| 1. | 2/5/2008 4:00:00 PM | I have concerns about increasing class sizes/special education caseloads, high needs students and increasing testing. I think increasing expectation is definitely necessary, but teachers are struggling to balance work and having a family. Four-year old kindergarten should also be in the academic agenda, and establishing a curriculum for it that aligns with our kindergarten curriculum. |
| 2. | 2/5/2008 2:00:00 PM | Continue superior quality education in the fine arts district wide. (In plain language: Don't cut student programming hours in the arts when money gets tight.) |
| 3. | 2/5/2008 2:09:00 PM | Staff Involvment before and during agenda is submitted. If we are a team, let's make sure we are one. |
| 4. | 2/5/2008 2:35:00 PM | Consider additional staffing in gifted education.
Continue work to keep class sizes low. |
| 5. | 2/5/2008 4:13:00 PM | 4K--as a new program it has to be a priority! There are so many conversations that still need to happen to make this a successful program. |
| 6. | 2/5/2008 5:00:00 PM | The guidelines for class size need to be adjusted. The demands of our curriculum require more indiviual and small group instruction. Large numbers make this very difficult and instruction becomes less effective. |
| 7. | 2/5/2008 6:25:00 PM | I think that we need a goal addressing the woeful guidance situation in this district. We have ONE guidance guy for 4 elementary buildings. This seems ridiculous in light of ever-increasing family and behavior problems. Our kids do not know Roger. It's hard to build community without some kind of guidance support. |
| 8. | 2/5/2008 6:55:00 PM | Class size/student needs
We have a lot of needy students which makes differentiation essential, but insufficent
Elementary Teachers need more time to collaborate between ELL/Reading Sp/Classroom Teachers/Sp Ed in order to meet the needs of our diverse population. |
| 9. | 2/5/2008 7:02:00 PM | Revisit the 10 day schedule at the elementary level. It is confusing for the special staff and has not eliminated the prep time problem.
Set class size as a priority, classes of 25 and over, especially at the primary level is unacceptable. Teachers are not able to give the attention to students that they deserve and need.
Re-visit the lack of social workers at the elementary level. |
| 10. | 2/5/2008 9:36:00 PM | Class sizes - must be smaller to meet our students needs!
Revisiting current curriculum areas, making changes/additions to what is being already being done before adding new curriculum responsibilites!
Realigning the math pacing.
Spelling program: 1st grade has own program, 2-4 has a more cohesive program, 5th grade how jumbled program; rubrics also do not fit with spelling program.
Revisiting elementary report cards!
Adding guidance counselors back into our buildings on a more full time basis.
My last comment is just a general statement regarding the School Board's goals. I really feel that this process is backwards. I believe that the teachers should be asked FIRST what our district goals should be. Those goals, developed by TEACHERS should be taken to the school board. The school board members are not in our classrooms teaching day in and day out. I have yet to have a member come into my classroom just to spend the day and see how things go. It would be nice to be included in this process from the beginning, not after the goals are decided. I truly start to wonder if the teachers' in the district are listened to, heard, and understood. The School Board should invite us to discuss these types of goals with them...not present them to us and ask us our opinion after the fact. It does not feel like a team effort or a TRUE LEARNING COMMUNITY! |
| 11. | 2/5/2008 11:09:00 PM | Find more time for elementary teachers. We are overwhelmed by what we're asked to do and the time we're given to do it. I always feel like I could do more and be a better teacher if I had more time for lesson preparation. I always feel like I'm running a race but there is no end in sight and in some cases like technology it's a race I'm not properly prepared to be running in the first place. |
| 12. | 2/6/2008 3:09:00 AM | -If we want to meet many of these propositions, we need to maintain smaller classer sizes so our students' needs are more closely met. This includes academic, behavioral, and social needs that slip through the cracks because of larger class sizes and a greater amount of needs.
-Additional support in the classroom is a necessity if more expectations are required within our classroom. We already have a full day of instruction and many students with needs. I can't imagine fitting any more students in my classroom, or any more subject emphasis in my day.
-As previously mentioned, what about hiring additional trained counselors to assist our students in need?
-What about our ELL program and the growing number of "needy" ELL students? What can our district do to help them? |
| 13. | 2/6/2008 3:15:00 AM | Smaller class sizes based on academic needs, special education population, and ELL population. Realize that numbers don't always reflect needs of kids.
Consider how we keep being asked to do more with no extra time. Of course, we want our children to succeed...but at what cost? We don't want to lose great teachers because they are exhausted or burned out. There is only so much one human can do in a classroom of 25 children. Of the 25, so few are now considered 'average'. We are feeling the pressure to make sure all of our students succeed, but it is difficult to meet the needs of ALL of our children at all times, according to all of their specific needs. We try, but often it is simply impossible. |
| 14. | 2/7/2008 3:11:00 PM | I think we need to get more help in the classroom, regarding aides and ELL support. Class sizes also need to be looked at, it is very very hard to reach the needs of all diverse learners when you have a classroom full of 25 students. Class sizes are a very high priority for me. I also wish there would be a reading curriculum map telling us where to start and what to teach. I am often lost when it comes to providing mini lessons and where to start. The spelling program also needs to be revised. My students are not transferring the generalizations they learn into their writing. I don't see adequate progress with our current program. Math pacing also seems to be unevenly distributed. First quarter was very hard to fit all of the required lessons plus the district assessment. Students need more than one day to process new information and we are throwing too much at them at one time. |
| 15. | 2/7/2008 5:42:00 PM | Class size, and not just by numbers but also looking at student's needs, GUIDANCE COUNSELOR-more time at schools, revisiting the report card, looking at the math pacing, revisiting the spelling curriculum, and time to meet with grade levels. |
| 16. | 2/14/2008 9:53:00 PM | Diversifying our curriculum to address students of all cultures. |
| 17. | 3/6/2008 2:39:00 PM | Allowing high school students participate in on line courses provided by the high school for those who don't come to school due to social issues |