By Margaret Hopper
More changes are coming to Silver School District, and some are definitely focused on learning and understanding the academics at a deeper level. Superintendent Dick Pool explained Common Core Standards as reducing the variety of informational points students are expected to master in grades and subjects, trading that in for better usage of the more important standards they will be learning.
An example Pool gave was of sixth-grade math work, 96 topic-points until now, but to be reduced to 29 soon. This approach is to be uniform in all cooperating states and will also make transferring from one school to another within the District an easier transition for students. At present, there is little similarity between schools on any given subject, and little or none between states. Forty-eight of the 50 states have agreed to accept the new program, with Texas and Arizona opting to manage their own offerings.
Pool noted two impacts likely to affect implementing the Common Core Standards the funding to make it happen and teacher acceptance. For instance, some teachers who teach very well have been on their own for years, making a lot of learning happen in their classes. They set their own pace and didn't really share with other teachers. This isolation will no longer be possible, he said. They will have the same goals, same curriculum and must share with peer teachers.
Trish Martinez, Learning Services, had also attended the Albuquerque symposium with Pool. She added that benchmarks were still to be developed and the plan was incomplete. She said that having all students in a grade following the same standards would help those who moved during the year. Texts will have to be developed for the new plan and book companies are already asking for input as they develop the texts. Adopting new books will cost, but it will happen.
Martinez also reported that the new state tracking that is being implemented closely parallels the Board's goal of Individual Learning Plans being considered for K-1-2. She said it might be best to slow down creating that record locally and wait for laws to be developed, so they wouldn't have to recreate that individual record to fit state changes. Pool had noted earlier that the list of state items appeared to include everything the Board had thought important. There was no need to rush this, now.
Another major change is the transition from the pass-fail grading system used in the past to the A through F grades approved by the state legislature earlier this year. Pool predicted some difficulties with this. Under Adequate Yearly Progress, AYP, a ten percent increase in student scores at a low level was easy to achieve, while a ten percent increase at the 88 percent level was nearly impossible. But with the change to letter grades, it looked like up to 74 percent of high school students would be getting D's and F's. Teachers and superintendents were concerned about these issues.
The issue of social promotion, passing on third graders who can't read at grade level to the fourth grade, is still a problem for New Mexico schools, as the law designed to prevent this didn't pass in the legislature this February. Pool reported that Education Secretary Hannah Skandera is planning to pass this work on to school superintendents. It appears they will be drafting some policy soon to deal with the need.
On the goal to develop a Vo-Tech school in the future, Pool said area legislators and businessmen were prepared to meet at 5 p.m.at the Administration Building on Tuesday, November 15 to start planning. A plan to work with the town of Silver City should see new tennis courts soon. Pool reported those at present to be in bad shape. With financial help from the city, six new courts would be totally rebuilt, with an eye to hosting tournaments in the future.
High school principal Gus Benakis offered profuse apologies for missing the bullying panel at WNMU Tuesday night. When he realized his mistake, he offered his preparation papers to those on the panel for whatever use they might be. Also related to bullying, principals report that the Rachel's Challenge program used at all schools in the district appears to have a deep impact on the children, especially at the elementary level. They are making One Act of Kindness chains and showing that they understood the message.
Frank Quarrell, principal of Sixth Street Elementary, ended the early session with a presentation of 2011-2012 Initiatives, a listing of 14 changes he and his staff are working on. Among them are timed math quizzes daily, a student-aide program using fifth-, fourth- and third-graders to help younger students, the purchase of better teaching aids for classrooms, attendance and character building programs, improved fundraising results and other strategies. A check list of instructional skills to monitor progress of children that will assess both entry and exit level achievement will go into student records, and a restructuring of the school schedule has resulted in gaining 20 minutes a day for academic instruction.
Quarrell, recently assigned to Sixth Street, said, ”We are the underachieving school in the district and must change things. We are offering both carrots and sticks.” The second page of his report was a reprint, “Our Sixth Street School History, 129 Years Old,” written by Mary Alice Murphy, then at the Silver City Daily Press. He proudly pointed out that Billy the Kid had attended Sixth Street School here in Silver City.
The board adjourned to go into executive session regarding collective bargaining. When the board returned for the 7:00 p.m. session, Board President Trent Petty announced that no action had been taken during the recess.
During the citizen's portion, Jamie Thompson and Andrew Teagarden of Safe Routes to School reported on their progress with Walk and Roll activities, which encourage children to walk or bike to school. The program had opened with Stout on Oct. 5 and Jose Barrios on Oct. 6. Mr. Wheatley's high school band had performed at both Stout and José Barrios schools with much student excitement. Next stage is the Proclamation, said Teagarden, which will focus on routes walkers and bikers will take, and requests for volunteers to conduct and gather the walking groups. More events are being planned. But the key is aimed at keeping the program going into future years.
Pool reminded board members that on December 2-3 they could go to Albuquerque to get their training hours in for the year.
Under action items, Benakis asked that two bus drivers and one feeder route driver be approved. Checks written for the month in the amount of $1,581,993.17 were approved and a request for high school competency exam waivers for two high school students was also approved. As Pool explained it, they already had the credentials from their former states and didn't need to take the tests over.
Directors agreed that a representative from CATS-TV be allowed to speak at the December meeting, and that the November board meeting would be held in Cliff. It was agreed that all members could use a school vehicle and leave at 4:15 to make the meeting there by 5:00 p.m. Deb Eggleston, board member, would see to the meal requirements of the group. The board then voted to adjourn.