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THE GRAPEVINE Welcome to the Grapevine-a place where rumors, gossip, and ball field banter are stripped down to something known as the “truth”. I will be updating this section on a regular basis. Please feel free to email me at jbing@btsk12.comwith any rumors, gossip, or ball field talk that you would like to have clarified. The Grapevine is a place where you can get answers directly from the Superintendent. This is a “no bull” zone. So please, fire away! PS-It is anonymous-I do not post names, addresses, emails etc. I simply answer questions that are sent to my email here at “The Grapevine”. UPDATED QUESTION 9/03/10:
Q: Good Morning Mr Bing! I was just wondering what the status of the NJASK tests were. I was told that the test scores were null and void, is this true? I was also told that the district did very poor, is this because of scoring errors? Is this just another grapevine rumor? Thank you in advance for clearing this up. A: No rumor-the state made some errors on the scores-we are supposedly receiving them within the next two weeks. So far the only scores we have received are the High Schools-they did very good.
Q: I remember reading in the grapevine and being told at the kindergarten information night that kindergarten and 1st grade would be bused because they were too young to walk. Is this true?
A: The state eliminated this from our plan therefore there will be no bussing for those K-1 students that fall in the SRTS designated areas. Q: Can you please let me know what time Kindergarten is going to start? I know in the email it states that there is no time change however when I called the board office one month ago they stated that kindergarten is going to start the same time as the rest of the elementary kids. Can you please help I’m VERY CONFUSED.
A: Kindergarten will be the same hours as grades 1-5 in 2010-11 Q: Mr. Bing: Previously in the Grapevine you stated that the High School and Middle School were starting 15 minutes later. I heard today that they are not going to start later, that it will be the same time as last year. Is this true?
A: Due to cost, times will remain the same as 2009-10
Q: Mr. Bing, I was checking out the new sidewalks to the
A: Yes, they will be replaced. Q: Will parents be able to use the on line grading system with the new school year? Is it available to all grades or only to certain grade levels? Will we be able to view all the students grades or something like what is contained in the progress reports?
A: We originally were set to start last marking period but the company had a security issue in another district and revamped its system, thus delaying our start to Sept. 2010. Starting in Sept, grades 6-12 will go online; midyear we will add grades 4-5. It is the teacher’s grade book online-you will see all grades.
Q: Will textbooks be available on line so that those children that are walking won't have to carry heavy books to and from school?
A: The ILA textbooks from Prentice Hall being purchased for the Middle School will be available on line. The StoryTown series purchased over the last few years has components available on line – workbook assignments, leveled readers, etc. but not the actual reader; they were only available for an additional charge. At the High School our American series for grades 10 and 11 Social Studies is available online.
Q: Will textbooks be available on line so that those children that are walking won't have to carry heavy books to and from school?
A: Yes, we are investigating textbooks online. One drawback is the extra charge- many companies now have a fee for access to their texts online. Thanks.
Q: Rumors abound yet again. Newest says the Programs for Bully Prevention, Safety Patrol and Leaders In Training will be eliminated for the 2010-2011 school year. Students have been told these Programs will be in effect in September. Will they or wont they? Thank you.
A: Bully Prevention , Safety Patrol , and Leaders in Training programs will be in full effect for the 2010 – 2011 School Year. YES!
Q: Will there be more security guards/other arrangements made for the rest of the year? Sometimes just the suggestion of the rumor gives people ideas. Thank you.
A: We will have 3 Full Time and 2 Part Time Security Guards next year. Two of the Full Time will be assigned BHS-day and evenings. Currently the HS has day and night security personnel.
Q: May 26, 2010: It has been said that due to the limited room at SRHS the 2010 freshmen class from Waretown will be attending
Thank you.
A: Just a rumor-thanks for asking
Q: Will grade 4 student have the opportunity to stay in their current school?
A: Yes-current grade 4 students may choose to stay at their current school-but that is it. Younger siblings will need to transition to their neighborhood school. In some cases, families who choose to keep their grade 4 student in their current school, will have younger children attending a different school (neighborhood).
Q: What will the bell times be next year?
A: The middle school and high school will be 15 minutes later-the elementary schools stay the same.
Q: A lot of people are not happy with the reorganization of the district. My question is that my son is within walking distance to Dunfee, why is he being transported by bus to Horbelt in 2010-11? A: As we have stated at our Safe Routes to School workshops during the year-the district had no choice. This year we were penalized 2.3 million dollars-the majority withheld due to our over adequacy status in transportation. We were told by the NJDOE (Department of Education) to lower our costs via the Safe Routes to School model. We hired an independent transportation specialists to reorganize the district back to a neighborhood school model requesting three tenants be kept in mind (a) returning to a neighborhood model (b) efficiency/safety are a priority (c) new reorganization will be able to handle population changes during the upcoming years. The
Q: What are your plans for helping the children adjust to their new schools? As an educator yourself , I'm sure you must understand how difficult uprooting them will be.
How much money was saved on transportation with this new redistricting ? It seems that it can't be much , as you are still busing children past their "neighborhood schools" to schools farther away from their homes and you are still paying crossing guards and putting in new sidewalks/crosswalks. What will the school start times be ? Have you chosen to implement looping for the 2010-11 school year ? A: We plan on utilizing a transition plan that includes open houses, met n greets, and also guidance assemblies. Or transportation costs in 2009-10 are over 4 million dollars-the redistricting, reduction in force, elimination of late buses, etc. substantially lowers our costs in 2010-11 to fewer than 3 million. Again, we have been mandated by the state to lower our transportation costs via the SRTS program. If our transportation costs continue to rise we will continue to be penalized as we were this year-2.3 million. The town bonded (10 years) for sidewalks, $500,000. The sidewalks should be completed this summer. The addition of these sidewalks saves the district $150,000-$200,000 every year. School start times will only differ by 15 minutes-so elementary schools will start 15 minutes earlier.
Yes, our hope is that the k-2 looping project will start in 2011-12-that is the first time teachers will graduate with students. We will be providing a lot more information on looping this summer and next fall. We are working on the schematics, etc.
Q: Decisions have been made regarding the changes for the upcoming school year . Please share this information with parents today . Ball field banter (literally) , rumors and gossip are at an all-time high right now. Let's please just end this ,so that we can all move forward .
Thank You A: We are in the process of getting all the information together. By Monday, May 24th, all school assignments will be posted on our website under a SRTS icon. Q: As the ten day revision period comes to an end, can you please update us as to the status of the budget?
A: The public Defeated Budget Hearing dates are set for May 4th, 6:30 at BHS auditorium and May 12th, 6:30 pm at the BHS cafeteria.
Q: Rumor has it that up to 25 teachers will be let go district wide because
of the failed budget. #1 Is that true? #2 Who makes the decision on which non tenured teachers are let go- the building administrators, you or the board of education? I would really hope this is a performance based process and not randomized. A: At this time the exact #'s have not been determined-however we are looking at teacher layoffs in the range of 5-25, it all depends on how much more is reduced from the budget. The decision is made by the Building Principals, Supervisors, and the Superintendent. These recommendations are then passed unto the board. The choices are not random. thanks Q: I am very upset over the failed budget and wish that more people would have educated themselves on the negative impact it will have on our children, staff, and our residence without children; as I'm sure the taxes will increase far more than was originally anticipated with your budget proposal. Unfortunately, we can't go back in time, so would you please go over the process that will be followed to finally pass a budget for next year?
A: The procedures can be found at http://www.state.nj.us/education/finance/fp/dwb/defeated/packet.pdf. In sum, we have 2 weeks from the date the budget fails to meet and review it with the municipality. The municipality makes recommendations that the board can either accept or reject. The municipality may request nothing reduced from the budget or $10 million dollars reduced from the budget-there is no designated amount. The amount is usually negotiated between board and municipality. For the average $300,000 home, every penny reduced from the tax increase equals an estimated $30 savings and costs the district $275,000.
Q: Redistricting was done over a year ago. At the time it was completed, common sense told many of us that children NOT attending their neighborhood school would prove costly.Red flags were raised when we learned that children would be being bussed across town to the furthest school from their home. Example children near Dunfee being bussed to Donahue and children near Donahue being bussed to Collins or Dunfee. Please tell us publicly who should be held accountable for this botched plan, why common sense did not prevail and finally why we paid an engineering firm $10,000 to decide to send kids to their neighborhood schools? Not looking for the typical "safety" issue rhetoric. A: In all honesty that was before my time-my understanding is that the former Superintendent was completely in charge of that redistricting. Q: One thing Ihave been unable to find is information onwhateffect the proposed budget would have on the average home in the township. A: The district does not determine property taxes-the municipality is charged with that task. However, we can estimate: the average home in Barnegat is $310,000 therefore with this 2010-11 school budget your taxes will increase in the range of $250-$300 (school taxes). As we have noted in our presentations, the proposed 2010-11 budget is over 1 million dollars less than our current operating budget. However, when we were hit with the unexpected state aid cut of $3.1 million, we had to build that into taxes. Q: If one school is closedwill therebe lay -offs for teachers? And where can i find a copy of the teacher Labor Agreement? A: If a school closes there is a very good chance there will be layoffs. The teacher contract is a public document which is available upon request at the BOE. We are in the process of finalizing a Performance Dashboard on the district web side which will have the Labor Agreement posted soon if it is not posted already. Q: Is it true that if the teachers took the pay freeze, our sports programs would remain the same and we wouldn't have to close a school??? How much money would go back into the budget if the teachers took a one-year pay freeze?
A: A pay freeze would result in an estimated one million dollars savings. In regards to our sports programs, they have not been cut in our current 2010-11 budget. If the budget fails everything will be analyzed including the sports program and the closing of one elementary school. The 2010-11 budget presented to the public is over 1 million dollars less than the current budget we are now operating on. In addition to the million dollar + reduction, the district had to make up an estimated 3.1 million dollars reduction in state aid which would have drastically affected the education we deliver to our students. This reduction in aid is why there is a tax increase this year. Q: I understand the importance of the budget passing and have heard discussions on freezing teachers salaries. What is the status of administrator pay freezes or pay freezes of employees of the district who make over a certain annual salary? Thank You A: The pay freeze discussion is currently on the table for all employees including administration. Q: I have a few concerns regarding what may happen if the budget does not pass.
#1 will all sports programs and extra curricular programs be cut before any thing having to do with education, ie: teachers, facilities, instructional materials? It would make more sense to cut these programs before letting our teachers go. #2 Has the town been made fully aware of the consequences of not passing a school budget? I find that in my experience people will tend to vote if they understand the ramifications of not voting.#3 Also, what will class sizes be if the budget does not pass? How will this directly effect our children's education? It seems people are more concerned with how many times they have been redistricted or if their child has to walk to school instead of looking at the big picture. If we can save money by making these changes we may be able to avoid cuts that will hurt our children in the long run. I believe people's priorities need to be put in order!!
A: Yes, sports and extracurricular programs will be looked at again if the budget fails. In the current budget we have significantly reduced afterschool clubs at BHS, assistant coaches at the middle school/high school level, and afterschool elementary activities. If the budget fails then middle school sports will be deeply scrutinized. We did present the budget at the last municipality meeting and let the public know of the ramifications of a failed budget. We will also be sending home letters to parents/guardians. If the budget fails there is a very good chance that our elementary class sizes will increase to the mid/high twenties. All research and any teacher will tell you the smaller the class size the better the learning. Q: There is a new group formed on Facebook called Keep Joseph T. Donahue Open. Is there any consideration for closing our newly opened school?
A: Yes-as of last week, this option is now on the table. We lost over $3 million dollars in aid for 2010-11. This upcoming budget vote will be very important. If the budget goes down we will need to consider every option. Other options on the table are (a) privatization of our transportation department (b) significantly larger class sizes (c) more reductions in staff (d) pay freezes Q: I am confused with the county wide school calendar for 2010-2011. It seems that Barnegat is taking the week off before most other Ocean County districts for Spring Break 2011. Is there a reason to why this is happening?
A: Our spring break for 2010-2011 is April 15 (early dismissal) then April 16-25 we are closed with school reopening on April 26th. This date was set by county due to the fact that the school board elections will be held on April 27 next year. If other schools in the county have not yet changed their calendar they will be requested to do so in the near future by the county office. Q: A lot must be going on in your office these days now that Christie's new budget is out. Obviously, a lot of the parents are very concerned over what it means for our district. Can you please update me on Barnegat's new budget and what, besides teachers, will be cut? (as if that's not enough) We're obviously losing classrooms, so how many and in what grades? What will this do for the average classroom size? It's very alarming that our children's education is on the chopping block, so any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated. A: We are still working on the budget and will be until the last hour when it is presented on March 26th. Once presented, we will be notifying our staff, community, parents etc. of the 2010-11 budget specifics. Obviously with a $2.4 million dollar reduction in state aid due to our “over adequacy” status there will be a reduction in staff, athletics, transportation, school budgets, etc. We are working closely with the municipality and surrounding school districts to present a budget that does not hurt our children. Our first budget presentation is this Friday (March 26th) at 6:30 pm in the BHS auditorium-please attend. Q: I wanted to address rumors that are being circulated around town. There is a rumor that the Ocean Acres section will definitely be going back to the A: Thank you for your question. As we noted at all of our Safe Routes to School informational meetings every neighborhood has the potential of being affected by the redistricting. We are focusing on every school in the district. As we stated at our informational meetings, we are over adequacy in transportation and have been penalized for that status by the state in the form of a $2.4+ million dollar reduction in aid for 2010-11. We will continue to be penalized until our transportation is at or below adequacy. The SRTS /redistricting results will be sent out to families in April-once approved by the board. Again, this is not a choice but a mandate given to us by the NJ Department of Education. We are working closely with the police and municipality to ensure all walking routes are SAFE. The municipality will be starting a large “sidewalk project” this year and the district will be laying down safe pathways from neighborhoods to our schools
Q: I need information about kindergarten registration-can I be directed to where I can get information?
A: Paperwork is going out on Thursday to each of the schools regarding Kindergarten Information Night (Wednesday, April 14th - to be held at the high school) as well Kindergarten Registration (to be held at the Joseph T. Donahue Elementary School – please bring your child – April 20, 21, 22, or 23 from 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM and then on Evening - April 21st from 5:00 PM -7:00 PM). Information will be posted on the district website http://www.barnegatschools.com/and elementary students will be bringing information home this week. A flyer is being sent to each of the nursery schools with all the pertinent information/schedule/etc. For more information please contact Karen McKeon at the BHS Curriculum Dept. Q: Please answer this question. We have heard the "rumor", that there will be a school closing next year. Is it true, and if so which one. Also, we were supposed to hear about redistricting in February, it is now mid March. What is the answer? Why have we not heard? Lastly, how can we do looping with our students with so many teachers retiring, or being laid off? I think Barnegat Schools are in big trouble, and no one wants to admit it.... Please tell us Mr. Bing.... We as parents NEED TO KNOW
A: Good questions. First, the redistricting-our transportation specialist is completely frozen right now waiting on the NJ Governor's speech on March 16th. This speech will determine our financial future therefore having a major impact on redistricting. Once the NJ school aid numbers are released (Governor's speech) –the following week EduLog (transportation specialist) will present the final redistricting to the board. Unfortunately we could not predict the financial hit schools have taken-we lost close to $300,000 last month. Therefore we have decided to be cautious with our redistricting and Safe Routes to School until we have solid numbers from the state. So now we wait. In regards to a school closing-that is strictly rumor. We do not know our final retirement numbers-we will get those towards the end of March. We should not be hit too hard. No matter what the fiscal outcome on March 16th-we will continue moving forward. As I have stated, I expect our school system to be one of the best within the next few years-I believe the steps we are taking (increased technology, focused/sustained professional development for teachers and administrators, focusing on kids and a clear vision) will get us there. We all need to work together as a community during these tough fiscal times in order to come out stronger and wiser. Please look for the 2010-11 budget presentation nights coming in the next few weeks.
Q: Has the school calendar been updated in regards to snow days? Thanks.
A: We will get out on the 24th instead of the 23rd-this will be approved at the March BOE meeting
Q: Mr. Bing, I understand that the district is in a lot of debt due to the technology upgrades in all of the schools-is this fact or fiction?
A: Fiction-we have upgraded our district via federal stimulus money that every school district received at the start of the school year. These monies had to be spent within a certain time period and only in specified budgetary areas. We also made fiscal cuts in August-September, freeing up funds. So, we are in no “technology” debt. Thanks.
Q: I heard a rumor you were quitting because of a power struggle from certain heads of departments. Any truth to that? A: Though I am aware of past power conflicts in Barnegat Twp. School District my policy has been to keep looking forward and not concern myself with past events. We have worked hard to reestablish relations with the municipality, Barnegat Education Association, Board of Education, Barnegat Police, local business, Barnegat Twp. School Administration, Southern Regional Schools, Waretown Schools, etc. I believe we have mended a lot of fences however, “trust” is established over time; I'm confident we have been moving in the right direction and hope our actions will speak for themselves. For me, I have not encountered any organization or persons that do not share our vision, to establish Barnegat Twp. Schools as one of the best in the state of NJ while strengthening our commitment to the Barnegat Twp. community. As I have stated previously, I believe a school district is a vital part of any local community-they work hand in hand in providing quality services to its citizens. So, stepping down from my soap box, that rumor is fiction. I realize not everyone will agree with my opinions, philosophy, actions, etc.-however I know that any thing done by this board and myself will be fully explained and detailed; and most importantly-transparent.
Q: We are not sure who made the decision regarding the elimination of caps and gowns for the 8th grade graduating class but after speaking to many students and parents; it has been received with unanimous opposition. The children feel that it is a well deserved honor for not only high school students but 8th graders as well. If it is a money saving venture, perhaps we should cut corners with the middle school sports team uniforms or reuse the caps and gowns. As you stated in past presentations, you wanted to keep us up to date in the 21st century, isn't this a step back? Don't our middle school students work hard enough academically to deserve the honor which many of their brothers and sisters had?
A: Thanks for the question. The ultimate decision to reduce middle school graduation costs (graduation costs budgeted by middle school were @ $15,000-$20,000 for 2009-10) was mine after discussions with administration and the board. At the start of my tenure we analyzed the budget and reduced it by @ $125,000. These cuts included stipend positions, materials, and other items that did not directly affect student academics. The grade 8 promotion was one of the categories analyzed. Along with the federal stimulus monies, these reductions/savings went to our 21st century classroom initiative. For example, by reducing the grade 8 graduation costs, which as you can see were quite extraordinary, we were able to outfit four middle school classrooms with Smart boards, video projectors, and document cameras. It was also felt that the honor of wearing a cap and gown is unique and should be part of their high school graduation experience. I understand the enormity of a grade 8 graduation in a school district w/o a high school-but the addition of a high school means that some past practices need to be revisited. I can promise you that the grade 8 promotion ceremony will be no less significant-these students’ accomplishments and hard work will be recognized honorably and appropriately. I can honestly say that there will be many past practices placed under the microscope as we move forward during these very tight fiscal times. As these practices are analyzed I am looking to fiscally sustain the district not just next year-but into the future. As we make reductions students are always our first priority-we are constantly asking-What are we doing? Is it working? and How do we know? I do understand both sides of this coin, however we will need to make very difficult decisions during the next few years as
Q: We have heard several rumors about children being moved to different schools and school starting times changing for next year. Can you address these rumors? Or, if this is factual information, can you provide an update on the process?
A: Yes, the district was told to lower its transportation costs last year during their state evaluation. One of the state's recommendations was to examine our practices of busing students to schools across town when in some cases they live across the street from a neighborhood school. They also noted our abundance of courtesy busing-“courtesy busing” applies to any students that live within 2 miles (elementary) and 2.5 miles (MS/HS) from a school and are bussed. The state believes these students should walk. In response the district has adopted the national SRTS program (Safe Routes to School). Since the district has completed its construction of new schools, we now have the opportunity to return students to their neighborhood schools thus creating more walking routes and in turn lowering our transportation costs. Since September we have held many SRTS informational meetings and have worked closely with the municipality and police. Obviously, there are some areas around town that require a major investment in order to make them safe for walking. At this time we will not be addressing those areas due to a lack of funding; however, there are neighborhoods in which the school/municipality can make minor changes (adding some sidewalks and/or pathways) to connect to our schools so children can walk safely to school. For 2010-11, these neighborhoods will be our focus. We have rec'd a draft of the new redistricting plan but are waiting on a final –I expect to receive this in February. Once received, it will be given to the board then shared with our families. Again, as I have emphasized at all of our informational meetings, if we cannot make it safe for the kids to walk then they will be bused-period. We have also agreed to continue to bus K-1 students that are currently being transported in 2010-11. Yes, school times may be altered slightly next year-elementary students may be coming in earlier (15 minutes) and MS/HS students may be coming in later by 15 minutes. For kindergarten students, they will now share the same schedule as our grades 1-5, thus adding another 1.5 hours to their day.
Q: I have heard a "rumor" that the district will discontinue"pull out" services next year for students with IEP'S. Meaning that special needs students who are presently being taken out of their "homeroom" class and going tosmallermore one on one work environments with a designated special ed teacher are going to be kept in their classrooms and have a floating helper assist them with their work. Is this true?
A: Every district in NJ is required to follow a student's Individual Evaluation Plan. We work with students and their needs on an individual basis-we do not use a “blanket” philosophy. That being said, this district follows one mantra, “We believe in meeting children's individual needs in the least restrictive environment possible”. Personally, I do believe in inclusion-I believe pulling students (excluding) is detrimental to student's self esteem and has shown no advantage (academically or socio- emotionally) over keeping students in a classroom and providing support. That support can be in the form of technology, one to one work with an aide or sped teacher, or small group instruction. If schools are preparing students for the “real world” then our classrooms must reflect the workplace. The majority of jobs require strong interpersonal/leadership skills and the ability to work with others. By excluding students, especially those with disabilities from their peers, we are removing them from, in my opinion, one of the most important goals of any education institution, providing students the opportunity to develop socially and emotionally. I ask anyone to take a look at those individuals in society that are truly successful; the majority of them have one thing in common-strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work with others. Whether it is Google, GE, or Microsoft-the first thing they look for in a new employee is the ability to work with others and leadership skills; these can only be developed and nurtured in students when they are with their peers. Can you tell that I am very passionate about this topic?
Q: Why was there a need for the start times in the schools to be changed? When the younger children who are walking to school in the snow and rain arrive wet and cold...how will this be handled? Won't it take time away from their lessons? I am sure each class will have quite a few. The classes are crowded as it is and there is no room for extra clothing to be stored. A child cannot be expected to stay wet and cold the entire day. Won't this also contribute to tardiness and sickness? Also, will the township have to provide more crossing guards along walking routes? What about sidewalks being shoveled/ cleared? As it is now, bus stops are not shoveled and salted. I will drive my children to school as I do not fee it is safe for my youngest to walk to Collins past the wooded area along Pennsylvania Avenue and Barnegat Blvd. Although these little ones are taught about stranger awareness, they really do not know how to apply it to a nice friendly face. So, the elementary schools will be a little crowded in the mornings with parents thinking the same as I do.
A: Thanks for the questions. The education field has been discussing start/end times in schools for years. The most powerful argument against current start times is that middle school/high school kids go to bed late yet are required to get up very early. They have the most activities, homework, etc. that often keeps them up late at night. Additionally, many hold jobs-that also keep them out late and require a lot of their time. As an education professional, I see so many of these students getting through the day using Red Bull, etc. It makes sense to have the older students come in later and the younger in earlier. Unfortunately this would require a significant overhaul in the areas of transportation, scheduling, etc., so at this time it is not feasible. However, we are going to start the MS/HS @ 15 minutes later next year and the elementary 15 minutes earlier. The SRTS (Safe Routes to School) program is not a choice the district is making-we were told by the NJDOE (Department of Education) to examine our transportation and make necessary changes to our courtesy busing (busing elementary students to school who live less than 2 miles away). There seems to be a misperception out in the public that the school district has a choice-we do not. We have been holding informational meetings, sending letters home, etc. to keep everyone in the communication loop. At this point we are waiting on our transportation specialists (Edu Log) to return our redistricting results. We then can share them with our parents/guardians. The areas that our transportation specialists denote as possible walking routes will be examined by the board, police, and municipality. We will be focusing on areas that require little investment to make safe. Again, as I stated previously, if it cannot be made safe then kids will be bused. In regards to weather, at the start of every year reminders go out to families about appropriate dress, etc. If a child comes in wet, which sometimes happens, they are sent to the office where they are given “fresh” and dry clothes. Having taught in an all walking district for almost ten years I found that there is very little to no disruption in the day-you deal with unique situations (a wet student) just like you would in a busing district if a bus is late, you make some adjustments. Hope this helps.
Q: Looping: what is your position on it and do you plan to implement it in our school district? Secondly, what are your plans as far as public pre-k? And lastly, in light of the new start times of the schools, will end times be altered as well? Thank you for you time. A: I am a firm believer in looping-though nothing is perfect-it is difficult to find any disadvantages to “looping” if done properly. In sum, schools keep a class of students together over longer periods of time-often two to three years. The teacher is “promoted” along with the students to the next grade level. Looping has many advantages: (a) a significant amount of extra teaching time is gained (b) teacher knowledge about a child's intellectual strengths and weaknesses substantially increase (c) offers wonderful opportunities for summer time learning (d) reduces student apprehension about a new school year (e) social skill attainment is increased (f) social emotional intelligences are substantially improved (g) increases stronger sense of community (f) offers more job satisfaction to teachers. We are thoroughly investigating its implementation in our district at the elementary level. As for a Pre K program-the state of NJ is cutting all funding for districts other than “Abbott”. Therefore, I do not foresee a Pre-K program in Barnegat in the near future. Start times and end times will be altered next year by @ 15 minutes. As we get more information we will keep parents/guardians in the communication loop. Thanks.
Q: I heard that Project Ready might not be implemented again next year. Is this true? A: This is not true-Project Ready will run as it has in the past. Thanks.
Q: I am enjoying the transparency in your Grapevine questions & answers! Tell me, would you be willing to attend IEP meetings? I think it would really be an eye-opener for you! A: I am very familiar with IEP meetings, in my former life I was a Supervisor of Special Education. I am guessing from this question that you are not pleased with the Barnegat IEP protocol. We are working to improve every aspect of our business, including IEP meetings through collaboration and professional development. We have come a long way but still have room for improvement. As you know we utilize a survey system to get input about our programs so I ask you to keep your eyes open for a special education survey that will be sent out soon. Thanks.
Q: I am getting many inquiries regarding the changes to the November break for next year. Can you give me a heads up on your page?
A: Yes, the 2010-11 calendar does change from the current year. The November 2010 break is only two days (Th/ Fri) and we get a four day break for Presidents’ weekend (Fri/Mon). This is the county calendar-whereas almost every district in
Q: For example, if a student brought a weapon to school, would the principal be required to notify parents, or is it up to his discretion on a case by case basis? Frankly I am quite surprised that a district wide policy manual is not already in place. My second issue is clearly linked to the first. As you know, a substitute teacher at the high school was arrested for "inappropriate contact" with a student, as reported in the local paper. I had to learn from my sixth grade daughter that he was also a substitute at Brackman. This is not acceptable. The fact that there is not a written policy regarding notification of parents in events such as these is troubling. I understand innocent until proven guilty, and that is not the issue here, it is the withholding of information that is at issue. If a teacher was arrested and convicted, would parents be notified? Without a clear written policy as to which events require parental notification I am not confident that parents would in fact be notified of such an event.
A: This district utilizes a policy manual that is utilized in the majority of districts throughout the state. It is updated daily by the vendor according to revisions sent by the state. Schools also utilize a student handbook with a code of conduct that is often given to students during the first week of school. These are the basis for any disciplinary action. We also take into consideration the individual and his/her situation. In regards to the second issue, we work hand and hand with the county prosecutor. Any criminal investigation is automatically turned over to the prosecutor once police become involved-as in the issue you have noted. Once handed over to the prosecutor, we must wait for their word before we take action in notifying parents. Why? It interferes with their investigation. We take initial steps to immediately protect our students then assist in the prosecutor’s investigation. |
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