Good News! Our forum is back on as originally planned for Monday, May 5, 2008 at 7pm at the Federated Church in Williston. (Corner of Rt. 2 and North Williston Rd.) This is a Community Forum hosted by the Williston Schools Re-Configuration Campaign for Change. Our goal is to disseminate some powerful information to the Williston Community and come up with a plan to propose to the Administration and School Board which will more equitably and rigorously meet the academic and social needs of our children.
Will will be sending out an agenda for the meeting and welcome anyone and everyone to attend. We are hoping for a strong showing!!
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Upcoming Community Forum
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Thank you all for now stepping up to try to get this mess changed!!
I have been trying to make something happen in this area going on two years now, we need more peer interaction and more equal opportunities for our kids, this is not about what is easier for the teachers and the administration but what is best for all of the kids!!! Kudos to all!!
Cindy O'Farrell
Thank you for setting this up. This is a great way for parents and community members to be active in their schools. Our daughter is in Summit House which is being dissolved. We think the current proposed separate elementary school at WCS by administration is not best for kids. This will create even more segregation among same age peers and different grade expectations for students. The Vermont Department of Education website has very detailed information on these expectations.
The purpose of grade expectations are:
1. To provide more specific and detailed benchmarks for Vermont’s Framework of Standards and Learning Opportunities.
2. To provide guidance for local curriculum, instruction and assessment.
3. To provide the grade level expectations in math, reading and writing required for state assessment.
We know that all lower houses are NOT using the same language and curriculum for Reading/Language Arts/ and Writing. Summit House first & second grade this year has used Fundations a K-3 program including phonological/phonemic awareness, phonics and spelling. I have talked with parents in other lower houses and they have no idea what I am talking about or if their kids are learning about phonological awareness, syllables, self-correcting, etc. The skills my daughter has learned this year are clearly outlined in the Reading Grade Expectations:Grade 2
The lower elementary grades: preschool, K-3 should be in ONE SCHOOL. This way teachers, services for special ed., 504 plans, and resources can be shared and therefore utilized in a much more cost effective way. I understood that was the original intention of building ABS, to put the elementary students in one school. That makes so much sense; it is best for our kids, an easy way for teachers to collaborate and help each other, and to save money and better utilize resources.
I hope the administration, teachers, and school board will work together with parents and the community to initiate positive changes in the lower houses as well as in the much needed upper houses.
Here is the link to the VT Dept. of Ed. website where you can read about the Grade Expectations.
http://education.vermont.gov/new/html/pubs/framework.html
Christina Mead
Elementary Teacher
Post a Comment