Padalino added that mandated courses currently covered over two-year periods could be spread out over four, freeing up seventh- and eighth-graders for other areas of study as well.
But the fifth-grade move to middle school is still proving a difficult sell, with some members of the school board and community at large hoping that piece of the plan could be delayed until M. Clifford Miller and J. Watson Bailey are no longer deemed “in need of improvement” under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Padalino said he was open to that possibility, but stressed that the flexibility provided in moving the fifth grade up would help the entire middle school student population. Shaughnessy agreed.
“Some people are asking that we fix the middle schools and then move the fifth grade to the middle schools, but my opinion is that moving the fifth grade to the middle schools will fix the problem,” he said. “Students will be benefiting at all levels.”
Fellow trustee Nora Scherer also favors the move.
“Fifth-grade students would have more opportunities for enrichment at the middle schools,” she said. “Furthermore, recent studies indicate that the longer a student spends in a building can work to his/her benefit making 5-8 a better model than 6-8. Parent support is most welcome and good teachers are, of course, crucial. All of these factors and more combined will work to ensure continued and even improved student achievement.”
But not all trustees are convinced, with some still hoping for greater clarity before Aug. 30. As Shaughnessy noted, even with some trustees publicly pledging their support for Padalino’s plan, it’s too soon to predict how the voting will go.
“I don’t know how other board members are feeling,” Shaughnessy said. “Some board members have questions and their positions may be predicated on the answers. There are still a few outstanding questions, and I think the biggest question now is the Anna Devine community, which middle school they will attend. That’s unresolved, and some board members want that resolved before the vote and others feel that’s part of the implementation process.”
Others, like Shaughnessy, feel one of the advantages of determining the fate of the proposal now is that it allows for plenty of time to figure out the details before the opening of the 2013-14 school year.
“We have a year to implement it,” Shaughnessy said. “All of the questions can’t be answered before we make a decision. That’s the reason for having a year of the planning process.”
“That’s one of the concerns of many parents,” Padalino said. “We talk a lot about struggling students, but are we doing things we need to do to enrich and extend the learning for the students who are really maybe a little ahead or need to be pushed a little bit? Consolidation of resources and consolidating our schools would allow our staff that time.”
Does anyone REALLY believe consolidating our schools would allow our staff time to help kids who are a little ahead or need to be pushed a little bit!?!?! SERIOUSLY!?! This is outrageous and ridiculous!
Parents need to commit more time to their children and be more involved in their education period. That means you, Jennifer. Be prepared.
Parents need to commit more time to their children’s education and be more involved in making sure that they have the resources that they need to learn. That is a parent’s responsibility. That means you, Jennifer. Be prepared.