Changes in 5th Grade Class Structure
by Rowan Beck,
June 30, 2011, page 8.....

The Charlotte Central School Board called a special meeting on June 14 to review changes in class configuration for next fall, and to deal with a policy involving class structure recommendations that did not follow the proper time line. The meeting was called to waive the timeline. About a dozen parents, mostly of 5th grade students, attended to hear the discussion and share their concerns about the proposed changes.
Chair Lynne Jaunich began the meeting by announcing that no action would be taken that night; instead the issues were acted on at another special board meeting at CVU on June 22.
According to CCS school policy, the board needs to be made aware of class configuration by April 6. This policy, created in 1987, is not district wide, but is unique to CCS. It has never been reviewed and has not been enforced since 2007. The co-principals, unaware of the policy, have been working on the class configuration since April.
The recommendation to the administration about the class structure for the 2011-2012 Alpha Team, grades 5/6, came from a committee composed of teachers. The proposed change in structure is for two 5th grade support rooms with a class size of 25 each. This would make the 5th grade more contained, with students moving between only two teachers, and would allow the teachers to become more familiar with their students. There will also be an increase in the number of instructional minutes in math and language arts. A new block will be created called “What I Need,” which will give students additional support in areas where extra assistance is necessary. Teachers feel that with fewer transitions there will be more time for learning and more consistency among the students. They will have more hands-on interaction with the students.
This decision was not driven by the shortage of a teacher; no teacher was cut this year. Parents were concerned about class size and what would happen if additional students sign up over the summer. The administration reiterated that the teachers who teach in this team created this proposal. Kelly Horgan summed it up best when she stated, “Parents need to put faith in the administration. If this is what is being proposed then we need to get behind the principals and the teachers and support them.” At this time no other option has been offered.
At the June 22 special meeting, the board waived the April timeline and approved the adminsitration’s recommendation for the 2011-2012 class structure. In other action at that meeting, according to board chair Lynne Jaunich, the board approved the hiring Alice Tregesar as a 0.8FTE art teacher to replace Alice Bourgoin, who has retired; approved the hiring of of Beth Adams as a 0.82 kindergarten teacher to replace Ebeth Scatchard, who has retired; approved the transfer of $8,200 from the FY11 general fund to cover the food service deficit; transferred $50,000 from the FY2012 budget to address capital items in the five-year capital plan identified during budget season (‘69 Wing Flooring  -  $10,000, Front of Building Repair - $15,000, Fire/Code Projects  - $15,000, Air Handler  -  $5,000, Bathroom Upgrades  - $5,000); accepted the resignation of Sue Thibault as vice chair and approved Kristin Wright as the new vice chair. Lynne Jaunich continues as chair and Edorah Fraser as clerk.
The next meeting of the CCS Board is July 20 at 3:30 p.m. at CCS.