Part 1 in a series
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Blaine County students may enjoy free afternoons next year, while teachers use the time for professional development.
The Blaine County School Board discussed earlier this month the possibility of piloting an early-release program the second half of the 2006-2007 school year, and will reconsider the proposal 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 13, at the regular board meeting at the Blaine County School District Office in Hailey.
"I am a firm believer that this time is incredibly important for professional development," Trustee Julie Dahlgren, a former teacher, said. The district is considering early release two Wednesdays a month, to give teachers a two-hour block for professional development.
At the end of the 2005 school year, the teachers union, the Blaine County Education Association, conducted a survey of its approximately 170 members (51 percent of teachers employed in the county) during the teachers' contract negotiations. The BCEA found that 80 percent of the members polled were concerned about the increased workload from the federal No Child Left Behind Act requirements.
Under the proposal, teachers would use the early-release time to develop their curriculum, analyze student work, conduct research, plan with teaching teams, hold parent conferences, update databases and conduct meetings.
While parents and teachers at the meeting voiced support for professional development, a group of parents raised concerns over the proposal as presented. Parents encouraged the board to delay a decision in order for parents, teachers and administrators to comment and collaborate.
"We want it to be as much quality for the kids as for the teachers," Elizabeth Schwerdtle, in-coming Hailey Elementary PTA co-chair, said.
At the May 9 meeting, the board voted 3-1, with Trustee Kim Nilsen dissenting, to delay action. Dahlgren made the motion to postpone a decision to allow for time to gather more information from teachers and the community.
Information is needed to clarify what students would do during the early-release block of time. No definite arrangements have been made with community organizations to provide optional programming during the two-hour block of time.
"Being a single parent, this will impact our family. I will either have to take time off work to pick my child up, pay for an extra curricular activity or leave my child at school and not allow him to participate in the programs those more fortunate get to participate in," said Shelley Kuder, a single and working parent.
Blaine County School District Assistant Superintendent Mary Gervase said, ideally, free programming would be available for elementary and middle school students. The district is looking to coordinate with organizations like the YMCA, Sun Valley Center for the Arts and Blaine County Recreation District to provide programs for children on the early-release days.
"I don't see high school kids hanging around for (programming). At elementary school level that might be effective, at the high school level I don't think it would be," Wood River High School Principal Graham Hume said.
Gervase said details regarding the costs of programs to the district, costs of program to parents and availability of scholarships are not known. The district will meet with organizations at the end of May for preliminary discussions.
The district's para-professionals may be employed to coordinate activities for students in the afternoons. The assistant superintendent also said students could use the time for medical appointments.
"My concern is also for the loss of quality time for kids. I am not clear how the non-profits (child oriented organizations) in the community are going to fit into the District's plan," Penfield Stroh, mother of two students, said.
Blaine County Recreation District Recreation Director Dave Keir said that providing programming to meet early release needs would likely necessitate an increase in staff and financial costs. The rec district's after school program on average serves 15 to 20 kids a day at the Community Campus in Hailey. The program costs $9 an afternoon.
Under the proposal, parents would also be able to pick up their students at the early release time. Busing transportation would run on the regular schedule.
"The parents that don't work all day can go pick up their kids. I can't do that," Real Weatherly, a working mother of three children, said. Weatherly and other working parents agree that it is easier to arrange childcare for an all-day in-service day, rather than nine early release days.
At the board meeting, parents expressed concern over lack of specific plans for productive programming, available information and the loss of education time. Parents raised concerns over the elimination of large blocks of quality educational instruction time, a block of two hours each week, which will be made up by adding 4.3 minutes to each school day.
"While the quantitative amount of classroom time is unchanged under the proposed plan, there is a very real possibility that students will be qualitatively short changed by the new arrangement," Danni Dean, of Hailey, wrote in a letter addressed to the school district.
The Blaine County School District's instructional day does exceed the state's hourly requirement.
· Coming Wednesday: Educators evaluate need for professional development and plans to redesign the school day.
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Early release plan
The Blaine County School District is considering redesigning the school schedule, which may include an early release for all students on a regular basis. The proposal includes plans to:
· Release all students early two days per month starting in January 2007.
· The early release days will be scheduled the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month.
· Only one early release would take place in March due to spring break.
· Eliminate the February in-service day and change the in-service to a regular school day.
· Add 4.3 minutes to each day.
Information on the School Redesign proposal is available online at www.bcsd.k12.id.us.
