn't going on to college or applying for any jobs where he will need those credits, they said.
That is why they support their son when he says he won't go back to St. Cloud High next year. It will be hard enough to get Joey, who has been out sick twice this week with a virus, to finish this year, his parents said.
That response doesn't surprise Sylvia Smith, an official with the Advocacy Center for Persons with Disabilities in Tallahassee. Smith, who is reviewing a complaint from the Meyers against the school district, said it is critical for teens with disabilities to be able to plan for their future.
All teenagers are still defining how they will fit into the world at large. But for a student like Joey, that work requires a lot more planning by parents and the school, to make sure they realize they will have a place by earning it.
"It is such a critical time," Smith said. "It sounds like a cruel practical joke."
Joey has been so sick and upset that his mom and dad fret he may not feel better for tonight's prom at the Wyndham Palace Hotel, even though some of the girls in his class have promised to save dances for him.
And his parents worry that Joey will refuse to attend graduation to see his sister Tiffany, who has cerebral palsy and has been in the special-education program as well, get her diploma.
"They're taking from him something that is so important," said Bob Meyer, who then asked his son what he thinks.
"I want to graduate," Joey answered with a shrug. "I just want to graduate."
April Hunt can be reached at 407-931-5940 or ahunt@orlandosentinel.com
Orlando Sentinel
After reading the article, please go to the Sentinel website and vote for Joey's graduation.
By April Hunt
Sentinel Staff Writer
May 7, 2002
ST. CLOUD -- Joey Meyer will march to "Pomp and Circumstance."
No, the Osceola County school district hasn't relented about not allowing the 17-year-old boy with Down syndrome to graduate with the rest of the 2002 class at St. Cloud High on May 20.
But, while his parents were mulling a compromise made Monday by the district that would allow Joey to graduate in June, assuming he successfully completes summer school, he will don a cap and gown for a special ceremony just for him.
His diploma will read that he is a graduate of the "Osceola County Veterans Council High School." No such place exists, but with a full military escort to the ceremony at the American Legion Post in Kissimmee, the idea put forth by the veterans group has Joey excited again about striding across the stage.
"They're awesome," Joey said of the veterans and enlisted officers who are making his dream come true. Then, with a salute he added, "I'm a party animal. This is great."
For the last year, Joey's parents, Bob and Sharon Meyer, have kept him interested in school with promises of a graduation ceremony this spring. Two weeks ago, though, school officials caught a mistake. Although Joey appears in graduation garb in the Bulldogs' yearbook, it turns out he is four credits short and has attended high school only three of the required four years. Therefore, he won't be allowed to graduate with the rest of the 2002 class, which includes his sister, Tiffany.
Joey began a protest, sitting in front of his home with a sign urging motorists to honk if they wanted him to graduate. On Monday, Joey received a written warning because he had the sign up on city right of way and didn't have a permit.
<> It was perhaps the only negative response to Joey's efforts. After a story Saturday in the Orlando Sentinel, the newspaper, school district and Joey's family were swamped with offers of support for the teen and indignation about Superintendent Blaine Muse's refusal to allow Joey to get his diploma with the rest of his classmates.
One of those offering support was Mike Judge, the event coordinator for the veterans council.
"Once I got done crying, I decided this wasn't going to happen to a kid in our community," Judge said. "Joey will graduate. We will make sure of that."
Enlisted military personnel will guide Joey to the ceremony at the Legion Hall, where up to 200 people can watch him go through a ceremony and then celebrate his status as a "graduate." Judge hopes many of Joey's classmates will come to the event at 2 p.m. May 19.
The district has offered Joey a chance for a bona fide diploma by hiring Joey to work 25 hours a week in its accelerated summer program. He would complete the requirement in 24 days and could go through a countywide graduation scheduled for June 29.
"I can honestly say we have never done this before, but we are really trying to solve this," said Terry Andrews, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction.
The Meyers have their hearts set on keeping their promise to Joey to graduate with the rest of his class.
"This would still make him different," Bob Meyer said.
The family hasn't explained the district's offer to Joey yet. He now is more focused on the ceremony that will be just for him.
"I'm having a party," he said. "That's cool."
April Hunt can be reached at 407-931-5940 or ahunt@orlandosentinel.com
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School district, City Should Give the Kid a Break
By Mark Pino
Osceola Commentary
May 8, 2002
Wandered over to "the Cloud" on Tuesday to see if something was going on with the drinking water over there. The city has been in the headlines for some weird stuff lately.
First, there's Joey Meyer. St. Cloud High School graduation is May 20 but Joey, a 17-year-old with Down syndrome, isn't going to get to walk with his classmates. There was a communications mix-up between Joey's parents and the school. The district is sticking to its guns, saying it doesn't want to cheapen graduation for other students.
Pish-posh. Why does Joey have to pay the price?
While the adults act like children, Joey has been sitting in front of his Lakeshore Boulevard home in the 90-degree-plus heat to drum up support from passing motorists. It's working.
Sentinel readers have responded. He has also made it on to television and radio. If school officials were smart, they would have nipped this in the bud and found a way for Joey to participate in graduation -- even though they didn't have to let him graduate.
Poor Joey is a sympathetic figure. The school district is coming off as a rigid and uncaring bureaucracy by sticking to its position. A compromise that would have let Joey graduate in June wouldn't be the same.
If it were only that easy. Purists will say that Joey isn't special, and if he hasn't met requirements, he should not graduate.
Sure, you can make the argument that Joey hasn't fulfilled the requirements. But the district could have easily adjusted those requirements so that he could walk with his buddies.
Instead we have the Joey Watch.
Joey's story grabbed the attention of Orlando radio personalities Doc and Johnny -- and he got a written warning from city officials because his sign was in the right of way.
This kid can't catch a break.
St. Cloud Mayor Glenn Sangiovanni didn't want to get into the school district's business Tuesday: The debate about whether Joey should be able to participate with other St. Cloud students in graduation ceremonies is too hot.
"That's their jurisdiction," he said. "This time of the year I'm sure a lot kids go through that and get caught off guard."
Sangiovanni called Doc and Johnny to set the record straight, without going on the air, to say that St. Cloud had nothing to do with whether Joey graduates.
He sounded eerily similar to school officials when asked about the warning from code officials.
"The code is the code," he said, adding that distracting motorists could cause an accident.
Meanwhile, the city has problems of its own -- such as finding money for school-resource officers at four schools when the Sheriff's Office is pulling its deputies out. St. Cloud says it can't afford to replace them. The mayor sees it as a slight to city residents, who also pay county taxes. The issue will come up for discussion during Thursday's City Council meeting. Council members can gnash their teeth all they want, with little effect.
Maybe, like Joey, they could put a sign out on the lake front and ask passersby to honk in support.
Mark Pino welcomes comments at Mpino@orlandosentinel.com or 407-931-5935.
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St. Cloud High, family adamant over graduation
By April Hunt
Sentinel Staff Writer
May 10, 2002
Joey Meyer's parents want him to walk in the ceremony on May 20 at Disney's Wide World of Sports. Bob Meyer, Joey's father, Thursday officially rejected a compromise from the school district that would have allowed Joey to graduate in June.
The school district, which has admitted its mistake in processing Joey's application to graduate, is unwilling to make an exception to its policy that every student who walks across the stage must meet all graduation requirements. Joey is four credits shy of his requirements.
Now, the Meyers are forwarding all of their letters from school that note Joey was considered a senior to an advocate with the Advocacy Center for Persons with Disabilities in Tallahassee. The family is considering legal action.
The battle of wills has drawn attention nationwide. Letters and e-mails, mostly from those who support Joey, have swamped both the Meyers and the school district. Several petition drives are also under way to encourage the district to have a change of heart.
"The thing that just grabs at the heart is that everyone can identify with this," said Dan McLaughlin, with U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson's office. "Everyone has a story about how the bureaucracy seems inflexible of a mistake that seems uncorrectable."
Joey has been offered an internship in the Florida Democrat's Orlando office. Nelson has 12 to 15 interns at any given time.
All of them earn credit at major universities for being there, and the hope is the school district will give Joey credit for the work, too, McLaughlin said.
School district spokeswoman Dana Schafer, though, said the matter rests with the Meyer family. The district has made its best offer as a compromise, and the School Board does not plan to meet until its next regular meeting May 28, she said.
The Meyers plan to allow Joey to have the internship if it remains an option, even if the district won't count it for credit.
In the meantime, Joey remains focused on one thing. On May 19, the Osceola Veterans Council will have a special ceremony in Kissimmee just for him.
"He's very excited about that," Bob Meyer said. "As for the rest, we just don't know."
April Hunt can be reached at 407-931-5940 or Mpino@orlandosentinel.com
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By Mark Pino
Sentinel Staff Writer
May 10, 2002
Letting Joey Meyer walk with his classmates would set a precedent. The Osceola County school district wouldn't crumble if it let the 17-year-old with Down syndrome participate in St. Cloud High's graduation ceremony later this month.
Sounds like an easy problem to solve. So why is it so tough for school-district bureaucrats to think about breaking new ground?
Seems like the thinking goes like this: If all else fails, fall back on a strict interpretation of the rules and stay inside the box.
District officials aren't inclined to break their rules for Joey, even if they're partially to blame for the situation that led Joey and his parents to think he would graduate.
I agree that Joey shouldn't get a diploma because he hasn't met all the requirements. He could, however, participate in the ceremony without wreaking irreparable harm to Osceola academics.
There are much more pressing matters -- such as building schools and improving education -- to spend so much time on something so easy to fix. Just let Joey walk.
It has never been done, school officials say. It's all about the rules for them. Sometimes it takes common sense to interpret them.
It seems catching no amount of public scolding is going to persuade the district to change its course -- or interpretation of the rules. Officials offered Joey a chance at summer graduation if he does what's needed to earn his diploma. That's a different matter from walking with his classmates, however.
There already is a precedent for allowing students to "graduate," even though they won't receive a diploma. Some students get a certificate of completion because they weren't able to pass the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. Because the results often aren't known before graduation, the district allows students to participate in the ceremonies because they've met all the credit requirements for a diploma.
Joey hasn't met all his requirements, so he is not eligible for a certificate of completion, school officials say. Truth is, such a piece of paper is worthless anyway. So let Joey walk.
By standing firm, the school district just looks dumb to most folks. It reminds me of the situation with the short-lived ice-skating charter school the School Board approved several years ago.
Officials are already a little gun-shy because of reports on a recent state audit and the circumstances surrounding the return of Osceola High School's national cheerleading championship because one member wasn't a student at the school.
Letting Joey walk isn't as complicated. It would be happy news.
That's better than the alternative. Word of Joey's plight has spread across the nation - from Washington, D.C., to San Diego. Support continues to build.
Angelia Vazquez has started an online petition to "Help Joey Walk." She plans to send the names to the School Board and St. Cloud Principal George Sullivan. You can go to www.ipetitions.com/campaigns/JOEYMEYER/ if you want to weigh in.
I'm surprised the Today show isn't here. Where is Matt Lauer?
"Hi, Katie. I'm in St. Cloud, Florida, today where 17-year-old Joey Meyer . . ."
Fill in the rest, but it likely won't make St. Cloud proud.
Mark Pino welcomes comments at 407-931-5935 or Mpino@orlandosentinel.com
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