12/16/98
Opelika * Auburn News* THE NEWSPAPER OF EAST ALABAMA*12/16/98
Article: YRS - It's over! Martin proposes minor changes
By: Julie Shelley-BassOpelika-Auburn News
The year-round school debate in Auburn has been put to rest, but not without some changes to the current school year.
Dr. Mick Martin proposed minor changes to the Auburn City Schools calendar last night, and the school board unanimously approved the changes to the current school year, managing to evade an alternative calendar label.
"I've learned I didn't do some things very well," Dr. Martin said, evaluating his personal involvement in the alternative calendar issue.
"My final recommendation is this: That I recommend against extending the school year or implementing year-round school," he said.
Dr. Martin cited "too much divisiveness in our community" as his primary reason for not recommending an alternative calendar.
"In spite of all our efforts of four months of probably the most intense debate, 70 percent of parents and about that number of our community was opposed to the idea," he said. "You can't sell an idea of this magnitude with that kind of split."
Financial reasons also factored into the decision, Dr. Martin said.
The board unanimously voted in favor of Dr. Martin's recommendation.
After the board's approval, Dr. Martin began a second recommendation pertaining to minor changes in the current calendar.
"I'm prepared to recommend a calendar," he said after his initial recommendation against an alternative calendar.
Dr. Martin cited the need to schedule final exams before the Christmas break and a break for faculty as the determining factors in making a decision on his proposed calendar.
"The issue here is to conclude the first semester's work and give staff, students and parents a clean break," he said.
A one-day break, scheduled for Monday, Oct. 11, occurs between the first and second grading periods. Dr. Martin said the extra day was planned to give staff and "those who need a break" an opportunity to relax before the beginning of the next term.
The apparent need to correlate the Auburn University and ACS calendar also factored into Dr. Martin's decision.
"The calendar I present matches the (AU) spring break, day for day, the same time period," he said.
The recommended calendar allows the fourth nine weeks to end during the fourth week in May, allowing International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement students "maximum classroom instruction prior to national exams.",
He expressed the desire to put the issue at rest as soon as possible.
"I think closure on this issue is paramount tonight," Dr. Martin said.
The board unanimously passed the calendar, which takes effect with the start of the 1999-2000 school year.
Under the calendar, school will begin Monday, Aug. 16, 1999 and conclude Thursday, May 25, 2000. The calendar has 175 student days and 183 staff days -- the same as the current school year.
Auburn City Schools appointed a committee earlier this year whose specific function was to study the alternative calendar issue. The group, comprised of 51 members, met regularly and participated in ACS alternative calendar survey.
An Auburn citizens' group in opposition to the implementation of a year-round calendar was formed shortly after the calendar committee. The citizens' group met regularly and voiced their resistance to a calendar change through the use of yard signs and radio commercials.
Public meetings concerning the alternative calendar proposal were held at each school within the Auburn school system during October.
A telephone survey and a written survey were administered to Auburn residents in November, and results were taken into consideration by Dr. Martin in making his recommendation .
ACS considered the alternative calendar option in 1993, and appointed a similar committee to explore and make recommendations on an alternate school year.
ACS voted against making the transition to year-round school that same year.
Letter: YRS debate at a new low
O.K. Enough is enough. The YRS debate has stooped to a new low. I have tried to stay out of this controversy because like most people I have other, more important things to do than squabble over a calendar. But Thursday's paper crossed the line of decency.
The letter that compared Dr. Suzanne Freeman to Cruella Deville was absurd at best, counterproductive at least. I know my personal opinion of some opponents of YRS makes little difference, but their vicious, personal attacks on hard-working, well meaning individuals is something only they can live with and justify. To me it is such a shame that some of these parents are so shortsighted and self-immersed that they fail to see or help solve problems right under their own noses or in their own backyards.
We have kids in our schools who are hungry, abused, under clothed, depressed, doing drugs, alcohol, having sex, becoming anorexic, facing a personal or family life threatening disease, losing a parent -- and we care about vacation time? HOW SHALLOW YOU EDUCATED ADULTS MUST SEEM TO THESE KIDS. Get real -- there are a few things more important than you and your lifestyle.
Carol KeeverAuburn
Letter: Teacher offended by opinions
As a teacher in the Auburn City Schools system, I have been both personally and professionally offended by recent opinions sent to the Opelika-Auburn News regarding Year-Round School (YRS). Foremost, the obsessiveness and slanderous negativeness representing the attitudes against YRS is quite frightening. Although these opinions have been appalling, I do respect a person's right to express their opinion.
However, after reading the "dreamstate" comparison of Dr. Suzanne Freeman to Cruella Deville, I finally have to express my opinion. When participating in professional workshops, whether it be at the University of Alabama, The Council for Exceptional Children, C.H.A.D.D., or the State Department of Education, when asked what school system I represent, I am most proud to respond, "Auburn City Schools." Our system is highly respected because of innovativeness and professionalism. We earn this reputation daily, not by the type of academic schedule we are implementing, but because of dedicated, focused, innovative teachers and administrators, constantly working and evolving, becoming ever-better. I view and respect Dr. Suzanne Freeman as one of these people. In the past six years as an employee of ACS, I have observed tremendous growth in innovative education, due to Dr. Freeman's continuous efforts and professionalism. One should be proud to have their child/children served in such an outstanding school system.
In the YRS equational debate, an important variable has been omitted, the teacher. Teachers in the ACS system are phenomenal. However, phenomenalism does have limits. I, as a teacher, give 110 percent of myself every day, not from the formatted school day of 7:10 a.m.-3:00 p.m., but usually from 6:45 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. These hours not only reflect my time spent teaching children, but also reflect the average hours of most teachers at my current school, Yarbrough Elementary School.
No, we aren't indirectly mandated to fulfill this time duration, but today's innovative practices include much more than, "Turn to Chapter 6, read the chapter, and answer the questions." Today, we are dealing with diverse academic, cognitive, social, economic, develop mental, social, religious and emotional needs. To be successful, active teaching/learning must occur continuously throughout the day with only small, incremental breaks. I would invite anyone to visit my class room to see what teachers really do on a daily basis.
Yes, I chose to be an educator, but education is constantly changing and so must we. In conclusion, I, and we, as teachers, give "everything" we have to your children. It is frustrating and saddening that I, as well as others, are so exhausted at day's end, that we can't share the same energy and excitement with our own biological children. Input the teacher into the YRS equation, give us time to rest and spend valuable time with our families. If you researched "Teacher Burn-Out," you would find the average teacher reaches "burn-out" at the seventh year. Well, this is year No. 15 for me and I'm still going strong until about 6:30 each night. We are probably "at-risk," too -- give us a break!
Pam Yandle, Ed.S.Auburn