Class electives plan draws controversy

Feb 22, 2010 — East Valley Tribune

Hayley Ringle

Feb. 19, 2010 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- Gilbert Unified School District teachers, department chairs and music parents came armed with PowerPoint presentations, detailed reports and alternative scheduling options Thursday night during a governing board study session to discuss elective options for the future.

They were poised and ready to give the board more than enough research as it examines whether to change the elementary school schedules that would ultimately reduce time in band and strings for fifth and sixth graders.

The meeting was set up after a proposal was made last month to change elementary school schedules, including how often electives are offered.

Gilbert High School symphonic strings students performed outside the doors of the district office, welcoming those who could decide the fate of district music programs. District officials are tasked with finding a common and consistent elementary school schedule for every grade level.

However, the problem officials are facing is scheduling electives without interfering with core classes, such as reading, math and writing. The cash-strapped district also can't afford to hire additional staff, and wants to give back electives for kindergartners taken away this school year because of budget cuts.

More than 200 students, parents and teachers packed the board room and an overflow room to listen to the five-minute presentations allotted to 10 groups representing those who would be affected by a new schedule, including librarians, elementary band and strings teachers, elementary music parents and regular classroom teachers.

After the more than three-hour work study session, board members directed district staff to meet with the 10 groups represented and come up with a compromise. Members want a schedule that takes into account everyone's concerns before they approve any changes.

Board president Thad Stump challenged administrators to come up with a date for the board to make a decision, once an alternative schedule is presented.

Board member Adelaida Severson said whatever the board does decide, it "can't always please everyone."

"Teachers are harried and stressed out," Severson said. "At the end of the day, happy teachers makes happy students, which makes happy parents."

The district put into place a pilot program recently to test the schedule at schools.

The pilot five-day schedule is in its second year at Boulder Creek, Harris and Mesquite elementary schools. Highland Park Elementary School also used the pilot program last school year, but moved back this year to its previous schedule, which other Gilbert elementary schools have used for years.

Under the pilot schedule, fifth- and sixth-grade band and strings students get 22 fewer hours of instruction each year. Physical education and general music are reduced by 10 minutes each year, while art has 20 additional minutes a year and students get an extra 14 hours a year in the library.

The different district groups raised issues from their perspective.

Librarians were concerned the new plan creates an overloaded schedule and would force them to travel, closing libraries when they would go to neighboring schools. Music teachers provided research on the proven value of music education and discussed the district's award-winning music program respected locally and nationally.

While the new plan offers more art over a year's time, it would decrease the actual time in art class. PE teachers stressed equal time for all electives, as eight teachers paraded around the room holding handmade signs, such as: "Students deserve equal time in all special areas" and "Obesity rate in children has tripled since 1980."

Jason Barney, a member of the parent and student group Gilbert Music Matters, said the outcome of the meeting was "exactly what we had hoped for."

"We want to collaborate with stakeholders, and we have not had that opportunity," said Barney, whose group put together a 100-page report, a Web site and a presentation on the issue. "We want to fix the schedule, but don't want to decimate the music program in the process."

Currently, in most district elementary schools, the students rotate through electives such as band, general music, physical education, library and art one to four times every six days, depending on the class. The pilot program reduces the rotation to five days.

The Gilbert district is exploring whether to move to the more consistent five-day weekly schedule, which would also allow kindergarten students to have a daily elective class without hiring extra teachers. The six-day schedule has some teachers with four different daily schedules within that six-day period to accommodate the change in classes.

The five-day schedule is touted as giving teachers longer continuous instruction time, less interruptions during the day and a longer common time in which teachers can plan together. In the new schedule, students get 40 minutes a day in that day's elective, versus 30 minutes a day in the six-day rotation.

April Gowens, a Mesquite Elementary School kindergarten teacher, said a five-day schedule will be "predictable," give a "common planning time" and build a "stronger team" of teachers.

"Let's get rid of this chaotic (six-day) schedule," said Gowens, who held up what she said were 100 e-mails in support of a change. "All of our programs are important. We couldn't benefit the whole child without one another."

Martha Hughes, a Gilbert orchestra teacher in the district for 23 years, said Gilbert would no longer have an "exceptional" music program with the proposed changes.

"This year we've had no sectionals (classes set aside for each instrument), and progress has dropped," said Hughes, who now teaches under the pilot program at Harris Elementary.

Barb VeNard, Gilbert's assistant superintendent of educational services, said all elementary school principals are in support of moving to the proposed five-day schedule. However, some teachers in the crowd disputed that.

Newstex ID: KRTB-0132-42269555