Post by title1parent on Apr 21, 2009 5:08:19 GMT -5
www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=287951&src=76
Dist. 203 parents weigh in on teachers' fates
By Justin Kmitch | Daily Herald 4/21/2009
Naperville Unit District 203 parents are weighing in, via e-mail, about their choice for the plan to utilize elementary art, music and physical education teachers who no longer have a full day of classes to teach.
Of three staffing options presented to the public recently, Superintendent Alan Leis said the community has been filling his inbox with their support for Option C.
That option would allow the district to maintain current staffing levels and assign the art, music and physical education teachers to classrooms where perhaps once a month they would relieve the regular classroom teacher to give that teacher extra time for planning, problem-solving and curriculum discussions.
"I'm getting lots and lots and lots of positive comments about C and lots of confusion about what we were trying to do and what precipitated this," Leis said Monday.
But he said the district would be seeking "cooperation" from the teachers union because that plan would have the art, music and P.E. teachers occasionally teaching different subject lessons.
"We're working with the union and we're working with the principals," he said. "We are continuing to work around Option C but that is not the option that saves us the most money. But I think it does some very exciting things as it relates to planning time and particularly as it relates to providing some enrichment opportunities for all students during the year."
Declining enrollment has caused some elementary schools to have fewer sections and are therefore overstaffed with art, music and physical education teachers. Budget constraints have the district looking to staff schools as tightly as possible.
The district recently notified four elementary music, art and physical education teachers along with seven assistants in the enrichment program that they might not have jobs next year.
Meanwhile, a committee of administrators and educators came up with two other options, in addition to Option C.
One option is to reduce the number of full-time-equivalent art, music and physical education teachers at schools with significantly declining enrollment and keep the enrichment assistants. This move would save about $120,000 but could cause some scheduling issues and lost instructional time with teachers having to travel between schools.
Another option is to keep the current staff of art, music and physical education teachers and assign them to work with enrichment programs and other small groups that fall into their subject area.
Enrichment assistants would be reduced by 50 percent, which would reduce staffing costs and allow teachers to remain in one building. But extra training would be necessary for the art, music and physical education teachers.
Leis said he still intends to make a recommendation to the school board in May.
Dist. 203 parents weigh in on teachers' fates
By Justin Kmitch | Daily Herald 4/21/2009
Naperville Unit District 203 parents are weighing in, via e-mail, about their choice for the plan to utilize elementary art, music and physical education teachers who no longer have a full day of classes to teach.
Of three staffing options presented to the public recently, Superintendent Alan Leis said the community has been filling his inbox with their support for Option C.
That option would allow the district to maintain current staffing levels and assign the art, music and physical education teachers to classrooms where perhaps once a month they would relieve the regular classroom teacher to give that teacher extra time for planning, problem-solving and curriculum discussions.
"I'm getting lots and lots and lots of positive comments about C and lots of confusion about what we were trying to do and what precipitated this," Leis said Monday.
But he said the district would be seeking "cooperation" from the teachers union because that plan would have the art, music and P.E. teachers occasionally teaching different subject lessons.
"We're working with the union and we're working with the principals," he said. "We are continuing to work around Option C but that is not the option that saves us the most money. But I think it does some very exciting things as it relates to planning time and particularly as it relates to providing some enrichment opportunities for all students during the year."
Declining enrollment has caused some elementary schools to have fewer sections and are therefore overstaffed with art, music and physical education teachers. Budget constraints have the district looking to staff schools as tightly as possible.
The district recently notified four elementary music, art and physical education teachers along with seven assistants in the enrichment program that they might not have jobs next year.
Meanwhile, a committee of administrators and educators came up with two other options, in addition to Option C.
One option is to reduce the number of full-time-equivalent art, music and physical education teachers at schools with significantly declining enrollment and keep the enrichment assistants. This move would save about $120,000 but could cause some scheduling issues and lost instructional time with teachers having to travel between schools.
Another option is to keep the current staff of art, music and physical education teachers and assign them to work with enrichment programs and other small groups that fall into their subject area.
Enrichment assistants would be reduced by 50 percent, which would reduce staffing costs and allow teachers to remain in one building. But extra training would be necessary for the art, music and physical education teachers.
Leis said he still intends to make a recommendation to the school board in May.