It was an emotional topic for Terri Craig, a second grade teacher at El Toro Elementary School, who has taught in the district for 35 years.
Craig addressed the Morgan Hill Unified School District’s board Tuesday night on the topic of alternative school programs, sharing her experience with a multi-age primary school some 20 years ago in the district.
“There are a lot of passionate teachers,” she said, pausing to hold back tears. “That would love the opportunity to create a new program.”
Craig said the multi-age primary school – which would include for example first, second and third graders in one classroom – disbanded because of the mandatory reduction of class sizes. Now, with class sizes as high as of a maximum ratio of 32 students to one teacher in kindergarten through third grade, this type of model wouldn’t be too different.
Although she doesn’t necessarily think that this program should happen again, she would like to see the district explore more options for parents.
“I love looking at things outside of the box,” Craig said. “People shouldn’t be forced to do something they really don’t want to do. It’s cool to have options within the public school. I love that the Dr. Smith is brining this up and that (the school board was) open to new ideas.”
The agenda item up for discussion at last week’s meeting is something this board is familiar with. Last April, the board similarly looked at alternative school programs in a special board study session, in particular charter schools.
In a presentation Jan. 31, Socorro Shiels, assistant superintendent of educational services, went over options including a sister school concept, a K-8 model and magnet school.
“We’ve talked about choice and boundaries in this current day,” said Superintendent Wes Smith. “Could we create opportunities that would draw interest to the community? What we want to see is, are these of interest to you (the board) and if they are, then we will do more work to bring about possibilities.”
Possibilities are exactly what parent Jenna Kammann is looking for. Kammann and her family moved to Morgan Hill this past June from Santa Rosa. In Santa Rosa, her daughter Sophia now in second grade at El Toro Elementary School, attended an arts-based charter school, the Santa Rose Charter School for the Arts. Liking the past school and the idea of a charter, Kammann looked for options in Morgan Hill for Sophia and her younger kindergarten-age daughter Ava. She said she was disappointed when she found only one available charter, and was placed on a long wait list. Although her daughters are currently happy at El Toro, Kammann said likes the idea of a charter school with more family involvement.
“I am totally for a dependent magnet charter-type school held in alignment with the district,” she said. “I would encourage the board to get those ideas out. There’s definitely a need in our community, I feel parents are really wanting that option and I think (the board) would be pleasantly surprised.”
A sister school concept would include a kindergarten through third grade and fourth through sixth grade focus. One school would have only kindergarten through third grades while another would have fourth through sixth grades. The benefit would come in the consistency and clear instructional focus, said Shiels. She pointed out several things to consider that may prove difficult in this situation, including transportation costs. Transportation funding for the 2012-13 budget is slated for a 100 percent cut by the state of California; MHUSD would lose $1.5 million in funding for its bus program.
Another concept up for discussion is the K-8 model, which would eliminate the elementary to middle school change. Shiels said a Harvard University study shows that this model is a benefit for English and math subjects and gives older students an opportunity to be leaders. Shiels proposed the question “What would this mean for facilities?” for the district to take under consideration.
The last model discussed was the magnet school, which would give a certain focus to a school such as dual-language or a technology-engineering. Shiels pointed out the possible fiscal challenges to keeping up with a school like this in terms of supplies and equipment and the possible “elitist” perception that could come from it (taking away the cream of the crop from other schools).
Smith reminded the board that these options are not mutually exclusive, a combination of these options can be used.
“These ideas are to provoke interest, to have a broader discussion on education,” Shiels said.
Shiels said that any of these options would cost money, and the district must consider these options in their totality.
“What I was looking for was providing new or alternative programs for kids within the schools,” said board trustee Peter Mandel. “For the kid who would thrive in a different type of program, there really isn’t one (in the district). We should have that variation.”
Mandel expressed concern saying that the K-8 model is just a K-8 school, “it doesn’t give them a curriculum alternative.”
With a sister school, “I don’t know what it provides, it’s a different school with different grades,” said Mandel.
Board trustee Kathy Sullivan spoke on the possibility that putting funds into an alternative school would weaken the current schools already in the district.
“The more choices we give to people, we take away from what finances are available to the traditional schools,” Sullivan said. “We can really be focusing on these alternatives or really focusing on how we can use data and programs in existence to improve kids right now that we’re educating. I just don’t know if this is the time for these opportunities because we’re really struggling with education right now.”
Board vice president Don Moody said he’s ready to see an alternative.
“I’m so sick and tired of student discipline and budgets. The sad fact is our kids have a lot less than what we had as kids. So something’s got to give. We can’t wait for California to give us money. We need to stop the mass exodus,” he said.
MHUSD is in the process of educating the public and judging theinterest level in a dual-immersion school program. The first twomeetings attracted more than 100 people and gathered 45 potentialparents who said they would want to start the program next year,and more that have younger children ready to start later. With justone more meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Feb. 13 at El ToroElementary School, the district said they need at least 90 familiesinterested to officially start the process.
