| Author |
Message |
    
Melidere
| | Posted on Saturday, January 27, 2001 - 10:19 pm: |     |
Tom,
a music program run for the elementary kids that is run by volunteers might be a real plan. If there was one elementary band program that met after school, all in the same place, it might be better than we are currently getting.
The almost 'private lesson' nature of our elementary school music program is actually quite isolating and very different from my early music experience.
I'm not sure it's the best way to get, and keep, kids involved in music. |
Spw784
| | Posted on Sunday, January 28, 2001 - 1:58 am: | |
Ffof: I believe the Annex (as well as the other elementary schools ) had a "lead teacher" or "teacher in charge" who was in charge when the principal was out of the building. I understand that the SM principal did alot of running back and forth between the two buildings, even with a "teacher in charge".
Melidere, An afterschool music program sounds great, but then wouldn't the district have to run a "late bus" for the students who particpate? |
Hismom
| | Posted on Sunday, January 28, 2001 - 7:10 am: | |
Nil- bussing is a big part of the elementary schools. Marshall is only K-2 and Jefferson is 3-5 so the kids who live near one school have to be bussed to the other for the grades one doesn't offer. This brilliant idea is part of the "elementary spacing" program. |
Gerardryan
| | Posted on Sunday, January 28, 2001 - 8:51 am: | |
Hismom - busing between Marshall and Jefferson (and the pairing of Marshall and Jefferson) has existed for a VERY long time; much longer than the "elementary space" program. I think it's been in place for at least 20 years - can anyone who was here then be more specific about the year it started? Almost every parent I talk to seems to like the pairing and the busing.
I thought the busing cuts that were being debated involved courtesy busing for Boyden? |
Bobk
| | Posted on Sunday, January 28, 2001 - 9:15 am: | |
We were here, but not living in the Jefferson district at the time, which was the early 1980s.
This was done to correct racial imbalance. At that time Jefferson and Marshall were out of balance with the district as a whole.
Obviously if worked. One of the by products was that the Montrose area of SO where Marshall is located was stabllized and is now one of the most desireable areas in the school district from a RE point of view.
One of my co-workers at that time lived in the Jefferson area and was very upset. He thought the little rug rats should be able to come home for lunch!! Now the pairing is part of our community and a couple of years ago when there was talk of eliminating the pairing there was a big uproar. |
Hismom
| | Posted on Sunday, January 28, 2001 - 12:06 pm: | |
Sorry - I am relatively new here and guess I misunderstood the BOE member I heard speak recently. Has anyone mentioned that if you are concerned about what is happening in our schools, get involved? Vote in the BOE elections this spring and go to the meetings! The turnout last year (and years past from what I gather) was low. Even if only those who have children in or soon to be in the school system votes the turnout should be quite high based on the number of strollers and minivans I see! |
Curmudgeon
| | Posted on Sunday, January 28, 2001 - 6:41 pm: | |
What Manley is suggesting sounds to me very much like magnet schools, only without the option to choose which one a child may attend. The problem with such a suggestion is this - what if my neighborhood school decides the emphasis should be on music and I want my child to concentrate more on computers? What's my alternative? What if my child wants/needs both of those? Even assuming one of the district schools has the emphasis I'd like, what if it isn't the school my child attends? Giving up power and control has little to do with this. Where it leads is that children at different schools within the same school district would be receiving quantitatively different educations. Not only is this anathema to public education, it's very likely illegal.
Please note that I refer to the schools as "neigborhood" schools, not "community" schools as Manley does. Maplewood/South Orange is our community; to treat each neighborhood as a separate entity, as he suggests, would be far more divisive and counter-productive than even the "east-west" Maplewood taxation flap.
BTW Mr. Manley - do you plan on running for BOE again this year? |
Musicme
| | Posted on Monday, January 29, 2001 - 9:32 am: | |
Just to keep the perspective:
News Record 1/25/01
Here's a list of what's going to go :
Eliminate
.5 TE Project Ahead 26,000
.5 TE Explorations 19,500
Elementary lunch Supervision 35,300
Saturday Detention 36,000
CHS in-School Suspension 34,000
Instrumental Music grades 4&5 129,000
Technology/Media support 44,700
Volunteer coordinator 23,000
ALTERNATIVE HIGH SCHOOL 415,800
Human Resources 50,000
Business Industrial Tech 160,000
Benefits @ $7,500 (9 FTEs) 67,500
TOTAL 1,040,8000
Reductions
Staffing Adjust 36,670
Technology 400,000
Summer School 18,000
Transportation 300,000
Building Repair 300,000
Overtime support staff 32,000
Overtime professional staff 35,000
Admin/Supp SUPPLIES 122,000
Stipends 50,000
Telephone 50,000
Insurance - WRKS COMP 50,000
Total 1,393,670
Separate Proposal
Capital Funds Projects 382,760
Data Manager 75,000
Asst. princ. element. 382,300
Dept. Head Sp.Ed. HS 82,500
Assessment coordinator 85,453
Secondary Enrollment increase 107,500
Social Worker- Clinton (school) 47,000
Supervisor k-5 elem instruction 34,000
Supervisors k-8 333,970
benefits @ $7,500 (17FTE's) 127,500
total 1,657,983
GRAND TOTAL $4,092,453} |
Tracks
| | Posted on Monday, January 29, 2001 - 11:11 am: | |
It sounds like Manley is running and campaigning already. |
Ken
| | Posted on Monday, January 29, 2001 - 11:34 am: | |
Good! |
Nilmiester
| | Posted on Monday, January 29, 2001 - 12:22 pm: | |
I second that! |
Ejt
| | Posted on Monday, January 29, 2001 - 3:43 pm: | |
He's got my vote...again! |
Joso
| | Posted on Monday, January 29, 2001 - 5:47 pm: | |
Explorations - Is it being eliminated or just cut back ? |
Nakaille
| | Posted on Monday, January 29, 2001 - 6:02 pm: | |
Is explorations the gifted and talented program? Or something else?
Bacata |
Nursie
| | Posted on Monday, January 29, 2001 - 6:07 pm: | |
Explorations is not being eliminated. A .5 position is being eliminated, that is a teacher of explorations who is part time is being eliminated.
They also are eliminating several administrators. One of them being the the position of director of Human Resouces. This will be now handled by some administrators who have knowledge of the district and have been here for years. |
Spw784
| | Posted on Monday, January 29, 2001 - 6:41 pm: | |
The Explorations program is so crowded , how can they eliminate a position? Maybe the district needs to check that these students truly are GIFTED. I don't see how some schools/classes/grades can be made up of 30-40 percent Explorations students. Are our pupils just that smart? |
Mim
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 30, 2001 - 11:59 am: | |
An interesting perspective, Spw784 (so we meet again!). To what school are you referring? In my child's Clinton class of 18, ONE kid is in Explorations. When I called the BOE for info on the program, I was told it accepted only the top 5%, so one in 18 seemed about right. Where are 30-40% of the students making it into the program?!? |
Kathy
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 30, 2001 - 12:09 pm: | |
When my son was at Jefferson (he's now in college), more than 20% of his class was in Explorations. At the same time there were other schools in the district where hardly any children were in the program.
They take the top 5% according to national norms, not the top 5% of each school or class. |
Librarylady
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 30, 2001 - 12:48 pm: | |
Ah, Lake Wobegon, where ALL the children are above-average (perhaps all in the top 5%.) |
Nilmiester
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 31, 2001 - 9:47 am: | |
Question for Bobk- In a previous post about busing, you mentioned the racial imbalance between Jefferson and Marshall schools. Since this was corrected you stated that a by-product was that the Montrose area of South Orange, (where Marshall is) became more desirable from a RE point of view. What does RE mean and why would that area become more desirable? |
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