D46 Finds More Money
- on 07.21.05
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The District 46 BOE and new Superintendent have been able to find another $125 K with a compromise on Teachers Aides. The Aides will be limited to 2 1/2 hours per week this year instead of the usual 5. The Principal will decide when there is a need and us the time appropriately. This is a common sense approach that is good for the teachers, the kids and the district.
I was also very glad to see that differentiation is being used as a way to help the gifted children. Worlds of Wisdom and Wonder is also a great idea. My kids love their programs and would attend more if they could. Again, these ideas and solutions are what is needed. They are creative. They supply the kids needs. And most of all they don’t cost the taxpayer more money. This is also an area the Educational Foundation could help with finds.
I know all of the gifted programs have not been restored yet. I have a suggestion to help the other gifted kids that also does not cost the district money. This idea does require time to plan and coordinate. The plan is simple, coordinate subjects in the different grades so they are taught at the same time. When a student is gifted in a particular area, have them go to the next grade up for that subject. This helps them not be bored by providing them a way to be challenged. Again, this does not cost the district money. It would be even easier if you have enough students with the same abilities. You can then create a true multi-aged classroom.
This is a workable idea if you have the motiviation to get it accomplished. This can be facilitated with the help of parents. Most gifted children have parents that are always involved in schools already. They would probably be thrilled to help in this endeavor because it directly aids their child.
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Compromise on teacher aides District 46: Shaving times may save $125,000 By Marcia Sagendorph GRAYSLAKE — A compromise has been reached regarding teacher aides in Elementary School District 46 that will likely save about $125,000 this year. The school board had discussed how long teacher aides should remain at school once students are dismissed. In the past, aides typically stayed for a full hour to have time to meet with teachers, discuss student progress and plan for the next day. For the schools, just as in business, however, time is money. As the school board for Community Consolidated School District 46, based in Grayslake, continues to look for ways to save money, it reached agreement recently about the aides’ day. Superintendent Ellen Correll suggested a compromise where each school would have 2½ hours of aides’ time per week. The time would be allotted as needed and as determined by the building principal. Correll had asked several questions about the length of day for the instructional aides in a memo to the school board, including a basic one: Is an hour required or could it be less? “Could the time be flexible, where each building administrator has more control over allocating the time?” Correll asked. The board agreed to the concept. In the past, there was five hours of aides’ time each week for about $250,000. This was reduced to $125,000 for two-plus hours per week. They discussed how the aides’ time would be used, and how that time affects the quality of instruction. Correll said that the administration believes aides do have a positive impact on instruction. “This is a great compromise that works for us and saves tax dollars at the same time,” said board member Keith Surroz. “This is a fine idea that still allows the teachers to have aides but to use them as needed.” While art, music and PE classes will be restored to district students this fall, the Challenge or gifted program still needs time, expertise and money to be restored, officials said. Correll said that the district should take this year to “identify a team of parents, teachers and administrators to develop a gifted program with a focus on ways to properly identify students and would have a kindergarten through eighth-grade approach.” Teachers in regular K-4 classrooms are being asked to do more differentiation, where they tailor lessons to challenge the bright students. Students in grades 5-8 have classes that are geared for bright students, but it is an enrichment program, not a full gifted program. A full gifted program requires identifying and testing students. Board President Cheryl Davis said the program needs to focus on identifying younger children to continue success at the upper-grade levels. The Challenge program for third- and fourth-grade students was one of the program cuts made in 2004-05 to save the district money. A group of parents united to bring in a challenging after-school pay-as-you-go program known as Worlds of Wisdom and Wonder. That program held three sessions in the 2004-05 school year. But a challenging curriculum is necessary during the entire school day, officials said, in order to keep bright students from becoming bored. The committee would study programs offered at other schools, testing mechanisms and program costs. 7/21/05 |
Jen said, “In response to the title of your post” and “The board actually SPENT more money because they didn’t agree to spending the $250,000–that was recommended initially.
So the correct title would be–”D46 spends an additional $125,000″ ”
If this is incorrect please take it up with the News-Sun. I am reporting on what their article said. I quote:
“In the past, aides typically stayed for a full hour to have time to meet with teachers, discuss student progress and plan for the next day.”
and
“In the past, there was five hours of aides’ time each week for about $250,000. This was reduced to $125,000 for two-plus hours per week.”
As you can see they reported that this was a change from the past that saved us money now. Again, have them correct their article.
First Jen said, “The board actually SPENT more money because they didn’t agree to spending the $250,000–that was recommended initially.”
After I corrected her about what the article said, she repsonded,
“Lennie—the title you gave to your own post–on your own site, is what I was referring to:
‘D46 Finds More Money’
That is what I was referring to–there was no FOUND money. The board chose to split the difference and bring back 1/2 the aide time. Could be coming from the Lakeview money–could be other reductions–I don’t know. If it was FOUND it would be important for you to clearly explain where it was hidden.”
Just to clarify, first my article was wrong, now it’s just the title that is wrong. I am correct?
I never said the money was hidden. Cutting waste is still finding money whether it is hidden or not.
Kathy said, “If Lennie’s suggestion is followed, math is taught at the same time, English/;iterature/reading is taught at the same time, science is taught at the same time, and social science is taught at the same time throughout the school. Now we have PE, art, music and lunch left – those would have to be pretty much taught at the same time; you would have about 4 periods to work with. You would have to at least double up the number of students in each special. 60-70 kids in a music room? Doubling the number in the lunchroom? (by the way, Woodview has barely enough room now). Or possibly double the number of specials staff hired and convert classrooms into art and music rooms; I don’t know what you would do with PE – only 1 gym per school.
Also, most materials are shared – which keeps costs down and has been done for several years. Once a team or group of classrooms is done with a unit, these materials are passed on to the next group. You would have to give everyone from grade 1-8 an actual schedule to make sure they were kept in the same track so as not miss any instruction. I believe Middle School and Frederick starts work on schedules in April/May for the following schoolyear. How many people would you have to hire to schedule this for the grade 1-4 buildings? An assistant principal at each building?”
I believe there are multiple classes at each grade level at each school. You can setup a grouping of classes that follow the same schedule. This is a suggestion. Let’s get together and work out the details of making something work.
There are many ideas and compromises that can be worked out to effectively help educate our kids. That is the goal of all parents interested in education. Why do we continually want to tear each other apart? This will not help our schools or our kids get educated.
“Lennie†wrote on d46.info: “As for your other comments I will ignore them due to the bias nature of this website.â€
“Linda†wrote back on d46.info: “Who gets to decide what’s biased?”
“Let’s stick to the positive†wrote after that on d46.info: “This so called “biased” message board is only what the posters make it. Since it opened back up, I have found people to be much more respectful of each other sharing through open communication. I think this is a great example of where the problem stemmed from.”
I decided to write on this subject of bias. The d46.info site IS biased. They would claim that they are not because people like us are ALLOWED to post over there with our opposing views. They allude that all the problems started with Lennie and I, and that it is a “reality of life on this planet†(comment by Jen on d46.info) that people would disagree with us. It was also said by “Let’s stick to the positive†on d46.info: “Lennie, if you feel you are being attacked for your beliefs – I am sorry. But if you follow the history of this board as I have you can’t help but notice a pattern of when and how the negative comments start.†Lennie and I aren’t children that cry every time we get attacked from the d46.info message board. We know how “the pattern†has started on the d46.info message long before we started writing on there. These are serious reasons that EVERYONE should be weary of posting on that site. (Realize that this is what has happened just on the d46.info site-these are not the stories that have happened to people on the streets, classrooms, or in the safety of their own homes)
They have exposed names, cities, what choice of education you prefer, how many children you have, how much you paid for your house, tell what you do for a living, tell what your father does for a living, call you names, attack your comments like vultures if you disagree with them (or agree with what someone said that is on the opposing side), lying, and exposing your alias’s. This can all be proved and a lot of them happened to us. When they realize that they could have problems from their comments, they erase the evidence. Which is what happened June 19th or 20th. These attacks were not made by just the regular public (although we wouldn’t know if they were just regular public or not because of aliases) but also by the webmaster herself. SAFE is not a word that I would use for d46.info, unless you are in total agreement of what they believe needs to happen in district 46. Which can be summed up in two words…MORE MONEY. In my opinion, they have ruined their own site. Only a few people post over there now because everyone is leery of a site that would expose who a person is when it was well known that people preferred their anonymity (even now). There are many people from both sides of the issues that will not post over there because of what they did to me. As a matter of principle, if not too afraid to be exposed. This to me is serious because this group has made some in this community afraid. I believe that is called “Bullyingâ€. We call the group “the silent majorityâ€. Lennie and I get support from them often.
I personally know of one person who has been rude, posted under multiple aliases, I believe that he/she was the one who told how much we paid for our house, swore, called people names, has threatened to shut down our website, and have been warned by the webmaster to tone it down. But he/she has not been exposed. You may be asking why not? Simple… they are in agreement with the d46.info message board. You also may be asking if I was warned. The answer was NO!
There is a long story that I will tell all of you that don’t know the WHOLE story, but that is another very long post. A post that we promise to make in the future. But for now, the question was asked and I have answered. You judge yourself if this is a biased site or not.