11/6/98
Opelika * Auburn News* THE NEWSPAPER OF EAST ALABAMA*11/6/98
Letter: Time to speak about YRS now
Recent PTA meetings were held to discuss the year-*round school (YRS) issue. Some Auburn City School Teachers voiced their objections and concerns against the current push for YRS.
With this letter, I want to publicly thank those courageous, dedicated teachers for speaking up for their students against the YRS concept. I suspect that for every one who spoke there are ten who did not.
Some teachers began their objections noting that they "may not even have a job tomorrow" because of their open objections to YRS. This fear that is perceived among the teachers stifles the type of open communication necessary for Auburn City Schools to move forward. This is the same fear voiced in 1992, reported by the YRS committee, the last time Auburn City Schools rejected YRS.
These points kept reappearing at the PTA meetings. They are:
o Who would teach failing children during the YRS intercessions?
o How will a child make up in a short intercession what was not learned in the past 9 weeks?
o The intercession interruptions will be disruptive to elementary school classes.
o How effective can an intercession teacher be in 5 or 10 days with a new class? There isn't time for trust to be established.
o What is the account ability of teachers during the intercession?
o When is the ACS going to support the teacher with addressing student behavior problems? This is what causes "burnout." I
o Have you looked into Alternative Schools as recommended by the 2020 report?
o One has to wonder why not look into extended year calendar as charged by the Board of Education (21 March 1997) and why not implement proven ways of addressing at-risk children?
All are important questions, and all deserve answers.
If there are more teachers in ACS who are opposed to ' YRS, now is the time to speak. Silence can be interpreted as agreement. Write your city council, your school board, a letter to the editorÛ you can remain anonymous and not worry about repercussions.
Again, kudos for those dedicated teachers who had the courage to speak out and say that YRS is not a sound idea, academically or otherwise.
Deb EnebakAuburn