Lincoln School-Parent Community Communication
- af: Lincoln School Community - lincolnschoolcommunity.com
- mottagare: Mickey Brandmeyer, Sharon Hobbs, School Committee
ONE ONLY NEEDS TO FILL OUT NAME AND ZIP CODE
July 11, 2009
Dear Mickey,
Once again I am concerned about the communication between the Lincoln Public School administration and the parent community. This week, Middle School parents received a letter with our children%u2019s report cards that stated, in part,
"We had two main priorities as we looked at our schedule this spring. First was to lengthen the academic periods to accommodate the teaching time necessary to accomplish student understanding of all of our learning expectations. The second was to add the new technology and engineering components to the 7th and 8th grade schedules. The only way to do that was to shorten some of the times that the students were in Art, Music and Physical Education and to remove the elective program from the schedule. There is not a final schedule in place yet because we are continuing to look at time and see if there are ways we can move things around so that students get the maximum benefit of the program we have to offer."
This is no minor change to the schedule! Having no previous knowledge that such cuts to the curriculum were considered, I was more than a little surprised to read this. Upon receipt of the letter, I sent out an email to parents of incoming 6th and 7th graders asking for their reaction to the news. The response was swift. The major take away I got from them is that most parents were as surprised as I was by these changes and disappointed to learn of them almost after the fact. I have had somewhat extensive conversations with both you and Dr Hobbs regarding the importance of communicating with parents up front and am stunned to receive this information so late in the planning process.
I thought we had learned from what happened last year with the teachers aides that parents need to be kept abreast of important changes in the school that have an impact on our children. Based on the emails I received, parents are very confused. There are a couple of people that have some prior knowledge of the concerns behind these changes but for the most part there is pure speculation as to what the real story is. It is critical to our community and our working relationship that when major changes are made that impact our children%u2019s learning, the administration strive to be as transparent as is possible.
What is the driving reason for these changes? Are Lincoln students behind their peers in technology and engineering? What metrics or qualitative information has been used to make this recommendation? And by whom was this decision made? If in fact our students are falling behind their peers, why has this information not been shared with us? Are the students performing poorly on MCAS, qualifying for less challenging high school classes? For sure there is a driving reason behind theses changes but it is astounding that the parents have not been brought into the conversation!
How was the decision made to take time away from the non-core yet tremendously valuable classes of PE, art and music as well as to eliminate the elective? While study after study document the value of these learning opportunities, the impression is that the administration in Lincoln does not agree. Is that correct? And if, so, based on what data?
Recognizing that the students%u2019 school schedules are already squeezed to the point of breaking, exactly what are the alternatives that have been considered? This past year they often did not have time to eat, or to wash their hands before lunch. They are stressed out as they race from class to class, lucky when they have time to get to their locker without being late for class. Several parents suggested it is time to consider eliminating the half day Wednesday and using that time to provide either non-core learning opportunities or simply to have a full five day school week.
Mickey I know it is the proverbial %u2018ninth hour%u2019 and I am asking for a lot of information here, presumably asking questions that you and your staff have considered already. With a change as major as is being suggested however, these are questions that we as parents need answered as well. What can we as a school community do that will enable us, the parents, to be part of the process as opposed to having decisions handed to us after the fact?
Sincerely,
Sharon K. Antia
cc:
Dr Hobbs,
School Committee Members
July 11, 2009
Dear Mickey,
Once again I am concerned about the communication between the Lincoln Public School administration and the parent community. This week, Middle School parents received a letter with our children%u2019s report cards that stated, in part,
"We had two main priorities as we looked at our schedule this spring. First was to lengthen the academic periods to accommodate the teaching time necessary to accomplish student understanding of all of our learning expectations. The second was to add the new technology and engineering components to the 7th and 8th grade schedules. The only way to do that was to shorten some of the times that the students were in Art, Music and Physical Education and to remove the elective program from the schedule. There is not a final schedule in place yet because we are continuing to look at time and see if there are ways we can move things around so that students get the maximum benefit of the program we have to offer."
This is no minor change to the schedule! Having no previous knowledge that such cuts to the curriculum were considered, I was more than a little surprised to read this. Upon receipt of the letter, I sent out an email to parents of incoming 6th and 7th graders asking for their reaction to the news. The response was swift. The major take away I got from them is that most parents were as surprised as I was by these changes and disappointed to learn of them almost after the fact. I have had somewhat extensive conversations with both you and Dr Hobbs regarding the importance of communicating with parents up front and am stunned to receive this information so late in the planning process.
I thought we had learned from what happened last year with the teachers aides that parents need to be kept abreast of important changes in the school that have an impact on our children. Based on the emails I received, parents are very confused. There are a couple of people that have some prior knowledge of the concerns behind these changes but for the most part there is pure speculation as to what the real story is. It is critical to our community and our working relationship that when major changes are made that impact our children%u2019s learning, the administration strive to be as transparent as is possible.
What is the driving reason for these changes? Are Lincoln students behind their peers in technology and engineering? What metrics or qualitative information has been used to make this recommendation? And by whom was this decision made? If in fact our students are falling behind their peers, why has this information not been shared with us? Are the students performing poorly on MCAS, qualifying for less challenging high school classes? For sure there is a driving reason behind theses changes but it is astounding that the parents have not been brought into the conversation!
How was the decision made to take time away from the non-core yet tremendously valuable classes of PE, art and music as well as to eliminate the elective? While study after study document the value of these learning opportunities, the impression is that the administration in Lincoln does not agree. Is that correct? And if, so, based on what data?
Recognizing that the students%u2019 school schedules are already squeezed to the point of breaking, exactly what are the alternatives that have been considered? This past year they often did not have time to eat, or to wash their hands before lunch. They are stressed out as they race from class to class, lucky when they have time to get to their locker without being late for class. Several parents suggested it is time to consider eliminating the half day Wednesday and using that time to provide either non-core learning opportunities or simply to have a full five day school week.
Mickey I know it is the proverbial %u2018ninth hour%u2019 and I am asking for a lot of information here, presumably asking questions that you and your staff have considered already. With a change as major as is being suggested however, these are questions that we as parents need answered as well. What can we as a school community do that will enable us, the parents, to be part of the process as opposed to having decisions handed to us after the fact?
Sincerely,
Sharon K. Antia
cc:
Dr Hobbs,
School Committee Members
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