I received an email from a parent who had a question about the elementary school specials. The parent's child indicated that the specials (gym, computers, library, art, and music) now include students from more than one class resulting in class size as much as a third larger (my words not the students) for specials than regular classes.
For the first time this year the elementary schools in Nazareth are following an A-D day schedule (the middle and high school follow A-F). Specials are held on each letter day.
My own daughter has not experienced this, but her grade at Shafer is one of the smaller ones (3rd grade). Has your child indicated that there are more kids in specials this year? If so please let me know so the reader can determine to what extent, if any this is occurring. Your input is very much appreciated. If at all possible please include the school and grade.
Thank you for your help, and if you have a question that the community can help answer, send it to me at editor@newsovercoffee.com
8 comments:
one student at Shafer 6 full classes going to 4 overcrowded specials.
Yes, I heard that grade has about 35 kids in each special.
Looks like this gives kids the opportunity to get to know kids in the other classes. My son seems to like it, however I cannot determine if his specials are more crowded than his class. Boys!
The mingling and cross-pollinization with other kids is a good thing, especially with the social issues at the middle school.
The numbers, however, are not a good thing. 30+ kids in a special is a hardship on the teacher and the children.
Not so sure from my son has told me 30-36 students in one class is too many although mixing the students around is a fine idea if they kept special classes to no more than 25 students. Which is not the case for some grades.
Lower Nazareth is bursting at the seams. I'm told that nearly 100 additional students registered in August alone! My child reports that they do, in fact, have specials with a mix of students from other classes. I'm also told that students no longer have computer as a special. The regular classroom teacher is to take their class to the computer lab.
My question is: now what does the computer teacher do??? We had a computer teacher last year and I'm fairly certain no one was furloughed.
To complicate matters, it seems that the computer lab is currently unavailable as it is being used as a regular classroom while more space is arranged elsewhere.
So I'm told by my elemetary child...
Please attend the next school board meeting on Monday 9/18/06. Their are many parents who have written letters to Dr. Lesky and each school board member. Not one parents has received a response from them.
We as parents must demand that they explain why the decision was made to go to a 4 day cycle. As a data driven school district, where is the data to support this decision.
Finally, what are each of the certified teachers who were hired to teach computers now doing since computers are no longer a special?
I think Dr. Lesky has his hands full right now. From what I hear, the board is being totally unreasonable with regards to the ongoing negotiations. At this point he is basically throwing up his hands and saying let the sh!t hit the fan. It's gonna -- and Monday, September 25 is the date!
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