12/17/98
Opelika * Auburn News* THE NEWSPAPER OF EAST ALABAMA*12/17/98
Article: Getting back to the business of education
By: Julie Shelley-BassOpelika-Auburn News
Auburn City Schools is get ting on with business as usual now that the year-round school debate is settled.
The slightly altered calendar passed at Tuesday night's school board meeting hasn't garnered much public response, according to ACS officials.
"Today's been quiet," Assistant Superintendent Suzanne Freeman .said Wednesday. "It's been pretty quiet on my end."
Lynda Rainer, Auburn City Schools' public relations director, said, "Some teachers that I've talked to were maybe a little disappointed but, once again, it's been really quiet."
However, both officials said one question has been asked regularly: "Gee, aren't you glad it's over?"
The end of the debate about whether to change to an alternate calendar allows time for the school system to fully develop current projects and start new ones within the next year.
"I've heard a good response about moving the semester," Dr. Freeman said. "That's been positively received."
Moving semester exams to before the Christmas break was part of minor changes in the modified traditional school calendar passed Tuesday night.
ACS will undertake many new projects in the coming year, and a specific target of the system will be at-risk children.
"One thing that's been obvious is we all recognize we have at-risk children," Dr. Freeman said. "I don't think our community was aware we have the number that we have.
"We are going to continue to look at programs and find out what works," she said.
An area that will continue to receive emphasis for all students is reading instruction. "We think that's really important," Dr. Freeman said.
Emphasis in curriculum will be placed on mathematics and reading, she said.
"We've really started to pick up in our math curriculum," she said, citing tougher state graduation exam requirements as reason for more intense curriculum.
Teachers in grades 6-12 math and English/language arts classes will meet four times this year to prepare for the new graduation exam.
"We're trying to make sure our kids are truly prepared for the 21st century," Dr. Freeman said.
Auburn Early Education Center has been nominated by the state Department of Education to be a national Blue Ribbon School, and Auburn High School is currently working on its application for the program.
"That's a pretty significant honor," Dr. Freeman said.
Construction will remain a top priority for the school system.
"We want to get Yarbrough (Elementary) completed," Dr. Freeman said. "Playgrounds are another initiative we have started."
Permission was requested for bids on playground equipment at last night's board meeting, she said.
Dr. Freeman added that the money for playground projects has been budgeted for elementary schools in the system.
The school system generally plans construction projects 10 years in advance, she said.
ACS has evaluated programs for at-risk children over the last several years, Dr. Freeman said.
Ms. Rainer said the ACS system is the state model for at-risk student programs, a fact of which they were not previously aware.
"We've had other school systems call us and say, 'You've been referred as the model of the state. We'd like to see your plan,"' Dr. Freeman said.
ACS has several programs targeted for at-risk children.
Title I, a federally-funded program, involves math and parent-involvement activities for students who qualify. Auburn Early Education Center is currently a Title I school, Dr. Freeman said.
Dr. Freeman said the system also focuses on the social aspects affecting at risk children.
"We use referral to Big Brother/Big Sister and Department of Human Resources," she said. "East Alabama Mental Health does some on-site counseling with families for us."
Dr. Freeman said the system is specifically looking at student conflict resolution and school safety programs.
Technology in the city's schools has already advanced this year, with each classroom already receiving two new computers this school term.
By Friday, each school should be hooked up to the Internet, Dr. Freeman said.
"We're really excited about ... really opening up communication for our children and our teachers," Dr. Freeman said. "We feel like they've been deprived of the Internet."
Teacher training conferences will be held in January 1999 to familiarize instructors with the Internet, she said.
"For our children, the possibilities are endless with the things they can do with technology," Dr. Freeman said.
Career technical, or vocational, classes are already in place within the school system.
One of the technical programs currently offered to students at Auburn High is a multimedia class.
"We have some pretty high-level video equipment and they're learning different ways to make a video," Ms. Rainer said. "What makes the program so nice is that we have kids that have not always been real excited about some of their courses, and this is some thing they're really excited about.
"Any way you can reach children is always exciting," she said.
Editorial: Time for community to work together
After months of divisiveness the alternative calendar debate has been put to rest in Auburn.
After being bombarded by signs, letters, e-mails, faxes and calls, Auburn City School's Superintendent Dr. Mick Martin conceded defeat.
Only minutes after learning his mother had died, Dr. Martin faced members of the Stop Year Round School in Auburn group and other residents who attended Tuesday night's school board meeting to find out whether he would recommend the school board adopt an alternative calendar.
The announcement that he would recommend against adopting an alternative calendar was greeted by applause from the group, many of whom have spent a large amount of time and money opposing the proposal in its planning stage.
Dr. Martin rose above the controversy and cited "too much divisiveness in our community" and the expense of implementing an alternate calendar schedule as reasons for his decision.
"You can't sell an idea of this magnitude with that kind of split," Dr. Martin said, stating about 70 per cent of the community was opposed to the change.
Dr. Martin has been listening to the debate and he has listened well. His insightfulness that, despite what the best calendar choice might be, the smartest decision at this time was to end the debate is to be commended.
At the same meeting, Dr. Martin recommended minor but constructive changes to the Auburn City Schools' calendar. The changes mean students don't have to study for final exams during Christmas break and the spring break has been matched to Auburn University's break, something university employees have consistently sought.
Under the approved calendar for the 1999-2000 academic year, school will begin Aug. 16, will conclude May 25, and has thc same number of student days as the current school year.
After this recommendation, several of those attending the meeting banged their fists on the table and laughed. One YRS supporter seemed appalled that any changes at all would be made to thc school calendar.
Dr. Martin has said it is time to put an end to the debate. "I think closure on this issue is paramount tonight," Dr. Martin said Tuesday. We agree.
Dr. Martin has been gracious in the defeat of the alternative calendar proposal. He has listened to what the Stop YRS group has said and has tried to hear the opinions of those who were less vocal.
He considered the effects an alternative calendar would have on the community and has chosen not to pursue the debate.
Auburn is a community that has strongly supported its educational system and its community leaders. The divisiveness caused by this issue has gone far enough. It's time to put the community back together to work toward one common goal -- the best education and quality of life for our families.