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Dr. David Hopson |
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June 1 , 2007 Gateway’s study of the concept of expanding the school day/year continues to move forward. The various committees (elementary, middle, high, and district) have met frequently, reviewed survey results, attended state sponsored meetings, developed potential alternative schedules, and considered how to reconstruct the school day and student activities. While no consensus has yet been reached, the committees are ready to share their preliminary findings with interested community members. This meeting is scheduled for June 20th beginning at 7 PM in the Gateway Performing Arts Center at the Middle/High School Complex. Presentations tentatively scheduled for this meeting include potential schedules and what they mean for students in terms of new opportunities, time spent in various subjects/activities, and possible start time changes. Another area will be how existing activities may fit into the day (especially athletics and work at the high school level). We will also be comparing potential schedules with the current schedule, providing the reasons for considering/not considering expanding the schedule, and outlining what we hope to gain in terms of student experiences, opportunities, and successes if we expand the school day. Also on June 20th, we will discuss the potential outlook for grant funding of expanded learning time as well as the current proposal at the state level to change the state’s school funding formula to reflect expanded learning time fiscal requirements. We will also review the time lines for next steps in this process, which continue to be non-binding for the district but do require a school committee decision on whether it’s appropriate to continue the exploration process. You may recall that we must have a tentative expanded time schedule with justifications and explanations to the state Department of Education by the end of August. The state will review this, make suggested changes, and return these for our consideration. Sometime in January a decision will have to be made at the district level regarding implementing an expanded learning time schedule for September of 2008. Even if we all agree that this is the right direction in which to head, we will be dependent upon expanded time grant funding in the FY’09 budget to allow us to implement these changes. To date, the committees have gotten mixed feedback from parent and student surveys. There has been much discussion about the advantages/disadvantages of expanding time and comparing what we'd offer in an expanded day/year compared to what we can offer now. Mentioned were more electives in high school; team building/leadership (whole child) and restoring time in non-MCAS areas in the middle school; defined blocks for math/literacy, less rushing, and more time to interact with children at the elementary level. This is a perfect opportunity for learning more about what the committees are considering for expanding learning opportunities, providing additional input, and getting the inside scoop on the next steps in the process. All interested members of the public are welcome to attend. ### |
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