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District 47 is studying the middle school day. I can just see the eyes rolling and hear the exasperated “Here we go again”. Actually it is not ‘again’ but ‘still’. While the District was completing an analysis of flip-flopping starting times between the middle school and elementary school day another concern came glaringly to light – the minutes devoted to core subjects in middle school. District 47 strives for excellence in education; yet we devote fewer minutes to teaching science, math, social studies, and language arts than other districts in our region. Though the vast majority of our students in 7th and 8th grade meet or exceed state standards, district test scores indicated we weren’t notably increasing the overall percentage of students in these categories. Our test score percentages were pretty flat for that upper middle school level. Why? Do districts with more minutes dedicated to core subjects see greater improvement? As I see it, this question needed to be answered. In addition, newer curriculum, such as Connected Math and Geometry, was designed for 50 to 60 minute class periods. Would longer class periods benefit the delivery and learning of our curriculum? As I see it, this important question also needed to be answered.
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At our April meeting, the School Board received the word that more time on core subjects would benefit our students both in testing and general subject knowledge. Unfortunately, more time on core subjects means less time spent somewhere else. Now new questions must be asked and answered. A complete examination of the District’s options must occur. At the April meeting, the Board was also
presented with a possible middle school class schedule. This was presented as a jumping off point for future discussion and analysis. Nothing has been decided! Let me repeat that for those who believe
it is a done deal; NOTHING has been decided! There are many factors that must be weighed and considered before the Board makes a final decision as to whether we’ll change our current schedule and how. The community, as always when it comes to major issues, will be given an opportunity to give input. Community input offers the Board valuable insight into community impact. As I see it, there will
be plenty of input before all is said and done. And the Board will take that input and carefully weigh it along with all the other information received from the educational experts. If there is something the
community can be certain of, it is the care that the District 47 Board uses in making decisions that impact our students, our teachers, and our communities. Due diligence in decision-making is the Board’s responsibility and privilege. Oh, yes! District 47 is still studying the middle school day. As I see it, attaining educational excellence for all our middle school students makes extensive study and discussion worth all the time and effort.
Diane Johnson, Board President
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